The Red Hand

Chapter 289 – Over There!

"All systems-devices, ready to go-go! Power cores-energy crystals nominal-okay!" Imp cackled as she started pulling a bunch of levels and pushed buttons on a control panel. She and Imperial worked double time to get the gate between Enoris and Earth working, and after a bit of testing with Omara, they were confident that everything was working as intended. "Just need power-kaboom!" Imp made an explosion sound effect.

"So how the hell are you going to even give your power to this thing anyway?" Hishya asked. She and a small group of players, which included Zephiria, Superbia, and Munechika, as well as Silfana and the girls, had come to see Akagi off.

"Like this." Akagi took the Black Sunrise out of her inventory and made a quick slash in the empty space within the dormant gate. Her single slash left what looked like a tear in the fabric of reality, which Imp and Imperial latched onto with their technology and tore open into a large swirling blue portal. "Annnnnd it's back." She snickered as she quickly recovered all the power she'd just expended.

"I figured that connecting two worlds would take a lot more power than that!" Hishya retorted. "Shouldn't you be exhausted or something?!?"

{And shouldn't that have been a bit more drawn out and special?!? Like, where is the hype?!?} (Hishya)

"What? With that small expenditure." Akagi laughed. “All I did was empty a single cup worth of power?”

"Ah yes, forgive me. I forgot for a moment that you're a fucking gag character that has no limits..." Hishya pinched the bridge of her nose.

{Stupid cat...} (Hishya)

"At this rate, Onee-chan is going to start squishing and stretching like one of those American Cartoon characters." Kana sighed as Akagi pulled out a carrot and started chewing on it while saying the famous catchphrase of a certain cartoon rabbit.

"Oh god... Don't give her any ideas!" Hishya poked her girlfriend in the side. "She's already trouble enough as it is, and I don't need her getting worse."

{I had to chase her around the house this morning because she took my sock and ran away with it, and Mika found it fucking HYSTERICAL!} (Hishya)

"Is everything looking stable, Imp?" Akagi turned to the mad scientist, who replied with a thumbs up.

"Go-Go!" Imp cackled. “WOOSH!”

"Then we shouldn't dally any longer." Akagi looked to Yumi, Halifax, and Amakusa. "You three will be with me. According to Halifax, our first order of business should be to speak with Princess Rebeckah and contact Elariel." She could tell that Halifax had no desire to meet with the Goddess but knew that it was the best way to get a grasp on the current situation on Enoris.

{I suppose we'll need to address her issues with mommy dearest ASAP. I just hope she's ready for what's going to happen, since Elariel is anything BUT exempt from my displeasure.} (Akagi)

"That would be the best idea. Rebeckah should be in the Imperial Palace, and once we arrive I'll send her a message with a familiar." Halifax continued. "She's not expecting my return, so I can imagine that she'll want to meet with us urgently, and so will Elariel for that matter. Especially after a certain somebody sent those Heroes packing." She figured that the Gods were currently in panic mode due to the Heroes being defeated.

{Gale is far too calm and logical to let that setback get him flustered, but the others on the other hand...} (Halifax)

"Why are you even going to meet with this Goddess anyway?" Hishya asked. "I figured you'd just kick in the door to whatever place these assholes call home and start the culling." She'd wanted to go with but Akagi told her that simply burning the world to a crisp was off the table, at least for now.

"The thought did cross my mind, but if things on Enoris are as I suspect directly slicing a hole from the material plane into whatever place the Gods reside may cause even further structural problems." Akagi crossed her arms in an X. "I'll know more once we arrive, but if Enoris is truly collapsing on a fundamental level, it would be a very bad idea for me to go around poking it. Otherwise, it might just pop like a balloon." She summoned an inflated balloon and popped it with a small pin.

{And you opening a hole in reality like this DIDN'T cause that issue?!?} (Hishya)

"Can't you just take her to the Gods then?" Amakusa asked Halifax, assuming that the literal Divine Blade had some kind of way to go home. "You're a blade forged by them and were in that realm many times. Don't you have access?"

{Or at least a macguffin we can go get?} (Amakusa)

"No, I don't." Halifax shook her head. "I was always brought there by Elariel or another one of the Gods. I myself have no way to traverse between worlds. Whether that be the Heavenly Realm or into the Hells, I needed to either find an existing portal or find a being that could open up a connection to such places." Such transportation was something that she'd requested many times in the past, but Elariel always refused, citing a list of reasons that Halfiax was sure were bunk.

{Would be REEAAAAL nice to have that portal crest I asked for...} (Halifax)

"Ah don't worry about it.” Akagi waved away their concerns. “We'll figure it out once we get on the ground." She turned to Chloe and her large contingent of ninjas. The Demon pulled everyone back from operations around the world in preparation for her counter-invasion of Enoris, and the red cat would be in charge of intel gathering. "Chloe, I presume that you understand your mission?"

"Yes, myaster!" Chloe saluted, as did the rest of the ninja. "We'll set up base near the gate and then start gathering information related to any surviving Spirits." She was going to focus mostly on infiltration and Akagi was primarily hoping to use them to gauge the political situation on Enoris as well as find the missing Spirits.

