The Red Hand

Chapter 455 – That Feeling in Your Chest.

After spending the rest of the afternoon sightseeing, Akagi and Yumi decided to call it a day and headed to an inn. Naturally, such a thing was unnecessary as the Priestess could teleport them back to base, and Akagi had a walking universe inside her shadow which could create something far more luxurious for them to stay in, but they figured having a designated spot in the Capital was best in case either Imp or, more importantly, the Dwarven government came looking for them.

*FLOP*

"Alright, alright. Not bad, not bad." Akagi said as she hopped onto the bed and rolled about, which made Yumi roll her eyes at such a childish action. "Not the best bed I've had the pleasure of flopping onto but I could get my floof on here if need be." She laughed as she flipped onto her back and faced the stone ceiling. They'd been directed to the nicest, and priciest inn in the city, one that had private baths in the rooms and a host of amenities that Akagi figured were comparable to some of the nicer hotels on Earth.

{This city is crazily advanced for what was supposed to be a feudal sword and sorcery world like your typical Isekai setting. It seems the other Dwarven Holds, while nowhere near as advanced as the Capital, are similarly high-tech. Halifax did mention the Dwarves had some neat things but I feel like what I've seen here goes far beyond that. Was she just used to this kind of stuff? That doesn't make sense though. The way she talked made it seem that Halifax hadn't been to the Dwarven Capital in over a century and she was surprised by things like cars on Earth. Did they really advance this much in that short span of time? I suppose if Humanity can go from horse and buggy to putting a man on the moon in a single century the Dwarves could do it too. Though I still find it strange.} (Akagi)

"I'm shocked you didn't instantly go Cat and zoom around the room like Ara when she finds a new place to run around." Yumi giggled as she sat next to her. “Does the kitty not want to check out her new place?”

"Hey! Don't make it sound like I always go cat!" Akagi hissed. "I've held myself back pretty good recently! Look how long I've gone without my floofiness!"

"Yes, yes. You've been a good kitty. There, there." Yumi said as she mockingly pat her on the head, which caused Akagi to turn her head away from the Priestess. "Embarrassed? I didn't think you did that?" She chuckled.

"Keep rubbing." Akagi said as she moved on the bed and shifted to use Yumi's lap as a pillow, staring into the Priestess' eyes. "It feels good when you do that." She said as she closed her eyes and allowed Yumi to continue, the Demon's body seeming to melt with each stroke of the Priestess' hand. Getting pet in cat form was generally appreciated by the Demon but something about having Yumi stroke her hair like this was simply soothing.

"You've got a lot on your mind, don't you?" Yumi said as she ran her hands through Akagi's silky soft hair. "And it's been busy lately. Are you okay?"

"I'm running an interdimensional war against a Pantheon of Gods who are dead set on sacrificing an entire planet's population to survive while also simultaneously figuring out how to administer everything. I'd say a lot on my mind is understating

things severely." Akagi sighed as Yumi continued to run her hands through her hair. "I worry constantly about this whole thing. I'm asking myself. What if I missed something? Is there a better way? Would it not just be better to blow this whole place up and prevent any unknown variables from causing me an irreversible loss?" She let out a deep sigh. "Sometimes having all the mental processing power in the world is a burden. Shutting it down isn't exactly easy, especially with what's at stake here."{My biggest fear is overlooking something. I think that I've got everything under control and that the threat to my home is within my parameters, but well.. Assumptions.} (Akagi)

"I'm sure Hishya will have things handled after the yelling you gave her." Yumi chuckled, easily reading the Demon's thoughts based on her facial expression. "The poor girl seemed like she was having a heart attack as you chewed her out."

"Yeah..." Akagi sighed deeply. "That... That was a bit much even for me. As pissed as I was screaming bloody murder and threatening to toss Hishya in with Armalthy was maybe uncalled for." She continued. "And I probably scared Nima a bit too much earlier too."

