The Red Hand

As the Demon returned from the battlefield with her newly acquired 'allies,' she was greeted by her retinue of Ninja falling to one knee in a show of devotion and service. They'd just completed the single largest engagement of their careers and were eager to hear Akagi praise their efforts.

"My Lord, we have done as you commanded. The enemy is no more, and they have been made to regret their foolish decision to take up arms against you." Nima said while continuing to bow her head. She'd been the overall operations manager of the battle, and while Silfana was technically in charge, the cat was more or less the brains behind the battle. "The battle is won in your name and victory has been delivered."

"I am most pleased." Akagi said with a smile that showed just how proud of them she was. "You all performed even better than I'd hoped and are worthy of my highest praises. If Chloe were here, I'm sure she'd be just as impressed with how far you've come in such a short period. So rejoice! The training you've all endured has borne fruit! This victory belongs not just to me, but to all of us!"

“Lord!” (Ninja)

{To think that only a year ago, they struggled to fight against forces an order of magnitude smaller than this one. Their growth is ridiculous!} (Yumi)

{The Ondai are, if nothing else, highly adaptable. That was their backstory in the game and it transferred nicely into reality.} (Akagi)

"There is no higher honor than to receive your praise." Nima said as he looked up at her master, the cat's eyes shining with joy at being praised. "And we will continue to improve ourselves so that you can always rely on us!"

"I look forward to seeing your continued growth." Akagi chuckled as she walked up and pat Nima on the head, which elicited an almost silent squeak and giggle from the cat girl. "All of you are dismissed. Go enjoy yourselves! You earned it!"

"Lord!" (Ninja)

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"I suppose now comes the boring part of figuring out how this whole mess will proceed forward." Akagi thought aloud as she walked ahead of the group. The Ninja had disbursed per her command and were currently enjoying an after battle victory party with plenty of drinks. "We're going to need to make the transition between Ariel and Silfana as smooth as possible, though I have no expectations that it will be easy."

"An announcement that our Army was... crushed will bring enough chaos in and of itself, but to also be told that a non-Demon who is also your subordinate will be taking the throne is guaranteed to tear the nation asunder..." Ariel sighed as she imagined just how hectic things were about to get.

"Let them rebel if they wish. I'm sure that's exactly what she wants." Silfana commented, internally relishing the chance to crush anyone who opposed her rule. "Fools who stand against us will make themselves known, and then we'll either crush them or use them for what they're worth."

"And so far, my little agent is working things up behind the scenes to move events exactly how I want." Akagi said with a grin. "In fact, I'm counting on some of the more remote Demon Nobles to reject Silfana's coronation. It will make my end goal that much easier if they end up joining the 'Axis of Hope'."

{How many more people will die before she's satisfied? First, she slaughters a hundred thousand-man army, then she starts talking about doing something far worse to the rest of the Northern Continent's nations. I know she's doing this to force Gale's hand but to do so in such a manner... I know I asked Halifax to seek aid in stopping Gale's plan and that I was fine with this world's fate, but... This... This just isn't right... But maybe... Maybe that's just what we deserve...} (Elariel)

"But that's for later." Akagi stopped in front of the main building before turning back to the group, Yumi exiting her shadow moments later.

"I suppose she was the voice I was hearing earlier?" Ariel asked as she looked at the seemingly defenseless Priestess.

{She looks like little more than a simple village girl. So why is she standing at the side of the Demon Lord?} (Ariel)

"Indeed, but you really don't need to worry much about little Yumi here." Akagi said as she put her arm around Yumi and pulled her into a hug, which mad Yumi blush slightly. "All you need to know is that if anyone touches the Yumi, then I'm blowing this world up." She smiled, though nobody was charmed by it. "Just figured I'd make that clear."

"The kitty is very attached to her, so I'd advise heeding her word." Halifax chuckled, the Demon's not really understanding but accepting her words nonetheless. "Anyway, what do you want me to do with these two?" She'd been carrying an unconscious Penelope and Arcus for some time and was hoping to make them someone else's problem sooner rather than later.

{Penelope is fucking heavy... Stupid armor...} (Halifax)

"Take the Demi-God to be restrained in the cells." Akagi thought for a moment, not entirely sure what to do with the still living troublemaker. "I'll get Imp over here to see about putting some heavy duty restraints on her, and as for the Bow... I suppose that we could just destroy him. Probably better to do that than give him to Imp." She figured Arcus would be subject to extreme experimentation by the mad scientist.

{What she'd do to that poor bow is probably even worse than what I'm doing to Armalthy... Well, probably not actually...} (Akagi)

"As much of a pain he is, I don't want to kill him." Halifax shook her head. The idea of killing the Bow displeased her, mostly because she knew he wasn't really at fault for Penelope's actions. "Like it or not Arcus is my little brother, and I'm not exactly interested in fratricide."

"It's only such if you are the one to kill him. If I do it, it's homicide." Akagi snickered at her own stupid comment.

