The Red Hand

Chapter 162 – The Chase and a Last Stand.

As Mizumi and Shinlua ran down the busy streets of Omara, they were chased closely by the brainwashed explorers Mami, Shisa, and Ferrix. In their current state, the three spirits were unleashing magical attacks without care for the innocent civilians, and Mizumi was increasingly worried that someone might get caught in the crossfire.

"We need to get away from the main roads, or someone's going to get hit at this rate!" Mizumi yelled at Shinlua, who nodded in agreement.

"Turning and fighting is an option." Shinula figured the two of them alone could easily win.

"No! I don't want to hurt them, and if a fight breaks out now, there's no telling what kind of magic they'll use." Mizumi shook her head as she dodged another blast.

{Plus, if the other Council members show up, things will go south really quickly.} (Mizumi)

"We need to give them the slip, let's jump duck down that alleyway!" Mizumi pointed to an area up ahead, and the two did a quick pivot down a smaller walkway with the explorers right on their heels.

"How long do you need to create a portal?" Shinlua asked as a blast flew overhead and struck some poor woman's laundry.

"Not too long, but if they get too close, they might follow, and I don't want to bring them to Akagi's estate." Mizumi figured that would cause a problem. "If we can get less than a minute of prep time, we can get to Earth no problem, but these three are persistent." She said as they turned down another alley.

"I think I know a place we can go," Shinlua said as yet another blast flew past her, nearly striking some playing children. "A few warehouses are being used for storage by the fishing docks. We can go there, and you can open a connection with Earth. We just need to get away from these three or at least slow them down enough to get some distance between us."

"Can you put up a smoke screen?" Mizumi said as she waved her hand black to deflect another attack.

"A small one but yes." Shinlua nodded

"Then do that. Once we get close enough to the docks, we'll turn down an alley with multiple routes. Hopefully, they pick the wrong one." Mizumi said. "They can detect magic, so we won't have much time to act." As explorers, their pursuers are some of the best magical combatants, and were likely ex-soldiers.

Continuing the chase, Mizumi and Shinlua slowly made their way toward the fishing docks, dodging more and more fire as the explorers got closer. Once they got to a close enough point, Mizumi pointed out a four-way intersection in the alley, and Shinlua dropped a smokescreen. The two of them went right. While their pursuers stopped and used magic detection to attempt to locate them.

"I hope that buys us enough time," Shinlua said. "The warehouses should be just up ahead, let's get inside, and you start your magic ASAP."

"That's the plan!" Mizumi nodded, and the two quickly tore through the lower district and as they came up to the docks and ran full speed into a nearby warehouse, frightening some of the dockworkers.

"Get the portal open now!" Shinlua said as she slammed the door behind them shut.

Mizumi began channeling her magic, but right before she could finish.

*ZAP*

"Ack!" Mizumi cried in pain as she was struck with a blast from the side.

"What was that? Did they already catch up?" Shinlua looked around for whoever shot the attack until she saw Onmiyame floating near an open window on the second floor.

"You followed us?!?" Shinlua channeled magic and pointed her arm at him.

{I didn't even notice him! That blast looks like it did some serious damage to Lady Mizumi. I hope she can still open a portal like that.} Shinlua looked over at Mizumi, whose arm was bleeding and burned.

"Did you really think you could escape me? And also, why would you assume I'd just leave your capture to those three? Do you really think me so foolish to leave such an important task in the hands of such incompetent foods?" Onmiyame grinned. "I've been following you this whole time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike."

"You're the fool!" Mizumi yelled while clutching her arm. "If you go through with whatever you have planned, Akagi will destroy you and quite possibly our entire people!"

"I'm afraid not." Onmiyame smirked. "Your little Demon friend will soon find herself defeated by a much more powerful member of her race. Perhaps you've heard of him, after all, he was a product of your design in a way."

"A product of..." Mizumi's eyes went wide. "You can't possibly mean-" She was cut off.

"Yes, your little 'World Bosses' are now our tools for conquest and retribution. It took a bit of time to get it right, but we've got the two most powerful under our control. So thank you Lady Mizumi, for providing the instruments of our conquest of Earth." He smiled.