"Considering she's now convinced that one more slip-up will have her head mounted above your fireplace, I'd say scared isn't a good enough descriptor of how terrified she is." Yumi replied as she moved some of Akagi's hair out of the way. "But, I don't think your actions as pertaining to the Ninja were wrong. Like it or not the Ninja live to serve you, as do the rest of us. Failing you, especially in such a manner, is inexcusable. It's our duty to ensure that your will is done, and part of that includes keeping your home and those you care for safe. Nima's failure could've easily resulted in Kana, Mika, or someone else's death. A result that I know would've seen you torture the Cat mercilessly had her failure caused such an outcome."

{Just because you're pushing Kana doesn't mean you still can't get worried.} (Yumi)

"I would make sure that Nima lived long enough to regret her failings, and then I'd keep her alive long enough to beg for death." Akagi said bluntly, describing how she'd torture one of her subordinates.

"Which is exactly what you should

do." Yumi nodded in gruesome agreement. "Like it or not many of us view you as effectively our God. Failing you is a mortal sin, one that we'd all agree requires punishment of the highest order.""I'm no God." Akagi said as she slowly sat up, turning to sit on the edge of the bed. "I've told you many times, that your faith in me is misplaced and foolish. The being you worship is a monster, one that you've formed a Demonic Cult around for some reason." She said as she cracked her neck. "And I'll be blunt. I'm still at a loss for how to handle your 'faith' in me." She sighed. “I mean, what the hell do I even do with that?”

{Being worshiped is a pain in the ass... I might be a Demon Lord but that doesn't mean I understand how to handle people believing in me to the point that they find my very existence soothing or fulfilling in and of itself. That's a big reason why I was against the Cult in the first place. That and because I was fucking TERRIFIED they'd start going all Demon God Empress on the rest of the world. I don't need that...} (Akagi)

"And yet you care for each of us deeply." Yumi replied as she slid her hand over Akagi's. "Every single member of the Clan means something to you. None of us are just nameless minions that you send out without a care as to what happens to us. You know everything about us down to the smallest details. Food likes, important anniversaries, funny family stories, and well... Just what we enjoy and don't."

"I can't really forget anything, so..." Akagi said, slightly embarrassed.

"Even if that's true, you still act on that knowledge." Yumi replied. "Over the years you've never missed anything important for any of us. The birth of a child, a wedding anniversary, you name it and I think you've been a part of that when you could." She noted that Akagi was there for some of the most important moments of Clan members' lives, even when she didn't have to be there and even when it was an inconvenience. "If it wasn't important to you, then why have you always been there? And don't try and pass it off as some sense of duty. You and I both know you don't like that kind of stuffy thing."

"It's because you're my family." Akagi replied curtly, surprising Yumi with how easy it was to get that out of her. "All of you." She smiled. "A family I found, stitched together and made work, despite its oddities. Every last one of you is important to me. So I..."

"And you're just as important to all of us." Yumi said she hugged Akagi. "We all love you from the bottom of our hearts. We love the person who saved us. Whether it was from ourselves or something else. You saved each and every one of us, gave us a new home, and helped us find a way forward." She continued, snuggling up to Akagi. "Do you remember the day we first met?"

"I'd never forget it even if that was possible for me." Akagi laughed as she pat Yumi on the head. "You've come a long way from being a broken girl sitting on the edge of that fountain. You're stronger now."

"It's because of you." Yumi said. "You gave me the strength to live on. When Miji and my parents died... When everyone was torn from me... I didn't really know what to do anymore... And I... I wanted to die... I wanted to be with them again..."

"I still regret not being able to save your parents, Yumi." Akagi said as she hugged her. “All this power, and I can't undo something so simple.”

"You gave me back Miji, I'd say pulling off one miracle is more than enough." Yumi giggled. "If I asked for more I'm sure I'd be cursed for being greedy."

"Hey, Yumi." Akagi said as she grabbed onto Yumi and spun the Priestess to face her. "I... I..." She paused, struggling to speak. If the Demon had a heart and sweat glands she presumed they'd be working overdrive due to the stress. "I... I lo-"

*BANG*

"Lady Akagi!" Hikari burst into the room through the window, interrupting whatever Akagi was about to say. In her arms was a critically injured Imp, a long dark dagger sticking out of her shoulder.