Minato couldn't sleep. Not because of his conversation with Kazehana (though, as he was of the red-blooded male persuasion, she did remain on his mind), nor because of his unanswered questions, still banging away at him.

It was because Karasuba was crushing his ribs.

Minato didn't know whether she held him like this to assert her dominance, or if she just wanted something to hold, but he was leaning toward the former. Since escape had proven impossible, Minato leaned his head into her chest, closing his eyes and at least trying to get some sleep.

She tightened her grip on him; Minato was sure she was being dominant now.

He looked up at Karasuba, seeing the very small smile on her face as she slept. She's probably dreaming of killing something, he thought. Most likely Miya, if the tension between those two is as bad as they make it out to be.

Unwittingly, Minato spoke out loud. "Maybe defeating Miya will make her happy. At least, I hope it does."

He closed his eyes again, letting his head rest on her chest once again. Karasuba grinned to herself: she heard him.

'Not a total disappointment after all.'


The sun shone through Minato's window, hitting him full in the face. He groaned deeply; was the sun trying to be annoying? It shone brighter than usual; knowing his luck it was a Sekirei controlling the sun who was out to murder him. He sat up, noticing that he wasn't being crushed by the monster who slept in his bed.

'She may crush me at night, but at least this place is nice.'

Minato got up from his futon, rubbing his back. 'If I don't have a bruise, I'll be amazed.' He grabbed some clothes from the drawers on the other side of the room: his trademark white shirt and blue jeans. He left the room and made his way down the hall toward the bathroom. As he entered the dressing room, he noticed it was slightly steamy, a thin layer of condensation coating his skin. He looked over to the clothes basket and noticed a familiar purple dress.

Minato gulped. Just in case, he knocked on the sliding bathroom doors. "Is anyone in there?"

"Oh! Minato-kun! It's me, Kazehana!"

Minato expected as much. "Alright! Give me a shout when your done!" As he finished his sentence, the door slid open in a flash.

There she stood, her full body on display. It was a feast for the saucers that had replaced Minato's eyes. Those curves, those legs… did he even need to mention her chest?

"Um," he burbled weakly, his brain trying to piece itself back together, "you're naked, Kazehana-san…"

Kazehana chuckled. "Well done, captain obvious. Should I assume you take baths with your clothes on, then?" Kazehana glanced down at Minato's crotch, specifically a rather large bulge. What a shame that would be.

"Yeah, well, so do most guys I imagine," Minato muttered, crimson in the face. "So, I'm gonna go, cause if Karasuba sees this then it'll be both our heads on a pike."

Minato sprinted away, leaving Kazehana alone in the bath herself. She closed the door and re-entered the tub, adoring the feeling of the hot water touching her body.

She had light bags under her eyes; she hadn't gotten much sleep the night before.

Her dreams and memories plagued her the entire night, at least until three o'clock when her thoughts finally turned to something she enjoyed, which let her do something she enjoyed just as much.

But it was made all worth it when she could see his face. That's why she jumped out the tub: she just had to see his face and hear him say her name.

'Kazehana-san…' he would say; it made her heart flutter. Her fingers began to drift down, past her breasts and across her flat stomach. Maybe just one little caress, a quick touch, before Miya and her rules had a chance to dispel the escalating fantasy.

Her thoughts were interrupted when The Black Sekirei entered the room, as naked as the day she was born… "Grown", whichever. Kazehana had the wherewithal to not jerk her hand away, instead sliding it over her leg with a bar of soap concealing her trail. She never noticed how lanky Karasuba was. The All Generations Discipline Squaddie (she made a note to never say that out loud) was skinny, but it complimented her physique, allowing her to remain agile and limber. Her chest wasn't outrageously huge like most Sekirei, but such enormous breasts on such a slender woman wouldn't look right.

'Hmm, if she does let him wing me, I might have a few things to try with her,' Kazehana mused, a plethora of dirty thoughts flooding her mind.

The lanky Sekirei clambered her way into the bath tub, sitting down opposite Kazehana. That bestial smirk on her face... Kazehana narrowed her eyes, studying The Black Sekirei.

"You look at me with such suspicion," Karasuba noted smugly. "How could I hide a blade if I'm naked?"

"Just trying to figure out why you're grinning," Kazehana replied, her own sly smirk gracing her face.

"It might have something to do with your little conversation with 'Minato-kun'."

Kazehana wasn't surprised that she knew. "Listening in, were you?"

