The Red Hand

Chapter 193 – Returning to the Estate.

Once everything was finished in Omara, Akagi, Birdy, and Hishya returned to the estate. Black company was tasked with assisting Marshal's forces in maintaining public order, and Akagi requested them to 'visit' some of the nobles and other upper-class members to chat with them. Mizumi and Shinlua were extremely busy with the clean-up and establishing a transitional government until elections could be held, so they appreciated any help they could get. The Demon figured that while it would prove difficult, Mizumi was more than up to the task. The Water Spirit had already submitted ideas beforehand for policy changes, and Akagi pre-drafted a constitution for her new Dominion.

"Well, at least that's over." Hishya was happy that bloodshed was avoided. While there was some unrest and minor incidents, no one died, and there was only sporadic violence.

{Things went much better than expected. Akagi can be surprisingly charismatic, and her whole good-cop-bad-cop shtick with Mizumi was probably the best method of handling this.} (Hishya)

"Yeah, one problem is over. But I've got another one to deal with. Not to mention all the work we're going to need to do in order to handle the integration of Omara's economy into my plans." Akagi sighed. "Just when Albrecht and I worked everything out, now I've got to change things up." She'd originally planned for less integration with Omara, but now that it was her vassal, she was going to take full control over it and its resources.

{I suppose we'll need to start getting bids on contracts for resource extraction. Omara's going to need rapid industrialization as part of my plans. I guess I'm playing city builder now...} (Akagi)

"Birdy, start prepping for your transport to the States." Akagi glanced at the girl. "Negotiations for that have nearly concluded and they'll want you in Washington ASAP.” Now that things have wrapped up here, you don't need to stick around.

"I figured." Birdy smiled. She was looking forward to going to the United States.

"Are you really ok with being traded around like that?" Hishya asked the girl. "You're basically just being handed over to another employer, and used as a pawn.”

Birdy shrugged. "I've been to the States plenty of times as a kid, and I'm going to basically act as a superhero for them." She grinned. "Plus, the pay fucking amazing! Not to mention I'm still working for Akagi, and she's just loaning me out for the time being." She didn't really care about where she was being sent, since she'd find a way to have fun no matter what.

"If I call her, she'll be at my side in an instant." Akagi said. "The Americans know that, but they've accepted that as part of the deal."

{Its crazy that they accepted that, but getting their hands on even one returnee is probably just that important. I don't know what exactly Akagi did to Birdy, but she's powerful, far more powerful than she should be. I suspect she could vaporize a city with her negative aura sphere if she really wanted to, which is both interesting and scary.} (Hishya)

"Should we go check on Yumi?" Hishya was worried about the girl and the newly revived Miji.

"No." Akagi shook her head. "Leave those two alone. I'll talk to Yumi later. I'm still not in the best head-space at the moment, and I imagine she wants to spend time with Miji right now."

"Please don't be so hard on yourself." Hishya sighed. "You really didn't do anything bad, and you and I both know Yumi could never be angry with you."

{Yeah, but that's a problem in and of itself, Hishya. Yumi is willing to let anything I do slide as a result of her infatuation with and reverence for me. I don't like the idea of her just letting me off for hurting her because of that. It... it makes me feel like she's being controlled... and I don't want something like that...} (Akagi)

"So what are you going to do?" Hishya asked.

"Me?" Akagi gave a wry smile. "I'm going to spend a bit of time alone. I... I need to think, but you, my little dragon, should go see Kana. She's gonna love that new look."

"You think? She always did like me small." Hishya replied.

"It's not like you can't change back, right?" Birdy asked.

"I can, but I think I like this form." Hishya thought for a moment. "It just feels-"

"Right." Akagi finished for her. "Trust me, I know the feeling all too well." She laughed as she started to walk off. "Tell Kana we'll do a family meeting later, ok?"

"Sure, what about you?" Hishya turned to Birdy.

"Hmmmm. I think I'll go get some packing done and then make some plans for my transport to the States. Sakura will be done with Alice soon, so maybe I'll go bug her for a bit. Perhaps we'll get some drinks together?" Birdy gave a toothy smile. "That girl is always fun drunk!"

{Poor Sakura.} Hishya shook her head.

"Wait. Where are the others?" Hishya looked around for Imp, Mixu, and the other players but didn't see them.

"They probably dragged Imp off for re-education." Birdy chuckled. "Sadly, I doubt any amount of corrective learning will change her ways."

{Since this is Imp we're talking about, I'd be inclined to agree.} (Hishya)

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Entering the estate, Hishya detected that Kana was in the living room. Upon turning the corner, she caught sight of her girlfriend browsing something on her AR device.

"Yo! We're back." Hishya said as she entered the room.

"Huh?" Kana looked at her for a moment. "Who are you?" It seemed she didn't recognize her.

Hishya nearly fell over at her girlfriend's confused reaction. "I don't look that different, you idiot! It's me, Hishya! Your Dragon girlfriend!"

"Eh?" Kana's eyes went wide. "What?!?" She got up and ran over to her newly changed lizard. "Are you really Hishya?!?" She started squishing and poking her face. "Not Onee-chan transformed and playing a prank?!?"

{She'd do that. I know she would!} (Kana)

"Yes, it's me you, dummy." Hishya sighed as her face was squished, stretched, and poked. "I guess I do look different now, but you've seen a more adult version of me before!"

Kana's cheeks reddened. "Don't talk about that!" She pinched her cheeks harder before letting them go. "Are you really Hishya?"

"Does this answer you're question?" She moved closer and kissed Kana on the lips, causing the girl to nearly collapse on the spot.

