Author's Notes: Here's Chapter two of Sekirei: Age of the Gods. Omniarch is signing in now.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, nor do I make any profits from this whatsoever.

Chapter 2: Miracle Cure-Alls and Fate's Second Chance

'If you do the 'playing God' thing right, people won't know you've done anything at all. Futurama references aside, I've always been subtle when I went around performing miracles in the various mortal realms; hell, even Misty found out about my existence… because I underestimated her resourcefulness and determination to thank the person who healed her incurable brother Nick. So, why am I straying outside my cloak of anonymity now?! Is there some sector of my soul that relishes the attention my miracle-working garners? What kind of an asshole does that make me?!' Appaneesty continued psycho-analyzing himself while pulling Uzume along with him into the Hospital's lobby.

'So, I have some character flaws; whoop dee-shit. After all this time operating in the shadows, perhaps I deserve some acknowledgment for my painstaking efforts to make the Omni-Omniverse a better place. I will need to try and downplay how powerful I truly am; the last thing I need is the attention one garners by displaying endlessly self-transcending metapotent abilities. A vile of Omni-Omniversal anti-viral to cure Chiho is all I need anyways; no need to go overkill and heal her by other, less comprehensible means.' He grinned cheekily, having given up his psycho-analysis as a bad job and deciding that it was good thing he had flaws. It made things more interesting, and frankly, being perfect in every goddamn way seemed like a bland way to live.

"It isn't necessary for you to pull me along." Uzume chided him reproachfully, still alarmed by his strength for a human as he blushed sheepishly and let her hand go… continuing to lead despite not being able to know where Chiho's room was.

"Sorry, guess I got a little carried away; it's been a long time since I've been this angry on another person's behalf." Appaneesty found himself admitting as Uzume smiled at him. She kept sneaking furtive, nervous glances over her shoulder at the lobby's security people and secretary; wondering why they hadn't come to remove her from the area and surprised when she and Appaneesty made it to the elevator without incident.

"Perception filter, works every time." Appaneesty proclaimed in response to her unasked question, a maddening grin on his face.

'Oh boy, just what I have gotten myself into this time? Appaneesty's a mad hatter.'' Uzume inquired internally. Underneath her nervousness though, she could see the tense posture of his two-meter tall frame; obviously, he was more bothered by what she told him than he let on. If she wasn't so afraid of what he might try to do in his anger, or worried he was going to piss off the wrong people; she would've been much more touched by how enraged he was on her behalf. As it was, she needed to do damage control and hoped she could reign him in.

She briefly wondered what he meant by perception filter, but decided to thank her lucky stars when the elevator opened and they slipped inside unnoticed. "We made it, do you know where we're going?" she asked him when the elevator closed them in together and started heading up floors.

Appaneesty shook his head, "No, I don't suppose I do eh?" He chuckled sheepishly, and Uzume facepalmed.

"I'll take you to see her, but you need to promise me that you'll calm down for me when I do. It's not a good idea to get on Higa's bad side. He has a lot of money and influence, possibly even enough to have you murdered or something without anyone tracing it back to him." Uzume explained to him, not wanting to scare him but needing him to understand the seriousness of going to war with someone as powerful as Higa.

Appaneesty chuckled, causing her to quirk an eyebrow at him. She was a Sekirei, and she was afraid of what Higa could do to Chiho; why wasn't he taking this seriously? "Uzume, relax, trust me, I know what I'm doing." He reassuringly stated, and despite herself, Uzume felt more relaxed about their situation. He seemed confident, that much was certain at least. She just hoped Higa wouldn't find out about all this and force her to do something truly despicable like get rid of Appaneesty for sticking his nose in the hospital owner's business. He'd used Chiho as a weapon against her before, forced her to commit atrocities in exchange for continued treatment for her beautiful Ashikabi.

"I really hope you're right, for both our sakes and Chiho's." Uzume finally sighed in resignation, knowing there was little she could do to stop this man from doing whatever he was going to do. She'd have to resort to her Sekirei abilities to force him to come back to Izumo Inn with her, and the last thing she wanted was to get the poor man into trouble with MBI when he was just trying to help her.

"Yee of little faith. Oh, what fools you mortals be." He sighed melodramatically, feigning hurt as Uzume rolled her eyes and laughed, surprised by how easy it was for him to make her feel truly relaxed. She felt almost as safe with him as she did with Mia back at her inn; it was the one place she could truly be her cheerful, teasing, playful self without having to worry. The only other time and place she was like that, was in Chiho's room.

The elevator opened to admit them on the designated floor with a quiet ding. Uzume took the lead at this point as Appaneesty claimed he didn't know which room was her Ashikabi's; though the veiled Sekirei was beginning to suspect he knew a lot more than he let on. After what felt like hours of walking the halls and trying to keep her mounting panic at bay, the brunette beauty stopped with Appaneesty in the terminal care section, all while somehow evading the eyes of every member of staff that passed them by. If Uzume didn't know any better, she would've sworn they were invisible. What was it Appaneesty said, a 'perception filter'? She couldn't remember exactly, but it was worth noting now that they'd managed to bypass five more staff members since the initial security guards and secretary lady.

"So, what now genius; the door is closed and locked, and we need a keycard to get in? I usually prefer sneaking in through the window; the fire escape route is easier if you've got the stamina and aren't afraid of heights." Uzume sighed frustratingly, but to her surprise Appaneesty merely smirked and pulled out what looked like a pen with a lit-up cap.

It made a strange whirring sound as Appaneesty pressed a button on its side, and Uzume's jaw dropped when the lock clicked and the door opened as easily as though it'd never been locked in the first place. At her questioning and startled glance, Appaneesty gave her a wink and a click of his tongue. "Ultra-luminal probe, unlocks almost anything, and for doors that can't be unlocked; it can generate vibrational bursts capable of rupturing the Omniversal barrier itself to vaporize them instead. It also has about a million other functions and apps depending upon how frequently I click this button and how quickly." He explained with a cheeky grin that left Uzume's jaw hanging as he held the door open for her. "Shall we?" he laughed, and Uzume finally recovered her wits enough to respond, though she continued to stare at him in fascination.

"Sure." She simply said, and she preceded him into her Ashikabi's room. There would be time for questions later; all she could think right now was she had to get some of what Appaneesty had for herself. Chiho had a room all to herself, one of the benefits of being in the biggest hospital in Tokyo; there were enough rooms not to cram everyone in just a few of them. Her Ashikabi was staring at her with a surprised look, clearly not used to Uzume coming in through the proper entrance and surprised she didn't come alone.

"Uzume, it's wonderful to see you again." The girl cooed adoringly with a blush, recovering quickly from her surprise. She was a fair skinned, blonde-haired girl with brown eyes and a simple hospital gown covering her small frame. Appaneesty smiled at Uzume who walked up to the bed to embrace her Ashikabi, closing the hospital door behind them and locking it again with a simple whirring noise of his ultra-luminal probe. He made it so that the card keys wouldn't be able to open the room and disturb them, and he may have cast a subtle but powerful hospital staff member repellent charm of sorts and activated his Meta Luck so they would be fortunate enough to arrive here without anyone being in the room already.

"Likewise Chiho; how are you feeling today?" Uzume asked her beautiful Ashikabi, who smiled gently at her. Appaneesty couldn't help but smile at their lack of honorifics when addressing one another; in Japanese culture that denoted a degree of intimacy between two people; looking into their ESIT Signatures… he could tell their dynamic was that of a pair of lovers.

"I'm feeling okay, though I'm kind of surprised you used the door this time, and who is this man you've brought with you?" She inquired like a curious cat as Appaneesty saw her staring at him inquisitively.

"Oh, don't mind me; Uzume-San was just giving me a tour of the city earlier today since I'm from out of town, and when I heard about you from her I had to admit I was glad she told me about your condition Chiho-San. Because now I know I can help you guys. Nice to meet you Chiho-San; my name is Appaneesty-San." He said as he pulled out a vial containing a mysterious blue liquid that caused both Chiho and Uzume to look at it with slight trepidation.

"What is that?" the veiled Sekirei asked with equal parts apprehension and suspicion.

Appaneesty chuckled with a reassuring smile while uncorking the lid. "This, my dear friend… is an Omni-Omniversal anti-viral remedy. It can immunize Chiho-San against every virus-based illness in the Totalities of existence. Hell, if you both want I've got other vials on my person that immunize against everything else as well including bacteria, poisons, gases, venoms, and all that. The person in question would be rendered biologically immortal on the ultimate scale." Appaneesty said while producing said second vial from his dimensionally expanded pocket; this one containing a florescent green liquid that had both Chiho and Uzume looking at him like he was nuts; their eyes wide at the array of remedies he kept on his person.

"So, let me see if I've got this straight… you just conveniently happen to have these two cure-all remedies; despite my only telling you about Chiho less than an hour ago?! That's not suspicious at all!" Uzume sarcastically remarked, her left eyebrow rising calculatingly as she regarded Appaneesty with uneasiness.

"Never mind that Uzume; I want to know how he even has these kinds of remedies in the first place, and why he hasn't shared them with mankind? Also, how do we even know they work?" Chiho added with surprising shrewdness of her own that seemed to come as a surprise to Uzume while Appaneesty raised his hands placatingly.

