The Red Hand

Chapter 173 – The Punishment.

After a bit more discussion, Tsuchimi was taken back to Akagi's estate by one of the ninja. Once she left, there was a minor argument between the dragon and Kana as to Akagi's level of responsibility regarding the returnees' treatment. But the two were eventually cajoled into agreeing to meet in the middle. Akagi was likely responsible for some of the negative public opinion. However, as Mika explained, most people became afraid due to Libra's actions, not Akagi's, and she had nothing to do with them.

"Now, no more fighting." Naomi sighed as the three girls entered the Kyoto Mall. "Otherwise, Hishya might end up being a pet for real if Kana goes home sad."

{I don't even want to imagine what Akagi would do to Hishya if she ever made Kana cry.} (Naomi)

"Yeah, she already has a collar, and I'm sure Akagi's got a leash that turns off all of Hishya's magic power." Mika laughed.

"We keep that for when she acts bad." Kana giggled.

"She might, actually. The Libra members are being confined with anti-magic restraints that Imp made. So it wouldn't shock me if Akagi has something similar." Hishya said. "Even if she doesn't though, Akagi can just suck me into her body and just control me."

{I don't want to imagine being at her mercy, but I suppose its already too late for that.} (Hishya)

"Oh yeah, she told me about that!" Kana started laughing. "She had you hop around like a rabbit!"

"Dammit, Akagi..." Hishya facepalmed.

{Why did you tell her...} (Hishya)

"Rabbit?" (Mika x Naomi)

"I spiked one of her drinks in FWO with a potion that made her grow rabbit ears for a day, and she's apparently held a grudge for three years." Hishya sighed. She'd done it on a whim, but right now she regretted that life choice.

"Oh, I want to see that!" Mika's eyes sparkled. "Bunny Akagi would be great!"

"She already turned into a rabbit and let you run around with her on your head." Naomi recalled an earlier event. "So why do bunny ears excite you so much?"

"Because it's different! Her turning into a proper cat would be less cute than a cat girl." Mika nodded, very sure of herself. "She needs to come over to my house for a weekend and let me spoil the heck out of her. I could use some kitty lovin!"

{I must see her eat apples with those tiny hands! It will be so cute!} (Mika)

"At this rate, Yuzu and Suzu might lose their girlfriend to Akagi." Hishya rolled her eyes.

"Sad part is, they'd probably be ok with that." Kana laughed nervously.

{I have no doubt they'd happily move out of the way and give Mika up if Onee-chan demanded it.} (Kana)

"Oi!" Mika cried out. "I'm not gonna do something like that! I just want to fluff my friend! What's wrong with that?!?"

"Yeah... sure..." Naomi's eyes told the blue-haired girl that she didn't buy her story.

"I'm not a cheater!" Mika protested. "I love those two very much, and I'd never do something so horrible! Besides, they told me that they have no issue with me doing those kinds of things with Akagi since it's just us playing around!"

{Well, sorry that she's so cute! I just want to squeeze her until she pops when she gets all fluffy like that! If that's wrong, then I don't wanna be right!} (Mika)

"I mean, I guess if it was crossing the line to feel up my sister, then I've cheated on Hishya.. wait, that came out wrong." Kana pinched the bridge of her nose.

{Onee-chan's IQ lowering power is effecting us even though we're not near here. I guess we've spent so much time with her that we're permanently stupid.} (Kana)

"Cheating on me with your own sister would be... umm..." Hishya pat her on the shoulder. "But lucky you, I understand what you mean."

{What a verbal flub.} Hishya was struggling to hold back laughter from Kana's poor word choice.

"I don't know. Kana might be willing to cross that line." Naomi decided to get a bit playful.

"Gross..." Kana groaned. "That stuff might happen in anime, but not in real life. Nor should it..."

{What kind of people actually like that stuff unironically?!?} (Kana)

"I know. I'm just teasing you. Akagi herself wouldn't go for that anyway. Not to mention she's got Yumi." Naomi giggled.

"Man, this conversation derailed, crashed, and exploded in a fireball." Mika chuckled.

"That's being generous." (Hishya, Naomi, and Kana)

After breaking away from that topic, the girls wandered around the mall for a bit until lunchtime before taking a seat and grabbing a bite to eat.

*BING* *BING*

Hishya's AR device registered a message.

"Oh?" Hishya read her message while she sipped a drink.

"What's up?" Kana asked.

"Looks like Akagi got Silfana working hard to make amends for what happened." She forwarded Kana the message she'd received.

"What do you- pfff!" Kana nearly spit out her drink as she looked at the picture. "Why is she..." She could barely control her laughter as she forwarded the picture to her two friends.

"Pffff!" (Mika x Naomi)

Said image showed Silfana in a full-body dog onesie with googly eyes on its head and floppy ears. She was digging out irrigation ditches with a shovel, and looked very angry.

"What the fuck?!?" Naomi started laughing uncontrollably. "Why is she wearing that?!?"

"Because this is Akagi we're talking about." Hishya was struggling not to laugh as well. "The Lord of all Vampires, forced to dig ditches in a dog costume! Ya know, this might actually be worth wearing this stupid collar! Ha! Serves that bitch right!"

{That outfit is even more embarrassing than what I wore during Halloween that one year!} (Kana)

"Why is she even doing that?" Mika giggled.

