The Red Hand

Chapter 399 – Kabedon.

"Anyway, circling back around. The plan is generally as follows. One, subjugate certain nations to force a reaction from the Gods. Check. Two, use inside agents to steer other nations toward requesting said Gods' aid and form a grand alliance in an attempt to take me down. This will bring the Gods out of hiding and enable me to take more of them out. Pending. Three, get into the Heavens and wipe out any remaining Gods once method of doing so without popping this world like a balloon is found. Pending. Four finish complete subjugation of Enoris and then selectively move portions of the population to the same pocket dimension the Spirits created when they. fled Pending." Akagi said, explaining her plans in a bit more detail. "Any questions?"

{Probably a lot...} (Akagi)

"You're planning on sending the people of this world to the same location the Spirits fled to?" Ariel asked, wary of going to such a place. "I... I can't imagine they'll take too kindly to that."

{They'd probably line us up for execution. Our people would be out of the proverbial frying pan and into the literal guillotine!) (Ariel)

"Mizumi doesn't know about this part of the plan yet. I've not really gotten around to explaining it to her..." Akagi gave a wry smile, internally notating that she really needed to get to that part but also notating that it sounded like a bother and that she may just want to delegate that to someone else. "But it's fine. All she can do is complain. I own them outright, so what I say goes!" She laughed.

"I see..." Ariel said, unconvinced but not wanting to get into it at the moment. "Living with the Spirits... I'm not so sure that's in our best interest... It may be better to keep away from them for the time being..."

"But... Wait... Ariel, isn't this actually a really good thing?" Melifous interjected, his face looking like a switch had flipped and he understood things better. "If this world really is going to be destroyed no matter what... Doesn't this mean the Demon Lord is actually the best bet to keep not just our people but the people of our world alive?"

{This world is fucked so this means our people get to live where we otherwise wouldn't! I'd say this is the best news we've had in years!} (Melifous)

"I'd already taken it for granted that we would all be dead at the end of things, but it would seem a future for our people may yet be possible." Bathrumd mumbled to himself. “Perhaps this may yet work in our favor...”

"It's only 'good' in that she's going to keep you firmly under her boot." Elariel interjected, not wanting Akagi to seem like the benevolent and kind kitty that she truly was. "You are still going to be subjects of a Demon Lord and don't forget that this entire situation is a game to her. She plays with people's lives as if they are little more than toys for her amusement!"

{Pot meet kettle...} (Akagi x Yumi x Silfana x Ariel)

"Hey! I'll only make them third-class citizens for a while!" Akagi spoke up in her own defense. "It will be a hard life for a while, but the alternative is annihilation. So I'd say getting to live, even if it's really only a few steps above slaves, is the better choice! And I've got a pretty good track record of treating those under me pretty well! Just ask Mizumi how good the Spirits have it now that I've dumped an astronomical amount of funding into their city!"

{I gave them all sorts of tech, helped them purge a corrupted Oligarchy and even introduced them to the ultimate cute that is Catkagi! How much better of a ruler could you ask for?!?} (Akagi)

"You are truly a kind and benevolent kitty of evil and darkness." Yumi said with a giggle, figuring that Akagi had just inserted something about Catkagi into her thoughts.

"Whatever you two crazies say..." Elariel sighed, figuring it best to not start a discussion that would ultimately lead nowhere.

{The world is in the hands of a crazy Demon who acts like a Cat and a Priestess who has said Demon Cat at her beck and call. How did things come to this? Oh wait, I know how...} (Elariel)

"If our people will survive..." Ariel thought for a moment, pondering what Akagi, Melifous and Elariel had said. "I suppose that it really may be for the best to go along with her plan..."

{It honestly irks me how easily they're falling for her tricks! Then again, they fell for ours too... So... Yeah...} (Elariel)

"But how does my Father play into this?" Ariel's eyes snapped to Akagi as she pulled the conversation back to its start. "You said something about fixing him. Tell me what that means. What do you have planned for him?" She asked, getting defensive about him.

"It means exactly that." Akagi replied as she pulled out her Kiseru and lit it before taking a puff. "Your Father was apparently cursed by the Demon Cult, so it shouldn't be hard for me to undo whatever they did to him. If I do that he should regain at least some of his strength."

{That is assuming that it was indeed the Demon Cult that cursed him. I'm still unconvinced that an organization known for keeping to the shadows would do something so brash and conspicuous, especially during a major war. Not to mention that I fail to see the benefit of incapacitating the Demon King nor do I understand why they didn't attempt such a thing on MORE heads of state. Perhaps they wished the war to continue longer since it made hiding easier? No, doing this method would only serve to bring more attention to the Cult. There must be information that I'm missing.} (Akagi)

"You could restore Father?!?" Ariel yelped as she leaned over the table, her face turning slightly red from embarrassment a moment later.

