The Red Hand

Chapter 189 – The Unexpected Chance.

With Daruma taken care of, Akagi and company continued onward to the Council Hall. As they approached the building, more and more citizens watched the group as they continued into the heart of the city, and there was already a palpable sense of anxiety in the air. Mizumi was increasingly worried that the other Spirits would start acting out, but it seemed they were content to watch and whisper from the safety of the shadows. As they approached the front entrance of the Main Hall, Chloe, and her team had already subdued the guards, along with some exploration team members that put up resistance.

"The path is all clear, nya!" Chloe said to Akagi. She'd managed to capture Ferrix's team unharmed after a small skirmish. Akagi had no real grudge against the three of them and would free them from the Council's mind control once things were finished.

"Excellent." Akagi scratched the cat's ears as a reward. "Where are the other two Council members?" She could sense their energy but wanted any additional information.

"They descended into the sealed room below the building, nya." Chloe explained that she'd kept her team away from that location out of safety concerns.

"I hope they don't try to bring back Serval and Rivenshaft again." Hishya sighed as she imagined another round with the Dragon.

"I don't think they can." Shinlua gave a wry smile. "From what I overheard, they wouldn't be able to revive one of those World Bosses more than once."

{Something about instability and too much energy.} (Shinlua)

"If they somehow did, then I'll just remove them." Akagi said as she pushed past the front gate. "Come on. I want to wrap this up. Chloe, scour this entire building and take everything valuable for archival purposes. I want to know what knowledge the Spirits have been keeping from me, and Black Company, its time for you to hunt down that list of Spirits I gave you earlier."

"Yes mam!" (Black Company)

"Wait, please don't-" Shinlua tried to speak up but was stopped by Mizumi.

"Just please return everything to us once you've finished." Mizumi sighed.

{Arguing with her is pointless.} She glared up at Shinlua. {She's in a very bad mood right now, so please don't go aggravating her.}

"That was the plan. Now come on lets go." Akagi waved for everyone to follow as she kicked open the large doors to the Hall.

The inside of the main administrative building of Omara was quiet, and what little light was left outside flowed in from the massive glass windows that adorned the many hallways. The few members of the staff that still occupied the building were gathered in one of the side rooms, with a few ninjas watching over them to make sure they kept out of trouble.

"We should be careful in here." Hishya said. "Whatever they've got in that secret room is bound to be trouble. I won't be surprised if they try one last hailmary to save their assess."

{Like some kind of last resort doomsday weapon. I wouldn't be shocked if they tried killing us all as a final fuck you.} (Hishya)

"Maybe they'd try to nuke the pocket dimension itself?" Birdy brought up an idea that Hishya was also thinking about.

"That would kill everyone! They would never-" Mizumi stopped herself. "Maybe they would..." She couldn't be sure anymore.

"They did say something about having plans in case I threatened them with the Anchor, so perhaps they do have something." Akagi said as they rounded the corner to where the hidden door was.

"It's here, behind this wall." Shinlua walked up to an empty spot on the wall and sent a pulse of magic in a specific pattern, causing a secret door to recede and slide off to the side, revealing a descending spiral staircase.

"A classic, but ultimately uninspired." Akagi shook her head. "I give them -10 points. Where are the lava sharks with laser eyes protecting the entrance?" She laughed.

"I hate you for that reference, and I hate myself for getting it..." Hishya groaned.

{There are probably like three people alive today who understand that stupid joke... and why did one of them have to be me...} (Hishya)

Akagi went down the stairs, followed closely by everyone else. Shinlua said there weren't any traps or the like down here, but the Demon wasn't one to take chances. After a few minutes of descending the stairs, Akagi came to a large ornate wooden door.

"They're behind here, and I'm detecting some serious magic as well. Be prepared for anything, and Mizumi." She spoke to the Spirit. "I know you want them alive, but..."

"If they pose a threat, then go ahead take them out." Mizumi gave the go-ahead. "We'll handle the fallout from that if need be."

With that out of the way, Akagi pushed open the door which opened into a large and beautifully ornate chamber filled with gold, jewels, and other precious metals. Onmiyame and Sizix stood in front of a massive ball of flickering lights and energy suspended within a magical formation and wrapped in magical chains. The entire room seemed to overflow with the magic emanating from the ball, though Akagi could tell that the energy behind the two Council members was becoming increasingly unstable.

"Welcome... is what I would say if you truly were so in such a place." Onmiyame scowled at Akagi.

"Onmiyame!" Mizumi called out to him. "It's over! Surrender now and allow our people to move forward! There's still time for you to make amends for your actions!"

{Please! Don't put our people in more danger!} (Mizumi)

"Surrender?" Onmiyame sighed. "To do so would be to doom our people to eternal servitude to a Demon Lord." He shook his head. "And I cannot allow such a fate." As he said this, he pulled a cube from his robe. It was the fake Anchor Akagi gave to Mizumi earlier.

{And his next words will be. And so, rather than allow such a horrible fate to pass, it is best for our people to disappear along with you.} Akagi predicted his next words as a joke.

"And so, rather than allow such a horrible fate to pass, it is best for our people to disappear along with you!" He crushed the fake Anchor in his hand.

{Wow... I actually got it right.} (Akagi)

"Oh, nooo." Akagi feigned defeat. "You've truly done it now. I shall perish along with this world. How foolish of me to give you back the Anchor. Curse my lack of foresight..." Her monotone voice caused Hishya to laugh.

"Jesus, Akagi. Care to kill the man's pride any harder?" Hishya said while giggling.

"Laugh all you want, Demon. But it ends now." Onmiyame smirked.

