The Red Hand

Chapter 257 – Lunch Break.

"And there you have it! We started off today's events with a massive bang but concluded it with a relatively tame whimper." Akagi laughed as the comments from chat poured in. "But with the weakest of the group culled, I have a feeling the quarter-finals are going to be a whole lot more action-packed!"

"Well, that fight went as expected." Hishya shrugged. "I suppose that means we won't get a good grasp on what Halifax can do until she fights Avahn tomorrow." She was hoping for some good intel to prep with today since she wanted to start planning how to beat her in advance.

{Though she definitely seems capable, that's for sure.} (Hishya)

"Though if you want to fight her, then you'll first have to get past a whole list of potential foes if you want the chance to fight her in the finals." Akagi wagged her finger so as to imply that it wouldn't be so easy. "And that means beating both Alice and Superbia/Chloe."

"Not to mention that Halifax may not even get to the end. Your little Warlock has intrigued me with her power, and I'm quite interested in seeing just how far she goes." Silfana smirked.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Akagi." Hishya rolled her eyes.

"What kind of Mom would I be if I didn't root for my own child?" Akagi snickered.

"The kind that lets a fifteen-year-old fight in something like this." Hishya gave a smartass reply.

"So, the best kind!" Akagi laughed, and chat seemed to agree. "Alright, everyone, that's about all we have today. Tune in tomorrow morning for the quarter and semi-finals, and I hope you have a wonderful evening!" She clicked a button on the table which shut down the broadcast. "Woo! That was awesome!" Akagi had a massive smile on her face. "I fucking love events like these, they always get the blood pumping!" She was fired up and ecstatic. She'd done this event on a whim and was thanking past her for putting it together.

"I assume metaphorical blood in your case." Hishya poked her in the shoulder.

"Who knows? Maybe the vampy here needs to be fed." Akagi snickered as she stood up. “I can make real blood.”

"There is no way in hell I'm drinking blood spawned from you." Silfana sighed. "I imagine it would taste awful. Something like used bathwater combined with sewage."

"Well, Akagi is rotten to the core, so it makes sense that her very flesh and blood taste like filth." Hishya snickered.

"I wonder what Dragon tastes like?" Akagi thought aloud. "I assume it must take something like chicken. Perhaps we could grill up part of your tail for lunch?"

"No eating me!" Hishya huffed. "Only Kana is allowed to bite me." She laughed as Silfana rolled her eyes.

"I'll pass on the Dragon meat, thank you very much. I'd rather gag myself than taste a drop of your blood." Silfana said as she stood up to leave.

{Well I wouldn't want to eat you either! You're probably far too salty for my delicate palate!} (Hishya)

"Well, speaking of food, let's go have lunch. We went over my estimated time due to certain people who shall not be named blowing up my arena." Akagi glanced at Hishya before turning to leave. "Come on, let's head to the cafeteria. I'd imagine people are chowing down as we speak."

"I hope you prepared a fuck load of food. Because I'm starving, and my human body doesn't stop me from having a Dragon's appetite." Hishya was practically starving after her match with Tiball and was currently running off the snack stash that she bummed off her girlfriend.

{FOOD!} (Hishya)

"Trust me, there's plenty." Akagi rolled her eyes. "If by chance we somehow ran out, then I'd just get more anyway." She was starting to worry that her reserves wouldn't be enough for the Dragon and Vampire's bottomless stomachs.

"I shall take that as a challenge!" Hishya laughed as the three of them moved down into the hallway before eventually arriving at the cafeteria where most of the other participants were eating.

"Mama!" Alice was sitting next to Miji, and as soon as she saw Akagi, she stood up and ran over to her, to which Akagi responded by pulling her into a hug. "Did you see me?!? I won!" She had the brightest smile on her face, which made even the grumpy losers of the day smile.

"Of course I did!" I watched you kick butt and take names!" Akagi pat her on the head. "I'm so proud of you, Alice. You did an amazing job, and now all you need to do is beat Hishya tomorrow!" Her smile told everyone just how proud she was.

Once she had been sufficiently praised and pet, Alice turned and glared at Hishya. "I shall defeat you, evil Dragon!"

"I'm practically shaking in my boots." Hishya stuck up her arms in fake surrender. “Please don't sing me to death.”

"Come on, let's sit down with the others." Akagi picked Alice up and went over to the table where Yumi was sitting with her sister. Hishya and Silfana immediately got to work devouring an ungodly amount of food, and Akagi was thanking her past self for keeping an extra stockpile of ingredients in the storeroom for just such an occasion.

"This fried chicken is amazing!" Hishya said as she bit into the leg, devouring all of it, including the bone.

