The Red Hand

Chapter 184 – Black Company.

"All members of Black Company, sound off!" Merkyul gave his order as they plunged toward Serval.

"The Demonic Avenger, Hitamaguchi!" Hitmaguchi said as she drew her great sword.

"The Trickster, Roxlex!" Roxlex said with a laugh.

"The Ghost, Sabia!" Sabia smiled.

"The Storm, Merkyul! And together, what are we?" Merkyul asked his team.

"We are Black Company! Those who have died once and been reborn thanks to Lady Akagi's mercy!" (Black Company)

"You're fucking joking..." Minazawa lowered her eyelids in disbelief. "I was wondering what happened to them, and I guess that answers it..."

"Yeah, I honestly thought she just killed them..." Superbia face palmed.

"I think this might be a fate worse than death." Hishya put her head in her hands.

{If we live through this, Akagi. You and I are having a nice long chat...} (Hishya)

"HAHHAHAHAHAHHAHHA YESSSS-YESSSS! GO, MY PRETTIES! FLYYYYY." Imp started laughing hysterically over the comms.

"Of course, you had something to do with this." Eris shook her head. “I guess that's why she was so busy these last few weeks.”

"I think we need to teach Imp about ethics once we're done here." Mixu groaned.

"Don't bother. Imp doesn't know the meaning of that word." Excelsior decided to wash his hands of the issue.

"WHY WASN'T I INVITED TO THE BRAINWASHING PARTY?!?" Daikael complained over the comms.

"Do nyu wash nya brain with soap nyand water nya~? nyor does nyit take nya special brain cleanyer nya~?"

[Do you wash a brain with soap and water? Or does it take a special brain cleaner?] Ara started laughing at her own stupid joke.

"Maybe we can get Akagi to 'clean out' all of Avahn's anger?" Alveron laughed.

"QUIET RAT! I DON'T HAVE AN ANGER PROBLEM!" Avahn simultaneously screamed, pouted, and hissed.

As the strike team argued and discussed amongst themselves, Merkyul's team continued to plunge toward Serval, their weapons at the ready.

"Alright Sis, you ready?" Merkyul glanced at Sabia.

"You know it!" Sabia laughed as both drew their blades.

"SPIRIT BOND!" (Sabia x Merkyul)

The two siblings cried out the name of an ability as they both became outlined in a black aura, that was similar to Akagi's. Immediately after which, they kicked off the air and slammed on top of Serval in preparation for their attack.

"Alright, let's go! Hitamaguchi, Rox, you know what to do!" Merkyul barked out orders as he and Sabia began to run around the dragon's body at high speed, slashing into his scales as they did.

"GWRAAAAAAAAAAA!" Serval cried out in pain as the two siblings slashed and carved their way around his body, blood shooting out from each wound. The two were perfectly in sync, even more than they usually were, and their combination attack was doing massive damage.

"I've never fought a Dragon before, so this should be fun!" Hitamachi's eyes lit up as she raised her massive great sword. "Demonic Smite!" As she said these words, her blade became covered in the same dark aura as Merkyul and Sabia. "Take this!" Hitamaguchi smashed down into Serval's back, doing massive damage as black flames shot into the air.

"GWRAAAAAAAAAAA!" Serval cried out again and thrashed around in pain and anger as he tried to remove the attackers.

"Don't forget about me!" Roxlex ran up Hitmaguchi's back, leaped into the air, and did a flip. "Let's show off my newest trick, Dark Dagger Storm!" As he said the name of his attack, a massive number of black daggers cloaked in a dark aura rained down from above, slicing and piercing Serval's back and wings.

"GWRAAAAAAAAAAA!" The Dragon cried out for a third time. But rather than thrash, his entire body began to glow orange.

"Oh no!" Hishya panicked. She knew exactly what this was, and had seen this before. "Get away! He's going to unleash a blast! Alveron!" She turned to the fairy, who used his wand to teleport the four new arrivals next to Hishya just as a massive explosion radiated out from the Dragon. "Everyone, get down!"