"Good." Akagi pat her on the head, causing the cat to coo. "Just use caution and don't do anything too risky. At the end of the day, your lives matter more to me than that of any Spirits you might save. So get me as much information as possible, but remember that all of you are coming home with me. Got it?" She was worried that the ninja might get in over their head, especially if Gods started getting involved.

{The ninja are far more powerful than they used to be... But compared to literal Gods...} (Akagi)

"We won't let you down, myaster!" Chloe said with a serious expression.

“Do not worry, My Lord.” Kira put her hand over her heart as she bowed. She was wearing a slightly different outfit than normal and Kana and the girls thought it was similar to Black Company's though a bit thicker. “If anything should happen then I'll step in.” While it was debatable whether Chloe had eclipsed the Half-Dragon by this point, Kira was far and away one of Akagi's most powerful subordinates if one didn't count Silfana.

"Excellent. I hope you don't need to do much other than guard the gateway, but if anything happens I'll leave things in your capable hands." Akagi nodded.

“I would never dream of failing you.” Kira saluted her. “The Spirits will be brought home, safe and sound. You have my word.” She'd been waiting for the perfect chance to show off her power and to prove her value to Akagi, and Kira was going to give this operation her all.

"Chloe, I'm authorizing you to take command of my forces while I'm away. You may use any and all means necessary to secure the safety of any Spirits you may come across or to save the lives of our clansmen, and if anyone gets in your way... Don't hesitate to eliminate them." Her voice distorted for a moment before returning to normal.

{I'll burn a thousand worlds to cinders before I allow one of my people to die. If anyone dares to try and take them from me...} (Akagi)

"With pleasure!" Chloe's lips curved into a nasty grin. One that told the other players that the cat was going to enjoy herself.

"Alright, then we have one more thing to deal with before we begin." Akagi grabbed Yumi's hand which startled the Priestess and made her blush. "Once we step across that threshold, I want you glued to me."

"Eh?" Yumi squeaked as she was pulled into a tight hug.

{UNEXEPECTED, BUT VERY WELCOME, HUGS?!?} (Yumi)

"I... How is that any different from normal?" Hishya said her thoughts aloud. "You and Yumi are basically attached at the hip, so this will change nothing."

{I bet you just want another excuse for pets!} (Hishya)

"She's right. I'll be right here beside you, just like always." Yumi was embarrassed by Akagi's tight grip but felt it nice to be held so tightly, so she did not object.

“I mean that my little Squishy and I are will not be separating AT ALL." Akagi raised her voice slightly. "I'm not taking any chances here. We're walking into a hostile area with Gods that can and will do anything to fuck with me." She looked down at Yumi. "Naturally, that extends to you, and lest you forget my little Squishy YOU are the primary reason I don't go fucking crazy." She gave a wry smile.

"Then leave her here!" Hishya practically yelled. "If you're that worried about her, then why the hell are you taking her with you?!?" She thought it was stupid that Yumi was going in the first place since there was more danger to her safety on Enoris than on Earth. "I'll keep an eye on her, so don't worry about somebody stupid acting up here on Earth."

{The last thing we need is you going crazy because something happened to your little idiot!} (Hishya)

"You see, I would be inclined to do exactly that..." Akagi shook her head. "But... Tell me... What happens if while I'm on Enoris, the gate fails?" She posed an important question.

"You'd be stuck there." Kana said with a tinge of fear in her voice. This was something that had worried her ever since Akagi explained that she'd be traveling to a different world. Kana was afraid that either the machine would fail or that a player or some other actor would break the machinery to trap her sister. Imp and Imperial explained that it was made out of material that would survive a Nuke and that heavy security would be deployed on both ends to protect it, but that didn't make her fears go away entirely.

"Yeah, I would be." Akagi nodded. "Now, and follow me on this, what do you think will happen if I'm suddenly cut off from my Bonded Soul here? Potentially for a very long time."

{2+2 = ?} (Akagi)

"You'd... go... crazy..." A light bulb came on in Hishya's mind as she realized how bad that would be.

{She'd revert to being feral and probably start killing everyone in a rampage. Hell, by the time she'd get back to Earth, there might not be much of Akagi left in there...} (Hishya)

"Bingo! You win the prize!" Akagi smiled. "I may have kicked away that instinctual compulsion for destruction, but at the end of the day, I'm still a mentally unstable Demon Lord. If you take away an important pillar, like Yumi, then the most likely outcome is I fall back on my instincts." She was still a Demon Lord on the inside, and as she told Halifax, that part of her was closer to the surface than most would think. "Hence, I'm not taking any chances. At the very least, if I'm stuck on Enoris with Yumi, then I'll be able to calmly figure out a solution rather than freaking out and going insane." She figured it might take decades to get back, though that time would go down if she started being a bit more forceful with her searches.

"But then that would mean that..." Kana slowly stopped speaking as she realized what her sister meant.

"I have no intention of letting anything like that happen." Akagi tried to reassure her that everything would be ok. "Worst case scenario, I'll carve my way out of Enoris and manually find my way back to Earth. Though that would be anything but quick."

