The Red Hand

Chapter 25 – A Father’s Regrets.

In his prime, Ryuji Mitsuhide was a powerful force in Japanese politics. His rise to national fame started with a come-from-behind win against the incumbent Governor of Tokyo. His personable attitude and tendency to act in a down-to-earth manner had earned him a great deal of admiration from the average person, and many considered him a breath of fresh air in Japanese politics. His unexpected victory meant that the Mitsuhide family went from a complete unknown to a political powerhouse overnight. During his ten years as governor; he branded himself as an every-man and a reformist. He worked hard to address many of the structural and cultural problems that plagued Japanese society, and his acknowledgment of the plight of many hikikomori served as a rallying crime for reforms.

Seizing on his skyrocketing approval, he decided to take his message to the nation, and ran for a seat in the Diet with the intention of becoming Prime Minister. His campaign and subsequent election were the most energetic Japan had ever seen, and he ended up taking his party to a landslide victory not seen since the 2017 election. He spent ten years as Prime Minister, the longest in Japanese history, and was generally well-liked and respected; both at home and abroad. His party focused on reforming many of the structural and cultural ills that had been eating the country from within and, while not perfect, he is generally regarded as the greatest politician in modern Japanese history.

Today, at 87 years old, Ryuji is a bedridden and sickly old man in the twilight of his life. Until a few years ago, he was actively involved in politics until his health left him unable to continue; the sudden death of his wife didn't help matters either. His son, Nagumo, had been the effective family head for the last ten years. He used the political capital his father built to increase the family's political power to the nai untouchable position it was in today. However, all this success had been built on tearing down others, rather than building up the family as his father did. Ryuji warned his son that his cutthroat methods would come back to haunt him, and he had been right.

This was the man that Akagi had found when she entered his room. An elderly man, unable to walk on his own and who had almost no control over his daily life. A man whose fire had gone out and who was simply waiting for his time to die.

As Akagi entered the room, he looked over at her and smiled.

"Hello, young lady. What reason could you have for visiting an old man like me at this time of night." Despite how late it was, the old man was still awake, his face showing he was in quite significant pain.

"Mr. Prime Minister." she gave a bow. "My name is Akagi, and I regret to inform you that I've been tasked with the termination of the Mitsuhide family," she said with a serious expression. "As of this moment, you are the only member left."

"I see," he said closing his eyes. "It was because of my son's foolishness, wasn't it?" his voice was laced with anger and sadness.

Akagi simply nodded.

"I warned that foolish boy of mine." He shook his head. "I warned him that his methods of gaining power would only come back to destroy him one day." he started to cry. "Why Nagumo? Why didn't you listen to me."

"Your son believed that no one could ever challenge him and that no one had sufficient power to threaten him or your family." Akagi continued. "He would have been right; if not for me."

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"Yes, I suppose you're right. No one could have predicted that a game could give people such fantastical powers." he looked at Akagi. "It seems my son, for all his foresight, didn't understand the reality of the situation." his eyes looked sad. “I'm sorry for what he did to your sister.” he bowed his head.

"Over the years since my son took over control of the family. His actions have caused so much pain and suffering." he continued. "I prided myself on helping the people of Japan, of showing them that politics wasn't as dirty and cutthroat as people believed it was." he stopped. "Perhaps, I was the foolish one for believing that change was possible."

"No." Akagi shook her head. "You weren't foolish." Akagi walked closer to his bed. "I can't say I have much of an interest in or knowledge of politics. But I can tell you that this world could use more men like you." she sat down. "It wasn't you who was wrong for trying to be an honest and decent man; it was your son for forgetting the reason why his father became so influential."

Akagi looked around the room and saw a photo of Ryujii standing next to Naomi's father many years ago. She stood up and walked over to it, picking it up. "You were the reason this man dared to take his chances in the game of politics and revive his dying family's name." she pointed to Naomi's father.

"And what good did that do?" he asked "Because of my persistence, Taichi and his family were killed by my son." he didn't seem convinced. “If he just continued his career quietly they wouldn't have died.”

Akagi shrugged. "Just because the result ended poorly; doesn't mean you were wrong." Akagi put the picture in her storage space. "If everyone allowed the fear of failure to stop them from acting, this world would be much worse off."

"And it wasn't as if his entire family was wiped out." Akagi corrected.

"Yes, your right. If I'm not mistaken, his daughter was spared." he had met Naomi a few times when she was younger. "My son chose to leave her alone because it would be too difficult to cover up any further crimes against her family." his face contorted in pain.

He looked up at Akagi. "My son truly was foolish; how could he do something as horrific to that girl and then not expect her to come for revenge." he had figured out who sent Akagi. "There was a reason why the Tokugawa clan was ignored for so long. Many believed that they had connections to this country's Yokai; and that in times of great need, they would appear to protect them." he sighed. "I wonder if that legend was true?"

"Who knows? I don't believe in such superstitions." Akagi shrugged. She was technically a Yokai, but she didn't feel the need to add that.

"May I make one final request before you take my life? It's a simple one." the old man asked.

"What is it?" Akagi replied.

"I would like to write a letter; could you please give it to that Tokugawa girl? It isn't much, but I would like her to hear what I have to say." Ryuji asked.

"Sure, but I can't guarantee she will read it." (Akagi)

"If she discards it, that's fine it's little more than the ramblings of an old man." he gave a smile. “But, if possible, I would like her to hear what I have to say.”

Akagi provided Ryuji with some paper and a pen. It took the aged man a few minutes to write the letter with his shaky hands, but he eventually finished. Once he was done, he placed it in an official envelope of his and stamped it with his official seal.