"First, I'm not here to solve all of humanity's problems and mass produce these remedies I've created; they need to retain their ability to fend for themselves and not rely on people like me for everything. Secondly, you two need to understand that I'm taking a monstrous leap of faith even just revealing this much to you, and taking the time to help one person in need because she's precious to a friend of mine. I'm hoping you'll both keep the random and miraculous recovery that Chiho-San will undergo a secret, or at least play dumb as to the cause of said recovery."

"Finally, I can never prove to you that they work, nor can you two validate it yourselves without centuries of analyzing the remedy's composition and by then it'll be too late to save her life without them. In any case, the only way you two can know for sure is if Chiho-San takes the remedy herself and sees for herself. Ask yourselves this and consider carefully before you decide; do either of you two have much of anything left to lose?" Appaneesty concluded his statement with a sigh, a friendly, encouraging smile on his face that never wavered as Chiho looked like she was considering it; though Uzume was still suspicious.

"She can still lose her life, and how do we know we can trust you not to poison her or something instead for shits and giggles. I've been told for years that Chiho's condition is incurable, so you can understand why I am skeptical about your claims; the fact that you happen to show up out of nowhere with the cure to a disease one of the best doctors in the world says is untreatable… is suspicious to say the least. As long as Chiho still has some quality of life left, I'm not keen on the idea of taking unnecessary risks." She said while glaring daggers at Appaneesty to accentuate her suspicious disposition.

Appaneesty nodded understandingly, but he pressed on nonetheless. "Sometimes you've got to take a leap of faith first; the trust part comes later. And while Higa may be one of the best doctors on the world, no expert in any field can claim to know everything about what they do for a living. My methods are a bit… out of this world, so to speak. If you're willing to take a leap of faith this one time, I give you my word you won't regret it. But I can't help you unless you're willing to help yourself Chiho-San. Uzume-San is protective, and I can respect that a lot in somebody who is romantically involved with someone such as yourself, but ultimately the final decision on whether or not you choose to take this remedy is in your hands. So what say you?" Appaneesty told them in an uncharacteristic display of genuine seriousness; holding out the vials of green and blue liquid in each of his hands respectively, giving her the opportunity to choose which of them she should go for.

Chiho considered her options, limited though they were. On one hand, she could entrust her fate to the best hospital in all of Japan and maybe get another 5-10 years out of it if she was lucky; on another she could appeal to someone like Minaka who's position as the Game Master gave him more power, clout, and advancements than anyone else in the city… though she would be damned if she entrusted her fate to that madman and would only do so if there was no alternative. On the other hand, she now had an unforeseen third option and one which supposedly had the potential to thwart all the others and give her back her life; hell, Appaneesty claimed the green potion would render her completely biologically immortal and immune to everything in the Totalities of existence or something.

Still, there were so many unknowns like whether or not he was telling the truth, and even if he was she still didn't have the first clue what his real motives truly were. With medicine like that he could literally solve a massive amount of humanity's problems; cure every sickness and disease there was… so why wasn't he sharing that knowledge? Was he judging humanity to not be ready for those kinds of infinite medical advancements, or was there something more sinister at work here? She didn't know the answer, but at this point… she had very little left to lose. Uzume was content to spend whatever time Chiho had left just being with her, knowing she would be rendered inert when she died of her disease, but Chiho refused to be constrained to that kind of existence; not if she had other options, and if there was even the slightest chance that Appaneesty was telling the truth…

"I'll take that risk." She finally decided, finishing her thoughts aloud as Uzume turned to her in alarm, her beautiful eyes widening to the size of dinner plates.

"Chiho, are you sure?!" Uzume exclaimed in a questioning manner, and Chiho nodded.

"I am… because the way I see it, whether I take this chance or not I'm still going to die in ten-years if I don't. If there is even the slightest hope Appaneesty-Sama's remedy can cure me; then I'm sorry Uzume, but I have to take that risk." Chiho declared with resolution, and Uzume sighed before turning to Appaneesty with fire in her eyes.

"You'd better pray to whatever deities you believe in that this remedy works and that it doesn't hurt Chiho; cuz if it does hurt her you're not leaving this hospital room alive." She warned him, and Appaneesty nodded without a trace of fear in his eyes, holding her gaze unflinchingly.

"Noted, and trust me Uzume-San; it will work." He promised her as the only decision left was for Chiho to decide which vial to pick.

"The green one immunizes me against all the other stuff to right?" She asked him, considering taking it instead so that she would have no risks of getting sick with anything ever again… that way she and Uzume could live their lives together happy and perfectly healthy.

"Yes it does, it immunizes you against literally everything and everything the Omni-Omniverse can throw at you; sicknesses, diseases of all kinds including the incurables like HIV and all types of cancer, viruses, bacteria, any and all alien pathogens including those of Extra-Omniversal origins, all forms of poison and venom in every existing creature both native to earth and off-world, and all gases and atmospheres unbreathable to humans."

"Oh, you'll also cure the death genome in your DNA as well. And the best part is it's an eternal immunization; you'll never need another one, and one drop will do. I can immunize you as well Uzume so the both of you can be together for all of time. You'll both lose the ability to die of natural causes… I will say however that you can still die via murder, mortal injuries, and the like… so don't be too reckless. Your immune system will be functionally omnipotent every way an immune system can be and you'll be biologically immortal on the ultimate scale, but not invincible." Appaneesty told them both as he held out the green vial to each of them in turn with a smirk as their infinitely shocked expressions made it all the more worth his time to do this for them.

"Holy shit, you seriously expect me to believe that this little green vial can immunize us both against all of that?!" Uzume stammered, her face ashen as she gaped at him with slacken jaws like a fish out of water. She barely understood half of the terms he spouted from his mouth, and this was her speaking as a member of an alien race billions of years ahead of Earth's humans. Appaneesty would've found her and Chiho-San's expressions of incredulity adorable if he wasn't so hell-bent on making sure they trusted him enough to take the vial.

"Yee of little faith again Uzume-San… why don't you both take a drop of this vial and let time tell the tale hmm? If it's poison and I am lying to you; you'll both be too dead to care anyways. In fact, why don't I take the first sip and show you both it isn't poisoned?" Appaneesty asked them as he uncorked the bottle and carefully placed a drop on the tip of his tongue as he swallowed it down with smacking lips and a silently content smile on his face.

"Yum, tastes like lemon-flavored Turkish Delight; just like I designed it. I made it so that it tastes different to every person according to what their favorite confection is." He spoke with a hum of pure delight as he held out the green vial to them once again… watching as they saw nothing bad happening to him.

"Okay, I guess that's promising; though I've heard stories of people who buildup an immunity to the poison they use to kill others." Uzume stubbornly stated, and Appaneesty facepalmed at her continued cynicism while Chiho giggled at his misfortune. She seemed to find him trustworthy enough to accept the vial from him now, though she was curious about something.

"Did you already immunize yourself against everything with your own medicine or something?" She asked him, and Appaneesty chuckled.

"To tell you the truth Chiho-San, I don't need to and I never did; I was kind of born immune to everything. I developed these cure-alls by studying my own physiology… I basically transfer my own immune system's peerless strength to other races; the tricky bit was bypassing any and all biological compatibility issues in truthfulness." Appaneesty replied straightforwardly, and Chiho looked at him with curiosity.

"Are you an alien?" She asked in such a casual, out-of-the-blue fashion that Appaneesty nearly spluttered in shock.

"Um, yes I am… though I have to admit people are usually much more shocked by this revelation when I get around to making it…" He paused as he glanced at Uzume while smirking at her knowingly.

"Though given the circumstances, I can imagine you're not like most people; am I right Chiho-San?" He asked her while never taking his eyes off Uzume the whole time, the girl's eyes widening in an expression that told him she knew he knew of her otherworldly origins. Chiho of course, was oblivious to the whole exchange between them, and merely giggled as she accidentally dribbled a little bit more than a drop of the green remedy on her tongue… taking what amounted to a spoonful instead. Appaneesty honestly didn't mind, he could easily conjure more via his Meta-Omnificence, or replicate what was already there via his Endless Supply ability.

"Sorry about that." Chiho blushed sheepishly as she swallowed the potion with a wide-eyed smile and handed the vial back to Appaneesty; who laughed at her endearing clumsiness as he held the vial out to Uzume as well; who eyed it with slightly less trepidation than before.

"Meh, don't worry about it Chiho-San; I'm quite capable of making more, and besides… whether it's a drop or a spoonful the remedy has an everlasting duration. In other words, the effects never wear off. Also, it's not exactly the type of thing you can overdose yourself on either." He replied with ultimate airiness, all while never retracting his hand from offering the remedy to Uzume as well.

"You're insane, you know that?!" Uzume sighed before she finally accepted the vial from him and skillfully poured a drop on her tongue before swallowing it. Her eyes quickly lit up at the sweet and seemingly harmless taste.

"That tastes like Landlady-Sama's homemade baking; you really weren't kidding when you said it would match our favorite confections." Uzume laughed in utter, maddening astonishment. She almost dared to believe that Appaneesty could be telling the truth about all the rest of it… almost. At least he wasn't lying about how it tasted to each person according to what's their favorite confection.

