The Red Hand

Chapter 112 – The Guardian Deity.

The three familiar girls approached the table that Akagi and her friends were sitting at, and the Demon instantly recognized one of them. Something about her seemed to bug both Akagi and Kana who were displeased by her sudden appearance.

"I didn't expect to see you here, Miyako." Kana politely greeted the girl, and Akagi could instantly tell she didn't like her.

{Is this the one Kana was always complaining about?} (Akagi)

"Nor I you." Miyako scoffed. "I'd rather avoid associating with you if possible, but Yemi wanted to try this place out." She was referring to the brown-haired girl next to her. “We caught sight of you within the café, but decided to be civil anyway.”

"Hey, Yemi." Naomi waved to the girl she knew from the basketball team.

"Ummm h-hey." The girl waved back, though she was nervous. Yemi'd been avoiding Naomi since the incident at Camp Katsura, and she seemed to still be uncomfortable around her. “Ummm.” Her eyes flickered as she clearly didn't want to be around Naomi or the other girls at the table. Naomi and her had been decently close until last falls events, when she began avoiding her.

Miyako looked over at Mika who was ignoring her and chomping away at her sandwich. "I see Mika forgot her lunch again." Miyako sighed. "You really are hopeless, aren't you? If you can't even remember to pack your food, how are you going to be a functioning adult?" She knew the blue-haired girl all too well and had tried to correct her behavior on several occasions, all to no avail.

"Her airheadedness is we keep her around." Akagi laughed. "It's her only endearing trait!” She snickered

"Hey, I have more qualities than just being empty-headed!" Mika retorted.

"Name them, I'll wait!" Akagi challenged her.

“I have-” Mika was cut off.

"Having a girlfriend isn't a quality." Kana preempted a suspected point.

*Tsk* Mika clicked her tongue. "Well, I'm still cute, and that's what matters." She went back to eating her food.

“Yeah, cute like when a dog gets a bucket stuck on its head and flails around helplessly.” Kana laughed.

"In all seriousness, I'd say her ability to just take everything in stride is her best quality. If she can keep up with me, that's pretty good." Akagi chuckled.

"And who exactly are you, anyway?" Miyako asked. "I don't recognize you, and I've never seen you around any of these three idiots before." Naturally she had no idea that this was Akagi transformed. “Are you a student from another school? You look around our age, maybe a bit older.”

"Umm... this... this is... um..." Kana tried to find a reliable answer but nothing came to mind.

{Come on Kana, figure something out!} (Kana)

"I'm her sister." Akagi answered truthfully. "I'm here to spend time with her, our friend and Mika." Her answer made the three girls hearts sink.

{Really! I thought we were trying to prevent a panic?!?} Kana retorted internally.

{What do you mean AND Mika?!?} (Mika)

Miyako and the two girls were stunned for a second before rebooting. "Don't even joke about that!" Her face had slightly paled. "You know just what kind of monster her sister is! Why would you want people thinking such things about you? Even in jest, that is a foolish comment!"

"Uh, Miyako," Naomi spoke up.

"What?" The girl turned to her.

"That really is Kana's sister." Naomi sighed. Seeing no choice, and figuring it was best to cue her in before she did something stupid, Naomi confirmed what Akagi said was the truth.

Miyako looked back at Akagi, who briefly flashed her demonic eyes before changing them back to normal. The three girls backed off and started trembling a bit.

“Please don't eat us!” Yemi cowered behind her friends. “We don't taste good.”

“Y-yeah! I'm probably too salty!” The other girl said.

"I-um. Monster is actually a compliment, yeah! Right, you two?" Miyako looked at her two friends, who nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I d-didn't mean it bad! I swear!”

"Calm down. I'm not going to hurt you." Akagi sighed. "I'm here to spend time with these three idiots, not start a pogrom." Akagi continued. “Besides if I'm going to eat any set of three high-schoolers it will be these knuckleheads right here. 10:1 they have a much better flavor than you.” She pointed at Kana who smacked her on the back of the head.

“Not helping!” Kana glared at her.

"Please ignore her, she's actually quite harmless. Besides I've told you before that Onee-chan isn't out to hurt people." Kana groaned. "So you don't need to act like that. Cowing in fear is unnecessary.”

“Unnecessary, but I'll still take it.” Akagi winked and Kana groaned.