{Even with a rough idea of its location, there's no telling how many years such a journey could take. Things like that are why I'm leaving Superbia, Hishya, and Zephiria to handle security.} (Akagi)

"Oh yeah, and one final thing." Akagi swung around and looked directly at Amakusa. "Pet, I have orders for you." Her words caused the Samurai girl to tense.

"I'll do whatever you want, master!" Amakusa replied happily, which caused the rest of the audience to laugh nervously. What Akagi had done to the wayward Hero was well known among the small group of players that spent time at the estate, with most finding it a fitting punishment, albeit still horrifying.

"Your mission, which you have no choice but to accept, is that if there is ever a situation where I am not around or am otherwise unable to help. YOU are to do everything in your power to keep Yumi safe." Akagi gave her orders. "That includes giving your own life, do you understand?"

"Of course! I'd do anything for you, master! If ending my life is needed to save Lady Yumi, then I won't hesitate." Amakusa said before returning to normal. She knew that it was pointless to complain to Akagi about such treatment, and figured that it was best to do what she could to ensure that it didn't come down to it.

"Jeez..." Hishya sighed.

{That's... Yeah that's fair.} (Hishya)

"The pet's life is mine to do with as I wish. Better that she die than Yumi." Akagi turned to the portal. "Are you three ready to start our wonderful and wacky adventure that involves the power of friendship and killing Gods?!?” She laughed.

{I'm gonna imagine the power of friendship will be in the minority here... Probably more bloodletting and death than anything else.} (Hishya)

"Yeah." Amakusa said with a sigh., ignoring the Demon's extra comments.

"I never thought I'd be going back... So let's end this farce." Halifax nodded, also ignoring Akagi's embellishments.

{Killjoys...} (Akagi)

"You know that I'd go anywhere with you." Yumi giggled. "But yeah, let's end this."

{Those Gods... Their actions gave me this happiness... But they still need to pay for all the pain they caused.} (Yumi)

“Then, lets go!” Akagi and the four of them moved toward the portal together, but just as they were about to enter, Hishya called out to Akagi.

"Akagi! Go kick some ass!" Hishya continued. "But... But don't go forgetting who you are, OK? You're not a monster... So, please... Don't go acting like one..."

{Just... Come back as the idiot cat that you are... please...} (Hishya)

"I will do what I must, Hishya..." Akagi said with a smile on her lips. "But... Just because you asked so nicely... I'll try my best..." She gave a Demonic laugh as the four of them walked into the gate together, disappearing from view.

"There she goes..." Kana leaned on Hishya.

"She'll be ok." Mika put her hand on Kana's shoulder. "This is Akagi we're talking about. She'll be back before you know it!" Akagi actually had ever intention of returning before things were settled so it wouldn't be long until she came back anyway.

"Yeah. It's gonna be ok." Naomi smiled.

"Knowing Akagi, she'll be back and in cat mode in a few days!" Zephiria laughed.

"Hey, the longer this whole mission takes the more we get paid." Superbia laughed as she leaned against the wall. "I don't mind if she takes a bit to wrap things up. I could use a nice little vacation." She and her sister would be the primary defenders of the Earth end of the portal while Silfana, Kira, and Zephiria would enter Enoris to defend the other end. "But still, I'm surprised that she even trusted Silfana enough to leave her in charge of guarding anything though." Superbia was keeping an eye on the Vampire, not trusting her for a moment.

"I'm not stupid enough to try and smash this thing." Silfana sighed. "Not only would that not actually kill her, but I'd then have to deal with you all being very angry with me." She had no interest in doing something like that, especially since she knew it would be self defeating. "Not to mention that when Akagi did return, I'd quickly find myself in a kind of hell that would not be worth whatever temporary catharsis I might get." She'd seen what Armarthy was being tormented with and knew that such a fate would await her if she tried anything.

"Not to mention that you'd lose out on petting your favorite kitty." Zephiria smirked.

{Akagi did tell me to keep an eye on her, and though chances are Silfana won't do anything I was given permission to kill her if needed.} (Zephiria)

"WHAT?!?" Silfana exclaimed. "I'VE NEVER DONE ANYTHING LIKE YOU'RE DESCRIBING!" She vigorously denied petting the kitty of her own free will.

"Oh yeah, then what's this?" Superbia held up her phone, which showed a video of Silfana, Akagi, Alice, and Miji at a tea party, with Silfana happily fluffing the cutely dressed Catkagi.

{CURSE THOSE MAGICAL RECORDING DEVICES!} (Silfana)

"Aww. The Vampire Lord has fallen to the kitty's charm." Hishya laughed as she dodged a swipe from Silfana. "Did I touch a nerve?"

"Keep it up, and I'll end you, Dragon!" Silfana growled. "But enough about this..." She shook her head as she continued to grumble. "Zephiria, Kira, we'll go in with the ninja in a few minutes. Make sure that you're ready to go and that everything's prepared."

“I'm ready to go now.” Kira didn't like being ordered around by Silfana, but since this was Akagi's will she would never voice her displeasure.

"An actual magical world with all the secrets I want?" Zephiria chuckled. "Trust me, I was born ready for this."

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