Hey, guys. Welcome to my new story based on Sekirei. Not much to talk about right now, so let's get right into it.

Sekirei: Steel of the Bond

Chapter 1: A New Path

0o0

It was a hot summer day. Possibly the last one of its kind for the rest of the year. The hustle and bustle of everyday life slowly merged in and out of itself along the streets of 2020 Tokyo, splitting along crosswalks and around corners. Groups of people, nearly shoulder to shoulder, just going on with life as it would normally. Just another day in paradise for the residents of Shinto Teito.

A young man stood out from the crowd of citizens. He was on the tall, lanky side. 6 feet tall, on the dot. His jet black hair giving off a soft sheen, contradicting the fact that he rarely went out of his way to style or take extra care of his hair. Jeans, white sneakers and his favorite denim jacket that he was given a few months before his trip to the city. He let out a hefty sigh, hesitating to grab his cell phone from his pocket.

He gathered the courage to pull his phone out and dial in his mother's number. He immediately regretted his decision when he heard the anxious voice of his mother awaiting the news on his attempt at getting into his university.

"Hello?" Called a deep, but still feminine voice. He always loved hearing his mother's voice. The stern authority behind it always let him know that he was alright as a child. But now that he bad news, and on his part no less, it scared him beyond belief.

"H-Hey, mom." He finally spoke, with a hint of grief in his voice.

"How'd it go?" That's his mom, alright. Straight to the point, as per usual.

"I… I failed it… again…" He admitted. This was now his second attempt at being accepted into the university he wanted. He was actually wanted by the university themselves, considering his above-average-and-then-some grades, but when it came to tests, his timidity got the best of him. Growing up a male in an all-female household would change you as a kid. He always had his opinions shot down, and his little sister was always ragging on him about one thing or the other, so he never really grew a spine, at the fault of his family.

"Again? Christ, Minato, you're a real piece of work." For a 19 year old, hearing this would damage ones morale pretty badly, but for Minato, this was just another normal talk with his mother.

"Yeah… I know…" He really had nothing to retaliate with, or at least nothing he knew of.

"Well, what are you planning on doing? You wanna stay in the city or do you plan on coming home?"

Minato thought back on his life out in the more rural areas of Japan. Where everyone was friends with one another and strangers were trustable. The city was a big change. Nothing like he had ever seen, or even dreamed of.

"I don't know. I feel like I might want to try again, or at least try and make it by… I'll have to think about it."

"Well, until you decide, I'm cutting down your allowance." She said, her son's emotional state not phasing her in the slightest.

"B-But mo-!"

"No buts, this is your fault." She interjected quickly. She was right, but only partly. His family life was also to blame for his lack of courage. But then again, life is hard, and his mother knew this the best. She knew she would have to either grow up fast, or give up. And for her, and the way she was raised, giving up wasn't an option.

"Okay… If you say so. I'll see what I can do." He sighed once again, realizing that there was no way out of this. No excuse he could pull to try and gain sympathy from his mother.

"Goodbye Minato, and be safe." She hung up, giving him no time to respond. He understood the abrupt ending to their conversation, however. She was a very busy woman. Or at least that's how she made her job out to be. He didn't know what working for a pharmaceutical company entailed, but he assumed that by the level of stress his mother had shown, it couldn't be easy. He groaned, and hung his head, making his way back to his flat based more on memory than actually looking where he was going.

0o0

A half an hour pass, and the crowd of citizens slowly decreases to only a few people making their way to their jobs. The sun was setting over the horizon. Minato walks out of a small department store, with the automatic doors clearing his path of the wall of glass in his way. Carrying a plastic bag, filled with things like instant noodles, drinks, and things of that nature, he made his way further home. Just a few more blocks, and he would finally be home, where he could relax and think about what his next move in his life would be.

Suddenly, he heard a faint scream from off in the distance. He turned in the direction from which it originated, and contemplated what he should do.

His timidity told him to ignore it. It was none of his business. Whatever it was, it didn't concern him.

But, his bravery, a side of him which he rarely heard from, told him to go. To figure out what had caused the scream. There could be someone in danger. Someone that needed his help. And for one of the few times in his life, he decided to listen to his courageous side. He made a mad dash for the location of the scream.

Running block after block, looking down alleyways as he blew past them, trying his best to make out what seemed like human-ish blurs. That was really all he could see while he tried to keep the speed at which he was going, and he held that speed, just in case the situation was worse than he thought.

He flew past once last alleyway, and noticed some movement. What looked like a girl struggling against a man in a green hoody. The girl had pretty blue eyes, and a matching blue ribbon running around her head and through her short, light orange locks. She was wearing a pretty white gown with black stockings and white boots, along with matching black arm-length gloves. He had her by the wrist, forcing her closer to him, while she tried to yank away her hand, to no avail. He stopped, nearly skidding on the heels of his shoes, and turned back and into the alleyway to confront the man.