{I guess even in human form Dragons can just eat anything, huh?} (Akagi)

"Did you guys enjoy the show?" Akagi asked Yumi as she took a bite out of a piece of ham. "You had the best seats in the house up there, so I'd imagine it was a good view." They'd sat in a special VIP booth that was far better than what most others would have.

"It was great." Yumi smiled. "I'd heard of some of the events that would take place in the Imperial Arena, but I never got to see it myself." She wasn't necessarily blown away by the spectacle, as she'd seen crazier things come from Akagi, but it was still an enjoyable experience.

"All the Kaboom was amazing!" Miji said while eating a biscuit. "Alice was all like WOOSH and ZAP and ZOOM! And Hishya was all like BOOM, BAM!" Her use of sound effects made both Akagi and Yumi giggle.

"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed yourself." Akagi continued, passing Yumi a wipe for the messy girl's face. "But where is Kana and the girls? They were with you in the booth, weren't they?" She figured they would've came down together.

"Kana and Naomi will be joining us shortly. A news agency wanted to interview them, but Mika..." Yumi leaned in and whispered something into Akagi's ear.

"Ah. Well, that makes sense." Akagi gave a hardy laugh. "It was only a matter of time until that happened."

{Have fun, Mika.} (Akagi)

As the group chowed down and chatted amongst themselves, Kana and Naomi finally arrived after concluding their interviews.

"Nice to see that you waited for us..." Kana sighed as she looked at Hishya. who was eating what looked like a cartoon ham.

{I'm just imagining the cartoon grinding noise as she chews through that thing...} (Kana)

"I required FOOD!" Hishya said between bites. "No waiting!"

"Where the hell does all that even go anyway?" Naomi knew that Hishya had a big appetite but never imagined that it was this bad.

"Into the void between worlds." Akagi said with a chuckle. "Dragons tend to need wayyyy more food than humans, and Hishya here used up lots of energy during that fight earlier."

{Hishya is basically Mika on steroid now that I think about it. Her appetite seems unending.} (Akagi)

"Well, I hope she saved some for the rest of us." Kana sighed as she took a seat next to the hungry Dragon. "You did, right?" She was starting to get worried that Hishya and Silfana had eaten all the food.

"Hmmmmm." Hishya paused her eating before shrugging and continuing.

"That's not encouraging." Naomi chuckled.

"Don't worry, I planned for this. If Hishya somehow managed to eat me out of house and home, then she's got a bigger stomach than even I expected." Akagi laughed. "So go get something at the counter, and then come back and eat. I'm assuming Mika will be busy for a while, so we won't wait for her."

"Oh god..." Kana shook her head. "I have no clue how long that is going to take, but it ain't going to be quick."She decided to put it out of her head and leave the blue-haired girl to her fun.

"Yeah, those three were looking forward to this." Naomi giggled.

"Just please tell me it was willing, though." Akagi sighed. She'd warned the two Yuki-Onna about forcing things and would beat them silly if they pushed Mika to do something she didn't want to.

"Oh no, it was 100% willing. Trust me, Mika was very into what they wanted." Kana rolled her eyes as she stood back up and pat Hishya on the head, which elicited a grunt from the food beast called Hishya.

"Good." Akagi gave a sigh of relief. "Though I'll make sure to give them a talking to later anyway."

"What are you, her mother?" Kana said, mocking her sister.

"Listen, I have a responsibility here as those two's keeper. Mimi already gave me permission to smack them around if they tried anything, and the last thing I need is either of them messing with Mika."

{No making the Official Backup Squishy sad!} (Akagi)

"Aww, look at you. You're so protective of your Squishy buddy." Hishya stopped eating for a moment to make fun of the Demon.

"Yeah, well, somebody has to be the responsible adult in this group, and it sure as hell can't be you." Akagi blew a raspberry at Hishya.

"How the fuck are you the responsible adult?!?" Hishya put down the bone she was holding. "If anyone fills that role, it's Kana or Naomi, not you!"

{YOU ARE ANYTHING BUT RESPONSIBLE!} (Hishya)

"Kana, what do you think?" Akagi asked.

"You are very responsible and mature, Onee-chan." Kana gave a smile that told everyone she was lying.

"Thanks..." Akagi sighed. "Well, whatever. Regardless of what you idiots say, I still feel the need to be the responsible one among us, so fuck off."

"Considering you aren't even much older than us, it's kind of hard to take you seriously as some adult figure, Akagi." Hishya snickered.

{That's not entirely accurate anymore. I've spent so much time in my own shadow that with the time dilation in there, I'm probably about twenty to thirty years older than they think. However, let's keep that a secret since it would freak Kana out.} (Akagi)