"Of course. I saw you talking to him, answering his endless questions. Surprised you didn't lose your patience," Karasuba said casually.

Kazehana tutted. "You shouldn't lose your patience with him. It weakens the bond."

"Speaking of the bond, I saw what you were wearing." Karasuba moved closer. "Your legs twitching."

Closer again.

"Your body sweating."

They were practically touching now.

"How close were you to raping him?"

The Black Sekirei's words shocked Kazehana. "I would not, no, never rape him," Kazehana spat, near bursting with fury.

'Would I? Would… she?'

"Well, maybe 'rape' was the wrong word." Karasuba pushed away from Kazehana, keeping her eyes locked on the other Sekirei's. "I imagine you would steal him away and have your way with him. Then, return him like nothing happened.""Like you wouldn't."

Karasuba looked offended. "Me? Steal away what's mine? I don't know if you've noticed but Minato is my little pet, mine to play with and use to win this game. Any extras he picks up are for my pleasure," Karasuba sneered sadistically.

"What does that make me?"

"'Seconds'," she breathed.


Minato, still dressed in his nightwear, had been found by Miya sitting out on the step. She did not interact with him, just looked at him.

How did this boy manage to wing Karasuba?

Miya had lived and fought with the original Discipline Squad. She knew them. More than that, she felt them.

She knew that Kazehana wanted the manliest man that ever existed, which made Miya wonder what exactly Kazehana considered "masculine".

She knew that No. 2, Matsu, didn't care whether or not she got a man or a woman, as long as they were perverted as she was. The Landlady decided to keep a closer eye on Kazehana, as she and No. 2 had gotten rather chummy during their time on the Squad, and Miya would be damned if she let Matsu's filthy ways sully her inn, even by proxy.

No. 5, Mutsu, wanted a beautiful woman, curvaceous and high class. So, essentially, he sought someone who could pass for a Sekirei, provided, of course, it wasn't a Matsu act-alike.

But Karasuba was always a mystery. She never spoke about her desire of an Ashikabi, merely her desire to kill. At least, to Miya.

When Miya looked at this boy, she could not see anything that Karasuba would desire. Miya had always assumed that Karasuba wanted someone hardened, someone who could fight. But maybe if she knew Karasuba more, she would understand.

"You going to stare at me all day?"

Miya was slightly surprised he noticed her. She stepped forward and sat down next to Minato. "How did you know I was there?"

"My Mom used to do the same: stand behind me, loom over me when she knew I had done something wrong," Minato reminisced.

"Ahh, yes. Takami-san scared us all," Miya said, her usual sweet smile on her face.

"That reminds me. I've been meaning to ask, but how do you know my Mom? Karasuba knew her but never explained how, I imagine you would know her, too?"

"Oh yes. I know her, she was a handler for lots of different Sekirei. I can't tell you who exactly she handled, but I bet a lot of Sekirei would have nice things to say."

"Even though she scared everyone," Minato joked.

Miya put a hand to her mouth and chuckled. "I believe because she was so intimidating. Everyone was on their best behavior, and thus received the best of her work."

"My Mom was like that with me and my sister, Yukari. Always hounding me to do better, always on Yukari's case to be better than her brother." He attempted to hide behind a small smile. "Guess it was all for nothing."

Miya took a good look at Minato, a good long look. What kind of man had ended up on her doorstep, she couldn't decipher. His face was deep in thought, much like Takami's was oft to do. Yet unlike Takami, he wasn't hot headed. From what Miya had seen he was quite timid, almost frail. His constant blushing around Karasuba is extremely adorable. I can see why Kazehana took a liking to him.

Miya internally sighed, seeing the baffling love blossom within Kazehana made her long for Takehito. Perhaps her own Ashikabi would appear one day. On a note of similar likelihood, perhaps Minaka would go sane and revert this whole mad affair back to its S-Plan doctrines.

A shame. It must be nice to have an Ashikabi…

Miya's thoughts were interrupted by the door sliding open. There stood MBI's former attack dog, looking for her new pet. She licked her lips when she saw him, sitting with Miya of all people. She kneeled down and wrapped her arms around her Minato's neck.

"Hello Minato." Karasuba ran her tongue along Minato's neck. "Did you sleep well, pet?"

Minato turned red. "Well enough."

Karasuba tightened her grip a little. "And what does 'well enough' mean? Tell me."