"Hey! W-What's going on here!" He tried his best to hide the fear in his voice. Who knows what this creep was doing? Maybe he was a pervert? A serial killer? All were possibilities, and all possibilities planted fear in his mind.

"Who the fuck'r you? Some knight in shit armor?" He laughed a deep, annoying laugh. Something that, alone, irked Minato to no end. "I suggest you fuck off, prince charming, before you both get hurt." He yanked the girl closer, as she could do nothing but let him. She couldn't hurt him, and she knew it.

The creep's mouth spread into a wry smile as his free hand reached up and groped the girl's breast, violating her. Dirtying her with his own proverbial filth. She screamed out again.

"Please… Why are you doing this..?" She let out, tears welling in her eyes.

"Because I want you as my new bitch. I couldn't care less about this 'ashikabi' and 'sekirei' bullshit." He spoke, malice practically rolling off him.

Minato's hands curled into fists, his nails digging into his palm, and he grit his teeth. "You let her go, this instant! Or else…"

"Or else what, pussy? You gonna play hero and fight me over some random whore? You're not very bright, are you?" He sneered. This nearly sent Minato over the edge, but he kept his composure. He had always been taught to respect others, especially women. Seeing this… filth… treat such a fair woman like trash made him seeth with rage. But, again, and as always, his lack of courage had got the better of him. All of the worst case scenarios played over in his head. What if he had a knife? What if he had friends? What if, what if, what if, looping over and over in his head as the scum before him continued to violate this helpless girl.

Suddenly, from out of nowhere, he took off, like a bullet, towards the green clad man.

"Yes, I AM!" And he swung. As hard as he could, never putting as much physical effort into something before in his life. He wanted to help her. To make sure this man wouldn't hurt her ever again. He didn't want to kill him, but he wanted to teach him a lesson he would never forget.

He closed his eyes, waiting for the impact of his fist meeting the man's face. But it never came. Instead, a hard, sharp pain erupted in his abdomen. The man had dodged his punch, and delivered a knee to Minato's stomach. During this attack, however, he had to let go of the girl. She backed away quickly, but her tears stopped momentarily. She leaned against the wall as she saw Minato crumble down, doubled over in pain. The man delivered a hard kick to his side, and Minato fell, screaming out in agony as the man's booted foot collided with his torso.

"Dumbass! Have you ever been in a fight before!?" The man delivered a few more kicks to seal the deal. "I told you it was stupid. But you didn't LISTEN!" Another kick to his abdomen. "And now look at what you've gone and gotten yourself into?"

The girl's knees gave out, as she let her back slide against the brick wall to bring her to a sitting position. The fear in her chest was replaced with a burning feeling. When she saw the strange man in the denim jacket come to her rescue only to be brutally beaten, a fire erupted in her chest. She placed a hand over her breast as a light pink hue began to dust her cheeks.

'Is… Is this man my…' She thought to herself. 'My ashikabi..? Why would he risk his life for me..?' Just the thought of the man made the burning feeling in her chest grow. She felt as if her breath was being stolen from her, and she began panting hard. 'He has to be… That would be the only thing that could explain… This feeling… This desire…'

One last kick. Minato coughed up a few specks of blood.

"You just couldn't ignore it, could you? You just had to go and get yourself FUCKED UP, huh?" The man gloated. "Guess it was worth a shot, huh, dumbass?" He sneered again. "Now, back to what we were talki-"

He was interrupted by the sound of metal scraping against cement, small sparks being emitted as it moved on. He looked up quickly, only to see the same girl he had taken advantage of dragging a gigantic steel mallet towards him, using only one hand. She was breathing heavily, but he knew it wasn't from the effort she put into pulling the hammer. Her bangs covered her eyes as she inched closer and closer. She knew she couldn't harm him. But she was pretty close to breaking that rule. The most she could do was use scare tactics, at least long enough to get this disgusting man away from her destined one.

"Wh-What the hell is that?!" He shouted, taking a step back.

"Get… away…" She murmured.

"Huh?" The man take a few steps back away from the defeated Minato. By this point, the blunt force trauma he had experienced had sent him into a state of unconsciousness.

"Get away… From my ASHIKABI!" She slung the hammer around in front of her, emotions of hate and anger flooding her mind. All that she could think about was the image of Minato getting pummeled. Her destined partner being beaten to the verge of death in front of her. Needless to say, she was not pleased in the slightest. But again, she remembered. Scare tactics were the most she could do.

"H-H-Holy shit, you're fucking crazy! Fuck you, bitch!" The man turned on his heels and ran as fast as he could. He rounded the corner of the alley, and he was gone.

