The Red Hand

Chapter 118 – Family.

After a bit more discussion, Mizumi took Kukurihime and went to the pocket dimension to show her around. They planned on having her speak with the Spirit Council and spread the word about their true history, something Mizumi figured would be difficult. Akagi would join them once she was finished with the Tomogawas, and Mizumi wanted to make preparations for her arrival, so a delay was welcome.

After they left, Akagi moved  into the living room, and squeezed against Yumi, while she explained things to Kana.

"You don't look particularly shocked." Akagi was expecting more of a reaction from her sister than a nod and sigh.

"With everything that's gone on, hearing that Mizumi and her people are actually Yokai who fled from this world three hundred years ago isn't that high on the list of crazy." Kana shrugged. "Pretty hard to top my sister being the Demon Lord or that my family are Onmyoji."

{Yeah, you might have a point on that one.} (Akagi)

"Fair." Akagi shrugged. "It should be interesting to see just what kind of society they've built in their little home. I'm looking forward to seeing it, it should be fun."

{Perhaps it will be something like the sights in FWO? I wouldn't mind seeing things like that again.} (Akagi)

"Yeah, you've been sending quite a bit of material and other things to them over these last few months. But if they're building an entire town, I guess that makes sense." Kana had noticed the large quantity of building materials and other things being taken by Mizumi into her portal.

{That was a lot of things, though. It included construction equipment and heavy machinery. What kind of town are they building? I'd like to go with and see it for myself.} (Kana)

"I'll take some video and show you later." Akagi smiled. She was still unwilling to take Kana into the spirit's world. Mostly because she was worried something might happen, or that there might be some unforeseen side effects.

"That would be nice. From what Mizumi told me, it seems like a pretty unique amalgamation of old and new. Something like Kyoto, but on a smaller scale." Kana smiled. Mizumi had taken a few pictures to share, and accounts from clan members made it seem like the town was pretty neat.

"Yes, well. We now need to move on to a more... depressing topic." Akagi sighed as she let go of Yumi and looked straight at Kana. "I will be killing a good chunk of your relatives tomorrow, Kana." Akagi was blunt. "They want to kill me, and I'm sorry. My love for you is great, but I can't allow a threat to me or my people to survive. Even if they are your family, they've already tried to hurt someone I care about." Akagi emphasized the word your since she didn't regard them as her own relatives. She might have been born into a human family, but as far as she was concerned, the Tomogawas were strangers. Kana was the only exception.

{Now that I've gotten over my doubts, I'm even more determined to keep those two girls safe. I finally have real friends, and I'm sure as hell not going to let anyone take them from me!} (Akagi)

"I can't say I'm excited about the prospect, but you don't need to worry about me." Kana's eyes got sharp. "They tried to kidnap one of my friends in order to kill you. Heck they were even going to kill her too! What happens now is on them." Her words were sharp and her tone said she was angry. "Our family is trash, Onee-chan." Kana shook her head in disbelief. "Even mom and dad are no good. You saw that yourself. Even after everything, they still treat you as an other, and they don't take any responsibility, nor have any guilt for what they did to you. I'd been hoping for things to get better... but... but..." Kana started crying. "Why couldn't we just have a normal family?!?" She exclaimed. "Why did we have to be born to such awful people?!?" Tears streamed down her cheek, causing Akagi to move over next to her and bring her into an embrace.

{You've been holding in your frustration at them, haven't you?} (Akagi)

"You can't pick your family, Kana. But if nothing else, being born into that family gave me you. If I had to go through it all again, I would." Akagi hugged her tightly. Though she wasn't entirely sure her words were truthful, but she said them anyway to comfort her sister. "Shima and Taichi have their issues, and maybe one day you can have a better relationship with them. At the very least I can say I was wrong about them in one way." Akagi chuckled.

"Wrong? How?" Kana asked meekly.

"They genuinely love you, Kana." Akagi's eyes got a bit watery. "They don't see you as something to use like I thought. I could see it in their eyes, Kana. They were genuinely concerned for you and were worried about your wellbeing. They love you as parents should." She squeezed Kana tight again, so that she wouldn't notice Akagi crying. "I can never forgive them, but you might just be able to salvage that situation. It might seem strange for me to say this, but don't give up on them just yet."

{You don't want to go through life with no parents. Trust me, it's not fun...} (Akagi)

It was a strange statement indeed but made sense. Akagi was effectively telling her sister not to cut ties with them unless absolutely necessary. Kana's parents loved her, and no matter how close the two sisters were, Akagi could never replace Kana's parents, nor would she want to.

"Just remember that, no matter what, I'm here for you, now, always, and forever." Akagi held onto her.

{Your the only family that cared about me for most of my life. I'd never leave you alone, especially not when you need me. If nothing else, I have a debt to pay to you for helping me cope with the loneliness for all those years and trying your best to help me, despite those two.} (Akagi)

"And not just her." Yumi smiled. "We all see you as a member of our big family, and I consider myself lucky to have met you, Kana." Yumi continued. "Family doesn't have to mean related by blood, and the bonds that bind all of us here go far beyond such a simple thing. At the very least, you will always be a part of our family, Kana."

"Yumi's right." Akagi smiled. "I consider each and every one of these chuckleheads to be my family. I'd still think that way even if we didn't make an actual family together."