Chiho looked up at her Sekirei from on her bed with the healthiest amount of color on her face that either of them had ever seen. "I feel so… warm. Is this what it feels like to be healthy and one's proper body temperature?" She asked, feeling as though her very circulation was warming her to the core. It was definitely a feeling she could get used to, and she could see shades of red on her hands and felt the burn in her cheeks as Uzume leaned in to get a better look at her while also feeling the effects.

She was a Sekirei, and thus already built much stronger than any human, but even she couldn't deny this felt amazing. Vigor and endless vitality flowed through every fiber of her being like nothing she'd ever felt before, and they both idly wondered if this was the kind of unending optimum healthiness Appaneesty felt every single day. Her Ashikabi seemed to radiate more health in that one moment than she had done in the whole rest of her life, and she'd never seen anyone so beautiful in her entire existence. She was beginning to believe that Appaneesty was telling the truth, and if he had been…

Chiho felt a rush of unimaginable positive energy and strength surge through her as the need to get up and move compelled her like the power of Christ does a demon during an exorcism. She rose to her feet off the bed, a little shaky… but that was due more to her somewhat atrophied muscles than any weakness she felt from her sickness. Already, she felt stronger, livelier, and fuller of life than she had ever done… and she owed it all to this Man of Miracles and his miracle cure-all. She still wasn't entirely sure how long this feeling of complete elation would last, or if she would go back to feeling sick afterwards… but she prayed these effects were not temporary. She wanted so desperately to believe Appaneesty had actually cured her, and as she started walking around her room without any support whatsoever or any help from her wheel chair; she almost dared to believe it had worked.

"Chiho, you're walking!" Uzume exclaimed with a loud gasp, captioning the obvious as Appaneesty smiled at her while he and her Sekirei supported Chiho on both sides and helped her across the room to look out her own window.

"Take it easy there champ; your disease may be being cured but your muscles are still atrophied due to all the years of not using them consistently. You'll need time to build your strength back up. Also, the remedy will need time to undo the years of deterioration done to your body by the disease; still, this is a big step-up I'm guessing so just take it slow. Miracles don't happen overnight you know." Appaneesty advised her sagely as Chiho nodded and accepted his help as he held her by her left arm and Uzume held her by her right… allowing her to lean some weight on each of their shoulders and take it easy for a little while. They got to the window at long last and Chiho got her first breath of fresh air for the first time in months; taking in the sights of the city below her and the sounds of cars and people going on for miles. It was the most exhilarating moment of her entire life of two decades, and she had never been happier.

"This is amazing… I can breathe the fresh air once again… I can WALK! I feel stronger now than I have done in my entire life, and my appetite… I'm starving. I feel like I could eat a five-course meal." Chiho proclaimed with absolute giddiness as she stuck her head out of the open window and Uzume felt similarly supercharged. Both girls felt like they could take on the entire world and win… the feeling of elation and invincibility making both of them more than a little punch drunk with ecstasy.

"Ah yes, the appetite part makes sense; it's your newly cured body recognizing the amount of deterioration done to your musculature by your prior lack of appetite due to the disease… so it's spiking your metabolism in an effort to encourage you to eat copious amounts of food which will in turn speed up the recovery process. Ah the human race… always running on its stomach; food and water are the wellsprings of life they say. Best way to rebuild your muscles is to eat lots of protein; maybe even hit a fitness center afterwards. You've got a lot to make up for, although I may have just given you an unlimited amount of free time to do so; given the fact that I've rendered you both biologically immortal. Though something tells me Uzume-San has a few special traits of her own, am I right?" Appaneesty finished his explanation with a question that shocked both women as they stared at him with a classic deer-in-the-headlights look.

"So you do know about us." Uzume stated, and Appaneesty nodded.

"How long?" She asked him briskly.

"Since the moment I arrived on this planet and was accepted as a tenant at Izumo Inn." He admitted, confirming her earlier suspicions about him knowing what she was.

Chiho looked surprised by this as well. "You got into Izumo Inn as well? Are you the same kind of alien as Uzume and the others? Are you a Sekirei?" She decided to ask him, and Appaneesty shook his head.

"No clue what a Sekirei even is Chiho-San; I'm something else." He told her, and Chiho nodded in acceptance of his answer while Uzume merely considered Appaneesty for a moment.

"I suppose Earth is just one of those extra-galactic tourist hotspots or something." Chiho casually commented as Appaneesty snickered.

"Oh believe me… you have no idea how right you are Chiho-San." He guffawed in an omniscient tone of voice.

"Just call me Chiho please Appaneesty-Sama; after what you did for me I see no need for honorifics." She reverently whispered as both Appaneesty and Uzume stared at her in shock. Uzume because she could sense her Ashikabi developing a crush born from gratitude on the strange other alien named Appaneesty, and Appaneesty because he wasn't expecting for this to turn into another situation like with Misty Allyson… especially so quickly. He did what he did because it was right, because it was decent, and above all… it was kind. He didn't do it for the glory, or to get into a woman's pants due to their gratitude; though he wouldn't deny them the need to thank him properly if that was truly what their hearts desired.

It also didn't help that he had a ZOF enhanced libido… he needed to be careful when doing the dance with no pants with mortals… because ZOF Master tier Zenith Omnidonae could literally fuck for eternities without the need to sleep, eat, breathe oxygen, or even take a break due to their complete lack of a refractory period. The total absence of any need for the bare necessities of life plus their meta-omnipotent sexual Godhood were all things to be considered very carefully when bedding a human; of course, this was all hypothetical and purely academic on his part. He had no desire to take advantage of this situation anyhow; Misty had been quite forceful on thanking him and all that… but she never let it go that far between them until they had gotten to know each other first. He allowed a warm smile to form on his face as he accepted Chiho's proposal.

"Only if you call me Appaneesty." He responded with a cheeky grin, and Chiho nodded, accepting his terms as he couldn't help but find her growing crush on him somewhat flattering. Being appreciated for the things he did really did feel good, and it wasn't that he actively sought credit or a reward for the good things he did; he just felt that a little appreciation for his good work could go a long way to giving him the incentive to continue doing said good deeds. Still, he wasn't about to let her crush on him continue to remain unacknowledged when she had a clearly loving relationship with her Sekirei Alien girlfriend. Said girlfriend was viewing Appaneesty with an intensely unreadable expression that only made her all the easier for a person with his limitless perceptive powers to read.

Looking at the little crush her Ashikabi had formed on her potential savior got Uzume to thinking; truth be told, a lot of Ashikabi developed a bond with more than one Sekirei and had harems coming out of the wazoo. Still, given her Ashikabi's sickness; she hadn't really prepared for the eventuality of sharing her properly… especially not with a man who wasn't one of the 108 Sekirei himself and who'd miraculously stumbled onto all this with the solution to her life's biggest hurdle.

He said he had no idea what a Sekirei was so he couldn't have known about the Sekirei Plan, but he did know she was an alien… he said he knew it since the moment he arrived on this planet and set foot in Izumo Inn. There were still so many questions she had, but above all she wished to thank him somehow. She still couldn't fully accept that Chiho was cured just like that… and she wouldn't accept it until Higa's staff themselves passed it off as some miracle recovery, but she couldn't deny the energy flowing through her with just that one drop of the remedy.

She really did feel as if she was impervious to every sickness and pathogen out there; if such a feeling were capable of being put into concrete terms that is. All he knew was she felt stronger; stronger than she had ever been and that was truly saying something. If this was how Chiho felt now as well… or as close to it as a human could feel compared to a super-powered alien; then maybe she really was cured.

Still, a remedy that made her feel good and full of healthy vitality was not the same thing as a cure… not necessarily; he could've been tricking them. For all she knew it was just a pepper-me-up potion of some kind, and the affects were only temporary. Still, she was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt for now; at least until he either was validated by a genuine doctor or something bad happened to them for whatever reason… at which point she'd do her best to take him down with her and Chiho.

"What say we get a more… professional opinion from your nurse or anyone who can validate the fact you're cured?" Appaneesty suggested, plucking the thoughts right out of Uzume's head. She felt a little creeped out by his insightfulness. The Veiled Sekirei wasn't sure what to make of all this; if Appaneesty really did work a miracle, then pandemonium was going to ensue once it became clear her Ashikabi was well.

As though sensing her thoughts, Appaneesty looked at both of them with a serious expression so intense Uzume and Chiho both felt a chill go through their bodies. "Remember when I said I was taking a massive leap of faith just by doing this; well this is what I meant. People are going to question this you two, they're going to wonder everything from the how's, to the whys and especially who. I've been looping the security feed of this room since before we first set foot in here, and I plan on operating under a cloak of anonymity afterward so nobody ever finds out I was directly responsible… but that also depends on the two of you. I said I would cure you Chiho-San, and I have… but when the time comes for the two of you to understand fully that I was telling the truth; I need you both to promise me that you won't give my name away."

"It's fine if you two want to thank me, but leave me out of any press gatherings or stuff like that. I've spent too long operating in the shadows to feel at all comfortable with being cast into the limelight, and I'm not in a position where I can deal with people demanding more of my cure-alls and other solutions to their problems that I can provide. If you can do that for me you two, I'd really appreciate it." Appaneesty concluded his request while never losing his intimidatingly grave demeanor. Uzume swallowed a lump that had formed in her throat while Chiho shuddered, and that more than anything convinced both of them that he might be telling the truth.