{Do you really have to do that...} (Kana)

"Uh, yes, well... look at the time. We're almost late for that thing we had to do!" Miyako and the three girls turned and ran out of the café.

{What a cliché line.} (Naomi x Mika)

"Well, that was nice." Akagi had a smile plastered on her face.

"You just enjoyed them fleeing in pure terror." Naomi chuckled. "Though I must admit, seeing Miyako humbled is quite nice. That girl can be a bit much sometimes."

"Yeah, she really gets on my nerves." Kana did not like the girl, and she always got under her skin. “But I'm not sure how to react to her looking at my sister and fleeing in terror.”

“The correct reaction would be to be proud!” Akagi puffed out her chest in pride.

{No I think Kana's reaction is the correct one.} (Naomi x Mika)

“Please don't get into the habit of tormenting other people just to watch them cower in fear.” Kana sighed.

“Awww but its so much fun watching the mortals scatter like cockroaches.” Akagi continued to laugh. “What's that look for?” Kana was giving her a glare.

“You really are just awful aren't you?” Kana sighed. “Why do you have to be such a massive sadist? Poor Yumi. I fear what you do to that poor girl when we're not looking.” She smirked.

“Hold up!” Akagi sat up really quick. “I don't pull that stuff with Yumi, she's off limits.” Akagi wasn't above picking on Yumi, but her more sadistic tenancies didn't go near Yumi.

“Oh but your sister isn't?” Kana shook her head. “Thanks, guess I know where I stand in the pecking order.”

“You get special treatment because you're my sister. It's the older siblings job to bully the younger, its part of the agreement we sign.” Akagi winked. “If you want, I can indulge myself just a bit more in my bullying. Though I doubt you want that.” Akagi's eyes glinted for just a second causing Kana to have a chill run down her spine.

{Oh no you don't! I know what kind of indulging you'd want to do!} (Kana)

“Regular bullying is fine, no need for changes!” Kana began to nod rapidly.

“HAHAAHHAA.” Akagi laughed. “The look on your face was priceless. Man that's good!”

{I'm starting to understand what Akagi meant that day when she said that especially Kana would be in trouble.} Naomi got to see a glimpse into that dark part of Akagi's mind, and she was glad the Demon had that under control.

“Its nice to see Kana get all scared like that sometimes.” Mika smiled as she finished her food. “Besides, Kana your also a sadist too.”

“What!” Kana exclaimed. “I'm not sadist!”

Mika and Naomi looked at each other. “She really thinks that, huh?” (Mika x Naomi)

“Must be from her Demon side.” Naomi chuckled.

“Yeah, naturally the Demon Princess enjoys tormenting us mere mortals.” Mika poked fun at Kana.

“What? Is today pick on Kana day?” Kana slumped back in her chair.

“All for making today the official holiday?” Akagi stuck up her hand followed by Mika and Naomi.

“Do I get a say?” Kana asked weakly.

“Sure you do! You can vote too, but since its three against one, you lose.” Akagi smiled. “ Moving along from tormenting the Princess.” Akagi shifted topics. “You really don't like that Miyako girl, right?”

“She's.... an absolute pain.” Kana sighed. “Miyako has never really done anything to me, but she extremely competitive and hates the fact that I beat her in test scores. She's always got some snide comment or slings sass around.”

“So she's basically your Hishya?” Akagi asked. “Because that's what she was to me, a pain in the ass who couldn't take losing and always had a comment.”

{As if you don't have a comment prepared for everything...} (Mika)

“Maybe?” Kana shrugged. “I'd just rather she leave me alone and keep the sass to her self for once.”

“Should I visit her during the night?” Akagi asked. “You know what my real shadow looks like.” She pointed behind her. “How about seeing that on the ceiling in the middle of the night? It would probably make her faint in fear.”

{Hoshino didn't enjoy seeing it before she died either. I guess just seeing it can cause people some damage.} (Akagi)

Kana thought for a moment. “I want to say yes. But, I'm going to take the high road and ask you not to traumatize one of my classmates.” Though it seems she actually gave that genuine consideration.

"Maybe you could throw her on an island for a bit?" Mika gave an idea based on what Akagi threatened her with earlier.

Akagi shrugged. "If she does anything to upset Kana, she might wake up one morning and find her bed sitting on a beach somewhere."