She let out a hefty sigh, nearly crumbling to her knees. Now that the menace that threatened her destined partner's life was gone, all of the malicious emotions had dissipated. Now, all she felt was desire. The desire to help the person that had rescued her from a forced bonding. She would have been stuck with that person for the rest of the plan if it wasn't for her savior's unexpected appearance. She dropped the hammer, letting it emit a loud clang as it shook the ground around it. She dropped to her knees in front of her savior. He was slightly shaking, but still unconscious. She felt for a pulse, and saw that it was steady.

She let out a huge sigh of relief. She felt around his abdomen for severe damages done to him. Nothing broken, surprisingly. But his midsection was covered with ugly bruises. She picked him up with ease, and sat next to a wall, leaning against it, and resting his head upon her lap.

Now that she got a better look at him, she noticed more of his facial features. From his jawline to his brow, he seemed to have a very soft, but at the same time, strong appearance. And this appearance was incredibly handsome to her, regardless of the occasional pained wince he let out. She brushed a stray strand of hair from his face, and smiled. The burning in her chest was now searing, but she held her composure. She had just nearly been subjected to a forced bonding, and she wouldn't wish that kind of thing upon anyone. So she gained the willpower to wait until he awoke.

0o0

Around 10 minutes pass, and Minato slowly begins to stir. His eyes slowly cracked open, slightly wincing at the pain he now noticed originating from his abdomen. But he quickly ignored it as he stared into the blue eyes of a girl. Her light-orange hair hanging down as she gave him a look of surprise.

"O-Oh, you're finally awake!" She stuttered, a light pink dusting her cheeks. "Are you okay? Does anything still hurt?"

Minato simply couldn't help but stare at the beautiful woman that he was with. Her eyes were filled with worry, and she was blushing slightly for some reason. He then realized the position they were in. He looked to his side, and saw her breasts, leading down to her abdomen, and then her hips. He then realized that his head was resting upon her lap. He blushed heavily and shot up, a vermillion hue covering his face.

"I-I'm sorry, miss! I didn't mea-" He was cut off by the pain in his abdomen returning due to the sudden movement. "Ow… That hurts."

"Please, don't stress your body! Be careful. You really took a beating back there." He then remembered the whole ordeal, from him running to the origin of the scream, to him on the ground being pummeled by some thug.

"Oh, yeah… Guess I kind of did. Heheh…" He scratched the back of his head, chuckling awkwardly. "But I'm okay, for the most part. What about yourself?"

She blushed, relishing in the feeling of knowing that her future ashikabi cares about her well being. "I'm fine, albeit a bit shook up."

"That's good. I'm glad I could help." He said, the sincerity in his voice almost impossible to miss.

"Thank you… So much. I don't think I'll ever be able to repay you for this. But I do have another request." She blushed harder as she got closer to the sekirei equivalent of 'popping the question.' She unconsciously fidgeted. "Could you become… My ashikabi..?" She blurted.

Minato tilted his head slightly. "Ashi… huh? What's that?"

She blushed hard, forgetting to even inform him on the current situation she was in. "Oh, I forgot to explain. Well, where to begin…" She placed a finger on her chin. "Well, for starters, I am what is called a sekirei."

Minato silently listened, his interest in what she was talking about growing by the minute.

"The sekirei are… Well, by your terms, and alien race. We were discovered and rescued from the wreckage of our ship and placed into a game of survival." She explained with a completely serious face. If she was lying, she sure knew how to cover it up. "We sekirei have what is called an ashikabi. Ashikabi's are considered destined soulmates to sekirei. There is a scientific explanation to it, I'm sure, but… No one ever informed me on it." She hung her head due to her ignorance of her own race.

"It's okay, I'm sure we can figure it out later. Please, continue." Minato said, still enchanted by the tale this beautiful girl was weaving. If it were anyone else, Minato would have assumed they were crazy and went on with his day, but for some reason… He felt compelled to believe her.

"Okay… Our goal as sekirei is to go out and find our destined ashikabi. When we do, we are then able to use our full power for the second phase of the sekirei plan. The second phase is when most of the fighting will begin."

This was when Minato had to stop her. "Okay, so let me get this straight; You are a part of an alien race that crashed on Earth, and you have these random people that are basically your soulmates that you need to fight in an all-out free-for-all against other sekirei?" Minato tried his best to understand, but still needed a lot of clarification.

"Well… It's kind of a crude way to put it, but yes, I would say that is accurate." She replied.

"Hmm… I don't know why, but I believe you. So, now, you think that I am your so called destined ashikabi? Why? There isn't much about me that is extraordinary. Sure I'm smart, but I failed the entrance exam to my college twice. I'm not really gifted in sports, so why me?" He asked. He always had a habit of putting himself down, something else he had developed due to his life growing up in a dominantly female household.