The Black Sekirei felt his muscles start to tense, slowly, slightly, while he gave her no immediate answer. Her hand slithered down to trace a line between his pectorals. It made a left turn to stop over his heart, pressing down and feeling what little muscle had bothered to develop. "Tell me."

"Well…" Minato hesitated. "You got a little too, um, affectionate."

"'Too affectionate'," Karasuba repeated. Her arms began to constrict around his neck, and within seconds the young ronin found himself without air. "You'd like me to be less 'affectionate'?"

Minato's hands hung at his sides, still listening.

"If you really want that, then say it."

He still wasn't panicking, or speaking, until he realized, much to Karasuba's twisted delight, that she wasn't letting go. His hands flew to his neck, the adorable little thing, thinking he could actually dislodge a Sekirei, and it only took the tiniest fraction of Karasuba's strength before he went limp and lost consciousness in her arms.

"Karasuba," Miya said dangerously, her narrowed eyes like poisoned daggers.

"What?" her tenant replied, as innocently as she could sell it, letting go of Minato and allowing him to fall back against her. "He doesn't mind."

She gave him a few back-hand taps against his face. "Right?"

His neck no longer in an iron vice, Minato's eyes fluttered open. "Huh, wha?"

"Right?" she repeated, a slightly aggressive note entering her voice.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine!" he burbled, trying to sit up but once again feeling himself restrained.

Karasuba looked up, her grey eyes meeting the purple of Miya's. "He says he's fine."

"So I heard," Miya hissed, her eyes almost glowing within the shadow that had fallen over her features. "And if you ever try something like that again, Karasuba, in my inn no less, you shall only live long enough to see me break my house rule against violence."

Unbeknownst to them, a third pair of feminine eyes watched from around the corner.

Karasuba chuckled. "Don't worry, Miya, it won't happen again." She then leaned close to her Ashikabi's left ear. "...now that we've cleared things up between us. Right, Minato?"

The ronin felt the noose around his neck begin to tighten again, and so chose to nod. He'd gotten the message, loud and clear.

"Good," said Karasuba pertly. She stood, so quickly that Minato hadn't time to stop himself from falling over backwards and hitting his head on the hard front step. He instinctively wanted to complain, but his sore neck set him straight.

Still taking Miya's death-glare, Karasuba returned inside. The Landlady looked to Minato, not even allowed to rub his bumped head for fear of his Sekirei's abuse.

'My condolences, Sahashi Minato,' she thought. 'The days ahead will be longer for you than any other Ashikabi.'

Minato, through winced eyes, watched his Landlady leave him, clenching his fists and still in his pajamas. Karasuba already saw him as a squashable worm, and he could only hurt his image by giving in to her pain-game. But damn, did that step hurt! He felt like he'd been mugged by the Golem of Prague, wielding a hammer! This couldn't have been a normal bump; Karasuba must've given him a little push to send him on his way.

Speaking of which, he felt a pair of hands slide beneath his shoulders and peel him off the ground, sitting him back up and letting his headache spread itself out. Those same hands circled his head to cover his eyes, but since he was still rattled, his torso began leaning back to return to its position of least effort.

And in its slothfulness, it was thwarted by what only could've been a woman. He felt a very compelling piece of evidence on his back; rather, two of them.

"Guess who!" That voice, those beautiful cushions and those chipper tones, there was no other person it could be.

"Hey Uzume."

Uzume let out a small puff and took her hands away from Minato's eyes.

"Aw, you figured it out! You could've at least pretended you didn't recognize me," Uzume pouted, pulling away from the ronin to sit beside him.

She was only wearing a bra and panties… SHE'S ONLY WEARING A BRA AND PANTIES!

"A-Any p-particular reason why you're half-naked?" Minato stuttered, struggling to remain composed.

"A-Any p-particular reason why you're not?" Uzume countered, mimicking his fluster. As a small breeze picked up, she looked towards the dawn's horizon, closed her eyes, leaned her head back, and stretched her arms out wide. "Because I like being naked. Still have to wear something in case Miya throws me out. Why haven't you gotten changed yet?"

This surprised Minato. "Last time I checked, Kazehana was still in the bath."

Uzume shrugged. "So? Aren't you and her, like, a thing?"

"Where'd you get that idea?"

The Sekirei gave him a mirthful smirk. "Somewhere between the fact that she was moaning your name in her sleep, and the way she looks at you," Uzume giggled, crawling closer to Minato. "Or maybe Karasuba won't let you look at any other girl? Is that it? I saw the way she was-" Uzume made quotation marks with her fingers. "-'holding' you. I'm no lawyer, but some people would call that domestic abuse, y'know."