"I think Onee-chan wanted to try growing things near the house, so she's putting her to work." Kana said, her face flushed red from laughter. "Oh my god, I'm dying from laughing so hard..."

(My sides hurt...} (Kana)

"Serves her right!" Hishya exclaimed. "Heck, this is getting off lightly for what she did!"

{Sucks to be you, leech!} (Hishya)

"I mean, I get being angry at what she did since she got out of the game, but is she really to blame for the deaths in FWO?" Naomi asked. "Wasn't she bound by code and forced to act?"

Hishya thought. "I guess, but she was still malicious, even in-game, so I have zero sympathy for her." Silfana was bound to a certain extent, but that didn't absolve her of most of her more malicious acts.

{She enjoys killing people. So it's a surprise Akagi can stand her since she usually hates people like her. I guess that's just her putting aside her 'morals' for pragmatism.} (Hishya)

"I like how she just goes along with it." Mika said. "I would have imagined she'd put up a fight or something. Maybe even try to flee."

"I mean, I did kick her ass." Hishya replied. "It was a close battle, but I won in the end. As for why she's doing this without resisting?" Hishya shifted her jaw before answering. "You have to remember that as nice as Akagi can be, she's still the Demon Lord. Silfana and most others who understand what kind of power she has, are not stupid enough to go risking eternal punishment for a brief moment of rebellion." She sighed.

{As much as I hate to admit it, her fear factor does a damn good job of keeping most people in line. Stupid Spirit Council excluded...} (Hishya)

"Though that doesn't apply to everyone, since those idiot Spirits seem all too happy to poke the proverbial bear." Hishya sighed.

"Yeah, are you really going to fight Serval alone?" Kana was worried about that. She knew just what kind of monster the Dragon Emperor was, and so was worried for Hishya's safety.

"Not alone, no." Hishya gave a nervous laugh. "That would be suicide. I'm not Akagi. Unlike her, I can't just fight anything solo and come out on top. If Silfana was a close fight, Serval would be impossible for me even I go full dragon."

"So who's going to help? The RRT?" Mika asked.

"Yeah, they'll be coming, it's kind of their job, and also some others. I've sent out a call for aid, though many have told me to fuck off." Hishya groaned. "I don't exactly blame them since the last time we fought Serval we lost plenty of people, but come on! If you don't deal with him now, then he's just gonna torch the fucking planet!"

{Ignoring the giant Emerald Dragon will not make him go away! If that kind of mentality worked, then Akagi wouldn't be an issue!} (Hishya)

"Are you going to be able to win?" Naomi didn't know how much force it would take to deal with the dragon.

"I have no idea!" Hishya said with a fake smile. "Serval kicked out ass over and over again, the only saving grace is that he likely won't have his damage reduction buff. I am much stronger than the last time we fought, be he is still a world-ending disaster. This battle will likely be a tough one, and people might die."

"Onee-chan should just deal with him then!" Kana yelled. "Why does she have to be so stupid at times like this? There's no reason she can't just defeat him since I know it would be easy for her!"

{I don't want to see Hishya or anyone else get killed or hurt!} (Kana)

"Kana, it's because it would be so easy that she won't do it." Hishya sighed. "She... listen, Akagi sees this all as a game for entertainment. Her mind has been warped by her power and status to the point that this entire world is nothing more than a toy for her entertainment. When she says that she owns all of us, she isn't joking." Hishya's tone got sharp. "She's pitting me against Serval because she wants to see me and the others struggle. I did get her to agree to step in if things go south, but at the end of the day, I fully expect her to stand off in the distance and watch us get thrown around like rag-dolls."

{Kana can be so smart at times. But when it comes to Akagi, she can be blinded by her love for her sister. Akagi is a Demon and one that enjoys games and schemes. She's told me enough for me to understand that she sees everything as little more than entertainment to pass the time, and this is no different. I don't doubt for a second that she cares about people, even me, but I have a feeling that her 'caring' might be more equivalent to how one loves their pet.} (Hishya)

"I don't know." Naomi thought for a moment. "I think you might be taking a bit too dim a view of her, Hishya. Don't take this the wrong way, but you are biased against her, and your past experiences might make you think she's a bit worse of a person than she really is." She had a different view. Sure Akagi could be cold, but she thought there was genuine affection for those she deemed worthy of it.

"Yeah, I mean. I get that Akagi likes to mess around with people like that, but actually, I think she cares about people more than you think." Mika agreed. "From what I've seen, she just enjoys playing games, and that's kind of how she shows affection. At least that's what I think."

"If watching me nearly die is affection, then I shudder to imagine what she'd do if she didn't like me." Hishya laughed.

{What kind of twisted fucking things would she do to me? Hell, I'm pretty sure the crazy Demon would somewhat enjoy making Kana suffer just for the novelty of it.} (Hishya)

"I mean, Onee-chan is a sadist." Kana sighed. "So it wouldn't shock me if that was partially true."

"Regardless." Hishya wanted to move on from this uncomfortable topic. "Akagi will handle Rivenshaft, while the rest of us handle Serval. We will try to defeat him, but if we can't, she'll jump in. That was part of the deal."

"Deal?" (Kana)

"A deal related to certain matters that will not be disclosed." Hishya was keeping her mouth shut about the pillow.

"Ominous..." (Kana x Mika x Naomi)