"Y-yeah, you're Hishya." She'd never forget that sensation.

"Told ya." Hishya sighed as she moved past Kana and took a seat on the couch, removing her armor and putting it into her inventory. She wasn't wearing anything revealing, but her level of maturity was causing Kana to have feelings.

"S-so why do you suddenly look like this." The new Hishya was causing her to drool on the inside, and Hishya could tell that she'd be having some fun later tonight.

"Well..." Hishya decided to explain everything that happened since they went to fight Serval, including what happened in Omara. Naturally, it was a lot of information, and Kana was quite surprised by the ending.

"She really brought back Yumi's sister?!?" Kana exclaimed.

"Yes, but that's fraught with its own problems." Hishya shook her head. She wouldn't tell Kana that Miji was a copy since that increased the chances of an information leak. She trusted Kana never to speak of that, but it was just an unneeded risk. "Since Akagi had to go against Yumi's express wishes, it's currently eating her up on the inside. I think she's spiraling into depression over it..."

"I mean, I get why she's kicking herself.. Even if you think something is for the best, when someone says no..." Kana was a bit conflicted. "But, this was about bringing back her sister..." She couldn't really decide if her sister was right or wrong.

{Should I be scolding her, or telling her it was the right decision? I feel like I lose no matter what I do...} (Kana)

"I think it's fine." Hishya shrugged. "Going against the one you love isn't exactly easy, nor should one make a habit of ignoring your significant other's wishes. However, this situation is just so strange and extreme that I think it's justified." She figured returning someone's family meant it was an understandable breach of etiquette, at least she wouldn't mind someone ignoring her wishes if that meant getting someone back that had died.

{I mean, you gave her back her long-dead sister. Someone who shouldn't have been able to come back. I think it's fine. Even if Yumi knew that she's was a copy, I don't think Yumi care would care.} (Hishya)

"Where is Onee-chan now?" Kana was worried about her, and figured she ran off to hide.

"I have no idea." Hishya shrugged. "She said she wanted to be alone and walked off once we got back."

"Does Yumi know how she's feeling?" Kana figured getting the Priestess involved would be for the best.

"I'm pretty sure that she knows that Akagi isn't taking her decision well." Hishya gave a wry smile. "But since she went back to the estate after Miji was revived, she probably has no idea what's going on at the moment."

"Then we should go talk to her." Kana stood up. "She needs to speak with Onee-chan. We can't allow this to go like last time, and Onee-chan shouldn't be left alone with her thoughts. I know full well what happens when she is." She shook her head. "Let's go. I assume Yumi is in the clinic?"

"Probably." Hishya got up, and the two walked over to the medical area, where Yumi was still sitting with her sister, who'd fallen back asleep.

"How is she?" Hishya asked.

"She's fine, but tired." Yumi smiled, her face was still red from crying. "We talked for a bit, and I explained... some things to her. The rest will need to wait until she's older."

{One day when she can understand everything, I'll make sure I tell her...} (Yumi)

"Yeah, I can imagine that a six-year-old wouldn't really understand everything that's happened the last four years." Hishya gave a wry smile.

{Fuck, I'm INVOLVED and I still don't understand parts of it...} (Hishya)

"So this is your sister." Kana walked over to the sleeping girl who was snuggled in the bed. She had a flushed face like Yumi's, though she had a smile on her face as she slept. "She's cute."

"Where is Akagi?" Yumi asked Kana. The use of the Demon's name rather than a title caught both girls' attention, though they chose not to comment on that right now. "I need to speak with her immediately."

"We don't know." Kana replied.

"I can't sense her, so she's probably hiding her power." Hishya shook her head.

"Knowing Onee-chan, she's probably in her room" Kana said. "That's where she always goes when she's upset."

{She's done that since we were kids. She usually wraps herself in the blanket, and she's probably in cat mode right now.} (Kana)

“Yeah that's probably right.” Yumi sighed. “When she gets like this, she ends up locking herself away in her room and laying in bed.” She stood up. “I should go to her immediately, before this gets out of hand. Can you two keep an eye on Miji for a bit? Or at least until Mimi gets back?”

“Yeah that's fine. Just go make sure Onee-chan is alright.” Kana nodded. “I know how she can get when her mood tanks, and I don't want this to be like last time.”

“Neither do I.” Yumi started out the door.

{After all, I'm the one who's at fault...} (Yumi)

Once she was gone, Hishya and Kana exchanged sighs.

“Akagi really is such a pain in the ass, you know that?” Hishya said while taking a seat. “I know this got to her, but was it really that bad?” She'd started to think that Akagi was being a bit overdramatic.

“Its like Naomi said, Onee-chan's problems go deeper than we understand, and we should do whatever we can to help.” Kana took a seat across from her. “Onee-chan never did well with stress, and hiding was usually how she handled most problems. I know right now she's probably tearing herself apart inside, since she's afraid that she upset the most important person to her.”

{Naomi was right, we really don't understand anything about her problems, do we?} (Hishya)

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<Yumi POV>

{Akagi, please be alright!} Yumi stormed through the house and up to the second floor where the master bedroom was. The door was unlocked, and she burst into the room, only to see Akagi wrapped in the bed sheets with tears coming down her eyes.

"Yumi?" Akagi said through her tears. "Why are you-" She was cut off by Yumi diving onto and hugging her, pulling her down onto the bed.

"I'm so sorry!" Yumi said as she squeezed the Demon.

"Heh?" Akagi had no idea how to react or what to say, a rarity for her.