Minato shook his head. "No, no, no. It's not like that, she's just a little rough." Minato sighed wearily.

"And some people would call that denial." Uzume giggled again. She edged closer to Minato and whispered in his ear. "Wanna see how a Sekirei should treat their Ashikabi?"

A shiver ran down Minato's spine as Uzume began to feel his chest. Uzume climbed on top of the Ashikabi's left thigh, who was now propping himself up with his two hands. She held his head under her chin while lovingly stroking his hair.

'This is... oddly relaxing.'

"You two seem to be having fun." Minato and Uzume both looked up to find Kazehana staring down at them. Kazehana was wearing her usual purple chinese dress, though her hair was still slightly wet.

Uzume smirked, still holding her fellow tenant. "Jealous, Kazehana?"

Kazehana returned her smirk, sat down behind Minato and wrapped her legs around his waist. She pulled him into her arms, resting her chin on his shoulder.

"Should I be?" She began nuzzling his cheek with her own. "If you can't even keep him when another woman strolls along, then I have nothing to worry about."

Uzume grinned. "Is that a challenge, Kazehana?"

"Maybe it is."

Uzume dismounted Minato's thigh and kneeled in between his legs. She cupped his chin and moved her head towards his until their noses were touching. Minato couldn't turn any redder.

"Um, can you two let me go now? I need to take a bath," Minato piped up.

Uzume moved her head back. "Don't be scared Minato."

Kazehana loosened her grip on him. "Just because Karasuba treats you like garbage, doesn't mean other Sekirei will, okay?"

Uzume got up from in between Minato's legs. The gates in his nose leaked red as he got a look at her from below, before she held out her hand to help him up. Minato took her hand and broke from Kazehana's grip, much to her chagrin.

He hurriedly excused himself to go take his bath, leaving the two women smiling towards his back..

"You, too?" Kazehana asked as Uzume sat down next to her.

"Yeah, but he's not the first I reacted to."

"Who was the other?"

Uzume sighed. "This girl. I reacted pretty strongly to her but she was sick and stuck to a wheelchair."

"Why didn't you wing yourself?"

"Takami once told me that some Sekirei reacted to multiple people, I thought that I might be able to find someone else. I know it's horrible but I wanted someone…" The brunette looked slightly ill as she enunciated her next word. "better."

Kazehana let out a small laugh. "So you wanted hot man with a high sex drive?"

Uzume laughed out loud, clutching her gut. "Pretty much. If I could spend the whole Plan in bed with my Ashikabi then I'd be a happy girl."

"Are you happy with Minato?" Kazehana inquired.

"So far," Uzume said with a grin,"I just need to know two things: his size, and the state of his virginity."

"Well, I've seen his bulge and it's pretty huge. As for his virginity... I bet he's a virgin. He's sweet, but let's face it: he'd never come near us if we weren't neighbors."

"If we weren't all over him, you mean," Uzume remarked.

The bustier Sekirei chuckled. "Also true. The sad part is… Karasuba will be the one to take it."

Both women shuddered. A rabid bear would probably make a gentler partner.

Uzume huffed mirthfully. "We talk about all this sex stuff like we aren't virgins."

Kazehana rested a cheek on her hand and her arm on her knee. "Yeah. Yeah, that's true."


After Minato had taken his bath, he retired to his room. It was only when Miya called everyone for breakfast that he emerged blinking from his grotto. Or rather, Karasuba's grotto, because he was under no delusions about who the master of the bedroom was.

If one were looking at the young ronin now, one would see his rather unimpressive Adam's apple plummet to the bottom of his neck.

'What will she do to me when we… If we actually…'

And, indeed, that one who watched him took pity on how dreadful his first time would be, if given to Karasuba instead of her.

Had he been a Sekirei, Minato might have spotted her eyes. But, he was not, and frankly was too hungry to care.

Minato followed the smell of Miya's cooking all the way downstairs; he hoped for some good home cooking after all the takeouts and the atrocities he'd created in his own kitchen.

The table was set and the lovely ladies of Izumo Inn had taken their places, barring Miya of course. There was a space next to Karasuba, who was gesturing for Minato to sit with her. Minato sat down next to Karasuba, expecting a hard elbow to the ribs.