"If you unleash Rivenshaft on the world, the death toll will be catastrophic! He's nothing more than a murderous monster with more mental capacity than a Demon Lord!" Mizumi exclaimed. "He'll kill every last human on Earth!"

"And why should I care?" Onmiyame shrugged. "They're just humans, creatures that tried to exterminate us not just once but twice. Besides, they are such disgusting creatures who squander what resources they have. You know as well as I that our people are superior to them, and will make much better use of the planet."

"Regardless of our history with humanity, the people of Earth have done nothing to us! They even allowed your ancestors to peacefully leave, and they are not responsible for the atrocities that the humans of our old world committed." Shinlua said.

"Semantics." Onmiyame waved her off. "We shall crush them and those who remain will live to serve us, that is what the Council has decided. For the good of all Spirits, we must do this."

"For the good of all Spirits? Or for the good of the Council?" Mizumi scoffed.

"Those two things are one and the same." Onmiyame laughed just as the three explorers kicked into the side of the warehouse and surrounded the two women. "Now, I believe we shall move up your execution date, to right about... now."

"Mizumi, can you still create a portal?" Shinlua whispered to her.

"I can, but I don't think I'll have enough time to make one for both you and me to pass through before it dissipates." Mizumi clicked her tounge. "I can't risk these four following, sorry."

"That's fine." Shinlua moved back and put herself in front of Mizumi as a shield. "Just do me a favor. When you get to Earth, tell Akagi I'm sorry for doubting her." It was looking like this would be the two's final farewell, with Shinlua gearing up for a single desperate last stand while Mizumi fled.

{I suppose I have no choice but to use my blade. May the Forest Spirits forgive me for the blood I am about to spill.} (Shinlua)

"Now then, it's time to-" Onmiyame's words were cut off by a single Kunai that flew past his face, barely scraping his cheek. "What?!?" He exclaimed as several smoke bombs went off inside the warehouse, leaving everyone blinded.

"Sorry, we're late! Things moved a bit faster than expected." A voice rang out as several shadows zipped through the obscured area and knocked out the three explorers with swift blows to the back of the head.

"What's going on?" Mizumi cried out as a rabbit-eared ninja dropped in front of her.

"No time to talk!" He reached out and grabbed hold of Mizumi and Shinlua. "Everyone group up! Operations are over, and we're pulling out!" The rabbit man called out, and two other ninjas appeared next to him as he cracked a small blue crystal between his fingers, causing the five of them to disappear in a blue light.

"What the hell was that?!?" Onmiyame was completely confused. He had no idea who those ninjas were or why they just helped. For the first time in a long time, the old man was completely lost for words.

{Were those agents of the Demon? I know some of her people were coming and going within the city, but how could counter-intelligence have missed their movements like this? I was told that all members of that Demon's household were present and accounted for. So how did three agents get into Omara and avoid detection like that?!?} He was pissed and would see heads roll for this mistake.

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Akagi and Hishya sat in the garden having drinks together. They were discussing how to find Silfana and other information about subsequent vampire and thrall attacks when a bright light appeared off to their side revealing Nemino along with two other ninjas, Shinlua and a wounded Mizumi.

"Damn, three uses of a transport crystal in only a few months? That's annoying." Akagi rolled her eyes. "I'll hear a report in a moment. Get Mizumi to Mimi for healing."

"Before that, please, you need to listen!" Mizumi yelled. "The Council has somehow revived at least two world bosses, one of them being Rivenshaft and going by the use of the term Dragon, probably Serval as well!"

"What?!?" Hishya stood up. "What do you mean they revived Serval and Rivenshaft?!?"

Before she could answer, Mizumi fell to the floor, barely conscious. She seemed to have lost more blood than initially thought and her injuries were worse than they seemed.

"Fuck, run her to Mimi NOW!" Akagi yelled at Nemino, who grabbed her and ran off at full speed. She looked at Shinlua, who couldn't bring herself to meet the Demon's gaze. "So you wanna explain to me what the fuck is going on?"