The Red Hand

Chapter 99 – How to End the World.

Herlex stood in the upper area of Libra's command room and was looking over maps with Armalthy. His face showed anger, irritation and exhaustion and Armalthy could tell he'd reached the end of his rope.

"It's been three days, and we've heard nothing from Merkyul's team." He sighed. "So I'm going to assume they're dead. Well fuck, and we're not going to be able to pass things off as independent action like last time. Akagi already told me the next time someone tries shit, we're going to be hit back." He muttered a curse under his breath. 

"What a bunch of idiots." Armalthy shook his head. "They should know that it takes more than just four misfits to deal with Akagi. I mean hell, Brian and Kimku were far stronger than those four and they still got clapped."

"Trust me, you aren't telling me what I don't already know. Did they think the other members of the Assault Team that went after her were chumps? Because I knew those guys and I can grantee not all of them were fools. I mean hell, Umgui took her team and fought Akagi on an airship in the perfect trap and still lost." Herlex pinched the bridge of his nose. "Can you initiate Plan B? Because we really can't afford to deal with Akagi right now."

"No problem, I've already got it all planned out. Give the word, and I'll head to Tokyo and bring us back one NPC." Armalthy grinned. These two had kept their planned kidnapping between the two of them, so unfortunately, Birdy would not be able to warn Akagi in time.

"Just remember, we need her alive." Herlex reminded him. "Rough her up all you want, but I need her alive so she can be a hostage. A dead NPC isn't going to anything other than piss Akagi off."

"Yeah, yeah." He started to walk out the door before looking back at Herlex. "By the way, how are things progressing with your Angel's Lance? Can we start using that soon?" He was referring to Herlex's transformation into a proper angel. It was an ability at the end of his cleric class skill tree and was quite powerful. Though, seemingly, not as strong as something like Hishya's dragon ability.

"I've got everything prepared, and I was planning on using it in our next attack." Herlex looked at him. "Let's see them handle us glassing a city or two."

Armalthy's eyes lit up when he heard that. "Ohhh, I can't wait, man. I've been wanting to see that since the start of this whole thing. Gonna be great when we turn half of Tokyo to slag!"

He left the room and headed on a journey to Tokyo, it wouldn't take long until he arrived and he wanted to get in position for a stakeout. His target was Yumi, the most important person in this world to Akagi, someone she could no longer live without. What would happen if she was taken? If she was harmed? Armalthy could easily overpower the priestess, so it was unlikely she could resist him. Even with Akagi's recent power increase, Yumi's additional power was still not enough to allow her to fight the electromancer. As he hopped across the skyline and ran towards his target's destination, he suddenly got a bad feeling in his chest. Something told him he was about to make a big mistake, but he quickly pushed it aside as nerves. If only he listened.

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Armalthy arrived at a point above Tokyo where he could get the best view of Yumi's arrival location. The priestess had a habit of using the top of the high rise across from him when she was contacting her agents in the city, and he decided to make it the ambush point. He knew from observation that she would likely be arriving soon, so he waited. 

Several hours went by, and he started to get annoyed thinking that she wouldn't show. Until, just after three-thirty, a blip of magic appeared on top of the building, his target had arrived. She was alone, and he decided to act before any of Akagi's other agents, or Mixu could get involved. He carefully but quietly ran across the rooftops, not wanting to give away his position or intent. He'd managed to leap to the building where Yumi appeared, and the priestess didn't seem to have noticed him when he climbed up behind her as she was busy reading something on a notepad.

"Let's make this quick, otherwise my Lord is going to be angry I left without any escorts, that worry wart can be so overly parnoid at times." She sighed before looking at her paper. "Alright, it seems infiltration is going well. I've yet to hear back from team 6 but that's understandable. It shouldn't be much longer until-" Yumi was completely focused on her work, so when she was struck from the back, she was taken completely off guard. "Ack!" She flew across the rooftop, banging her head off a pipe, and causing blood to gush out.

"Aw hell, don't tell me that killed her." Armalthy got a little bit nervous since he tried to hold back, but with his strength, it might have still been too much.

"Agh...." Yumi let out a groan.

"Oh good," Armalthy let out a sigh of relief. "Since you're still alive, how about we play for a bit." He slowly walked over to the groggy Yumi.

"Wha-what is going on? My head." Yumi struggled to stand as she clutched her bleeding head. Through the blood and pain, she caught a glimpse of Armalthy. "Y-you. What are you doing?!?" She asked as her head pounded.

"Me?" He pointed to himself. "Just having some fun." He smiled as he smacked her across the face.

"Argh!" Yumi cried in pain.

Armalthy then proceeded to grab her by her throat and beat her senselessly, enjoying himself as Yumi screamed in agony. He broke multiple bones, caused bruises, and drew plenty of blood. When he was finished, Yumi was a mess and was only barely alive.

"Man, beating people like you to within an inch of you life is always so much fun." Armalthy smiled.

She coughed up some blood. "Wh-why? Do... you have any idea what you've..." She couldn't finish.