There was a thick tension in the air, which Minato felt he was the cause of. Looking at both Karasuba and Kazehana, he could feel the tension. Karasuba had her eyes locked on Kazehana, while the unwinged Sekirei was trying her best to look every which way but back at her. Unsurprisingly, Uzume was exempt from the suspense between the two older women (though he suspected she might become part of the war if she didn't start wearing clothes). Distracted though they were, sooner or later one of them was bound to catch Minato staring at Uzume's exposed cleavage (like he was doing right now).

Tearing his eyes off of the brunette's boobs, Minato noticed two empty spaces. He assumed one was Miya's, but the other was a mystery.

"Kazehana-san, who's that place for?" Minato asked, pointing to the other empty space.

"That's for Kagari, if he actually decides to come eat with us," Kazehana said.

Karasuba thought for a moment. It must be Homura, if Haihane's reports were accurate.

"Kagari? Who is that?" Karasuba inquired.

"Just one of the tenants," Kazehana replied. "He's a host, so he works nights."

A small smirk appeared on Karasuba's face, "Really? Because I thought it might be Homura."

That caused a jolt of shock even No. 3 couldn't hide. Karasuba could just hear the baffled questions running through her former teammate's head. How could she know? Did she see him? Who else knew? Kazehana would probably guess that there had been reported sightings. But before the flustered woman could answer, Uzume chimed in.

"Wow, got it in one go, Karasuba-san! We don't see him too often, but he appears when he can." Karasuba's head jerked in Uzume's direction. She kept the smirk.

"Thank you for the honesty, No. 10," Karasuba said. "Though might I suggest more clothes at the dinner table?"

"Pfft, who needs clothes? They're just gonna get crumbs on them," Uzume retorted, causing Karasuba to laugh.

Minato breathed a sigh of relief. The tension began to die down as Uzume took the heat off of Kazehana. He laid eyes on the woman who sat across from him, who in turn locked eyes with her desired man.

For her part, No. 3 could feel the electricity in air, the butterflies in her stomach and the heat in her crotch. It was becoming unbearable.

On the other hand, it had never occured to the young ronin how deep her affections may run. He'd noticed the way she acted around him was very… doting, to say the least. He'd never say it to her face, but it made him feel special, much more than Karasuba.

Minato realised that he'd been staring at her for a while now and quickly tore his eyes away from her, to avoid The Black Sekirei's death grip. She was in prime position, and if she wanted to break a bone with her bare hand, his femur was in reach and the table would hide it.

Luckily for his bones, Miya entered the room with a large tray of food. She dished out breakfast to everyone and took her place at the table. She gave her sweet smile and everyone, aside from Karasuba, thanked Miya for the food.

"Minato-san, do you plan on getting a job?" Miya asked.

"Yeah, I'll try and find one ASAP."

Karasuba narrowed her eyes. "You will? Are you trying to escape me, Minato?" That bestial grin was upon Karasuba's face again.

"Well, I need to pay for the rent don't I?" Minato replied, "Besides, I wanna spoil you, Karasuba-san."

Karasuba was little surprised by the statement, even after all the things she done to him, he was being nice to her. You're so stupid, Minato.

Karasuba turned her head away from Minato and began to focus on her breakfast. She'd never admit it but Miya was a damn good cook. It wasn't long before she noticed it, a plant in the corner of the room. There was something hidden in between the leaves and branches. Karasuba grinned. Matsu.

She turned her attention to Miya, remaining calm and collected; "Miya? Have you seen Matsu recently?"

Miya swallowed her food, "Not recently; she's been missing for quite some time. Perhaps some unlucky Ashikabi stumbled on to her."

As Miya and Karasuba continued their conversation about Matsu, Minato leaned across to Kazehana. "Who's Matsu?" he whispered.

"She's Sekirei No. 2. Karasuba used to work with her." Kazehana replied.

Minato gave a quick nod before zoning back into the old enemies' conversation.

"You wouldn't be hiding her, would you Miya?" Karasuba smirked.

"Of course not. Why would I hide her when I can kill those who wish to hurt her?" Miya threatened.

"I don't want to hurt her, Miya. In case you forgot, I left MBI." Karasuba became agitated. "Threaten me again and I'll raze this inn to the ground."

Miya and Karasuba stared at each other with pure hate in their eyes and Minato was in the middle of it. He needed to do something, right now. Minato faced Karasuba and gulped. This was the worst idea he had ever had in his life.