{I've heard that god damn line so many fucking times... I really should start keeping a running count.} (Akagi)

"This world will begin to collapse without the Anchor, and you've no way to escape now, Demon!" Sizix said smugly, thought she was sweating slightly.

"Should I tell them?" Mizumi whispered to Akagi.

"Give it a minute." Akagi did exactly that as she allowed the fact that nothing was happening to set in.

"Why is nothing happening? Where is the collapse? There was supposed to be a world-ending collapse?!?" Onmiyame was confused why he and the others were still alive.

"Are you finished acting stupid now?" Akagi shook her head before snapping her fingers and tying the two Council Members up with her shadow.

"What's going on?!?" Onmiyame struggled to get free but couldn't. "The destruction of the Anchor should have collapsed this reality, destroying it and everyone within it!"

"Anchor? Oh, you mean THIS Anchor!" Akagi laughed as she withdrew the real thing from her shadow. "Did you idiots seriously think I'd give it back so easily?" She laughed as she twirled it around in her hand before putting it away. "Though in fairness, even if I had, a structural collapse of reality causation and a subsequent ejection into the void between worlds would not prove fatal to me anyway." She shrugged. Her words confused everyone, and Hishya decided not to ask questions. "So yeah your final last-ditch effort failed." Akagi laughed as she walked over to the two of them before crouching in front of Onmiyame and staring into his eyes. "Any LAST last ditch efforts? Or can we wrap this up?"

"This was all his fault!" Sizix said in a panic. "He was the one that pushed us to act against you! So please spare me! I'll do anything you want!"

"Sizix!" Onmiyame glared at her. "So you too are more than happy to sell our people out if it secures your life. I am disappointed."

"I always love it when mortals beg for their life." Akagi laughed demonically. "It fills me with such great joy to see worms like you trip over yourself to win my favor. But do not worry, I don't intend to kill either of you at the moment." She stood up and shook her head.

"Yes." Mizumi and Shinlua stepped forward. "We'll be taking you into custody, and you will face trial and punishment for your actions."

"HA!" Onmiyame laughed. "Go ahead and perform some show trial for your master." He smirked. "Our people will never submit to some Demon, and they will never accept a traitor like you as ruler!" He turned to Akagi. "Know this Demon. It may not be today or a hundred years from now, but one day, one day our people will find a way to destroy you! Mark my words. We will not stand by and become slaves to a creature like you!"

{More cliché lines...} (Akagi)

"So what you're telling me is that I should consume you all right now? That way I don't have to worry about a knife pointed at my back later?" Akagi laughed. "Fine, I don't mind that. I can always find much more willing and pliable people to work under me." She growled.

Mizumi panicked. "Please don't listen to him!" She waved her arms frantically in front of Akagi. "He does not speak the truth! Our people might be a bit resistant to you, but things will not escalate to such an extreme! I promise you that you'll never have to worry about our people rising against you!"

"Can you truly guarantee that?" Akagi asked. "Can you tell me with 100% certainty that if I let your people live that I will not one day come to regret that kindness?"

"I...I..." Mizumi's face went dark. "No... I can't." She shook her head. "There is always the possibility that Onmiyame's words might be true... so I'll understand if you choose to eliminate us... just please allow our souls to move on rather than eating them..." She closed her eyes, prepared for the worst.

{Is Akagi really going to...} (Hishya)

"I see." Akagi reached out her hand and pat the Water Spirit on the head. "Then you'd best make sure that you work as hard as possible since I don't want to have to go down such a route either." She smiled. This was a kind of test for the Spirit. Had Mizumi said she could guarantee it, Akagi might actually have gone through with the threat. But seeing as Mizumi had acknowledged the truth of the situation and accepted reality, Akagi decided to allow her the chance to change her people's fate.

{Why is she treating me like some kid? I'm over fifty times older than her!} (Mizumi)

"You just love petting people, don't you?" Hishya sighed.

"Awww. Is the little Dragon jealous?" She moved her hand from Mizumi to Hishya. "There, there. Is that better?"

"I..." Hishya closed her eyes. "Never mind, it's not worth it, and I'm not giving you the satisfaction."

"Getting back to the main point." Akagi snapped her finger and sucked Onmiyame into her shadow before turning to Sizix. "Before we tuck you away, you're going to tell me everything about what's behind you." Akagi's smile sent a chill through Sizix's spine.

"W-What do you want to know?" She stammered.

"Well, first tell me what it is. Then tell me how you managed to revive three world bosses from FWO, when I was told such a thing shouldn't be possible." Akagi tapped her foot. "And don't try to lie to me, since I can see straight through that BS. Mizumi did request to take you alive, she said nothing about keeping you sane."

Sizix paled. "It's a magical data bank of all the souls within that game you were trapped in. We kept a parallel backup of that entire world here for our own purposes, and pulled those three World Bosses out to use against you."

The word ALL caught Akagi's attention. "What do you mean by all? Does that only apply to World Bosses?"

Seeing that Akagi had gotten agitated, Sizix frantically responded. "N-no." She shook her head. "Within the database would be all of those souls which existed within the game, including residents and other players."

Akagi's eyes went wide as she grabbed Sizix by the scruff of her shirt and pulled her up before locking eyes with her. "Does that include people who died?"

"I um..." Sizix started to shake from Akagi's pressure.

"ANSWER THE QUESTION!" Akagi screamed. "Before I devour you on the spot!"

{Why is she so worked up?} (Hishya)

"Yes, it does! Everyone, even players who died exist within the database! But why does that matter?" Sizix exclaimed.

Akagi stood, frozen at those words.

"The-then that means..." Akagi's eyes went wide as she realized something important.