The Red Hand

Chapter 188 –  Operation Spiritual Intervention.

After preparations were complete, Akagi's forces gathered in the courtyard. Their numbers totaled sixty-five, and she estimated that such a force would be enough to handle any unrest within Omara. The ninja were outfitted with both rifles and their standard-issue equipment, and Akagi had instructed them to minimize fighting as well as to be careful not to provoke hostility from the civilians. However, if their lives were in danger, the were told to prioritize themselves first.

"Alright, are we ready for Operation Spiritual Intervention?" Akagi asked Chloe and Marshal.

{Really? Not Demonic Intervention? Or are you just trying to be funny here, Akagi?} (Hishya)

"Everything is prepared, myaster!" Chloe saluted.

"My men have experience handling civilians during occupation and combat, so with your permission, I request that we be allowed to handle such things once the Council is dealt with." Marshal asked as he put out a cigarette that he dropped on the ground with his boot.

"Sounds good." Akagi nodded before turning to Mizumi. "You ready?"

"Yes, and hopefully, we can do this peacefully and without bloodshed." The Water Spirit was nervous.

"If possible, please try to capture the Council alive so we can conduct a proper trial. At least that way we can gather some kind of legitimacy for our actions." Shinlua was also not exactly thrilled with things, but came to realize that this was the only option.

"I mean, isn't any trial by the conquering force just going to be a show trial?" Hishya figured this would be nothing more than a performance rather than some truly legitimate form of justice.

{Well yeah, that's kinda how this whole thing works. Hell the entire post war order is based off something similar. You can try and legitimize things all you like, but putting the leadership of a conquered nation on trial will almost always be a sketchy action.} (Akagi)

"Not exactly." Mizumi shook her head. "Sure, some will think it that way, and things will look a bit... suspicious. However, by unilaterally ousting a Council member, using taboo magic to brainwash three citizens, issuing a warrant for my arrest, and then trying to kill me and Shinlua, the Council has committed several actual crimes."

"That's not counting the attempted genocide of humanity, and their other corruption related crimes." Shinlua sighed. "It's not perfect, but at least this way we can bring things to a semi-legitimate close."

"I've tapped the Americans for a bit of help in this matter." Akagi smiled. "They have a history of running trials for high-profile criminals, and I requested some legal assistance for running this as well as possible. I might be a lot of things, but lawyer isn't one."

"The Demon Lord is actually going to have laws and rules? Now ain't that funny." Eris laughed. She and the other players wouldn't be aiding in this operation, so most had gone home. Though a few, such as Eris, Ayame, Daikael, Imp, Zephiria, Birdy, and Mixu, had stuck around for their own reasons.

"Can't have a country without them." Akagi shrugged. "Part of my agreements with the States was to have at least some kind of working democratic system, which meant rule of law and all that jazz." She waved it off. "At the end of the day, my word is still supreme, but we'll have a system to keep the little people happy."

"Ahh yes, bread and circuses." Hishya rolled her eyes. "Such a nice place I'm going to call my home."

"I mean, is that really any different than other nations? What's better? Being told your voice matters only for the shadow Council to work in the background, or being told upfront that someone else is pulling the strings?" Akagi side-eyed the dragon.

Hishya wanted to say no and tell her that modern democracy was a great and vibrant thing with no corruption, but that would be a massive lie.

"I will refrain from commenting on that statement. But at least allow us the illusion of self-government." Hishya shook her head.

"Do not worry, my little lizard! For I shall be a kind and benevolent dictator!" Akagi laughed as everyone doubted her in their minds. "As long as the people do exactly as I tell them, then there will be no problems at all!"

{I could make so many comments right now, but I won't.} (Mixu)

"Ah, so it will be that version of democracy, where they have one single party allowed in government, and they only vote on laws approved by the higher-ups." Eris sighed. "Wonderful."

"Hey, your vote will be counted, and your opinion will be recorded." Akagi smiled. "And at the end of the day, isn't that all that matters?" She smirked.

"Yeah, sure... let's go with that." Hishya shook her head. "Can we get on with this? The more I think about things, the more I just want to go home and flop around in my bed..."

"Nothing wrong with that." Akagi snickered. "The second this is all done, I'm going cat and having Yumi snuggle with me in bed while we watch a movie."

{You and your cat...} (Hishya)

{Great, the two most powerful beings on this planet also happen to be LITERAL fucking children.} Eris shook her head. {I don't know whether to be happy about that or concerned...}

With all preparations complete, Akagi gathered up her forces and ripped open a hole in reality, which connected her estate with Omara. Rather than her normally small portal, this one was large enough to fit her entire task force simultaneously.

"Shall we?" Akagi snapped her fingers and went into her Demon Lord mode. "Let's bring this chapter to a close. Mizumi, Shinlua, form up." She glanced at the two women, who gulped.

"Right!" (Shinlua x Mizumi)

Marshal's team went in first, and his heavily armored knights took position as the vanguard, followed closely by Chloe's ninja. Akagi opened her portal on a hill overlooking the city, close by where she and Kana had first arrived. Originally, she wanted to drop her forces straight into the main square but decided against it once Mizumi argued that it would create unnecessary chaos.

Once her forces were through, Akagi, Hishya, Mizumi, Shinlua, Birdy and Black Company entered the portal.

"We'll be back." Akagi laughed manically as she closed the rift, leaving the other players and Yumi in the courtyard.

"What a hell of a way to go off." Ayame shook her head.

"Yes-Yes!" Imp laughed. "Demon Lord invasion-conquest will be spectacular-amazing!"

