The Red Hand

Chapter 283 –  Father Daughter Reunion.

After a night of petting and other attempts at cheering the Demon up, the dreaded next morning arrived. Akagi had insisted on being cuddled by Kana during the night, much to Hishya's and Miji's combined envy, and the two were currently getting ready for the impending arrival of Shima and Shiroe's father.

"♫MEW! MEW! MEW!♫" Akagi meowed happily as Kana brushed her hair.

"Those are some very happy mews, but why did you want me to do this?" Kana asked as the two sat on the edge of her bed. "You can just fix your hair at will, can't you? So what's up with wanting it brushed?" She figured it was a waste.

"Because it feels nice." Akagi said with a smile. "Also, I did your hair, so it's only fair that you reciprocate." She'd played with and styled Kana's a bit ago.

"I suppose that second part is fair." Kana chuckled as she brushed and squished Akagi's fluffy ears. "You always did enjoy styling my hair, even as kids it was something you always liked playing with."

"You enjoyed mine too, even if you were awful at it." Akagi recalled the many knots that Kana had ripped out by force.

{I still remember that one time I thought she ripped a chunk out of the left side of my head.} (Akagi)

"It was basically the only sister/girl thing that we did together, and yeah I was horrible at it..." Kana said as she put down the brush. "You were never big on clothing or makeup back then. Though I suppose you've grown into that stuff more now due to Alice and Miji's influnce." She'd seen them dress Akagi up for tea parties, which the Demon seemed to enjoy.

"It's just nice to see them happy." Akagi chuckled. "If letting them play with my hair and slipping me into cute clothing is what's needed to make them smile, then I'm all for it." She liked seeing the two girls giggle and smile as they played with her.

"You just enjoy the attention you get." Kana said as she stood up to finish getting dressed. "Admit it!"

"I can neither confirm nor deny that." Akagi replied as she turned away. "The hugs and snuggles from two adorable little ones is simply a bonus I assure you."

"Suuuuuuure it is, but either way..." Kana said as she slid on some jeans. "I'm just glad to see you happy. It definitely beats how you used to be."

"Hey, I like it better this way too." Akagi hopped off the bed and reverted to her usual appearance.

"I still think that's unfair." Kana sighed as she quickly changed shirts. "Being able to change your appearance like that and make clothing just appear on you is cheating."

{Having that ability is completely unfair... I know Mika always complains about how long it takes to get dressed and I don't blame her...} (Kana)

"If you're envious, then I can make you into a shadow Demon." Akagi snickered. "Then you can turn into all kinds of shapes!" Whether she could actually do that was unknown, though Akagi figured it was possible somehow.

"I'll pass, thank you very much." Kana flicked her hair back and put it in a ponytail using a holder. "Unlike you, I prefer having a squishy human body and I have no need for floof."

"The flesh is weak!" Akagi declared. "Reject your humanity. Embrace the floof! Join me in cat-cuddles!"

"I have a bad feeling that once I go cat, you won't let me go back." Kana rolled her eyes as she finished up. "Are you ready?"

"I'll never be ready to deal with Shima." Akagi shrugged. "But I suppose this is as good as it will get. Have her and Amakusa's Dad meet us in the audience chamber. I'll pop down in a moment."

"Then while you're doing whatever, I'll go wait at the front gate. They should be here soon and I'd rather they not get lost or removed." Kana moved to leave the room, but Akagi's next words gave her pause.

"You know that this isn't going to end happily, right?" Akagi said.

"I know that..." Kana took a deep breath. "That girl... She did some awful things." She tightly gripped the door handle. "She... Her actions could've even taken you away from me..." Kana composed herself before leaving to meet her mother by the estate's main entrance.

{I just hope she understands the full gravity of the situation.} Akagi sighed internally. {This goes far beyond anything else we've dealt with so far.} Her fist tightened. {That girl... Those Gods... They're to blame for everything that's happened these last five years.}

Akagi's lips curled into a smile as she went to leave the room. "And to thank, I suppose."

_____________________________________________________________________________

<Kana POV>

"There they are." Kana stood outside the main wooden gate that led into the estate, watching as her mother exited her vehicle along with an older man who was wearing a dojo Keikogi. His scraggly gray and black beard reminded Kana of her grandfather, though his unkept hair was more like her uncle's.

{I guess that must be Shiroe's father.} Kana noted that the man looked miserable and that while he was apparently not much older than her mother, his face showed extreme aging, likely from stress and depression.

Greeting the two of them as they reached the top of the stairs, Kana could tell that the old man had lost his drive in life, and to her, he appeared to be little more than the shadow of a once happy man.

"Tell me, is my daughter truly here?" Toji asked Kana, his voice almost a whisper.

"Shiroe is inside, yes." Kana didn't really know what to say, and her mother just shrugged. "Onee-chan will be bringing her, so let's go inside." She motioned for both of them to follow which they did, slowly.