"That would be kinda funny." Kana laughed. "She'd freak out." She claimed not to be sadistic, but the look in her eyes said otherwise.

{Scary Kana came out for a second.} (Naomi x Mika)

"I think anyone would, Kana." Naomi sighed. She knew Kana would absolutely love to watch Miyako get tormented by her older sister.

“On a separate but related note, answer me this.” Akagi said. "Is that girl from the Hitsubane family?"

"Yeah, her name is Miyako Hitsubane." Mika answered. "Why?"

*Tsk* Akagi clicked her tongue. "I knew her older sister Saiya. She was in my grade." Akagi groaned as she recalled her. "She was a real bitch."

{Note to self, find Saiya and repay her for the tacks in my shoes freshman year.} (Akagi)

"I wonder what it is about sisters and being alike?" Mika asked with a cheeky smile.

"No clue," Akagi bopped her on the head. “I wonder what it is with Mikas and deserted islands?”

"Owchi!" Mika cried out. “Such abuse!”

{Why do I have a feeling that one morning Mika won't come to school and Kana and I will instantly think she's on some deserted island somewhere?} Naomi sighed internally.

Kana decided to ask her sister about something she'd noticed. "When Miyako walked in the door, your face briefly scrunched up. What was that about?" Kana had caught that brief change in Akagi's demeanor.

"Her family owns a shrine, and she was wearing a charm that gave off spiritual power," Akagi answered. “As I'm a being that is quite opposed to such things, its as quite an unpleasant feeling just being around that power.”

"Wait, really?" Kana knew the Hitsubane family ran a shrine, but spiritual power wasn't something she expected. "So that means that whole Onmyoji power thing is real?"

"Seems so." Akagi shrugged. "I've been to a couple of shrines, and while I've detected some residual power. I've had no luck in meeting any Yokai or guardian deities."

"Maybe they're afraid of you?" Naomi guessed. "You are the Demon Lord. Not hard to imagine they want to stay away from you."

"No, I don't think so." Akagi shook her head. "If that were the case I'd still be able to track em down and find them. But I've had no luck so far, though granted I've never searched that girls family shrine.”

"Then why was there power around her?" Kana asked. "I didn't see or feel anything when she came in either."

"That's because you're not accustomed to sensing power like that. You lack the magical ability to do so." Akagi said. "But as to why it was emitting from her. From what I saw, it was coming off a charm on her right wrist, and was likely given to her to ward off evil."

{But who gave her it?} Akagi thought to herself.

"Well, it didn't work on you!" Mika laughed. "In fact, she ran right into you. So I'd say it attracts demons rather than repel them!"

"If I so much as sneezed on her, that charm and its protective aura would burst like a balloon." Akagi smirked. "It will take a hell of a lot more than such pitiful spirit power to even begin to harm me."

“Considering the Yokai in my family legends couldn't destroy planets, that's understandable.” Naomi gave a dry laugh.

"Isn't her family shrine close-by?" Akagi asked.

"Yeah, it's actually only a few blocks away if I recall correctly. We've been there at least once." Naomi answered. "Why?"

"I'd like to take a visit if you don't mind." Akagi said.

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Kana sighed. “Please don't turn things into another news story. I already woke up to an article this morning about the Shingeki Corp's CEO being accidented during the night.” Turned out that said CEO was actually embezzling a ton of money from the company and the board couldn't legally get rid of him without destroying the company. Akagi's help solved all those problems and saved the company from destruction.

“Hey, I've got bills to pay.” Akagi shrugged.

Kana rolled her eyes. “Well your job gets in the headlines every once and a while. Also, as if you don't have enough money never to work again...”

{Its less a job and more of a hobby for her, honestly.} (Naomi)

{Couldn't Akagi just take whatever she wanted anyway? Does she even need money?} (Mika)

“We should go to that shrine! I kinda wanna see what's going to happen when she arrives! Maybe Akagi will fight the god?" Mika chuckled.

"Fine," Kana gave in. "If that's fine with you?" She looked at Naomi. “Also, Mika don't say things like that. Its how you jinx things!”

“Guardian Deity versus Demon Lord would make for a great sequel to Demon Lord versus Angel.” Mika laughed. “I can't wait!” If it did happen, she'd record it for sure.

“I don't really want to watch Akagi rip apart my faith but sure.” Naomi sighed. She actually prayed to some of the local gods regularly.