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM*

The blast was massive, easily larger than Hishya's attack in Nagoya. The explosion caused the wind to pick up as the shock wave knocked every single player to the ground, and all nearby trees were flattened.

The explosion was so powerful that it easily put out most of the surrounding fires, but simultaneously it kicked up so much dust and dirt that even less sunlight was able to get through than before.

"Is everyone alright?" Hishya said as she slowly crawled out of the dirt. She and most of the other players were partially buried from the blast. "I didn't really expect him to do that so soon. I guess they did too much damage too fast." She coughed.

"Yeah. Oh hell, I feel like shit from that." Eris spit up some blood. "When you said he'd go boom, you weren't fucking kidding." She pulled herself out of the dirt. They'd been told about this attack during their planning, but those who didn't experience it before weren't prepared for the reality of it.

"I thought he was supposed to only do that when he hit his second health bar?" Superbia groaned. That was what had happened during the boss fight in FWO.

"You saw how much damage he just took from those attacks. They probably brought him down to that level so fast that he chose to use his explosion early." Minazawa said while picking herself up. "Fucking idiots... Where are they anyway?!?" She looked around, but could barely see because of the dust and darkness.

"Over here." Merkyul called out. His team was sitting around him, unharmed. "Well damn, I didn't think he'd pull out such a crazy big boom!" He laughed. "Thanks for the save little rat man." He pet Alveron on the head and gave a toothy smile.

"I'M NOT A RAT!" Alveron yelled at him, but did not stop the petting.

"Nyaaaaaaa." Ara was upside down in a nearby tree that managed to survive with Shiru's help. "Dragon go boom." Her eyes swirled from how dizzy she was.

"Good thing my mana recovered a bit." Shiru gave a nervous laugh. "Otherwise, that might have been bad."

"Everyone alright?" Hishya asked around. It seemed everyone was alive, though there were some injuries. "Excel, can you handle it?"

"I'll try." He coughed. "It might take a minute. I'm still a bit disoriented."

"GWRAAAAAAAAAAA!" Serval roared through the smoke and debris. They couldn't see the Dragon but they could tell he was pissed.

"Now the real fun begins." Hishya gave a dry laugh. "His second phase is even worse than his first." She turned to Black Company. "I'm not going to ask why you're here or why you've changed your attitudes, at least right now. Will you fight with us for the time being?" She knew the four of them would be helpful, despite their bad personalities.

"That's why we're here!" Sabia smiled. "Lady Akagi instructed us to help during the fight. Mostly to test our new powers in proper combat." She flourished her scimitar. 

{L-Lady Akagi?!?} (Everyone else)

"G-Good." Hishya nearly stumbled at the use of that formality. "Do you think you can do something like what you just did again? It seemed to be very effective."

"Probably, but Sabia and I can't do our combo attack again, the item needs to recharge." Merkyul pointed to his gauntlet. "Needs a bit more work Imp, it's still unstable."

"Why complain? It worked once!" Imp pouted over the comms.

"Dai." Hishya called out to the fox over the radio. "You dead?" She was a bit back with the artillery and other systems, so Hishya figured she was fine.

"Nopers, but damn, that was a big boom! It toppled things over here and knocked me on my ass." The fox gave a nervous laugh. "That was crazy big..."

"Can you ready rockets for plan A-8?" As Hishya asked this, she unleashed more power, letting scales cover most of her body. "I'm going to push my limits for this next attack. 95% will hopefully be enough to end this."

{I'm still worried about using my full power. Hopefully, we can do this without risking a second rampaging dragon.} (Hishya)

"The Wunderwaffe is ready to go!" Dai cheered over the radio. "I've been wanting to use this thing so badly!"

"Just try not to get it on us, please." Ayame sighed.

"No promises!" Dai laughed as she cut the comms.

"That nutty fox is going to kill all of you." Mixu laughed.

