The Red Hand

Chapter 165 – The Realization and the Confrontation.

"L-Lady Silfana, please forgive me." A black-haired man was held down by two other vampires, his face pressed against the floor, as Silfana sipped a wineglass filled with dark red blood. "Those ninja have made it impossible to acquire more blood or servants for you, My Lady. I beg your mercy." Akagi's forces had been tightening the noose around Silfana, and they were close to finding the Vampire's location.

"All I hear are excuses, you worthless whelp." Silfana glared at him. "How difficult can some beastkin be? I transform you into a vampire, give you extraordinary power and eternal life, and you repay my kindness by shaming me and losing to such weak creatures? and then to add further insult, you insist on giving me such lame excuses!" She kicked the man across the face, causing blood to spill onto the carpet.

"I have no need for worthless vampires that can't do something as simple as acquire blood!" She snapped her fingers, and the two vampires holding him down snapped his neck, killing him instantly. "I suppose the humans of this world are equally as worthless as they were in my own. I guess it's true that if you want something done right..." She summoned her black cloak and armor. "You have to do it yourself."

"Shall we accompany you, My Lady?" The two other vampires bowed. They were the parents of the boy she'd turned originally. Silfana had no idea what became of their son, and they didn't seem to care.

"No, you two will remain here. I will bring back food and new servants, and I want you lot to continue my preparations." Silfana walked towards the door, opening it and gazing into the night sky. Her red eyes glistened under the moonlight as she bit her lip in frustration. The Vampire hated going hunting herself and thought such activities beneath someone of her stature.

{When I get my hands on you, Akagi, you're going to regret getting in my way!} She thought as she jumped onto a nearby rooftop.

"Now then, let's see just how many we can get, and if any of those fools from 'Clan Dumetor' get in my way. Then I'll remind them why I am the Lord of all Vampires." She laughed as she bounced between buildings and disappearing into the night, unaware that in a short amount of time, a fateful encounter awaited her.

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<Shima POV>

After a long day at the office, and working well past her normal time, Shima got off the train and began walking home. It was nearly midnight, and she was exhausted.

{Why do they always push everything on me?} She ruffled her hair in frustration. {Those assholes got to go home at a normal time, but here I am just getting off the train at midnight, and I've got to be back at the office for seven tomorrow!} This had become an increasingly normal thing for her, and her reputation among her co-workers was quite low due to Akagi's actions.

{That stupid monster! She just can't be content to make me miserable at home. Noooo, she takes my daughter, turns her against me, and then goes on a rampage! Does she not realize just how many problems that's caused me?!?} Shima had become increasingly frustrated with Akagi, and her actions against the rest of the family only served to cause more aggravation with the issues resulting from inheritance and the drama of the funeral.

"Ahh, that stupid girl!" Shima exclaimed as she walked down the darkened street. "Why the hell did I have to give birth to such a monster?!? Why did she have to be my problem?!? She needs to just disappear!" She kicked a rock which smashed into a garbage can. "And she's got Kana believing that whole big sister act. For all the brains in that head of hers, why can't that girl realize that she has no sister, only a monster pretending to care about her!" Shima and Taichi had both received a message from Kana stating that she wanted to speak to the two of them one last time in an attempt to reconcile, at least a small amount. Naturally, they were aggravated but agreed. Though they were insistent that it took place somewhere private and that Akagi must come alone. They'd hoped that Kana would come to her senses and return to them, but both figured that wasn't likely. There was even an argument between Shima and Taichi over who was to blame, with Taichi arguing that Shima failed to keep Kana away from Akagi over the years.

"God dammit! Why couldn't Rishia have been one of those stupid kids that died in that game?!?" Shima was at her wit's end when she heard footsteps approaching from the opposite direction.

Looking up, she watched as slowly a shadow moved down the street toward her.

{Someone else is out this late?} Shima started to get nervous. She'd never been scared walking home alone at night before, but for some reason, her body was shaking.

"My, my." A voice came from the shadow as it approached, it sounded female but very elegant and refined. "I don't know what that fool was talking about, there are just so many humans ripe for the picking in this town." The voice got closer as the shadow passed under a streetlight revealing Silfana.

The moment she laid eyes on the Vampire, Shima's entire body froze in fear as she caught sight of Silfana's fangs and blood-red eyes.

{I-It's a monster!} She tried to back away, but tripped over herself in fear.

"Ah, I might hate doing this dirty work myself. But there's always a sense of satisfaction from seeing a human cower in fear." Silfana grinned. "Don't worry, you won't feel that fear for much longer once I drain you dry."