"Our ashikabis are not determined by what they can do. They are determined by who they are. And right now, I'm showing telltale signs of what's called a reaction. I'm reacting to you. I know it." She reached over and grasped his hand gently, her soft gloves gliding against his skin. She took his hand and placed it over her left breast. He felt a large amount of blood rush to his head as he blushed heavily.

"What a-are-"

"Can you feel it? My heart?" He ignored the initial embarrassment and nodded, still blushing like mad. "It's beating for you. My name is Yashima, Sekirei #84, and I want you as my Ashikabi, mister..?"

"O-Oh, Minato. Sahashi Minato." He managed to sputter out. "It's very nice to meet you, Yashima-san. And… I think I'd like to be your ashikabi. I don't know what would be expected of me, but I'm willing to take that risk." He felt his courageous side take control and rolled the dice. This decision would change his life forever, and he knew it. He was prepared as much as he would ever be.

Yashima nodded, the hue of her cheeks going from a light pink dusting to a full red stain as she leaned in close, practically crawling onto Minato. "Then, accept me as your sekirei, Minato-sama."

"Wait, w-what are you-" He was cut off as Yashima closed the distance, and locked into a deep kiss with her soulmate. She placed her hands on his shoulders and slipped her tongue into his mouth, to which he gladly accepted, simply deciding to go along with it. His first kiss, stolen by a beautiful maiden he risked his life to save.

Suddenly, gigantic, bright blue wings sprouted from her back and lit up the alley with their ominous glow. He stared in awe as they slowly pulsated and flapped gently. Yashima let out a small moan into the kiss, and finally broke away due to lack of oxygen, causing the wings to dissipate as fast as they appeared.

"The hammer of my pledge! Shatter the enemy of my Ashikabi! Now and forevermore." She smiled brightly at Minato, who was still star struck by the magnificent lightshow he was just exposed to, before resting upon his lap and nuzzling her head into the crook of his neck. "Thank you, Minato-sama."

Minato was left speechless and flushed like a mad man. All the events of today played back in his mind like a broken record. Failing the entrance exam for the second time, facing a brutal verbal assault from his mother, saving a beautiful girl from a thug looking to exploit her for his own gain, and then finding out that the very same girl he saved wasn't even human, and that he was destined to be her partner, 'now and forevermore.'

He finally gathered his ability to think again after a few minutes of just sitting, and spoke. "Yashima-san, do you have anywhere to go..?" To which he received no reply. "Yashi-" He looked down to see the girl was fast asleep, obviously drained from the whole ordeal. He felt a bead of sweat run down his forehead, as he gently shook her to wake her up.

"Hm..? Oh, Minato-sama… Sorry, I fell asleep… I haven't slept in a few days…." He couldn't help but feel sorry for her. If her whole story was true, then she must have been just as physically drained as she was emotionally. He chuckled.

"Don't worry about it. But from what I gathered, it sounds like you don't have a place to go." The nodded in agreement. She didn't like admitting it, but she was technically homeless. "Well, how would you like to live with me for the time being?" She nearly jumped at the offer.

"Of course, Minato-sama! I would love to!" He laughed at her overly enthusiasm.

"Well, alright then. But… I think you're gonna have to carry that hammer on your own." She remembered her weapon. The oversized hunk of steel with a handle wasn't necessarily the most discrete of tools. She then assumed the worse and believed he was implying she was a burden to him.

"I'm sorry, Minato-sama! I don't wanna be a burden!" She gave him the classic puppy dog eyes, and he quickly reassured her that she was fine.

"No, no, I'm sure we'll find a place for it. I'm just more concerned with you having to carry it." He held his hands in front of him as a sign of defense.

"Oh… Oh." She blushed. "There isn't a need to worry about that. I'm much stronger than I look!" She then demonstrated by balancing the hammer on one finger. He gawked at the amazing feat of strength and laughed slightly.

"Well, then I guess since that's out of the way, what do you say we head home?" He walked towards her, slightly limping due to the throbbing pain in his midsection.

"Yes, sir! Ready!" She beamed. He smiled back, and they made their way back to his small apartment, both of them drained from nearly all of their energy from the past events that had unfolded.

0o0

AN: Well, there's the first chapter. Thanks for reading guys!

For those of you wondering about my other stories and why I deleted them, well my answer to my actions is that I just really didn't like them.

And by that, I mean they were incredibly cringey in my own opinion.

So, I figured I would start over and make a fanfic based on one of my favorite shows.

If you liked this fanfic, leave a favorite, share it with friends, and leave reviews detailing what you would like to see in further updates.

Thanks guys!