'Fuck it,' he thought.

Before Karasuba could react properly, Minato wrapped his arms around her neck and kissed her deeply, shocking the rage out of her. The black wings burst from Karasuba's back and filled the room with anti-light. Karasuba recovered from the shock and kissed Minato back, just as deeply.

She took full control over the act, with the sole intent of making Kazehana jealous. Of course, she was going to make this painful for Minato. She dug her claws into his back, scratching down the full length and ripping his shirt.

Karasuba forced her tongue into Minato's mouth, making his own fair game. She lightly bit his tongue, causing Minato to jerk away from her in pain.

Karasuba gave a cruel chuckle. "What's wrong, Minato? You kissed me, remember?"

Minato backed away slightly, at this point he was scared for his life. But before Karasuba could catch her prey, a strong gust of wind came between them, breakfast miraculously undisturbed.

Standing between the two 'lovers' was Kazehana, a rare serious look on her face. Karasuba stood up and stared her down, he hand reaching for her sword.

"Step outside, Karasuba," Kazehana said.

"You must be joking. You can't beat me Kazehana. You aren't even winged."

Kazehana shook her head, a fire in her eyes. "Doesn't matter. I won't let you to hurt him.".

"Fine. It might be nostalgic." In a flash, Karasuba was gone.

Before she left, Kazehana grabbed Minato's hands and spoke. "Get out of here, Minato-kun, just for today."

And then she was gone. It still surprised Minato the speeds these Sekirei could move. Minato put his hands on his head. Maybe it would be a good idea to get away from the inn for a while. Just for the rest of the day.


It was cold. Probably due to the sheer amount of wind blowing through the air, thanks to Kazehana's surging power. It didn't faze Kazehana however; she just flicked away the hair in her eyes.

No. 3 clenched her fists. This was a bad idea. She probably wouldn't survive this, but it was worth it… right?

'Yeah, it's for Minato.'

The Black Sekirei was just as threatening as she'd always been. The nodachi was as sharp as her senses. The piercing gaze could cut through skin. The devilish smirk could make Takemi shiver.

Kazehana focused her power along her arms. There was no point in trying to hide it; Karasuba could detect even the tiniest fragments of stone or dry leaf tumbling in the corkscrewing winds. She could guess from where Kazehana would attack, maybe how, but not when.

The Wind Sekirei stared into the grey eyes of her enemy. Those weren't human eyes Karasuba had; she'd probably gouge them out if they were. No, when Karasuba looked into a mirror, she would see what Kazehana now saw, what Kazehana had seen every day since they'd met: pure, unyielding contempt, mixed with a deadly dose of bloodlust. Too bad it wasn't deadly to Karasuba herself.

But that didn't stop Kazehana. If she was gonna die, she was gonna die fighting. She dashed forward, feigning an attack from the left. As Karasuba moved to block, No. 3 kicked to the right, landing a blow on Karasuba's waist. Karasuba jumped back.

The Black Sekirei raised her sword in the air and swung hard with a downward slash. The Wind Sekirei dodged to the left and blasted Karasuba point-blank with a gust of wind. Even though she'd seen it coming, Karasuba was too close to dodge. Besides, who in their right mind would attack The Black Hound of MBI in close-quarters?

What are you playing at, thought Karasuba.

Driving her sword tip-deep into the concrete sidewalk, Karasuba vaulted back to her feet. Number Three almost threw herself upon it, with how fast she rushed to re-engage at close range. Instead, she twirled to the side and bent backwards, dodging a horizontal slash. A flurry of cuts and thrusts followed, driving Three back. Two quick bursts of wind were split by Karasuba's sword, so powerful were its slipstreams. A lunging thrust broke through a third attack, nearly spearing Kazehana through the shoulder if she hadn't bobbed away. So close, though, that there was no way she could miss.

And she didn't.

Karasuba was knocked clean off her feet, tumbling head over heels through the air as the howling updraft carried her above the unlit street lights. Her sense of orientation quickly righted itself, even while her body was tossed around like an old shoe, and a nearby three-story complex provided the anchor that Karasuba needed.

You won't be getting rid of me that easily, she thought, her fingers leaving cracks in the walls.

Below, The Wind Sekirei posed like a fencer: one arm outstretched, the other behind her back, both hands open. Karasuba, by contrast, was hanging off the side of a stone and concrete behemoth like some low-life urban orangutang. Arrogant poise aside, there was a small, prideful glimmer in Kazehana's eyes that Karasuba decided she could not let stand. Letting slip a frustrated growl, The Black Hound charged.

