Chapter 327 – Which One?

Chapter 327 – Which One?

With her plans to have an intense duel between friends dashed, Akagi unenthusiastically tied up both Feline and Albert before dragging them into Amdamell's throne room. The Capital was in total chaos, and both could only imagine how many had been killed.

"Ahhh, victory!" Akagi said as she gazed upon the burning city through a hole in the throne room's wall. for new novels

"You... You just wanted to say that, didn't you?" Amakusa grumbled about Akagi's reference.

{Why am I suddenly getting the impression that a good portion of the reason why she's doing all this is to fucking MEME?!?} (Amakusa)

"Tis always nice to look over one's handwork and admire it." Akagi smiled as more explosions rocked the city. "Aren't fireworks nice, Yumi?" She glanced at the Priestess who stood at her side.

"I tend to like them a bit bigger." Yumi giggled. “And with a bit more oompf!”

“Yeah, the kaboom was kinda lacking here, not gonna lie.” Akagi snickered.

{You are both psychopaths...} (Amakusa)

"Please stop this!" A restrained Feline yelled as she was held down by Sabia. "We've already been defeated! There's no reason to continue this destruction!" She didn't understand why Akagi would continue the destruction, even after she'd already won.

“Know your place!” Sabia growled at her. “Speaking in such a-” She paused as Akagi raised a hand, indicating that her words were unneeded.

"It stops the moment that you agree to my demands, Feline." Akagi said without looking at the Princess, explosions continuing outside. "Until you give me what I want, the destruction will continue, and should you continue to decline, I may drag the general population into our little disagreement." So far she'd kept their casualties to a minimum, though she couldn't guarantee how much longer that grace would be granted.

"No... That's... If it's the Spirits that you want, fine!" Feline exclaimed, causing the gagged Albert to try and yell. "As Amdamell's Sovereign, I release them all to you! Take them back! Just please stop this madness!"

"I'm sorry, but that will no longer satisfy me." Akagi said as she slowly turned around, her glare freezing the Princess in place. "I require... more." She gave a slightly demonic laugh.

"What?!?" Feline squeaked in fear as she gazed into Akagi's black eyes. "Wasn't your whole goal here to rescue the Spirits?!? Didn't you do this to show others what happens if we refuse?!?" She figured that this was all just one massive excuse to show off her power to the other nations.

"Saving the Spirits is part of my overarching goal." Akagi explained. "But at the very top of my list of objectives is the utter destruction of the Gods. The Spirits are a tertiary goal."

"So... So you do mean to go to war with them..." Feline turned to Amakusa, who shrugged. She'd heard from Black Company about Akagi's goals, but never fully believed that anyone would want to directly challenge an entire pantheon of Gods.

{DON'T JUST SHRUG, YOU IDIOT! I NEED YOU TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS!} (Feline)

"Don't look at me. I have no control over this crazy train." Amakusa sighed. “Nothing I say or do is going to sway her, so I'm not even going to waste my time or breath.”

{YOU!} (Feline)

"If by war you mean extermination, then yes. That's what I intend to do." Akagi nodded. "I will not be satisfied until each and every one of the Gods that dared to covet my world is brought to their knees and humbled." She laughed. “A worthy goal, if I do say so myself.”

"Then take your grievances up with them!" Feline exclaimed. "We have no control over them or their actions! The Gods, not the people of Enoris, were the ones who attacked you, so why are you dragging us into your battle with them?!?" She knew that it wasn't exactly true they the weren't involved but she was trying anything to stop the destruction.

"I'm sorry, Feline, but we both know that's not how this works." Amakusa interjected.

"And a fluffy kitty." Yumi snickered. "Don't forget that part!"

"Ah, how could I forget? Yeah, that too." Akagi nodded before continuing. "I don't expect that you'll understand my logic, and frankly, I don't care. Just know that my actions are always taken with a greater plan in mind. For instance, now I have an example to point to when people ask me what the consequences of defiance are." She smiled.

{Though, my current plans expect that we're going to need a much, much larger show of force to convince the continent to bow before me, oh well.} (Akagi)

"Do you truly think that any of these nations are going to submit to your demands?" Feline asked. "Even if you lay waste to all of Amdamell and turn it into a sea of flame I see no reason to believe that the Empire or the Demons would ever bend the knee to you, it's simply not in their nature to surrender."

{Especially to someone like you.} (Feline)

"If they do they do, and if they don't they don't." Akagi shrugged, not caring either way. "I honestly hope both do try something, since then I get to have fun." She snickered.

"You... You truly are insane..." Feline said as her body went numb, and almost unconsciously her next words spilled out like a dam that finally burst. "Is... Is this all just a game to you? Do you see us as little more than pieces on some kind of chessboard?"

"Yes." Akagi's curt response took the Princess off guard. "Back in my world, somebody asked me that very same question once." She slowly walked over to the restrained Princess. "They asked me what I thought of the world and why I was the way that I was. They wanted to know why I did what I did and why I was more than happy to play around with people's lives." She laughed as she recalled her discussion with Nariyuki. "And do you know what I told them?"

"I don't know, maybe that you're actually some kind and benevolent being that's just misunderstood?" Amakusa rolled her eyes as she spoke under her breath.

"I told her that I was simply finding entertaining ways to pass the time." Akagi knelt down in front of the Princess, locking eyes with her.

"You truly are a monster then..." Feline replied. “Only a truly horrible being could say such a thing. To play with people's lives for mere entertainment is...”

"Yes, a monster I am... A monster I am indeed." Akagi laughed for a bit before grabbing Feline by the hair and yanking her head to an awkward angle.

"OW!" Feline yelped in pain as Akagi continued to lock eyes with her.

"But, tell me, what would you rather, Feline?" Akagi's gaze bore straight into Feline's soul, and she began to tremble as the Demon's orange eyes met her own. "A monster like me? One that has rules that it abides by? One that merely wishes to be entertained? One that is happy to let the world go on as normal as long as the occasion demand is met? One who's biggest priority is being left ALONE?" Her body slowly dissolved away until all that remained was a vaguely human-shaped black shadow with orange eyes and razor-sharp teeth. "Or would you rather that I be the kind of monster who kills everyone without a second thought? Who burns this world to the ground just because I can? Because I can BE that kind of monster if you want me to, Feline. So tell me, which would you rather?" Her attitude change chilled Feline to the very bone and even caused the usually stoic Amakusa to back away and tremble.

"I... I..." Feline's heart felt like it was about to leap out of her chest as Akagi's eyes inflicted terror into her very soul. She knew in her heart that the being before her was something that she could never hope to understand, and frankly she didn't want to. "I... I surrender... You win..."

"Good." Akagi threw the Princess aside as she stood back up. "Tell Black Company to halt operations." She said to Yumi, who passed the message along over wireless. "Merkyul, Sabia." Akagi called out to the two members of Black Company.

"Yes!" (Merkyul x Sabia)

"I'll be leaving the cleanup in your hands." Akagi turned to leave. "And Princess."

"Yes..." Feline said as she was slowly unbound.

"For now, keep our little arrangement with the Spirits a secret." Akagi continued. "Oh, and let's have a bit of fun and exaggerate the casualties a bit. I'm going to need a high enough body count to give the Demons a bit of food for thought at whatever meeting they're going to have." She chuckled.

"I... As you wish..." Feline nodded.

"As you wish?" Akagi asked as he looked over her shoulder.

"As you wish... My Lord." Feline said, reluctantly as curtseying.