Appaneesty sighed. "Look, I don't blame you two; this is a lot to take in, and frankly it would be hard to believe for anyone. Believe me when I say this though, I'll make a believer out of you both soon enough; it's always a simple matter of time. Just promise me that when that time comes you'll both play dumb if anyone comes along asking questions." He reiterated his statement from before, and both Chiho and Uzume decided they would accept his terms and nodded their heads in acquiescence; letting him know they were intending to promise him just that.

"Anyways Chiho, I reckon Uzume-San and I should probably take our leave; especially since the hospital staff doesn't know we're here. If you run into any trouble here… say my name and I promise I'll be there as fast as I can." Appaneesty informed her with a smile as Chiho stared at both him and Uzume in confusion.

"I get that people will want to know how and why I may be cured, but I doubt they'd go so far as to harass me. I mean, what kind of trouble would I run into here?" She asked him in perplexity as Appaneesty caught Uzume pleading with him not to say anything further… clearly wishing to protect Chiho from the dark forces at work here. He knew there was more going on in this city than merely a tyrannical tycoon like Higa, but while Appaneesty knew Uzume couldn't protect Chiho from the truth forever… he also respected her wishes, for now anyways.

"It's no big deal really; I just wanted to make sure you knew I would be there to get you out if people overwhelmed you with their overzealousness." Appaneesty finally told the frankly gorgeous human woman with an unconcerned shrug of nonchalance. He saw Uzume breathing a small sigh of relief when Chiho accepted his response and went to lie back down in her bed for the time being.

"I wish I could leave this hospital with you right now Uzume, but I still need to be discharged and everything. Promise me you'll come find me when I am discharged?" Chiho requested sweetly, and Uzume nodded without hesitation while a blush colored her cheeks.

"Of course, sweet dreams my Ashikabi." Uzume whispered before leaning down and planting a kiss on the girl's forehead, Appaneesty looking on with a smile as Chiho sighed contently before Uzume whispered something else to her.

"As to your little crush on our miracle worker; I can't say I wholly disapprove… he does seem like a decent guy and if you want or need me to badly enough I can share you." The brunette whispered as Chiho developed a very healthy and vibrant shade of red on her face and entire upper body.

"I don't think he noticed or even likes me like that; plus I only just met him." Chiho protested under her breath as she looked and saw Appaneesty standing at the far window with his back facing them… chivalrously allowing them their privacy as she smiled fondly at his sweetness. He'd given her back so much of her life already, and the healing process that was taking a hold of her was only going to make things better. Uzume may have been too cynical to dare to hope, but Chiho had finally decided to take a leap of faith and put her trust in this remarkable Man of Miracles.

She was surprised when Uzume pressed her lips against hers in an unexpected but not unwelcome kiss of pure passion. Her eyes shot open as her mind tried to process this; having never had such a kiss from her Sekirei before and dreaming of this moment for well over a year. Now that it was really happening; she could only say the reality utterly destroyed the expectation and the fantasy, and within seconds her eyelids shut as she fell into the heat of the moment and kissed Uzume back with all the pent-up, fiery passion she had been building inside of herself in pure anticipation of this moment. It was the most intoxicating, pleasurable experience of her entire 20-year lifetime… and she would never be able to get enough of it.

Uzume pulled away far too soon for either of their liking, but both were blushing and wearing identical giddy smiles as they giggled as silently as they could… not wanting Appaneesty to know what they had just been doing as that was reserved for them alone; at least for now. "Wow." Was all Chiho could say.

"Yeah." Uzume chirped in a seductive whisper as Chiho shuddered in raw delight.

"Come back for me soon, alright?" Chiho said louder to both Uzume and Appaneesty alike, the latter of whom thought it safe to turn back around now and was greeted with the two girls sitting on Chiho's hospital bed together with flushed faces and giddy smiles. He could hazard a guess as to what they had been up to during the moments of privacy he gave them with his back turned, but wisely chose not to say anything.

"We will, I can promise you that, and I'm sure Appaneesty would love to see you again." Uzume reassured her as Appaneesty nodded in agreement. With that said, Chiho turned her full attention to the ZOF Master.

"It was wonderful to meet you Appaneesty, and I can't thank you enough for what you did; if there is ever anything I can do to repay you… other than keeping my promise to stay silent on all this, just let me know alright." She whispered to him with an Anime-style, closed-eye smile. Appaneesty gushed rather fondly at her adorableness

"Thanks but that isn't necessary Chiho; I do what I do because it's right. I'm not saying I will object to you wanting to thank me later if that's what your honor demands, but just knowing I helped save a life today… that's enough." Appaneesty responded fondly. Another wave and a whirring noise from his probe, and the locked door clicked open for him and Uzume to show themselves out.

Uzume looked concerned about leaving Chiho alone to deal with the fallout of Appaneesty's intervention, and for once looked afraid as he ushered her out the door with him with a stare. Throwing up another one of his perception filters, Appaneesty escorted Uzume out of her Ashikabi's room with a genuine smile on his face; awaiting the inevitable one-on-one questioning from the Sekirei now that it was just the two of them again. Uzume stayed silent the whole time they were walking out of the hospital, from the elevator all the way to the front entrance where once again security and other staff members failed to notice them. It wasn't until they were already out the door and well past the parking lot that Uzume found her voice and grabbed Appaneesty by the hand before pulling him along into an empty alleyway.

"Did you really cure her… just like that?" She murmured desperately to him while clenching her fist around the front of his kimono. She had a look of pure nervousness on her face, and he could tell instantly that she was torn between disbelieving him outright and wanting so badly to believe him. The forlorn expression had a marring effect on her beautiful face, and he wanted to see her smile again as he put his hand over her own gently in a comforting gesture and adopted his sincerest smile.

"I know it sounds… insane Uzume-San, but I promise you this is not a hoax, and I certainly won't force you to comply with my every demand to keep her that way. Chiho. Is. Cured. I don't expect anything in return for doing so either; the only thing I ask is that you and Chiho play-it-up on the inexplicable miracle front. I don't want my name thrown around in this; trust me… bad things have happened to people in the past who found out about me and what I can do."

"Not at my hand of course, but at the hands of people who seek to abuse my power for their own gain. The vast majority of people hate what they don't understand, and trust me when I say the world isn't ready to accept someone like me; not now and maybe not ever." He whispered to her in response, concluding his statement with a sigh as Uzume looked up at him with eyes shimmering with unshed tears, and to his surprise she brought him into an unexpected but not unwelcome hug.

"Thank you… I believe you now, and what you did for Chiho and me; I'll be forever grateful for this. Like my Ashikabi said, if there's anything we can do for you name it." She whispered, and Appaneesty considered it a personal victory that she had finally come around to believing him, and earned a light smack on his arm when he pumped a fist into the air triumphantly and said so out loud.

"Okay, so now that we got all of this touchy-feely business sorted; I imagine you must have some questions for me. To be honest, I've no clue what a Sekirei is, but I'm guessing they might be an alien race exclusive to a certain portion of the Omni-Totality if I've never even encountered one before. Sorry, I ramble a lot when I discover new things." Appaneesty said with a sheepish smile as Uzume gave a watery chuckle… pretty much emotionally spent at this point but honestly curious to how he did some of the things he did.

"So, ultra-probe or whatever, perception filter, miracle cure-alls, and absurd hyper-intelligence from what I've seen so far; what else can the people of your race do? You realize you're probably going to piss off a lot of all-important people around here just with what you've done so far, don't you?" Uzume asked him with a wry smirk; her usual wittiness and teasing demeanor returning to the forefront now that the emotional parts had passed. Her mind kept going over the fact that Chiho was cured, and it took all of her self-control not to whoop with glee and party until the night was gone. It took all of her willpower not to spirit her Ashikabi somewhere far away from Minaka's game.

"Hyper competence, meta-omnipotent strength, speed, stamina, regenerative powers, omni-kinetic and all other forms of energy and matter manipulation, space-time manipulation on an Omni-Omniversal Scale, Omni-Totality manipulation; it's honestly more of a question of what we can't do. I come from a race of people called Zenith Omnidonae; we were the first group of humanoid beings to forever exist, and we made all other humanoids in our image whether mortal, godly, or otherwise." Appaneesty explained to her, deciding he might as well throw it all out there now as Uzume's eyes widened at this information.

"So… what you're saying is you can warp reality and all that?" She asked him, and Appaneesty nodded.

"That's incredible; we have Sekirei who can devastate the earth no doubt… but certainly not on the scale that you've described. I honestly didn't believe Godlike reality-benders like you existed before now. I don't even know what to believe anymore, but after what I just saw I think I'll believe almost anything." She whispered in obvious awe, and Appaneesty chuckled at her enthusiasm as he hastened to explain further.