"Thank you for honoring my last wish," he said as he gave the letter over.

"You are an honorable man, it is the least I can do." Akagi said, placing the note in her storage.

Akagi looked over a Yumi and nodded. The shine maiden began chanting a spell. Ryuji started to fall asleep, and his eyes became heavy. As he lay in his bed for the final time, he called the name Ryouko. In his final moments, he was greeted by his beloved wife. A few moments later, he took his last breath, and the 87-year-old former prime minister was dead, and with him went the last member of the Mitsuhide family.

Akagi looked over the now-dead man's body. She had actually met him once before when he came to her middle school for a talk. At the time, she wasn't very interested in politics and found it more useful as a way to get out of class than anything else. She never spoke to him at length, but after his talk, he spoke with some of the students. When he saw Akagi, the only thing he said was "You look far too tired for someone your age" it was as if he could see just what she had been through. Looking back, she could tell this man was sincere in his desire to help people. It was too bad that the apples seemed to have fallen very far from the tree. 

Akagi turned away, nodded to Yumi and the two teleported back to Akagi's estate. Tonight marked the completion of Akagi's first contract in Japan. The first of many.

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The next morning.

Kana and the girls woke up around 9 am, and the kitchen staff got to work cooking breakfast. Akagi and the girls sat together eating while watching the national news. As expected, to say things were on fire was to put it lightly. The media reported that Defense Secretary Nagumo and Diet Speaker Miyori were killed overnight in a bloody assassination. Many had been quick to conclude that the same person who attacked Camp Katsura had been behind the assassinations due to the likely involvement of the Speaker and Secretary in the incident at Camp Katsura. The fact that the same style of bloody hand print had been discovered at Nagumo's house only served to increase the suspicions of a connection. Akagi's moniker of “the Red Hand” was already known on the net and there were more than a few commentators that were pointing fingers at her.

Naturally, the girls quickly put two and two together and began to question Akagi about her actions last night. They wanted clarification and demanded answers from Akagi. Naomi was, of course, well aware of what happened but feigned ignorance, though Akagi found it funny how nervous the girl was.

"Yes, we killed them," Akagi answered while munching on some toast. "I mean, the handprint is kinda my calling card isn't it? My moniker is the Red Hand after all." she rolled her eyes. "That and there aren't many people who could simultaneously take out 16 people at once two of which are high-ranking members of the Japanese government" Akagi was beaming with pride.

"But why?" Kana asked. "I mean, what do they or their families have to do with our kidnapping?" Kana didn't see the connection.

"Well, Miyori and Nagumo were in on that whole operation to kidnap you," Akagi explained. “Besides the Prime Minster those two were essentially the brains of the operation. I let the PM live because its more convenient that way, but do you really think I would allow people who plotted to harm you go scott free?” Akagi continued "However, that's not the reason we took them out." she took a sip of her coffee.

"It wasn't?" Mika asked. "Then why?" the blue-haired girl was concerned.

"Because it's my job?" Akagi responded with an exasperated look. "I'm an assassin. And what do assassins' do, Mika?"

“Uhhh.” Mika didn't want to answer that question.

"So it was a job?" Kana said interjecting. "You took out the entire family because someone asked you to? Not because you wanted revenge, right?" Kana thought her sister had wiped out the family because some of its members were involved in their kidnapping. She could understand going after those that kidnapped them, but she wasn't comfortable harming people for what members of their family did.

"Kana. Do you really think I would go so far as to kill people just because someone they're related to harmed me or my family?" Akagi was annoyed that Kana had thought her so petty. "I only kill for a reason, Kana. I'm not some psychopathic murderer who kills people for fun, nor do I turn my wrath on those who are undeserving of it." Akagi's previously calm voice had turned slightly angry. "I don't appreciate being put in the same camp as such people, even by you." Akagi was genuinely upset with Kana. "I have standards and rules and I try to stick to them."

Kana was stunned; her sister had rarely gotten upset with her. While she couldn't completely understand Akagi's mindset, it was clear that her comments had cut deep and Akagi felt insulted.

{Oof, it looks like Kana made a similar mistake to me. It would seem we both rushed to judgment and insulted her in the process.} Naomi had already been on the receiving end of Akagi's displeasure before. {It's quite funny though. Not much seems to make Akagi mad, but insulting her professionalism really sets her off.} Naomi was glad Akagi's ire wasn't pointed at her this time.

Kana quickly realized her mistake and apologized. "I'm sorry Onee-chan. I didn't mean to make you so mad. I guess I don't fully understand everything about you and what you do." Kana continued. "When you said you killed them, I assumed it was for personal reasons, and the thought that you would do something like that made me uncomfortable." Kana had come to accept her sister's nature as an assassin and the fact that she killed people. It was just that there was a fine line between killing as a job and killing for pleasure and she was scared that her sister might one day cross it. This was a reasonable fear due to Akagi's mental illness and the changes she had undergone since merging with the Shadow Lord.

Akagi sighed. "Yeah, it's alright. I shouldn't have gotten upset with you." she shook her head. "What I do is quite far removed from what you're used to. It's only natural that you misunderstand me and my intentions, and it doesn't help that I'm quite high-strung about maintaining my image." As she said this, Yumi approached through the doorway.

"Indeed." Yumi chimed in. "My Lord especially hates when targets offer to pay her to save themselves." she gave a giggle.

"Oi!" Akagi yelled. "The idiots that give into such temptation make a mockery of the industry. It gives the impression that we're money-hungry fools that have no honor or pride." Akagi grumbled.

{She really takes this whole assassin thing seriously doesn't she?} (Kana, Mika and Naomi)