"Oh yes." Mixu turned to Imp. "That reminds me." She gripped the madwoman's shoulder. "I think it's time we talked about ethics." The look in her eye was scary, and Imp started sweating.

{No-no...} (Imp)

_____________________________________________________________________________

<Akagi POV>

"And here we are." Akagi said as they arrived at the top of the hill overlooking Omara. The sun would be going down soon, something she'd planned for, as this would mean fewer civilians on the streets.

“It seems that things have already kicked off.” Birdy commented.

"Marshal's team has already implemented phase one." Akagi said as she started walking down the hill. "First, we handle all the guards at each entrance. Then we seal the city. No one will be getting in or out for a while."

Chloe's ninja was tasked with assisting the knights by handling anyone who was causing trouble, while the cat herself would take a small team of her best ninja to infiltrate the Council hall.

As the group approached one of the main entrances, they found two guards knocked out and tied up. A few people were looking out their windows or hiding in alleyways as they made their way down the streets.

"Listen, everyone!" Mizumi yelled loudly. "Please just stay indoors! Everything will be over soon!"

{I really hope this ends without violence.} (Mizumi)

Making their way down the street, they came across more onlookers, and it seemed that so far Marshal's knights had kept the peace, until...

"MIZUMI!!!!" Daruma came charging down the main road, knocking one of the knights out of the way and sending him flying into a nearby stall, crushing it.

"YOU TRAITOROUS WHORE!" Daruma charged forward, stopping just in front of the group, and pointing his blade at Mizumi. Black Company moved to handle him, but Akagi put up her hand to stop them.

"I am no traitor!" Mizumi stepped forward, alone.

"You would sell our people out to a Demon!" Daruma glared at Akagi. "And you've brought an army into our city to enslave our people to that creature's will! What else could you be but a traitor?!?"

"I HAD NO CHOICE!" Mizumi screamed at the top of her lungs. "You wouldn't listen to me when I explained that we're dealing with a Demon Lord! You ignored my warnings and actively made an enemy of one who could kill us all! You forced me to ask for her help!" People were listening from their windows and nearby alleys to their argument.

"We're going to be enslaved?" (Spirit 1)

"But Lady Mizumi would never do such a thing." (Spirit 2)

"The Council declared her and Lady Shinlua to be traitors, but she says the Council attacked that Demon." (Spirit 3)

"Our kind do not bow to Demons! We fought in the great war against Vikes four thousand years ago to cleanse the world of their evil! So why would you think we'd ever work with one?!?" He raised his blade. "Even if she is a Demon Lord, even if she can kill me and all of our people, I'd rather die a free man on my feet than live as a slave!"

{I mean, you won't be a slave...} (Akagi)

"I get you're problem with Akagi. Trust me, I do..." Hishya sighed. "But why would you involve the people of Earth in your stupidity?" The Dragon was much angrier than even Akagi knew about this point. Serval and Rivenshaft being sent after Akagi was one thing. Honestly, Hishya wasn't really bothered by that. But intending to enslave and genocide humanity as a whole wasn't going to fly with her.

"Who are you to question me, human!" Daruma's words were laced with contempt. "Your kind slaughtered us! Burned our villages, enslaved our people, and took away so many of our friends and family!" Daruma himself had lost his wife and son in the war, and he'd harbored an intense hatred fro the other races and their gods ever since. "So why should we feel any sympathy for them, or the Elves, or the Dwarves, or any of those backstabbing bastards?!?" His sentiment was prevalent in Spirit society, and while most were not outwardly hostile to humans or other races, there was a high degree of mistrust among ordinary Spirits.

"The humans of Earth have nothing to do with what happened in our old world!" Shinlua spoke up. "They have never harmed us, and from what Lady Mizumi has told me they seek to work with us as friends!"

"Hogwash!" Daruma spit. "Those creatures will betray whatever trust we place in them! It's in their very nature to destroy!"

"I don't think we're going to be able to reason with this guy." Hishya shook her head, as she began to draw Sun Strike. "I'll handle-" She was cut off by Akagi.

"No, I'll handle this." Akagi put her hand on Hishya's shoulder to stop her and walked forward past Mizumi.

"Oh? You're coming to fight me yourself, Demon?" Daruma scoffed. "I've handled countless creatures like you during my life! Just because you handled that other Demon don't expect-" His words were cut off as Akagi flashed forward, and put her hand over his face.

"That's about enough out of you." Akagi gripped his head and slammed him into the pavement below, knocking him out instantly. “I have no patience for such nonsense at the moment, so forgive me for ending this quickly.”

{Even at 100%, I didn't even see her move. Jesus Akagi, did you really have to use that much power to handle him?} Hishya thought it was overkill, but compared to what Akagi wanted to do to him, it was a light punishment. In fact, just as Hishya was angry that the Council wanted to invade Earth, Akagi was similarly furious. She might be ambivalent about humanity for the most part, but she had no tolerance for external forces attacking her world. Not to mention, these shenanigans interrupted her peaceful life, and more than anything else, that was something the Demon could not stand.

"Comandri." Akagi spoke to one of Marshal's knights who was nearby. "Get Geoff medical care if he needs it, then continue your work." She snapped her fingers and sucked Daruma into her shadow to restrain him.

"Yes, mam!" Comandri ran over to check on the man who'd been knocked away earlier. He seemed to be alright, but Akagi wasn't taking chances.

"Let's go." Akagi continued walking down the street.

{Old man. I hope you've readied yourself for what's to come.} (Akagi)