"That's part of the reason I don't tell these humans much of anything; my people are literally the truth behind any and every creation myth out there throughout the Omni-Totality… we're basically the true Alphas and Omegas. Zenith Omnidonae are categorized into three main God Tiers; the lowest and most common are simply referred to as the mainstream or classic Zenith Omnidonae, then there are ZOF Prodigies who possess nigh omnipotence over the Omni-Omniverse, and ZOF Masters who wield the source of our powers at meta-omnipotent, endlessly self-transcendent levels… omnipotence paradoxes be damned."

"There are theories of an even higher tier still, but no definitive proof of their validity as a separate tier altogether has been found. As far as most of us know, ZOF Masters just keep getting stronger and stronger and our golden rule is there is always a bigger infinity. Of course, IB titles and what not bolster our natural affinity with the ZOF even further and increase our natural growth rate… but while some of us are more naturally obscenely overpowered than others all Masters ultimately possess the same overall potential. It just takes some of us longer to reach that potential… though to date there has never been a ZOF Master who discovered what our most absolute attainable infinity is. It is entirely possible the ZOF itself is also endlessly self-transcendent in its entirety." He responded lengthily, Uzume drinking it all in as her eyebrow quirked at one thing she didn't get.

"IB titles?" she repeated questioningly.

"I'll explain those to you later; also to answer your next question… yes I am part of the ZOF Master tier, but I don't have any IB titles to my name and frankly I'm content with my power and rate of growth as it is. I don't see myself fighting for any IB titles at any point in the future." He responded, and to Uzume's surprise that was indeed the next question she was going to ask him. Now knowing what he was, or at least the gist of it; she knew he was quite capable of plucking every thought in her head right from her, and she'd never even know he did it. She should've felt violated that he had the power to read her mind, but she trusted him enough to let him inside her head a bit and besides… there were surely a million other, less intrusive ways for him to keep on picking up on her thoughts, and it's not like hearing surface thoughts was any form of violation.

"I won't tell anyone about this unless you say otherwise; you have my word Appaneesty." Uzume promised him, and he nodded with a smile.

"That'll be enough, thank you Uzume. Say, while we walk to our home why don't you tell me more about this Sekirei business; when you lived as long and traveled the Omni-Omniverse as much as I have… it can get exciting when you come across something you haven't before?" He requested kindly of her, and in spite of MBI's warning not to involve people in the Sekirei Plan unless they were Ashikabi's; Uzume knew he could take care of himself now if Minaka sent someone to silence him, and besides it was only fair given that he told her about his people.

"We're not technically supposed to reveal the Sekirei Plan or anything involving Minaka's game to outsiders… but something tells me he wouldn't be able to silence you in any case, am I right?" She asked him with a cheeky smile, and Appaneesty chuckled before nodding in a more serious tone.

"Minaka has released 108 Sekirei out all over the city to find their Ashikabi and partake in a game of elimination until only one Ashikabi and their Sekirei remains standing. It's basically some sick, twisted fight to the finish… and whoever wins supposedly will win a prize beyond their wildest dreams and ascend or something; Minaka wasn't exactly clear on what that prize was." Uzume explained, giving Appaneesty the gist of it and wondering if anyone could overhear them from MBI when he that Perception Filter thing of his up and shielding them from sight.

"If I'm not mistaken Sekirei means Wagtails; which makes your species akin to birds in some respects. Also, doesn't Ashikabi mean Master… actually it translates to several words with multiple meanings. I might just have to pay this Minaka a visit and ask him about this Ashikabi business… and if I don't like what I see or hear…" Appaneesty paused as his eyes narrowed, and Uzume audibly gulped in slight apprehension as her imagination ran wild on that exact scenario. The very fabric of the world seemed to tighten all around them in response to Appaneesty's ancient and primordial rage, and it made her extremely uneasy.

"What will you do?" She asked him nervously, having already seen a sneak preview of what he was capable of and honestly believing he was easily capable of toppling MBI and destroying Minaka in one fell swoop.

Appaneesty's answering expression was nerve-wracking in its sheer, inhuman intensity. "I'll put a stop to it… permanently if necessary." He hissed, and Uzume nodded; having expected such a response from him. From what she had seen, he had a very strong sense of justice and of right and wrong. Seeing a being with his strength so willing to right the wrongs of the world both thrilled Uzume and terrified her.

"Remind me never to piss you off; I'm honestly glad you seem to be on our side." Uzume chuckled weakly in an attempt to lighten the mood, and to her relief Appaneesty's expression softened immensely.

"Sorry for freaking you out just now; honestly, as much as I hate the fact that people like this Minaka exist it is imperfect realities like this one that give people like me the opportunity to right the wrongs and to help people in need. In a weird way, it almost makes me glad there are people like Minaka out there; not because I think he's respectable, fuck no! Hell Uzume-Chan, people like that are the antithesis of everything I've ever stood for; its people like him are who I devote my life to stopping, and being able to do so and help a lot of innocent people along the way brings me more fulfillment and satisfaction than I could ever say. A do-gooder's work is never done I suppose, and as nasty as I find people like Minaka I wouldn't have it any other way." He sagely stated, and Uzume smiled at the raw enthusiasm he was literally emanating.

"Appaneesty, that was… remarkably profound." Uzume commented with an appreciative whistle, unable to comprehend how anyone could be so good. He even went so far as to say he devoted his entire life to stopping people like that and was willing to embrace the life of a hero forever more if that's what it took to put monsters like Minaka in check.

He had the good grace to flush in a sheepish manner. "Okay, so the Sekirei are an alien race of certain birdlike qualities that Minaka has somehow got his hands on and forced out into an unfamiliar world to find their Ashikabi and compete in some tournament to the death? And I'm guessing only certain humans are genetically predisposed for this Ashikabi business. How did your people find your way here and into Minaka's clutches though?" He asked once he remembered what they were initially discussing, and Uzume told him about the Sekirei ship and how it crash landed on earth only for Minaka to find it and use its advanced technology for his own gain.

Appaneesty nodded as he willed back his first instinct which was to march straight to the MBI building and knock some heads around. Of all the humans that ship and its passengers could've found themselves greeted by it had to be a power-hungry madman. It was always the people with the God complexes who stumbled onto things they shouldn't, but Appaneesty also knew that Minaka would one day get what's coming to him.

"My people understand the workings of the Omni-Omniverse better than anyone Uzume-Chan, and what goes around truly does come around. Karma is a genuine fundamental and primordial force of our Omni-Totality and Minaka will get what's coming to him; with or without my help. Still, that doesn't mean I can't help out or have some fun with the powers-that-be of this universe a little." He said with a troublemaker's lopsided smirk, and Uzume's heart thundered in her chest at the shockingly attractive expression he was sporting.

'Oh man, he looks absolutely gorgeous when he looks up to no good like that; hell, he's a good-looking guy in general.' She mused internally, hoping he wasn't listening to her surface thoughts at the moment and wondering what sort of mischief he planned on getting up to. God only knows how many different methods Appaneesty had at his disposal to screw around with MBI.

"We should probably head back and await the inevitable fireworks when they find out Chiho is cured. Come on Uzume-Chan; let's go share the good news with Landlady-Sama and the other tenants." Appaneesty suggested as Uzume gaped at him in surprised confusion.

"But, what about your secret?! I thought you said not to breathe a word of this to anyone?!" She questioned him in exclamation.

"That doesn't mean we can't tell them your Ashikabi seemed to be doing really good today." Appaneesty chuckled with a smirk and waggling eyebrow.

Uzume shoved him playfully. "You're incorrigible, always finding a loophole; even in your own statements." She said in a mock-exasperated tone, though underneath the façade she was smiling. Before today she wouldn't have felt so comfortable discussing Chiho with just anyone; because discussing Chiho meant remembering the fact that she would never be able to walk again… but now she had her own private miracle worker, and he was bringing out all of her best and brightest qualities.

"What can I say? I'm just that damn crafty." Appaneesty responded with a playful wink as the mood and the world around them continued to lighten. Uzume couldn't remember the last time she felt this relaxed, and though a part of her was still skeptical about Appaneesty's claims that part was shrinking rapidly.

With that all aside, they both made their way out of the alleyway and made their way back to Izumo Inn just as the sun began setting behind the tops of skyscrapers on the horizon. All and all, it was a spectacular conclusion to a successful day and the start of Appaneesty Infinity's fight to free the Sekirei from this twisted game. AIB knew he was only getting started, but he couldn't help but feel something worse than Minaka was in the works; an old enemy of his was going to resurface eventually, and Appaneesty could sense he was stronger than ever.

The problem with being a ZOF Master was that even though you had limitless, inexhaustible power it was also endlessly self-transcendent… so it was possible for them to actually one-up each other and transcend others of their race through all manners of training and power-enhancements. The ZOF existed for the sole purpose of creating endless hierarchies of infinity and omnipotence, and that was going to make defeating Zeneptron that much harder. Still, Appaneesty would've confessed himself disappointed if it was going to be easy; he still owed his antithetical existence for taking the woman he loved from him.

XXXXX

To say Higa Izumi was both enraged and mystified beyond belief was the understatement of the century. He sat at his desk with his face partially concealed behind steeped fingers as he tried to make sense of what had just occurred. A couple of hours ago, one of his hospital's staff members gave him his daily update on the condition of the Ashikabi named Chiho, and what he learned was absolutely mind-blowing and… miraculous.