"You wouldn't be laughing if you were down here with us." Tiball said while stretching.

"Yeah, get off your comfy chair and come down here!" Zephiria pouted.

Mixu was currently at Akagi's estate on a special floating platform that enabled her to see the battlefield from afar. Even at this extreme range, she could both see and hit a target like Serval easily.

"Nah, this perch is perfect. I'll let you guys handle all the hard work." Mixu's smirk could be seen through the comms.

"Mixu ready the AD round." Hishya said as she, Eris, Ayame, Ara, and Avahn took off toward Seval. "Ara, keep up the stacking, and Avahn, keep her safe and do damage.”

"Roger!" (Ara x Avahn)

"Black Company!" Merkyul jumped up from his sitting position. "Let's roll!" He called out to his team, and they followed behind Hishya, as did the other players.

Serval slowly climbed out of the massive crater he'd created with his explosion, and his massive body seemed to bend and shape the land beneath him. He'd become slightly disoriented from his own blast, and it took him a moment to compose himself. "GWRAAAAAAAAAAA!" As he peaked over the edge and let out a mighty roar, something came closer through the dust cloud. The Dragon stuck his head further out and used his senses to discern what was approaching him, only to have a massive missile break through the debris cloud and smash into him. "GWRAAAAAAAAAAA!" However, rather than explode, the weapon cracked into several pieces and ejected a black goop that covered his entire body. Hishya knew that a flying Serval would be nearly impossible to beat, so once Shiru's vines were dealt with, she wanted a secondary method of grounding him. Daikael's idea was to create a quick-drying substance that would stick to his body and make flight impossible. As a side effect, the goop would slowly weaken Serval by magically draining his power.

"Now! While he's weakened!" Hishya called out as she and every other player leaped through the debris cloud and pounced on the disoriented Serval.

"GWRAAAAAAAAAAA!" Serval twisted and turned as he tried to scrape the goop off his body, to no effect.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Hishya and the others resumed their previous attack plan, with devastating effect. Serval began to bleed profusely, and it looked like it was only a matter of time before the Dragon Emperor was brought down.

"Danger close, YES-YES!" Imp cackled over the radio as a massive barrage of missiles poured down on Serval.

"Keep this up! We've got him on the ropes!" Hishya cried out as she carved deep gashes into Serval's side. Black Company unleashed a devastating combination attack, while Zephira channeled some of her Warlock power to punch a hole straight through Serval's shoulder.

{We just need to keep this going long enough to allow Ara to get to 1000 stacks! With that much bonus damage, he should go down instantly!} Hishya was confident they could win, but unfortunately, it wouldn't be that easy. As they attacked him, Serval began to charge up an incredible amount of power within his body, and as magical formations appeared around him, Hishya could tell that something was wrong...

"HE CAN CAST MAGIC?!?" Eris cried in shock out as she was smacked by a claw and knocked aside. Serval had never done something like this before, and in FWO he was unable to cast magic.

"Incoming!" Hishya called out as a torrent of magical bolts fired out from the formations.

*BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT* *BZZT*

Not expecting this kind of attack, the players were caught off guard, and most began taking heavy damage as they were struck by the nearly uncountable barrage of blasts. Screams of pain echoed throughout the area, and Hishya watched helplessly as her friends were blasted by Serval's magic.

"NOOOOOOO!" Hishya roared as she tried to get closer to Serval, but the magical blasts kept pushing her back. Damage was starting to rack up on everyone, and it wouldn't be much time until someone went down for good. "Dammit! We're so close! Come on!" Hishya was struck with a huge barrage of attacks, which left her disoriented and unable to dodge Serval's tail which smashed into her and sent her flying into the side of a nearby mountain.

"Ack!" Hishya cried out in pain. Her entire body hurt, her head was spinning and she could taste blood in her mouth. From her prone position, she could see Serval continuing to blast her friends in the distance, and the dragon watched as players started to go down one by one.