Shima watched helplessly as Silfana walked closer, her silver-white hair practically reflecting the moonlight. She wanted to scream, but found herself unable to speak or even make a noise.

{I-I'm going to die...} Shima felt in her bones that this was the end, this woman would kill her, and that would be the end of it all. As the vampire walked closer, her mind was flooded with pictures of Kana. She recalled the joy on the day she was born, and the happiness she felt holding her. Her life seemed to flash before her eyes, showing her all the time she'd spent with Kana up until the day she left with Akagi, until finally, right as Silfana reached out to her, one final image flashed into her mind. It was one she'd forgotten herself, and it showed another child swaddled in her arms, and a smile on her face as she held a young Rishia close. She'd long forgotten the time when she brought her first child into the world, and the joy she'd felt while holding her. It had gotten buried under the subsequent two decades of anger she'd felt since then, and only now, in her last moments did she realize Kana was right.

{When did I start hating her? Was it really on the day she was born? I-I was so happy when she was born. I'd always wanted to become a mother and give my children a better life. But after that, I felt nothing but disgust for my own child... I hated her, wanted her dead, and even tried to kill her, but why?} Thinking back, she couldn't figure out why she'd come to hate Akagi. All her memories of that time seemed fuzzy and thinking about it only caused more confusion. She'd always thought of Akagi as an other,  and that she wasn't her real child, but why? What caused her to think like that? Even with all of Akagi's issues, how could she come to hate her child from such a young age?

She had no answer to any of these questions and figured that she would never find out.

{Kana was right. I'm sorry, Rishia. I did fail you, and I truly am a failure of a mother to both you and your sister. I won't ask for your forgiveness, and I don't deserve it} Shima closed her eyes, ready to accept her fate.

Silfana leaned in, ready to drain Shima dry, but was stopped by a clapping sound behind her.

*CLAP**CLAP*

"Alright, I'm going to have to ask you to stop right there." Silfana turned around and saw Akagi and Hishya standing at the other end of the street. "Not that I give a damn about that woman, but if anyone's going to kill her, it's going to be me. Sorry, Silfy." Akagi grinned.

"Akagi!" Silfana growled. "And you!" She pointed at Hishya. "I'll make you pay for killing me, you bitch!"

"Nice to see you too Silfana. I see that hole in your chest has healed up nicely. How about I make another one?" Hishya laughed as she drew Sun Strike.

Silfana scoffed at her words. "You got lucky last time we fought, Hishya!" She drew her rapier. "And this time, you don't have the luxury of so many of your little comrades being around to help you. I hope you don't think Akagi and you will be enough to defeat me!"

"Oh, don't worry, I won't be fighting you." Akagi shrugged. "My little dragon here can handle you all on her own."

"What?!?" (Silfana x Hishya)

"Why are you surprised?" Akagi looked at the dragon girl. "I thought it was obvious that I'd leave this to you."

"NO!" Hishya exclaimed. "She's still a World Boss! You're the only one who can fight her solo!"

{Do you want me to die?!?} (Hishya)

"Nah, you got this." Akagi patted her on the back pushing her forward slightly. "You've gotten much more powerful than when you first fought her. I guarantee that beating her is possible."

"Only possible?!? Not guaranteed?" Hishya sighed. "Well, I guess that's better than being told I'm doomed. But if I start getting my ass kicked, you better step in and save me!"

{If I die, I'm going to fucking haunt you, Akagi!} (Hishya)

"Yes, yes." Akagi rolled her eyes. "Can't have Kana's favorite pet going and dying on me. Unlike that goldfish she's had for all these years, replacing you will be significantly harder and more time-consuming."

"I always thought it strange when she told me Fishy's been alive for nearly ten years!" Hishya exclaimed. She'd seen the goldfish in question in Kana's room and was always confused by its apparent longevity. "And for the last time, I'M NOT A PET!"

{These two are just standing in front of me, bickering like idiots! I am the Lord of Vampires goddammit, I will not be insulted like this!} Silfana fumed at the idea that she wasn't being taken seriously.

"Fine." Silfana let out a slightly angry laugh. "I'll kill your little dragon, and then once I've dealt with her, you're next, Akagi!" The Vampire readied herself for battle, and Hishya took a fighting stance, channeling her power, and causing her hair to turn into a living flame as it grew in length and extended halfway down her back.

"This time, when I kill you, I'll make sure you stay dead, Silfana." Hishya glared at the vampire and spoke using her more draconic and authoritative tone, ready to end this once and for all.