Higa was one of the top medical minds on the planet, and was well aware of Chiho's condition was absolutely irreversible… by any human standards. Even as a man of science Higa learned from experience that sometimes the world just didn't make any sense; Uzume's Ashikabi recovering from her sickness was something only the likes of MBI's alien technology could arrange. What vexed him even more than Chiho's sudden cure-all scenario was the complete lack of information on whom or what could've done this.

He had combed through all the security footage throughout the hospital to try and see if anyone had visited Chiho prior to her daily checkup… only to come back nonplussed empty-handed. He also questioned his various staff and security who were present on the premises today… only for them to tell him- much to his endless frustration- that they saw nobody suspicious all day.

"So, whoever is responsible for her miraculous bounce-back is able to effortlessly bypass some of the best security measures modern… human technology can provide; as well as remain invisible to every staff member present on the scene. And people wonder why I hate aliens like the Sekirei." Higa hissed menacingly. Determination to find the culprit oversaturated every fiber of his being; because when he found who or what was responsible for eliminating the only bargaining chip he had against number 10…

XXXXX

Miya was the number 1 most powerful Sekirei; able to sink entire aircraft carriers with the most casual flick of her Katana blade and pretty much bring the world to its knees if she were in the mood. Such was her strength that there was no telling how strong she would become if she were ever winged by an Ashikabi who not only was strong enough to do so, but also genuinely loved her.

Part of her power was a very strong connection to all her fellow Sekirei like being able to sense when they were winged and how strong their bond with their Ashikabi was. She always had a sort of sixth sense when it came to her little birds and like any good older sister; she always felt duty-bound to do what was best for them and to help them soar. So it came as no small surprise when Uzume and Appaneesty came home all smiles, and Miya had no idea what could've been on Uzume's mind.

Uzume's status as a winged Sekirei was well known, even if she rarely discussed the state of her Ashikabi and hid her private pain behind false smiles and a playful demeanor. For once though, Miya could sense that a lot of that pain seemed to have ebbed away from her in but a single day, and Uzume was smiling like she couldn't get enough of this sense of peace she was literally emanating. The infamous older sister of all the Sekirei couldn't help but think Uzume's newfound happiness had everything to do with her current company. Appaneesty was growing in his enigmatic status.

"What's got the two of you in such a happy mood?" She asked them finally, unable to stand not knowing anymore and wanting to get a feel for her fellow bird's thoughts and feelings.

"Oh, hey Landlady-Sama; Appaneesty and I just came back from visiting Chiho…" Uzume informed her lightly as Miya quirked an eyebrow. Rare was it that Uzume discussed her Ashikabi with anyone, let alone a complete stranger. Whenever she did, her mood declined rapidly and she pulled inside of herself. This light attitude regarding Uzume's most sensitive topic was uncharacteristic of her to the extreme.

"Is that so? How is she doing?" Miya finally decided to throw caution to the wind and ask the important question. She normally wouldn't have bothered asking this, given that the answer was obvious… but something about this situation didn't add up.

"That's just it Landlady-Sama; Chiho is… she's doing absolutely fantastic! I don't know what Higa's staff has been putting in her hospital food but she's walking again! She's got so much life and vitality in her now that I could just scream! It might be too premature for me to think this, but if things keep up at their current rate her condition might actually be corrected somehow!" Uzume exclaimed with such exuberance and overexcitement that Miya found it hard to hear her own thoughts. Add to that the fact that she couldn't believe what she was being told; from what she had gleaned from the situation Chiho's condition was only able to be treated short term… there wasn't a cure for it in modern medicine.

"That is… miraculous." Miya stammered once she recovered from her shock, unable to manage anything more as Uzume's eyes lit up like a pair of twin suns.

"I know right?! Anyways I'm bushed… I'm going to go catch some Z's! It's been an eventful day today!" Uzume yawned while stretching in a way that accentuated all of her well-endowed assets; causing Appaneesty to blush almost unnoticeably. Brushing past Appaneesty she threw him a quick, suggestive wink that went unnoticed by Miya before she left the landlady and Appaneesty alone together in the guest room. Appaneesty and Uzume had missed dinner, and Minato and his Sekirei were currently taking turns in the bath. It was only a matter of time before Musubi or Tsukiumi attempted to move in on their Ashikabi while he was taking his turn… but before Miya could ensure no illicit activity occurred, she needed to have a chat with Appaneesty first.

"Strange isn't it?" She asked him, breaking the silence that had fallen between them as Appaneesty turned to her with a questioning look.

"I'm sorry, but what's strange exactly?" He asked her, though he had a pretty good idea where she was going with this.

"I simply mean that the same day you show up is also the same day Uzume's best friend is somehow miraculously beating her incurable sickness. It's just strange." Miya elaborated in an intrigued tone of voice, puzzled despite herself.

"Pure coincidence, though a very fortunate coincidence I must say." Appaneesty chuckled flippantly, a dazzling smile on his face as Miya shook her head.

"I don't believe in coincidence Appaneesty." She responded dubiously, and Appaneesty laughed.

"I'm sorry to say but I'm strongly opposed to agreeing with you Landlady-Sama; in my experience I've learned that true coincidental circumstances are rare but not unheard of. I think what irks most people about coincidences is that they're naturally inclined to find a reason or explanation for everything. One thing I can honestly tell you Miya-Sama… is that one can have all the scientific input in the world and sometimes that very same world just doesn't make any sense." Appaneesty rebutted intelligently, and Miya sighed in mild exasperation. Despite his well-structured counter-argument to support his coincidence theory, she still couldn't help feeling like he had something to do with this.

"Appaneesty, you showed up the very same day you and Uzume-San discovered Chiho is somehow overcoming her sickness… I can't believe that is mere coincidence. I mean, how can you expect me to just swallow that and not question the hows and the whys?" Miya practically demanded, having figured there was more to Appaneesty than met the eye since the moment she met him earlier today. She didn't like getting in his business, but she had to consider her little birds' safety as well. She had to be sure he was here with honorable intentions, or at least intentions that weren't a threat to her or any of her tenants.

Appaneesty smirked, which only incensed her further. "I don't question why miracles happen, landlady-Sama. I simply accept the fact that they do. I reckon you could learn a lot from that mentality." He said mysteriously, and Miya narrowed her eyes at him dangerously while running her finger along the sheathed hilt of her katana blade which she kept on her person at all times. She didn't make it a practice of threatening just anyone with her signature weapon, but if Appaneesty constituted a threat to her fellow Sekirei she would deal him a deadly blow. There was something… off about him, and nothing he said could persuade her into thinking otherwise.

"I'll keep that in mind; thank you for keeping Uzume company today Appaneesty. Did you manage to get yourselves some clothes or food while you were out today?" She finally relaxed when he gave off no killing intent; deciding she could give him the benefit of the doubt… for now.

"My pleasure Landlady-Sama, trust me. Also, no I didn't… Uzume-San and I were so caught up in our tour of the city that I forgot to buy anything. I'll go get some food and attire tomorrow first thing." He replied with that damnable smirk still etched on his perfect features.

"See that you do; the bathroom should be available for you to use any minute… now if you'll excuse me, I have some unruly tenants to knock some sense of propriety into." Miya giggled with an all-too eager, close-eyed smile. Appaneesty chuckled at her antics as she left to deal with Minato's Sekirei all in the bathroom with him.

A few minutes later and after witnessing Miya's inner demonic visage for the first time, Appaneesty shared a laugh with the landlady at the antics of Minato's entourage of beautiful women. "Oh, hello again Appaneesty-San, it's good to see you." Musubi greeted him cheerfully once she recovered from the welt Miya's wooden spoon had left on her head.

"Was thy wooden spoon really necessary Landlady?" Tsukiumi complained indignantly, rubbing the sore spot on her head where Miya had struck her. Appaneesty was a bit uneasy about being in a house full of so many gorgeous women, and something about the second, more developed presence mingling with Musubi's was even more unnerving still. He could feel a growing, resonating feeling in his chest that was linked to Musubi's second soul through the Emotional Spectrum of Infinite Totalities, and there was only one thing that could possibly be in his case.

'I knew there was a reason I came to this universe specifically… but am I really ready to get emotionally entangled in another romantic relationship; especially with some disembodied Sekirei spirit using Musubi as its host body. I get that my people mate for all of forever when they find their soul mate but I can't help but feel like I was duped in my last relationship since this didn't happen.' Appaneesty pondered inwardly as he kept his gaze on Minato and his Sekirei while they headed to their bedrooms with goosebumps on their heads from Miya's weapon of choice. His interactions with them had been minimal at most, and his interactions with Miya were barely any more frequent. Frankly, he wasn't sure he knew Uzume all too well either even after spending almost the whole afternoon and some of the evening with her; yet he felt a kinship with these people all the same.

The escapism this universe provided from his eternal enmity with Zeneptron Infinity and the pains of his past relationship was most welcome… but for all his determination to get involved with these Sekirei and mess with the likes of Minaka and Higa Appaneesty was barely in the emotional state of equilibrium required to help anyone with their problems. If everything went to shit, he didn't want his Omni-Omniversally Celestial war with Zeneptron to encapsulate these people; they seemed to have their fair quota of problems all by themselves and didn't need him dragging them into his.