"Thank you, Yumi, Onee-chan." Kana giggled. "These last few months have been hard. My entire world has been turned upside down, and I won't lie... it hasn't been easy. But I think it's for the best that things have changed as they have. We've had a fresh start in both our lives. In more ways than one." She said as she poked Akagi in the cheek. "I'll be ok. I think I just need time to process everything. I always knew our family was rotten, but I guess it went deeper than I thought."

"The irony." Akagi pulled away from her. "Is that had the family stepped back and gotten off its high horse, they could have actually been a force for good. Hell, you could have grown up to be the well-respected head of an Onmyoji house. If they'd only talked to me, actually listened to what I had to say. Perhaps this wouldn't have needed to happen. As much as I enjoy being the Demon Lord who blows things up. I think I'd prefer to be the Demon Lord who lives in relative peace." Akagi chuckled. "Oh well, there's no point lamenting over what could have been. We have to play the hand we're dealt. I won't deny that tomorrow will be cathartic for me. Lord knows I've wanted to rip half these people's heads off since I was young."

"I can't exactly blame you. Most of our family did some nasty things to you." Kana thought back to certain painful memories.

{I recall how our cousins used to treat you and I know for a fact our aunt and uncle sanctioned such behavior. Lord knows what else they did that you've never told me.} (Kana)

"On that note, I think it's best if you go to Hishya's place tomorrow after school." Akagi said.

"I'll be-" Kana was cut off by Akagi.

"Go spend time with your dragon girlfriend. She probably misses you, and it's better to hang out with her tomorrow night so you're not thinking about what I'm doing." Akagi laughed. "Just don't wake up her parents with your activites." Akagi winked and Kana bopped her on the head.

"I don't really have a choice in the matter, do I?" Kana giggled.

"Nope, doctor's orders. Lolis are the best medicine." Akagi laughed.

"Does she really count as one, though? She's only slightly shorter than me actually, and I don't exactly count as a loli" Kana asked. The height difference between the two wasn't actually that much, and Kana wasn't exactly short. Said difference inverted whenever Hishya transformed into adult Hishya, something that Kana requested when they got intimate. Whether normal Hishya counted as true loli was also the topic of fierce internet debate, with most people considering her more petite than short. "Do you know what she told me when I asked her why she chose that look?"

Akagi smirked. "Because it was fucking adorable." She used Hishya's voice. "Also, it's debatable if she is one, and I lean more towards yes."

"I mean, she's not wrong. She is amazingly cute." Kana laughed and got a terrible idea for tomorrow. "I wonder what she'd do if I started treating her like a kid? Should I give her uppies?"

{That would be amazing and I'd pay to see it. Maybe I should do that to her next time she's over?} (Akagi)

"50/50 chance she'd either love it or hate it." Akagi thought for a moment. "Nah, more like 60/40 love favored."

{Hishya is kinda strange in her own right, being treated like a child might be something she has fun with.} (Akagi)

"Yeah, you're right." Kana laughed. "That idiot would probably enjoy it, hell she might even start getting into the role!" She was already planning what kinds of fun she'd have with Hishya.

"Go spend time with her tomorrow. Turn it into a sleepover, and make it a movie night too. I'll have someone come and grab you in the morning so you can go to school. Hishya can fly fast, but Tokyo to Kyoto in like twenty minutes isn't going to happen." Akagi chuckled.

"Yeah, arriving on the back of a dragon would be kind of cool, but then I'd have to deal with Mika and Naomi's incessant pestering, and everyone else's reactions, so let's not do that." Kana figured they'd lay into the princess thing even more if that happened.

Once they were done talking about the Tomogawa issue. Kana went off to her training session in the Dojo. Akagi needed Chloe for something important, so Sakura would assist her this evening. A gathering of the heads of the clan was called, and Akagi and the five of them met in one of the side rooms of the estate.

"My apologies for calling all of you here so suddenly." Akagi said while leaning against the wall. Kira, Chloe, Yumi, Marshal, and Mimi stood across from her.

"It's no issue. If you call for us, we will always come." Marshal said, and everyone agreed.

"Chloe, did you inform the rest of the family about what's going on with the Tomogawa family?" Akagi asked her.

"Yes," Chloe nodded. "I made sure your intention to eliminate the priests was clear to everyone. nya."

"My Lord, will you be ok doing this?" Mimi asked. "I know you don't view them as family, but I just want to make sure you are ok." She was worried for Akagi's mental health.

Akagi laughed. "I'm fine, don't worry. I already talked this out with Kana, and she agreed with my decision. If they're going to threaten the lives of me and those I care about, all bets are off. I don't care if they are weak, that means nothing. I won't risk them pulling something out of their ass later and harming one of you. Your lives mean infinitely more to me than their's." The five of them smiled when she said that. "I have no lingering attachment to them, and what remained of my familiar ties to them vanished when I banished my humanity. So you needn't worry about me or my feelings. I've got no reservations about exterminating these people, former relatives or not."

"I just wanted to make sure. I apologize if that was disrespectful." Mimi lowed her head.

"Don't be sorry. I appreciate it." Akagi smiled. "But as for how we're going to do this. Well... I've decided to take this and have some fun." Akagi turned to Kira.

"Have you ever heard the story of the Night Parade of One-Hundred Demons?" Akagi's eyes glowed.

{I've always wanted to do this.} (Akagi)