The Red Hand

Chapter 127 – Akagi v Kana.

Akagi instructed everyone to move over to the training arena for a brief testing of the spirit weapon's abilities. She wanted Kana and Naomi to get acquainted with their new partners before they disbursed for the night, and to become comfortable with their new friends. When they arrived, Chloe and the other ninja were training, and Akagi politely requested they allow them to use the training ground. Something they did without issue.

"Ok, so now what?" Kana asked.

"Now you just need to summon me." Himari had started to speak aloud rather than via thought.

"And how do I do that?" Kana asked. She had zero experience with or understanding of magic.

"Just envision a collection of energy appearing in your hand, and then imagine that energy forming into a sword. I can take whatever shape you desire, so you can make something that fits you best!" Himari's smile came through her words.

Kana centered her mind and began to imagine the energy as Himari explained. She could feel a power well up from her chest, extend into her right arm, and flow into the palm of her hand.

"Come on out, Himari!" Kana gave a battle cry as a blade formed in her hand. Himari took the form of a short sword with a red blade. For a brief moment, she was even covered in a thin layer of flames before they disappeared.

{Not bad Kana.} (Akagi)

"Congratulations!" Himari cheered. "You did it!"

"That was kinda strange to envision, but it looks like it worked out." Kana looked at the sword. "Are you alright?"

"Yupper, all good here!" The girl seemed like she was having fun.

"Alright, I did it!" Naomi exclaimed as she managed to summon Momo in her staff form. "Oh wow, that's such a pretty jewel!"

"Good job, both of you." Momo congratulated them.

"Yeah! You both brought us out so easily!" Himari praised them too. "Strange, I feel even stronger than normal for some reason?"

"Really?" Kana asked.

"Yeah, it's like a whole bunch more power than normal is flowing to me from you." Himari thought for a moment. “I wonder why?”

"Most likely because of Akagi's influence and power." Momo answered. "Kana has quite a bit more power than even the most powerful members of the clan. I'd even go as far as to say she might be the most powerful human on this planet. Not including those returnees of course." It was a statement that caused many groans and pained expressions.

"Mika, Naomi, don't even start!" Kana glared at them.

The two just whistled innocently.

{They are soooo thinking bad thoughts right now...} (Kana)

"Oh well. Not worth all the trouble getting angry." Kana sighed. "But hey, Himari, are you stuck like that?" Kana asked the sword.

"No." Himari replied. "I can go back to human form if needed, see."

The blade glowed for a bit before leaping out of Kana's hand and forming into Himari's human form in front of her. "Though most of the time, we stay in weapon form or within our contractor for ease and convenience."

"Indeed, we are just tools for our masters to wield." Momo commented.

"That's not true," Kana said. "Even if you were created as a weapon, you were given human thoughts, forms, and emotions. You're anything but tools. So don't call yourself that." She looked at both Himari and Momo, almost scolding them.

"Himari." Kana turned to her.

"Y-yes, Master!" Himari snapped to attention.

"I want to be your friend, not your master." Kana walked over and stuck out her hand. "So don't call me that."

"Friend? But, I'm just a sword?" Himari was a bit confused and surprised. "Why would you want to be friends with me?"

"Why shouldn't I be?" Kana replied. "We're going to be working together from now on, and I don't like the idea of being someone's owner." Kana shook her head. That wasn't something she could agree with, and unlike her sister, Kana had no interest in such things. "What I want is to be your friend, so let's get along." She smiled.

"I feel the same way, Momo." Naomi agreed with Kana's sentiment. "We won't work with you unless you agree to be our friends and treat us as such."

{Not an unexpected turn of events. I'd suspect the family never even considered these two more than tools that could speak.} (Akagi)

"You two are both strange." Momo commented. "Our previous wielders were more than happy to use us as tools. But if what you desire is to be friends, then I would be glad to be your friend."

"Yeah! Me too! I've never had a friend!" Himari smiled.

{...} (Mika x Naomi x Kana)

"I'll prepare a dedicated room for Himari." Akagi commented. "You should try to stay in human form as much as possible, little sword. I think Kana would like it better like that."

"Yep." Kana agreed with her sister. They were people, and they should be treated as such.

"I'll have a room made out for you at my home as well, Momo." Naomi offered the same thing.

"You lot really are strange humans." Momo chuckled but smiled as she did.

"I get a bed and pillows!" Himari cheered as she spun in place on one foot.

"Now that you've figured out how to call them forth, you should focus on getting your magic under control." Akagi spoke to the two girls. "Naomi, if you want, we can do your magic awakening when we do Mika's, since at this point its kind of needed."

"Sounds fine to me." Naomi nodded. “I wanted to get access to magic anyway.”

"Kana, you should transition from training with the ninja to working with Himari. She knows magic better than most here, and I suspect that she'll be quite helpful in getting used to her and her power." Akagi looked at the red-haired girl. "Do you think you can teach her?"

"Yupper!" Himari saluted. "I'll have to get her to control her magic first, but after that, we can move on to sword training."

"I figured you would train me in that, Onee-chan?" Kana tilted her head. She was looking forward to Akagi training her.