On the other hand, if he was drawn here by the will of the ESIT and was being given an opportunity to find his soul mate; then he would be foolish to dismiss this universe completely out of hand. As though she were attuned to his thoughts, Miya turned to him with a radiant, close-eyed smile. Appaneesty couldn't help but notice how pretty she was, if a little intimidating.

"You should be safe to take your bath now Appaneesty-San." She reassuringly stated, and Appaneesty nodded with a smile.

"Thank you Landlady-Sama; I might take the opportunity to meditate while I'm in the bath so I hope you don't mind if I stay a little bit. You don't have to wait up for me." He responded, surprising her as she gave him a wide-eyed stare.

"You meditate?" She questioned him curiously despite herself, and Appaneesty nodded shyly in affirmation.

"It's part of my training. I… uh… dabble in a couple of martial arts styles here and there; nothing too hardcore though." He lied, hating how much of himself he was still keeping from her despite knowing she was an alien as well. He'd have to rectify that at some point… after all, he'd already told Uzume a great deal about what he was so maybe he could go out on a limb and trust Miya as well.

Miya gave a dazzling smile at this. "That's wonderful that you're so disciplined and well behaved compared to some of my other tenants. You know, I'm something of a martial artist myself; maybe you and I can spar tomorrow… if you want." She offered, and Appaneesty nearly blanched at the thought.

"I had a feeling you were into martial arts given your love for that katana blade of yours; also, you wield that wooden spoon well to. One of the things I've learned is that in the hands of a true master of martial arts… anything can be a deadly weapon; you seem to be a master as well. I'm not quite there yet though; in fact I don't really think I'm all that good so go easy on me will you Landlady-Sama?" Appaneesty requested of her politely, prompting a playful giggle from the purple-haired beauty that neither confirmed nor denied his request. She smiled at him before turning to head to her room; leaving Appaneesty to his own devices. He opted to follow her lead and left to get ready for his bath. He was currently unaware of the massive change in this universe's continuity he was about to cause, but even if he did know what was coming he wouldn't have changed his decision in the end.

XXXXX

While Appaneesty was preparing for his bath, Minato's room was currently occupied by a grand total of two people. Minato Sahashi AKA the Ashikabi of the North and his first Sekirei, number 88 Musubi. Normally, it was her along with Tsukiumi, Ku-Chan, and sometimes even Matsu all in one large futon… but Matsu had stayed in her secret room all day because of Appaneesty's arrival. She felt it wasn't safe for her to be out in the open until she could verify the new tenant was not affiliated with MBI in any way. The reason for that was because Matsu was on MBI's most wanted list for stealing something of value to them; whatever it was Minato still didn't know… but for MBI to have put her on their radar like that it must have been valuable.

Ku-Chan and Tsukiumi however… were banned by Miya-Sama for attempting to advance on Minato while he had been bathing. Musubi had been the only one among them who behaved herself, likely because she was able to see the benefit in being able to sleep with Minato instead. He was continually impressed by his first Sekirei, because although she could be a bit… airheaded at times she was also steadfast, loyal to a fault, and surprisingly insightful and intelligent. She also almost always had a smile on her face, even when angry and up against a truly worthy adversary. Minato liked all of his Sekirei equally, and he didn't want to play favorites… but Musubi was his first, and if forced to choose between them he already knew what his decision would be.

The fact that she won every shopping race against Tsukiumi so far to be able to sit with him at the dining table had Minato constantly asking himself what he did to deserve these beautiful, wonderful women. Honestly, they all deserved to be with someone they loved; not being rotated in some harem while Minato himself lived like a king. For whatever reason though they all seemed to love him, and that was enough most days for them to coexist peacefully.

"So, what do you think of Appaneesty-San Minato?" Musubi suddenly asked him as she finished changing into her night clothes, dragging him out of his thoughts as the Ashikabi of the North spent a considerable amount of time contemplating his answer.

"He seems okay from what little I've seen of him." He answered, not really sure what else he could say but noticing that Musubi looked like she had something on her mind.

"Hey, are you okay?" He asked her concernedly, and she nodded with a cute smile.

"Yeah, it's probably nothing… but I keep wondering if he's involved in the Sekirei plan or not. He does seem to have a considerable aura about him, and I don't think it can be a coincidence that he arrived at Izumo Inn when he did. I don't know why I care so much, but I'm curious to know more about him, you know?" Musubi explained.

"Not really, but I guess he could be an Ashikabi; only certain humans have the genetic predisposition don't they? And if he's here maybe he's like the rest of us who want to stay safe from MBI." Minato pondered, before Musubi yawned in an adorable manner and Minato's eyes softened.

"Come on, we should probably get some sleep. Maybe we can talk some more to Appaneesty-San tomorrow and get a feel for the kind of person he is." He said as he guided her over to their bed. He was happy to know that it was just him and Musubi for tonight; it wasn't that he didn't love Tsukiumi, or Ku, or Matsu but his bed had been getting a little overcrowded as of late.

"You're right, goodnight… my Ashikabi." Musubi whispered with pure adoration, uncharacteristically referring to him as such. Minato was surprised by this, because she always called him by name except for a select few, more intimate moments they shared. His heart melted when she spooned him and nuzzled her face into his chest. Minato felt his eyelids getting heavy as their combined body heat had a soporific effect on them both, and within minutes they were out like a light…

XXXXX

Deep within a Sekirei's body was a pink orb of blinding light and life force known as their Tama or core. This was the physical manifestation of their soul which tethered them to their nigh immortal lives and enabled them to use their great powers. Given that a Sekirei's only options for mating were now limited to the human race whose planet they were stranded on… MBI had helped adjust the Sekirei's bodies, minds, and souls for compatibility with humans. This was so that the humans who paired themselves with Sekirei were also tethered to a Sekirei's core and thus inherited their impossibly long lives; enabling both Ashikabi and Sekirei to live, love, and laugh together forever, or for centuries at least. Of course, the Ashikabi Genome was found only in a select handful of humans; many of whom were found in Tokyo for whatever reason.

When numbers 87 and 88 were under attack by military personnel and Yume and Karasuba were sent in to rescue them; number 88 AKA Musubi's Tama was so badly damaged that it was unlikely she would survive. Karasuba wrote her off as a lost cause; while Yume mourned the little bird that would be inert until the day she died, and never be able to experience the joys of love. From that very moment the famed Sekirei of Fate knew what she had to do. Although it would seal her own fate; she would be able to save one last life that day, and so she extruded her own Core and merged it with Musubi's… her lifeless body falling to the ground behind her while Musubi opened her eyes for the first time.

Yet it was not the end, for Yume- while unconscious for most of it- slept deep within the recesses of Musubi's spirit, only occasionally rousing when her host's life was in danger and always falling back asleep again right afterwards.

Until today, Yume had never roused for more than an hour at a time, content to dream and sleep while her life force sustained Musubi's. Now though, the arrival of this man called Appaneesty had caused Yume to truly awaken for the first time since she had a body of her own, and for once she wasn't content with the body sharing arrangement she had with her host. She knew about his impending arrival for years now, given that she often dreamt of him in the same manner as that of a Sekirei dreaming of his or her future Ashikabi.

'I've known right from the start that Appaneesty Infinity-Sama was so much more than just an Ashikabi. The visions I've had of him… the dreams. I have to meet him in person, with my own eyes. I need to borrow Musubi's body for a while Minato; I'm sorry.' Yume whispered from within her shared vessel. Taking advantage of the timing and the fact that both Minato and his Sekirei were asleep, Yume opened her eyes in her new body for the first time ever, revealing their Yin and Yang pigmentation.

She managed to sneakily remove herself from Minato's grip even while Musubi's presence cried out in protest… thankfully she revolted unconsciously as Yume took full control for the first time ever in their joined lives. She had to see the miraculous being she so often dreamed about in the last decade or so; just this once she needed to be selfish… even if she could never have him or a body of her own… she had to see her fated Ashikabi just one time.

XXXXX

Meditation didn't come easily to Appaneesty after he finished waded through the steaming water and felt its warmth seep into his every nerve-ending; his sense of touch and every pleasure receptor enhanced with the ZOF and thus infinitely more acute than any human's. Luckily for him, his pain receptors were not; compliments of his ability to customize every aspect of his existence on the same boundlessly self-improving scale as all of his other powers.

That all being said, Appaneesty's body required not sustenance, sleep, nor daily hygienic care; such things were human constraints. It was for the sake of appearances that he even opted to take a bath, or that he chose to buy some groceries for tomorrow morning's breakfast. Miya was suspicious enough of him already without him not displaying any outward need to feed; he needed to downplay just how inhuman he was for now if he was going to continue doing what he planned to do without anyone being any the wiser.

So he exfoliated his skin with body wash because he needed to maintain this façade for as long as possible. "But hey, at least the water is nice and warm and I can relax and maybe meditate for a relativistic eternity. I need to keep one all-seeing eye on Zeneptron; I haven't been able to get a beat on him for quite some time, and I don't like it. That typically indicates he's grown more powerful than me with the ZOF and I need to continue training to keep up. It's weird though, I can usually sense how far ahead of me he is… but right now he's completely off my radar." Appaneesty mused aloud in a worried tone. As long as Zeneptron was out there the ZOF Master would never be at peace. It wasn't just because Zeneptron destroyed the woman he once loved, but because he swore to make his life an eternal hell. Appaneesty was jarred out of rinsing his body with a bucket of hot water by the bathroom door sliding slowly open in front of the tub.