{N-No! Please get up!} Hishya tried to will her body to move, but found herself without strength. Serval had only struck her a few times during the fight, but it seemed that his blows were enough to inflict significantly more damage than she was expecting. Hishya knew that Serval was incredibly powerful, and she warned everyone not to take any hits since she's seen the Dragon Emperor one-shot some players in the past.

"P-Please!" Hishya tried forcing her injured body to move once again, but it gave out and she found herself on her back and staring at the darkened sky. "Nooo! NO!" She cried. "We were so close! Ara only needed a bit more time!" She cursed her failure, and it was beginning to look like all there hard work would be for naught. Hishya's mind called back to the Assault Team's unsuccessful raids on the Dragon Emperor, and she knew what was about to happen.

In the distance, she could hear screams of pain, cries for help, and Serval's roar, which to her ears sounded like laughter. "T-This is the end... We failed... I failed..." Hishya began to cry a bit. "All that planning, all that preparation, and we get taken down by some BS attack we didn't even know he had!" She tightened her fist in frustration. "We...we lost..." She'd almost given up hope, but an unexpected voice snapped her back to reality.

"You only lose when you give up. Hishya." Appertaining out of seemingly nowhere, Akagi stood over the incapacitated dragon and chastised her.

"A-Akagi!" Hishya coughed up some blood. "Please! We need your help! We can't win against him like this! That magical attack was..."

"So that's it? One small setback, and you throw in the towel." Akagi shook her head in disapproval. "How pathetic. I never knew you were the kind of person to so easily give up"

"That's easy for you to say!" Hishya screamed at her. "You've got enough power to do whatever the fuck you want! People like us have to actually try!"

{Don't you fucking talk shit about me!} (Hishya)

"If you've got enough strength to insult me, then you're fine." Akagi laughed. "Come on, get up. You still have a battle to win, and you need to be quick if you want everyone to make it out of this alive." She knew it wouldn't be long until someone finally bit the big one.

"I can't." Hishya bit her lip in frustration. "Just from those few attacks, I'm... I can't move... My body... its reached its limit."

{Dammit! How can I be so injured after so few hits?!? I even used so much of my own power!} (Hishya)

"I'll admit that Serval using magic was a bit unexpected, but well... you're also holding back too. So just bust out the rest of your power, you idiot." Akagi flicked her on the head.

"What? What are you talking about?!?" Hishya glared at her. "I gave it everything I-" She was interrupted by Akagi.

"Hishya, you've got so much more power within you." Akagi knelt down next to her. "You just need to believe in yourself a bit more. That power..." The Demon put her hand over Hishya's heart. "It's yours, don't let it boss you around. But more than that... You need to stop lying to yourself." She shook her head.

"L-Lying?" Hishya asked. “What do you mean? I don't-” She was cut off.

"You're not human anymore, Hishya." Akagi answered.

"I know that! What do you-" Akagi cut her off for a third time.

"Your words do not match your heart." Akagi tapped on Hishya's chest plate as she gazed into the dragon's eyes. "You say you know what you are, and you here you are still clinging to the false notion that you're a human." She shook her head. "I'm sorry to tell you this, but no matter how much you wish it to be so. No matter how much you try to deny the truth... You're not the human Nina Hoshinomi anymore. You're a the True Dragon Hishya." Akagi's gaze pierced through her. "You don't need to change who you are, but you need to stop clinging to the past. You've put up mental barriers which are holding you back as you subconsciously want to reject the truth of what you are. I've noticed it over this past year. Every time you use your power, you're fraught with worry, and your mind is actively fighting against it. You're afraid of what you are, afraid that you might not be yourself anymore, and you fear leaving behind that which you once were." Akagi gave a bitter smile. "Trust me, I know what that's like to be afraid of what lies within. But it's not worth it, Hishya. You don't need be afraid of what you are, rather you need to embrace it." Akagi'd had her own issues with accepting everything in her heart and was hoping that Hishya could finally move past her issues.