Not directly, though. Kazehana would put a stop to that. Instead, Karasuba took Miya's fence hostage, landing behind it and using it as a temporary shield while she closed the distance. She didn't exit through the front entrance, either, instead somersaulting over the top and landing deftly. Then she took the direct approach.

For Kazehana, there was a noticeable change in the air. Karasuba was more relaxed now, taking time between each half-committed slash to leer at Kazehana. These were telegraphed attacks, but so quick that they were barely avoided. It seemed the novelty, of someone actually standing up to the fearsome Black Sekirei, was losing its effect on her.

She was blown back by another gust but quickly regained her footing. No. 4 launched an attack at No. 3, swinging her sword with casual ease. Kazehana could barely dodge thisswing, her arm was caught by the blade, cutting deeper than Kazehana thought possible.

'There was so little strength in that, how was it so effective? Is the power difference so that huge?' Kazehana thought.

The Black Sekirei moved him, slashing her blade in different directions lazily. She only used one hand, probably to insult Kazehana. At the finale to the razor-sharp web, she raised her sword and pulled down hard. Kazehana was barely caught by the sword once again. The unwinged Sekirei jumped back, unleashing a torrent of wind in Karasuba's direction. No. 4 was caught by the wind, this was Kazehana's chance.

The Wind Sekirei flew forward, using her powers to gain some speed. She threw a punch that landed on Karasuba's face, then a powerful kick to her gut. She finished her combo with second punch, this time her fist coated in wind. She landed the blow on Karasuba, knocking her to the opposite end of the street. Kazehana gained some distance; who knows what Karasuba would do next.

"Not bad, Kazehana," No. 4 said. "Time to get serious."

Karasuba jumped to her feet, landing gracefully. She dashed forward, twirling her gargantuan nodachi in her hand. She jumped over Kazehana, twisting her body to avoid Number 3's defensive upward blast and landing behind her. A 180 degree twirl followed, cutting Kazehana's back.

No. 3 jerked forward, propelling herself with her wind. She could feel the warm crimson liquid soaking into her dress, and Karasuba...

That look…

Karasuba could smell it: fear, blood, it was riling her up, almost sexually. This was the monster Kazehana fought, and the one that would be the end of her. A gust snapped forth with a wave of her arm, Karasuba waiting until the last possible instant before stepping out of the way. Her sword was lowered; No. 4 slowly walked forward, staring down her latest kill. Kazehana slid one foot back and suddenly Karasuba was on her, the sword's tip stabbing into her thigh. Her momentum carried her back with help from her uninjured leg, but she quickly fell to the asphalt. Both women knew they neared a bloody finale.

No. 3 gathered her power, every ounce she had. She held out her palm and pushed. A cyclone of wind howled forward, destroying everything in its path. Cars and trees were thrown into the air, destroying nearby houses.

The Black Sekirei grinned, she simply walked through the Cyclone. It was nothing to her, but a breeze. She had all her power and her prey had none. Not a very delicious meal, but pretty one nonetheless. It was a shame, she was looking forward to her seconds.

Kazehana was freaking out, this power gap was insane. There was nothing she could do. Why? Why did she have to open her big mouth? Why did she have to challenge Karasuba?

"Kazehana!" The Wind Sekirei jerked her head to the side. There he was, running at her with a overly serious face. Kazehana smiled a little: with one leg, facing Karasuba while fresh out of gas, couldn't he see she had this? No. 3 glanced at Karasuba; her face had twisted into sheer rage.

Kazehana looked back to Minato. He was closing in. 'What the hell is he doing?!'

The young ronin sped up, he had to do this. This was the only way she would survive! Right as Karasuba was about to deliver a hasty coup de grace, her Ashikabi annoyingly got in the way, forcing her hand. Minato now stood right in front of Kazehana, back to her as she lay on the ground, a growing pool of red forming on the black asphalt beneath her thigh.

"Kara-... Karasuba…" He nearly choked. "Kazehana…"

Screwing his eyes shut, he blurted, "I'm so sorry about this!"

In a flash he'd spun around and dropped to his knees before Kazehana, getting her blood on his pants. Eyes still clenched, he wrapped his arms around her waist and crashed his lips into hers. Kazehana's surprise didn't last very long; she swiftly took control of the kiss and began to roll her tongue around Minato's.

