The Red Hand

Chapter 122 – Darkness Swallows the Light.

Akagi dragged the two weapon-girls upstairs into one of the main rooms to speak with them, all the while her followers continued to tear the compound apart. The two weapon-girls were shaken after seeing some of Akagi's power and became quiet and meek at the prospect of angering her. Before they continued, Akagi had them introduce themselves. The pink-haired one was named Momo, she was the older sister, and the red-haired one's name was Himari. They'd apparently been sealed away quite a long time ago.

"You really did kill them all..." Momo was still taking everything in, though she'd been steered away from the grisly fate of the family. "The clan tasked with protecting the world from the darkness has been destroyed..."

{This is truly the worst case scenario. Without them, who will protect this world?} (Momo)

"What's going to happen now?" Himari looked worried.

"Well, not all the Tomogawa's are dead," Akagi said. "I only killed the Onmyoji. Those not involved with the family business are alive and kicking."

"Does that matter?" Himari asked. "You're just going to kill them all anyway."

"A being of darkness cares little for such differences, its only a mater of time until you dispose of them as well." Momo sighed.

{Yet more people who assume the worst about me. I suppose that's understandable though.} (Akagi)

"Are you two really unaware of what's been going on while you were sealed away?" Akagi asked since she figured they were probably in a sleep-like state.

"Yes, we agreed to be sealed away to help in the future not long after the Tomogawa clan was founded. We were supposed to remain sealed until the greatest darkness would emerge, and the world would be placed in peril. It was prophesied to occur sometime in the future and we were sealed away to ensure that such evil could be defeated, so We have no knowledge of anything during the intervening centuries." Momo answered.

"So you've missed three centuries, ok." Akagi nodded. "Let me fill you in a bit on what's been going on."

Akagi explained everything to the two of them. She told that what a Demon Lord was, that she was at one point a member of the Tomogawa family, what they did to her, the events of FWO and many other things that had occurred since she returned from the game world. She also explained why she'd attacked the family and the circumstances leading up to the massacure.

"Strange. For some reason, I don't believe you're lying." Momo commented after Akagi finished.

"Yeah, how can a Demon tell the truth about all that, though?" Himari was confused.

"I don't care whether you believe me or not, that's up to you. " Akagi shrugged. "But it is the truth. I had no intention of attacking the Tomogawas until they came for Naomi."

"Attacking the last member of the Tokugawa family to sacrifice her in order to break our seal is a gross violation the pact they swore with our masters." Momo was annoyed. "And if what you say is true, while you may be a Demon, the family needlessly antagonized you."

"Yeah, had they succeeded, we wouldn't have helped them anyway. Our masters are the Tokugawa, not their branch family. To raise their hand to them is the ultimate betrayal, even if they had good intentions." Himari was similarly upset.

"Not like it would have mattered." Akagi laughed as Yumi handed her a freshly lit pipe. "You two are strong for weapons of this world, but compared to this." Akagi summoned World Breaker. "You're just fancy ornaments." Her blade was very special and her partner in crime.

"The evil radiating off that weapon is unbelievable." Momo scooted back a bit, away from the Demon Blade.

"I can't compete with something like that!" Himari was more struck with a sense of defeat than disgust.

"Well. I mean, this is a copy of a legendary Demon weapon from Altarus. It's no wonder you both feel that way." Akagi put the weapon back in her inventory.

"So what will you do with us?" Momo asked. "I suppose you will corrupt us and turn us into Demon Weapons."

"I don't wanna become a Demon Sword..." Himari pouted. The curl on her head drooping down.

"Man, people are quick to kill themselves off in their heads, aren't they." Akagi laughed. "Well, sorry to disappoint you, but I have no interest in doing that."

"What?!?" (Himari x Momo)

"I don't have any reason to destroy you or corrupt you, as that would basically be the same thing. It's not like you're much of a threat to me, and I don't see any reason for us to fight since we're not really enemies. You're free to go if you wish." Akagi took a hit of the pipe and let out a puff of smoke.

"Free to go?" Momo's eyes went wide. "But, where would we even go to?" She looked at Himari. "We've existed solely to strike down Yokai defend against the prophesied evil, and we can't even do that. As it stands, we have no purpose anymore."

"I don't wanna get a job!" Himari cried out in horror.

"Then why not come with me?" Akagi offered. "I've got an idea how the two of you can help. Even if you can't defeat me, you still have some use."

"Helping a Demon goes against our very reason for existing, and I refuse to be used to harm people." Momo shook her head.

"Yeah!" Himari agreed. “We don't want to be used for evil!”

"Even if you would be used by the Heads of the Tokugawa and the Tomogawa families?" Akagi smirked. "Because I feel like you'd make great companions for both of them."

"???" The two weapon-girls tilted their heads in confusion.

"We're planning on using some special methods to open up my sister and her two friends' bodies to magic. Naomi is the head of the Tokugawa clan and would benefit greatly from some guidance. Especially since her family was killed before she was made aware of the real history of her family and its connection to Yokai.” Akagi continued. “Kana would likely be helped by a guiding hand from a weapon that is sworn to her family, and I suspect you would get along well with her." Akagi smiled. "How's that sound? You can't strike down the Demon Lord, but I'd say helping those two girls is a good second career opportunity."

"If we agreed to that, and I'm not saying we are, that means we wouldn't be taking orders from you, right? We would only answer to those two?" Momo asked. She wanted to make sure Akagi wouldn't be their true master.

"I don't control either girl. Kana lives with me, and we're around each other a lot, but I have no right to control her or what she does. If you accept her as your master, then she not I would be the one you answer to." Akagi smiled.

"Naomi is in a similar situation. She is my friend, but I do not and will not order her around like a subordinate. She is her own person independent of me." Akagi chuckled. “You will never be required to do as I say, nor will I use the girls to force you to do something you otherwise would refuse to do.”