"Because killing you NPCs is fun? Also I know I've pissed off that bitch of yours, since I've hurt her favorite pet!" He laughed. In Yumi's concussed and beaten state, his image briefly overlapped with that of Silver Wolf all those years ago. Armalthy was the same kind of psychopathic human being that took her family away. "Though I won't be killing you today, lucky you! I was ordered to bring you in alive so that we can put a leash on that master of yours. I can't wait to see her face when I show her your bloodied and beaten visage!" He smirked. "Oh man. she's gonna be so angry! Heck she might even cry because I touched her toy." He laughed as he threw Yumi across the building. Armalthy could've just taken her and left, but he was having too much fun to end this now.

"Argh!" Yumi landed with a thud. Her head pounded, her body ached, and she was in so much pain. "Yo-you want t-to-to use me.." She was barely able to speak as she lay crumpled on the ground. "But my L-lord will..."

"That's the idea little girl. We're going to make sure that the scary demon toes the line, lest she find you chopped to bits!" He laughed. "You see, that's the problem with people like her, she cares about others. And that means she can be controlled, what a fool! Even if we can't defeat her head on, all we have to do is threaten someone she cares about and she'll toe the line. That's what she gets for giving a damn about others." He smirked. "Akagi's weak for caring about an NPC like you. If it were me, I'd just let you die. But that idiot allowed herself to get soft. You don't need friends, family, none of it. It just makes you weak and vulnerable, fuck all that noise. Having friends and family just gives people something to target and it drags you down!" He threw his arms to the side. "I have none of that! I answer to myself and no one else. And because of that, I am strong. No one can control me!"

{My-My-Lord.} Yumi could barely keep her thoughts straight. {I'm so-rr-y. I-messed up- and now-now you're going to.} Yumi knew what would happen once Akagi learned that she was beaten by Armalthy. {Ple-ease, don't-don't lose yourself because of me. I'm-I'm not worth it.P-please don't de-destroy-t-this w-world...}

Yumi flipped onto her back, still in pain, and her head spun as she looked up at the blue sky. She was in too much pain to use teleportation and she was too far away to use her telepathy to call for help. She'd scheduled a meeting with some of the ninjas, but the wouldn't arrive until later, and it was doubtful they could win.

Knowing how much she meant to Akagi, Yumi was afraid that this world was about to burn under her masters rage. She feared that this beautiful and calm blue sky would be turned forever black with smoke and ash as her full fury as a Demon was turned loose. Cities would burn, and people would die, all because Akagi cared for her so much. It was a lot of weight on the girl's shoulders, and she didn't want people to die or the world to end because of her. But she knew that was likely what was about to happen, even if she told Akagi not to.

As she lay in pain, her mind flashed with scenes of Akagi throughout the time she knew her. From their first meeting in Karkul to the day she asked her to spend eternity with her. They were all precious memories to the priestess, and Akagi would never understand just how happy she'd felt when Akagi opened up to her. Yumi already long since fallen in love with her master, but she knew it would never be. So when Akagi asked her to spend the rest of time with her, the joy she felt was immeasurable. It's why she suddenly kissed her. Even if Akagi could never love her like a mortal, she knew just how much Akagi cared for her. Once she agreed to become her [Bonded Soul], she was instantly overwhelmed with a sense of warmth and affection. It was a feeling of belonging and completeness, and something deeper than any mortal love could convey.

{My-my lord. I love you. I l-love you m-more than y-you could e-ever im-agine. You were the person who gave me meaning after all was lost. You were the light that pierced the darkness that threatened to engulf my heart. I'm sorry that my feelings and my selfishness are going to cause you so much pain. I'm sorry that I was too weak... I-I-I.} Yumi began to cry. Not because of the pain. But because she felt that she was unworthy of Akagi and the affection she'd shown her. She was just a village girl with nothing special about her, but Akagi didn't care. Not only did she take her in when she had nowhere else to go, she made her happy, in her eyes, the happiest girl in the world. To her, the fact that she was weak enough for this to happen meant she would be repaying Akagi's warmth with pain, and that was something she could not allow.

In her infinite paranoia, Akagi gave Yumi a secret escape method. One that would only be used in an extreme emergency, and this was just such a situation. Transport crystals were quite small and at Akagi's insistence, Yumi had one installed in a special place in her right shoe. She refused to allow herself to be taken hostage, and killing herself would be an even worse idea. So, using the last bit of energy she had, Yumi twisted her broken leg and slammed the back of the shoe into the concrete roof, breaking the crystal and teleporting her to Akagi's side. She'd never been so glad that Akagi was overprotective and paranoid.

Armalthy had not expected this, and was aghast at Yumi's sudden disappearance. He was aware of transport crystals, but never expected Yumi to have one. "FUCK! That's not good..."

No, it was not. And he would soon feel the wrath of a Demon whose [Bonded Soul] he'd dared to lay his hands on. His action here today would go down in history as the single worst decision in history.

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Back at Akagi's estate, she Hishya and Kana were sitting in the garden having tea and chatting about various things. Using some magic, she'd changed the temperature around the area so they could be comfortable outside as it was still quite cold out. As they chatted, Akagi was suddenly filled with a feeling of sickness and anxiety and her chest began to tighten. She had no idea what was going on and this strange feeling persisted for several minutes until a familiar a flash of light appeared, and a bloody and bruised Yumi appeared next to her.

Akagi immediately stood up in complete shock, dropping her cup which shattered on the ground. Her eyes went wide as she screamed in horror, her voice distorting.

"YUMI!"