"I feel like I'm being watched." Shima shivered as she walked toward the main house.

{It feels like somebody is going to stick a knife into my back at any moment! Though I probably deserve that...} (Shima)

"That's because we are." Toji commented, much to Kana's surprise. "There are many here who seek to kill you, Shima. I can sense a great deal of murderous intent and hatred coming from our observers." He was correct, as while Akagi had told every single member of the family to stay away from Shima, there was nothing she could do to stop them from watching her from a distance and projecting this displeasure at her.

"Mom... Isn't really welcome here as you can see. Things are... complicated..." Kana gave a wry smile as they stepped onto the porch, moving around the side of the house toward the audience hall. "Here. Onee-chan is waiting inside." She slid open the sliding door slowly, revealing Akagi sitting on a small mat and smoking her Kiseru. The look she gave both Shima and Toji seemed disinterested, but Kana knew that was just a façade to hide her irritation.

{So far so good I guess. Mom isn't dead yet so that's a good sign I suppose.} (Kana)

"Take your seats." Akagi let out a puff as Kana used her eyes to tell them to sit on the prepared cushions.

"This is truly a lovely home." Toji said as he sat. He seemed quite used to such a setting, and given by his posture Akagi figured it was something he'd done something like this before. "It reminds me of my grandmother's house."

"I've always preferred a more traditional architecture and the like, so when I was offered the chance to obtain something like this for myself, well... I couldn't say no." Akagi said as she sat her Kiseru down on a small piece of wood next to her.

{I've seen the pictures that Kana sent me before, but I could've never imagined how crazy this place really is! It's like Father's compound but even larger and more antique!} (Shima)

"Toji Amakusa, father of Shiroe Amakusa." Akagi started speaking, her tone becoming more formal. "You seek to be reunited with your lost child. One who disappeared five years ago, is that right?" She figured that cutting to the chance was for the best.

"I've been searching for her for all these years. Finding her and bringing her home safely is all I've ever wanted, so please..." Toji bowed deeply. "If you truly have my child, then please allow me to see her. I would be in your debt and forever grateful for reuniting us."

"I see." Akagi paused for a moment. "Alright, pet, get in here." She snapped her fingers opening a sliding door off to her side, revealing Shiroe's shaking form standing just inside. "There is somebody who wants to see you, so why don't you say high like a good little pup?"

"D-Dad?" Amakusa barely managed to speak as she looked at her father. She hadn't expected to ever see him again and was practically lost for words.

"Shiroe!" Toji's eyes lit up for the first time since he'd arrived.

"Dad!" Amakusa ran over to him as he stood up, with the two embracing in a tight hug. "Is it really you?"

"Yes... Yes, it's me..." Toji's eyes started to water. "I've found you, my child. After all these years, I've found you." He squeezed her tightly, not wanting to risk letting her slip away. "I've found you..." 

Kana looked over to her Mother, whose face did not show a happy smile, for she knew as well as Kana that Akagi wasn't about to allow things to have such a nice ending. Though to her credit Akagi did allow for a the two to share a loving embrace before putting a proverbial crowbar between them a few minutes later.

"Alright, that's enough." Akagi clapped her hands. She'd allowed them their touching reunion, but that was more out of sentimentality than anything else and its time had come and gone. "Pet, take your seat. We've much to do and discuss" Her words compelled Amakusa to break off from her father.

"Of course, master!" Amakusa said as she happily sat to the side of Akagi before regaining control of herself and glaring at the Demon.

{FUCK YOU!} (Amakusa)

"Shiroe..." Toji stood dumbfounded, not understanding what just happened. "What's going on? What has happened to my daughter?!?"

"Simple, your daughter belongs to me." Akagi said with a shrug. "Such is the pet's punishment."

"Belongs..." Toji looked between Shima and Akagi, with Shima just shaking her head.

"There's no use looking to me for help, Toji." Shima said. "She'll never listen to me. I'm sorry, but your daughter's fate is in her hands."

{And there's probably no worse fate.} (Shima)

"Shiroe, what happened? Please tell me what's going on!" Toji still had no idea where she'd been for the last five years or what she'd done and had a mountain of questions for her. "Where have you been all these years, and why... Why do you look the same as when you vanished that day?" He'd only just now realized that she looked like the same sixteen year old girl that she'd been ten years prior, something that should've been impossible.

"You may answer, pet." Akagi said as she picked up her Kiseru.

"I... Please don't..." Amakusa was reluctant to inform her father of the whole truth, feeling great shame and remorse.

"If you refuse, then I'll just make you, and trust me, you don't want me to do that." Akagi said as she took another hit. "So choose, the easy way, or the hard way?"

Seeing no other option and not wanting to be compelled to speak, Amakusa took a deep breath before looking her father in the eyes and explaining everything. "I'm sorry, Dad. You were right..." She bit her lip in frustration. "I... I messed up... I used my power... and now... And now so many people are dead because of me..."

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