"I mean, I can, but I'm a tough coach. Just ask Chloe." She pointed to the cat who also started whistling nervously. "You should let Himari get the basics drilled into you before you start training with me anyway." She shrugged.

{Besides I might accidentally hurt you during our practice, not exactly desirable.} (Akagi)

"Sounds good, but..." Kana thought for a second. "How about a quick practice match? I wanna see how I am right now."

"Oh?" Akagi's eyes glinted. "You want to fight me?"

"I've been practicing sword stuff with Sakura not just martial arts, so I've got at least some of the forms down." Kana grinned. "Plus, with Himari's help, I think I'll be able to put up a good fight. Who knows, I might even beat you! I think defeating the Demon Lord is well within my reach!" Her look reminded everyone of Akagi, it left no doubt that the two were sisters.

Hearing those words caused Akagi to laugh hard.

“Oh boy...” Alice squeezed Floofy. “Poor Kana.” she said quietly.

{She pushed Mama's fight button...} (Alice)

"You know what, sure. Why not?" Akagi's voice distorted. "Chloe, get me a practice sword. I need to teach my sister who's boss." She grinned.

"Did I just goof?" Kana laughed nervously.

{Big time...} Alice thought to herself. She knew just how bad Akagi could get.

"Even in jest, my Lord doesn't take claims of defeating her well..." Yumi sighed.

{Just don't go hurting her too much, my Lord.} (Yumi)

A moment later, Chloe handed Akagi a wooden practice sword, and she walked into the fighting arena.

"Alright, come on, Kana. Show me what you've got. Or are you all bark?" Akagi stared right at Kana, her eyes fierce like a predator staring at prey. "Yumi, be on standby in case-” Akagi stopped herself. “For when, the Princess gets a few scraps and bumps."

{Oh boy. I goofed big...} Kana realized she just stepped on a landmine.

{I hope she doesn't break me...} Himari was similarly worried.

"Whenever you're ready." Akagi twirled the wooden sword in her hand. She wasn't even pretending to take this seriously.

Kana took one of the stances that Sakura taught her during their practice, and inched closer to Akagi.

{Her stance is so lax. Does she even have one anyway? I've never seen Onee-chan use a proper form before.} Kana's observation was partially incorrect. While it was true that Akagi could get a bit lax with her form, she did indeed have one that she would use during serious fights. Though, funnily enough, her proper stance was quite fluid and many would easily mistake it for having none at all.

"Hiyah!" She swung down at her sister, but in a flash.

*CLANG*

*SWISH*

*TINK*

Kana found herself disarmed, and Himari flew across the room smacking onto the ground.

{I didn't break!} (Himari)

{I-I didn't even see her move!} Kana was surprised. She figured her newfound power would at least give her a bit of a chance against Akagi.

"Weak grip. Keeping hold of your weapon is one of most important and basic parts of combat." Akagi held her wooden sword right next to Kana's neck as she lectured her.

{When did she?!?} Kana didn't even notice it was there at first.

"Dead." Akagi smirked. "Fun fact. My sword technique is designed to kill in one stroke. When I'm fighting properly, my primary aim is to disorient or confuse my opponent. Then I search for and use an opening to deliver one swift strike, killing them." Akagi withdrew the blade.

"Again!" Akagi told her to go another round. "This time, don't focus so much on your own stance. Keep an eye on me and try to read my movements."

Kana called Himari back into her hand and readied herself for another try. She got closer to Akagi, inching forward, and being careful to watch her sister's sword. However, unfortunately for her, she fell for the classic blunder, and got so focused on Akagi's weapon that she failed to take into account Akagi's ability to move the rest of her body.

*TRIP*

*TUMBLE*

*THUD*

Akagi swept her feet out from under her and held her wooden sword in her face.

"My sword isn't the only thing that can hurt you, Kana. Don't get so focused on it that you get tunnel vision." Akagi laughed. “But that's ok, we'll beat those bad habits out of you.”

{B-beat?!?} (Kana)

"Again!" Akagi and Kana continued this dance for several more rounds. Each time, Kana was completely defeated, even taking a few blows to the stomach and face from Akagi's sword. At the end of it, Kana was knocked to the floor, exhausted, and her face was red from several hits, but she was fine.

"Hmph." Akagi laughed. "Still think you can defeat me, Kana?"

{I hope I've dispelled your foolish notions of defeating me. Though perhaps I let myself get carried away. She wasn't exactly serious. Oh well...} (Akagi)

{Note to self, Onee-chan doesn't take too kindly to claims you can beat her in combat.} Kana swore never to do that again.

{Noted.} Himari wrote that down on imaginary paper.

"Nope, its not happening." Kana gave up and Akagi helped her up. “You're way too good at this, and I can tell you didn't even use any of your Demon power.”

"I've had to hone my sword skills every day for four years, most of which I was constantly fighting with my life on the line. I have no doubt you can get good over time, but beating me... well..." Akagi's face contorted into a nasty grin. "You're a few millennia too young to be thinking like that." She cackled like a madman as she said that.

Demon Lords are creatures that like to dominate, so any claim of parity or supremacy is viewed as a challenge to them. And Demon Lords love a challenge.

“Mama's so cool!” Alice smiled as she ran over to her for hugs.

“Yes I am!” Akagi laughed.

{…} (Everyone else)