"Not my point..." Halifax rolled her eyes, trying not to give her the satisfaction of a retort. "I'll take him with me for now. I'd like to at least talk to him a bit. We... We really didn't have that good of a talk before I got angry..." She scratched her cheek, embarrassed.

{Hey, at least I didn't break him!} (Halifax)

"Now, do you understand why I told you never to use that first form?" Elariel jumped in, scolding the Divine Blade for using Enuma. "Using it for even that small amount of time twisted your emotions, so please don't go using it again."

{Oh yeah, I nearly forgot, gonna need to beat info out of the Goddess later on THAT.} (Akagi)

"I'll use that form if I want." Halifax said in a huff. "I don't have to listen to you."

{What is this?!? Teenage rebellion in a four-thousand-year-old sword woman?!?} (Elariel)

"Do as you please." Akagi shrugged, barely holding back the desire to make a joke about edgy teens and the kind of music they listen to. "Just be sure he doesn't go causing me problems, or you will be taking responsibility."

"Yes, yes. I'll repay you with extra kitty pets." Halifax snickered.

"At this rate, you're going to owe me a lot of those!" Akagi laughed as she squeezed Yumi tighter. "You've already got Yumi here jealous with how much you give me, so I'd advise not pressing your luck further lest she try and eliminateyou." She said as she poked Yumi on the nose, who then proceeded to step on the Demon's foot.

"Keep picking on me, and I won't hold you at all tonight." Yumi said with puffed-up cheeks.

{Stupid Cat!} (Yumi)

"If you're going to get all stingy on me then I'm sure Halifax will gladly snuggle with me! We can make several copies of me to make a kitty explosion!" Akagi laughed as Yumi began hitting her chest in protest.

{Stupid Cat! Do not threaten me with the thief!} (Yumi)

"Bath, did we all die and go to some kind of fucked up hell?" Ariel turned and looked at her comrades in arms with a look of complete defeat on her face. "Because that's what this feels like..."

"Hell if I know..." Bathrumd sighed. “I stopped trying to understand the situation about five seconds after Sariel fucked off.”

"Listen, if you think this is bad, then let me tell you that, unfortunately, you haven't even scratched the surface of the crazy that is Akagi." Silfana said, noting that she'd been forced to dig agricultural ditches in less than ideal clothing. "When I was first employed by her, I was required to wear an embarrassing outfit and dig irrigation ditches for weeks without magic."

{Every time I see that dammed thing in my closet, it fills me with intense rage!} (Silfana)

"I..." Ariel shook her head. "I'm just going to stop thinking for a bit. Otherwise, I fear my head will explode."

"That's for the best." (Elariel x Silfana)

"Yumi! Do you hear them?!?" Akagi pretended to be hurt as she squished Yumi more. "They're talking bad about me and saying mean things! How could they be so cruel?!?"

{Am just an adorable kitty! How can youse bee so means?!?} (Akagi)

"Don't go asking me for sympathy." Yumi huffed as she pushed her off. "Go bug your new squishy Halifax. I'm sure she would support you." She said that in an attempt to be smart but then realized that she'd basically just played herself.

{Wait no! She actually will go to the thief! Why was I dumb enough to say that?!?} (Yumi)

"Halifax!" Akagi looked at her with teary eyes. "You don't think I'm weird, do you? You like me, right?"

{MEW!} (Akagi)

"Can I get back to you on both of those questions?" Halifax replied as she bounced her head back and forth to think about her answers. "I need time to craft my answer in the most diplomatic way possible."

"So mean!" Akagi said as she fell to the ground, dramatically. "Why must you all treat me so harshly? And after everything I've done for you!"

{Don't respond. Don't respond. Resist the urge to respond.} (Elariel x Yumi x Halifax)

"Where is Miji when I need her?" Akagi said with fake drama in her voice. "She would never treat me so harshly."

"Quit it with the theatrics..." Yumi sighed as she hit Akagi on the head with a paper fan. "But then I suppose if you did there wouldn't be much left of your personality."

"Yeah, she'd be reduced to little more than an edge lord kitty." Halifax laughed as she turned to take Penelope to jail. "But I'll deal with these two idiots. Let's talk later about what to do with her, okay?"

"I was thinking of just eating her but maybe we can find a better use." Akagi snickered.

"Kill her, eat her, turn her into a puppet, I don't care what you do with this asshole." Halifax said as she walked away. "Just let me be there to see it!" She laughed as she turned a corner and disappeared.

"Nice to see that she's in good spirits." Akagi said with a toothy smile.

"I'm not sure that hoping the for brutal death of one of her cousins is 'in good spirits' but whatever." Elariel sighed. "But can we continue? Or do you still have more stupidity to enact?"

"Weeeeeeellll..." Akagi tapped her finger to her chin before quickly leaping to her feet. "I don't really have anything on my schedule till four, so I suppose I can put off the goofing around for a bit and get some business done." She said before locking eyes with Ariel. "So how about we start things off by discussing your Father."