“If said God exists and isn't stupid we should have no problems.” Akagi sipped her tea.

The four finished up their food and tea and set off toward the Hitsubane family shrine. Akagi paid the bill by stealing it away before the other three could complain. Something Mika was happy for as she had no money to pay for her food.

"Here we are." Kana stood in front of the Torii gate that lead up the stairs to the shrine.

The girls headed up. Mika, Naomi, and Kana gave a quick prayer before stepping through the gate and heading up the left side of the stairs. Meanwhile, Akagi had different ideas and walked straight up the middle. Something that caught the attention of other people who were nearby, and the girls.

"Onee-chan, you know that's not where you're supposed to walk." Kana sighed. The center was supposed to be for the deity who lived in the shrine and people shouldn't walk there. “Never mind.”

{At this point, she's probably higher up status wise than the god that lives here. So she'd probably say something like: Your lucky I didn't make you come to me!} Kana mocked her sister in her head.

"If the god is pissed about it, then they can come out here and fight me!" Akagi laughed as she walked up the stairs. Naturally, nothing happened, but Akagi found her blatant blasphemy hilarious.

"I don't think they could even do anything if they did exist." Naomi laughed nervously.

The four of them reached the top and found the shrine quiet and empty, save for a single older man sweeping the temple grounds.

"Oh, this is quite rare." He looked up at them. "We hardly get any visitors these days."

"Yes, well. My sister wanted to see the shrine." Kana put on a fake smile. "And we're from Miyako's class. We saw her earlier, and our conversation went to the family shrine she lived at."

"Ahh, friends of my granddaughter." The old man smiled. "I can go get her if you want. She came back from school in quite a hurry and locked herself in her room." His eyes snapped to Akagi before returning to Kana.

{This man.} Akagi noticed something about him.

"No! That won't be necessary!" Kana waved her arms. She didn't want to traumatize Miyako anymore, yet.

"I see. Then please enjoy yourself. You can offer your prayers to Lady Kukurihime up ahead.” He pointed to a large building adorned with many different religious effects.

{Interesting, I sense something here.} Akagi thought. {Perhaps this guardian deity is actually home?} Prior to FWO, she'd thought the Shinto ideas of gods and spirits were bogus. But recently, the idea of such existences being real entered her mind. She'd never met another supernatural existence besides herself, Mizumi and the others notwithstanding, but figured it was possible they existed in this world.

"Hey," Akagi called out to the old man. "When was the last time someone actually met Kukurihime?" She asked. “Have you met her?”

"Long before my time." He answered. "I've never met her in person, but that is because she has not deemed me worthy."

{And he's lying. Great.} Akagi sighed as she felt some kind of energy stir in the shire up ahead.

{Yeah, something is definitely here.} Akagi grinned. {Time to meet a god I guess.}

The four of them walked up to the front of the shrine. The girls offered a prayer, while Akagi's eyes moved around looking for this guardian deity.

*Clap* *Clap*

*Tink*

The girls made an offering, except Mika, and when they did Akagi noticed the energy within the shrine move around for a bit, as if it was watching the girls.

"Alright, I've seen enough. I'm satisfied." Akagi said loudly, raising her hand in front of her.

"Onee-chan, what are you doing?" Kana asked, her bad feeling was coming home to roost.

"Kukurihime or whoever you are, you've got five seconds to get out here and face me. If you don't, I detonate this place and you." She charged up a black and red energy blast in her hand.

"5!"

"Wait, what?!?" Kana was surprised, but before she could say anything more.

"Please wait!" A voice called out from the shrine, and the doors opened causing a bright light to flow out from the building. "There is no need for violence!"

A young girl around Kana's age walked out of the door. She had long brown hair tied in two buns that ran down behind her head. She was wearing a pink Kimono and had two horns protruding out from her head. She looked like an Oni, and the resemblance to Superbia was quite high.

"There you are." Akagi put her hand down and released the energy harmlessly. "I've been trying to find a guardian deity since I got back, and now we've got one right here." Akagi had an awful smile on her face.

"Wait, is that actually Kukurihime?!?" Kana was surprised, and so were the other two.

{A real god?!?} (Mika x Naomi)

"Y-yes, that is who I am." Kukurihime nodded and looked at Akagi. "May I ask what a being like you is doing here?"