"I see." Momo thought for a bit and looked at her sister. "What do you think?"

"I think that sounds fine!" Himari smiled. "We can still do our duty to both families this way!"

"I agree." Momo smiled. "I might not exactly like being so close to a Demon, but I don't really think it's worth dying on that hill." The two took formal stances.

"We will accept your offer." (Himari x Momo)

The two bowed their heads to Akagi, who returned a warm smile. Having these two would make the study of magic and training in such arts much easier for the girls. Mika would be left out, but she had two Yuki-Onna who could easily teach her whatever she wanted to know.

{At least I won't have them talking in MY head. That's going to be a problem for the girls to deal with.} (Akagi)

"Good, then I think that settles everything here at the compound." Akagi stood up and looked over at Chloe. "Instruct the teams to get ready for return back to the estate. Once everyone is back. I want this place burned to the ground, we'll leave nothing standing."

"Yes, myaster!" Chloe quickly took off to spread the word.

"Why not keep this place?" Momo asked. "There must be valuable resources and information here."

"I already cleaned it out before I woke you two up. All that's left is the buildings, and I have no use for another base." Akagi shrugged. "Besides, I'll be ruling my own nation soon, so having this location will cause issues."

"The Demon Lord's own country?" Himari tilted her head. "Sounds like something out of one of the old stories. I bet it's filled with dead trees, the undead and eternal sadness."

Akagi bapped her on the head.

"Owchi!" Himari cried.

"I'll have you know that it's a lovely place." Akagi sighed. "It's got green mountains, rolling hills, and clear blue skies. I might be the Demon Lord but don't go assuming I'm like those Demons in your stories, and enjoy living in some dark dank place like that."

{Though some aspects like the love of absolute darkness do apply.} (Akagi)

Once everything was complete, Yumi slowly teleported everyone and the looted items back to the estate. Akagi was the last to leave as she looked at the inferno she'd lit in the estate. In the blackness of the night, the entire hillside seemed to erupt in flames, and Akagi'd left a nice present for anyone who came to check things out.

"Hmpf." Akagi cracked a smile as she vanished into the night.

_____________________________________________________________________________

<Mixu POV>

News of the fire at the compound quickly spread to nearby towns and villages. The massive blaze acted like a beacon in the night and could be seen from Kyoto. Firefighters from all over were called in to put out the blaze, and after a several hours-long fights and needing the military's air tankers to dump water on the burning forest, the blaze was defeated. Investigators came in the morning, and Mixu was brought in. She was in Kyoto for unrelated reasons when Aoi passed along a request for assistance from the local police. There was still some concern in Japan regarding Libra and the returnees. So Mixu was sent to check things out and see if this massive blaze was caused by another returnee since it seemed extremely odd.

"Jesus," Mixu whistled as she looked around the courtyard. "That must have been one hell of a blaze."

"We were lucky the boys got on top of it before it spread too far." Investigator Nakagumo commented as he lit a cigar. He'd retired from his position as Police Chief but couldn't just sit in retirement and joined back as an investigator for returnee-related crimes.

"Anything from the people that owned this place?" Mixu asked.

"No, our records show that this place was owned by the Tomogawa family, but nothing beyond that. We tried to contact some of the family members, but those we spoke to had no idea what went on here. Apparently the family was secretive about this place." Nakagumo said.

"Did you say Tomogawa?" Mixu stopped walking and turned to look at him.

"Yes." Nakagumo nodded.

"Fuckin hell..." Mixu put her head in her hands and sighed. "That was Akagi's family name before FWO."

"I knew it sounded familiar. So does that mean she was responsible for this?" The two walked towards the burnt ruins of the main building.

"I have no idea, but if this was her family's place, her being involved is likely. I don't know everything, but from what she told me they were some truly fucked up people." Mixu explained a bit of what Akagi told her over the years.

"Yeah, that would give her a reason to hate them. What is wrong with people? Treating your own flesh and blood in such a manner." He didn't even question if it was true, he could instinctively tell Mixu's words were not lies.

The two sifted through rubble for a bit as they tried to find anything of use.

"I can't imagine she just did this for shits and giggles," Mixu said while moving a large part of the structure out of the way. "Akagi's fucked in the head, but she never attacks without reason."

"Yeah, trust me, I know. I thought she was going to kill me when she showed up in the parking garage." He shook his head. "I tried talking the brass out of taking her sister, but they just wouldn't listen."

"Yeah, we're lucky that didn't spiral out of control. Just thinking about what would have happened had one of those girls got hurt makes my hair stand on end." Mixu gave a dry laugh as she heaved another large piece out of the way.

"Oh?" Mixu called out.

"What's up? You find something over there?" Nakagumo asked as he walked over.

"Looks like the entrance to the basement. Seems intact." She tapped her foot on the stairs. "They're solid. Should we check it out?"

"There might be people trapped down there, so definitely. Let me call over a few officers to come with in case we need some help." He tapped on his radio. A minute later, two other officers came over, and the four of them headed down the steps slowly. Mixu lead the way, and once they got to the bottom and into the underground arena they were greeted by a terrible sight.

"Oh, holy shit..." Mixu let out a breath of air, and one of the officers puked.

Nakagumo lit another cigar as he walked next to her. "You know what that says up there?"

The bodies of the ten members of the Tomogawa family that Akagi had killed were nailed to the wall crucifixion style. The middle of the arena was covered in a massive Red Hand painted from their blood, and above the bodies was writing in Demon.

"Aoi, you got anything on that?" Mixu walked closer and radioed Aoi. Akagi had given her a bit of info on her Demon tongue, and Aoi cooked up a translation program for it.

"It says: Darkness swallows the light." (Aoi)