{Always a daddy's girl.} (Melifous x Bathrumd)

"As long as there isn't something too crazy afflicting him, yes." Akagi nodded, her words causing the Princess-Regent's eyes to slightly tear up at the idea of her Father's return. "My goal is to have him aid in passing the torch to Silfana. But be warned that if he stands against me I'll undo my gift, and this time there will be no way back for him." She smirked.

{The prospect of her Father's return... Akagi knows just how to sink her teeth into someone and enforce a level of loyalty. I suppose it's not too much different than how she ensnared me. Oh well.} (Silfana)

"The Demon King is more likely to go down swinging than to cooperate with you." Bathrumd scoffed, discounting the possibility that the King would side with Akagi. "He's the kind of man who'd rather die on his feet than live on his knees. Knowing Lockheed he'll wake up an immediately take a swing at you."

"In fairness, he wouldn't be the first person to try that upfront, then change their tune later." Akagi smirked, noting that many of her subordinates were ex enemies that she'd either turned or compelled into servitude. "In fact, I can think of a certain Emperor that practically begged me for leniency once he saw the corpse of his Son." She laughed. “The wailing of that many will never not be funny.”

{And remind me again WHY people think she's the good guy here?!?} (Elariel)

"But enough about theoreticals. We'll cross the bridge of dear old Dad soon enough, so just you wait a bit longer." Akagi said as she waved her hand and dismissed the hologram. "For now, we'll focus on setting up the next phase of the operation. Silfana, work up the details for your installation and coronation. Presume that some sort of counterattack will come, perhaps even sooner than expected. This world has plenty of adventurers and fools with more money than they have sense. I wouldn't be shocked if people dabble in my profession out of a... well, I'd say misguided sense of justice, but perhaps it wouldn't be so in this situation." She chuckled.

{The two oldest jobs in Human history are prostitution and murder, both of which are alive and well in this world and on Earth.} (Akagi)

"Am I free to handle such rebellions as I wish?" Silfana asked, the smirk on her face giving away that she already knew the answer.

"Silfana, take these five plus the knocked-out girls and head back to the Demon Capital." Akagi said, intentionally not answering her question, which was all the confirmation the Vampire needed. "Make sure everything is ready for my arrival. We'll bring this chapter to a close with your formal coronation at my hands after I handle things in the Dwarven Kingdom."

"Ordinarily Royalty clammer at the opportunity to have even a religious head place a crown on their head, but there's something to be said of having a Demon Lord do it." Silfana laughed, her eyes showing just how excited she was at the prospect of being formally crowned. "I'll eagerly await your arrival and will ensure that everything is ready." She said before turning to the Elector-Kings. "Come. I'll arrange for teleportation back to Targul and we can begin our preparations."

"What about my Father?" Ariel asked, glaring at the Demon. “Do you plan on waiting long enough for the curse to end him? If you can cure him why not do it now?”

"Patience my dear, patience." Akagi said as she lazily waived her off. "All have their place in my plan. Your name has been called and your ticket punched, and it's only a matter of time until it's his turn. So just sit back and relax while the show marches on." Her non answer did not elicit a positive reaction from the Regent, but Ariel figured it was better not to press for anything further and reluctantly left with the other members of the Demon leadership, which left Akagi and Yumi alone with the Goddess.

"I suppose you must be happy with yourself?" Elariel asked with a bit of sarcasm in her voice, displeased with the slaughter of so many and Akagi's successful ensnarement off the Demon leadership. "You gorged yourself on countless souls and now you've got one of the most powerful nations under your thumb. I suppose a congratulations would be in order if not for the fact that you were a monster hell-bent on tearing this world asunder."

{If this was any other time the Gods would band together to stop this, but in this senario that is both foolish and unlikely. I won't sit here and say I like what she's doing, but at this point I suppose its pointless to complain about it, especially with what Gale is doing... But even still I can't help but feel disgusted by her actions.} (Elariel)

"I need no praise, commendation, accolade, felicitation, or adulation." Akagi said as she walked up to the Goddess. "Especially not from the likes of you." She put her finger to the Goddess' forehead before flicking her, causing her to slam against the wall.

"Ack!" Elariel gasped in pain as she dented the wall due to the extreme force. "What are you-"

*SLAM*

"You know, I've always wanted to do the whole wall slam thing, but the opportunity never really presented itself, and doing it to Yumi was far too free to be fun." Akagi said as she locked eyes with the nervous Goddess. "But I think, in this situation, it works out perfectly." She said as she put her hand under Elariel's chin and moved the Goddess' head to prevent her from looking away. "Now then, why don't we have a nice long chat about Halifax.”