Her wings burst from her back, she pulled away and spoke; "Wind of my pledge, blow away the dark clouds that befall my Ashikabi!"

Kazehana pulled away from Minato, winking at him in the process. She turned her head to Karasuba, a confidant smile on her perfectly sculpted face. Her wounds had closed and her energy had been restored. She began to walk forward, Karasuba doing the same.

"Looks like we're sisters now, Karasuba," Kazehana said, quite sarcastically chipper.

Karasuba smirked. "It appears so, with my little pet running off to other women. We'll have to punish him later, Kazehana."

"I can't let you do that, Karasuba," Kazehana said, her face turning deadly serious.

Karasuba's feral grin returned to her face, "Maybe you'll be able to give me a challenge!"

Karasuba dashed forward, swinging her sword wildly. Kazehana dodged and weaved around every strike Karasuba swung at her. The Wind Sekirei propelled herself off the ground, flipping over Karasuba. When she landed, her leg swung up and kicked Karasuba in the back of the head. Karasuba went flying to the side, landing on a wrecked car.

"Oh. Yeah," Karasuba huffed, flush with excitement.

The Black Sekirei dashed forward, the force of her of her dash broke the curb. She dropped her sword, chosing to rely on her fists. Not as easy to see coming. No. 4 threw a right hook, blocked by No. 3.

Kazehana countered by throwing a hard kick, coated in wind. Karasuba leaned back, dodging the kick. She placed her hand on the ground, maneuvering herself backward and kicking Kazehana in the chin. She landed back on her feet.

Kazehana rubbed her her chin. Nice move. No.3 moved in; she wasn't as strong as Karasuba but she was faster. Kazehana coated her arms in wind.

"Let's go, Karasuba!"

The two Sekirei clashed, throwing blow after blow. The immense shockwaves from each fist and kick thrown, the ground began to break apart from the sheer force. This was still only a skirmish, neither were truly serious. Across the street, Minato was in awe of his two Sekirei. He could actually feel the force of their blows, their rising power and their heightening emotions. It was a frightening to him, he could feel what they were feeling. Their fear, their confidence, their anger, their love (or lack thereof in Karasuba's case) and their hate. Is this the bond between an Ashikabi and a Sekirei?

Why? Why did they need Minato? What was his purpose? A quick kiss and a power boost? Is that it? No, no that's not it. These feelings he can feel, they're real. Minato had been down-trodden for most of his life but these feelings that his Sekirei were exuding… Karasuba's dark lust, Kazehana's pure love. It meant the world to Minato.

Back at the brawl, Kazehana and Karasuba were both exhausted, "Are you done yet, Kazehana!"

"Pft, you wish!" Kazehana replied.

"This is getting boring, how about we end this?"

"Fine then!" Kazehana flared her power, coating her entire body in the wind.

Karasuba done the same, her power grew to new heights. She felt strong, it excited her greatly. The two Sekirei dashed at each other, culminating in a great clash that caused large explosion of energy to engulf much of the surrounding area.

Minato couldn't stand to watch anymore, he ran to ground zero of the explosion. The smoke began to clear and what Minato saw made him smile. Karasuba and Kazehana, arms around each others' backs and laughing at what just transpired.

"Really brings back memories, right?" Kazehana said.

"Yeah, haven't had that much fun in years!" Karasuba said, her grip tightening as

She then leaned forward and murmured something into Kazehana's ear. Minato didn't know what, but it prompted Kazehana to half-smirk, huff, and respond with, "It's share and share alike, then."

Karasuba gave her an evil smirk before turning her attention to her not-so-faithful Ashikabi. She grabbed Minato by the shirt, bringing him close to her face.

"Seeing you kiss another woman made me jealous, Minato," she said with sadistic frivolity. "What are you going to do about it?".

"I-I, uh-" Minato stuttered; the colour drained from his face. He swallowed the lump in his throat and as he opened his mouth, he was treated to a nice surprise.

Karasuba locked lips with her "beloved" Ashikabi. Minato had been kissed more times today than he had in his entire life. Secretly, he absolutely loved it. The attention, sexual or otherwise, was more than he'd received from anyone outside of his immediate family. Karasuba let him go, no biting or blood. Surprising.

"C'mon, Minato." Karasuba hurled Minato over her shoulder.

The Black Sekirei and The Wind Sekirei made their way back to Izumo Inn, with their gorgeous Ashikabi in hand.