"But... what if I can't control it? What if I stop being me?" Hishya looked away. "And What if I-"

"Then I'll just smack you around until you come back to your senses." Akagi laughed. "But I think you'll be fine. Now come on." Akagi sat her up against a tree. "Bring out everything within, unless of course you want them all to die." She turned to look at the battlefield and saw that while the other players were still fighting, it was a hopeless battle.

"You won't help?" Hishya asked. “Wasn't that part of our deal?”

"I'll help, but perhaps I'll be a bit late." Akagi shrugged. "By the time I get around to things, a few of those idiots might be gone." She stuck out her tongue. "But if you go now. Well, I think things will be fine."

"You're methods of motivation are terrible..." Hishya wasn't sure if Akagi would actually let everyone die, but she wouldn't put it past the Demon. Hishya knew that she was more than willing to do awful things to prove a point, so something like this was right up her alley.

"Fine." Hishya took a deep breath. "Just don't be disappointed in me if I can't actually handle it. I honestly can't say how much I've still got to show off..."

In a moment of seriousness, Akagi turned to Hishya and looked her square in the eyes. "In all the years I've known you. You've never once disappointed me, and I don't think that's going to start now. You've been a good rival, but more than that..." Akagi gave a sincere smile, one that Hishya had rarely seen before. "I'm glad to call you my friend, Hishya." Her words stunned Hishya for a moment. She'd always thought that Akagi stopped thinking of her as a friend a long time ago and that their current relationship was basically a façade. So to hear her call her such a word so sincerely was unbelievable.. "So go and show Serval that his time has passed and that you are the Supreme Ruler of all Dragons. I think Dragon Empress Hishya has a nice ring to it." Akagi chuckled.

{D-Does... S-She's serious... S-She really thinks I can do this.. she truly believes in me...} Hishya burst out laughing as she'd only rarely seen Akagi earnestly say such things. {She does... She really belives that I can win...} She smirked.

"You know what, sure. For whatever reason, I feel like I can't fail to meet your expectations." Hishya's entire body began to glow in a purple light. "Thanks, Akagi. For everything."

{And for what its worth... I'm sorry...} (Hishya)

"Anytime, Hishya. Anytime..." Akagi whispered as a massive plume of energy erupted from Hishya, extending into the sky like a beacon of light. "After all. What are friends for?"

______________________________________________________________________________

"Grmmmm?" Serval stopped his attacks and turned towards the massive pillar in the sky that had emerged from a nearby mountain. He was mere moments from wiping out the strike team, but something far more important had caught his attention.

"W-What is that?" Eris said while coughing up blood. "Is that Hishya?"

"I have no idea." Superbia said from the ground, her body covered in blood.

"That power..." Minazawa spit out some blood. "I can feel it from here..."

{What's going on?!?} (Minazawa)

The massive pillar in the sky grew larger and larger until, within, a dark shadow the size of Serval became visible.

"GRRRRRRRRRRRR" Serval began to growl, and a similar noise came from within the pillar of light followed by the appearance of two red eyes. After nearly a minute, the pillar began to shrink, revealing what was inside.

"No way..." (Eris)

"She's even bigger than before..." (Superbia)

"That power is incredible..." (Ayame)

"Me-wow!" (Ara)

*Whistle noise* (Tiball)

"Looks like Lady Akagi was right. She did have a lot more in her!" Sabia cheered.

"Now I'm even more worried for my plants..." Shiru gave a wry smile.

"Yeah, tell me about it." Alveron was similarly worried.

"MOAR SCALES!" Imp cried out in joy.

"Big Dragon..." Avahn commented. 

"I wonder if she'd let me drop a nuke on her to see what happens." (Dai)

"Why the hell did she hold this back?!?" (Mixu)

"I think she was afraid." (Excel)

"Afraid?" (Zephiria)

"That once she embraced her power, she'd stop being herself." (Avahn)

"Well, whatever the reason." Eris limped forward. "I'm glad she's finally going all out! Everyone lets back her up!"