His eyebrows rose very near the top of his forehead when he saw Musubi walking into the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her torso and straining to hold her considerable assets. She sneakily slid the bathroom door shut once again before tiptoeing over to him as quiet as a mouse and dipping into the bathtub right in front of him. She caught him staring and locked eyes with him while smiling; silently asking him not to shout out in protest and silencing him by putting a finger to her lips while winking adorably. Taking a minute to calm down from the fact that Musubi was in clear violation of Miya's rules and technically going behind Minato's back; Appaneesty noticed her aura felt vastly more powerful and mature from what he had sensed earlier. He took one look at her Yin and Yang colored eyes and knew he wasn't looking at Musubi but someone different altogether.

"Everyone else is asleep including Number 1 and Musubi herself. That's a relief; I've wanted to talk to you in person since you first set foot in this world, and I didn't want to do so when we could be overheard or my presence here noticed. My name is Yume, I'm number 8; the Sekirei of Fate." She said, introducing herself as Appaneesty nodded with a calculating look on his face; glad she was still decent and wearing her towel over her unmentionables even while dipping her legs in the bathroom with her back to the door. It didn't help that he was completely exposed to this woman minus a few soap bubbles obscuring his manhood, but then again he only wore clothes for humanity's benefit in any case, so it wasn't like he felt shameful about being naked.

"Am I supposed to know what any of that means?" Appaneesty asked her with furrowed eyebrows.

Yume nodded slowly, knowing deep in her heart of hearts that he knew exactly what all this was. "I suppose I didn't give you much warning, did I?" She giggled with a sheepish smile as Appaneesty's expression softened. If nothing else, she seemed really nice and like a more mature version of the Sekirei he caught a few glimpses of earlier.

"Why don't you start from the beginning?" He suggested with slight mirth, an eager, childlike grin of excitement on his face as he crossed his legs in the tub and prepared for the story to come. Yume had to resist the urge to giggle again, for the image of a two meter tall grown man behaving like a child at story time was one she would never forget. She agreed with his suggestion and her expression became more somber as she delved into her life story.

"It's a bit of a long story but I'll tell you anyways. I was an MBI affiliate and protector of something known as the S Plan, as part of the Discipline Squad. We were a group dedicated to preserving and protecting our race and helping them adjust to life on earth as best we could. I was the leader of that very same Discipline Squad and served alongside the Black Sekirei known as Karasuba."

"Long story short, we were sent off on a mission to rescue Musubi who was just a fledgling back then- she had ended up captured and detained by some military personnel- so we both arrived to liberate her and number 87. The problem was when we finally rescued her Musubi's Sekirei Core was damaged and her life was slipping away. My partner begged me to stop, but I knew what had to be done; I imparted my essence and merged my Sekirei core with Musubi's so that she could stand a chance at survival… knowing that my own life would likely be forfeit."

"I was lucky though, because by the grace of the Gods; I was permitted to live on inside Musubi. I was asleep deep within the recesses of her spirit, until earlier today when you showed up… at which point I awakened fully for the first time since I inhabited my own body. Your presence here enthralled me so much that I knew I had to talk to you, meet you if I could if only one time. I've been waiting for you my entire life, and I can honestly tell you that you live up to my loftiest expectations." Yume concluded her anecdote with a sad smile and a sigh, and Appaneesty felt his heart go out to her a little. He quickly concealed the blush that formed in response to her last sentence, and cleared his throat awkwardly before managing a response.

"You sacrificed yourself so that Musubi could live; Yume, some people believe that is the essence of heroism. What you did was absolutely selfless, if a bit lacking in your self-preservation. And thank you for that assessment; I guess my reputation precedes me in your case." Appaneesty remarked with equal parts admiration and dry humor, a chuckle escaping his lips as he processed this situation and the fact that his presence here had been able to awaken Yume's consciousness for probably the first time in well over a decade. It was a curious thing that she seemed to already know about him and even some of what he was; maybe Zenith Omnidonae weren't the only aliens with powerful ties to the Omni-Omniversal Heart.

Yume blushed at his praise and felt her… no Musubi's body heat up. She knew she was reacting to this miraculous being before her and had been doing so since years before he arrived; it was an incredibly strong reaction to. Musubi's body felt hot for both Minato and Appaneesty, and Yume honestly questioned how it was possible for a Sekirei with only one body to have a connection to two different Ashikabi. She knew she was technically a different Sekirei from Musubi entirely, but the merger should have made them a two-for-one deal regarding everything… including sharing Minato as a sort of joint Ashikabi. Yet despite all odds Yume had been reacting to Appaneesty for far longer and over vast Extra-Omniversal distances while Musubi still bonded with Minato; it shouldn't have been possible but somehow Yume was still able to be her own person because of Appaneesty.

"I don't really understand how one man could make all of this happen…" She finally spoke aloud, and Appaneesty stared at her in puzzlement.

"Care to elaborate on that?" He asked her with a quirked eyebrow and veiled amusement; though he could deduce where she was going with this.

Yume blushed again upon realizing she said that out loud, but hastened to comply with his request anyways. "When I merged with Musubi it was in the surety that I would die or at the very least lose my sense of self. Yet neither of those things happened, and as Sekirei we should only be able to have one Ashikabi; yet while Musubi is bonded solely to her Ashikabi Minato I'm astounded to find I'm reacting to you in a manner that indicates you're my Ashikabi. I don't know how it's possible, but your presence here has made it so I'm able to regain my individuality and an Ashikabi of my own apart from Musubi. When we merged it was sort of a 'we' situation, and that should've been the case for the rest of our combined existence… but something has changed the course fate intended for us, and I believe you're the culprit Appaneesty-Sama." She said, and Appaneesty sighed.

"I've honestly learned not to question how I end up in these situations at this point Yume-San. If what you say is true then an Ashikabi is a whole lot more than what I've learned thus far. I have to admit my understanding of the word Ashikabi is limited to mostly master-slave dynamics, but your people speak of them as though they're your lifeline. I find it curious how strong your personal ESIT Signatures are as well. Your race's connection with the Omni-Omniversal Heart is very strong; about as strong as any finite beings can have said connection actually." He responded in amazement, and Yume laughed at his simple definition of the word and decided to enlighten him further.

"While it's true that some Ashikabi likely treat their Sekirei as sex slaves or something equally grotesque; the strongest Sekirei are the ones who are bonded extremely close to their fated ones. For many Sekirei, finding an Ashikabi is the equivalent to finding our soul mates, and here in the human world there are quite a few individuals who are compatible with our race. We refer to these special humans as Ashikabi, and we would do anything for them. Our race's rumored name is 'birds that teach love.' Even our powers are dependent upon how strong our bonds with our Ashikabi are; though not every Sekirei believes this to be true sadly. Still, the strongest Sekirei are always the ones who are the most in love, the most tightly bonded with their fated ones." She said with a heart melting smile, and for the first time Appaneesty looked flustered.

"I come from a race called Zenith Omnidonae Yume, and souls bonds are not something we take lightly; because while other soul bonded couples may speak of being together forever my people are capable of making that statement a reality. We take forever bonds to the ultimate level, and if we are in fact made for each other in the eyes of the ESIT; there are some things you need to know about me. One, I'm not human… in fact I'm less human than you are. Two, my people are a group of aliens with Godlike abilities who create endless hierarchies of infinity and omnipotence. Three, when we mate we don't just mate for life till death do we part like the humans; we mate forever, even beyond death… and that's if we're even capable of dying at all. I've outlived entire Omniversal realities Yume, and if you become bonded to me in this manner; you need to consider the possibility of outliving everybody else you've ever known as well." He said, giving her an explanation of his own as she nodded in acceptance; causing his jaw to drop at her in a gobsmacked manner.

"I already know what you are to an extent Appaneesty. When Sekirei are reacting to someone we are often given visions of our fated one. With you I see the strangest of images; your version of earth is lost in chaos and fire is it not? You've seen entire realities collapse, and you're like fire, ice, and rage. You're like the night and the storm and the heart of all suns. You're ancient and forever. You burn at the center of all things and you can see the turn of the Omni-Omniverse. And you're wonderful Appaneesty, absolutely wonderful." Yume whispered in sheer reverence, unknowingly seeing him as an IB version of Doctor Who. But although she channeled that universe while searching a way to describe him; she also seemed to believe her words with all her heart, and it was flattering to say the least.

"I… don't know if I'm quite as vaunted or grandiose as all that Yume, I've made mistakes even a person with my abilities can't fix. I've also made some truly dangerous enemies; one of which who will stop at nothing to see my life in eternal ruin. If I am to accept whatever… this is between us; you need to be prepared to embrace the reality of my people in turn. I won't be burned again in a relationship Yume; I won't be forced to watch as my soul mate ages into dust. I've been considering a relationship with a female of my own race for a long time now; not that I didn't love Misty to pieces but her insistence on remaining human while admirable, also cost me the life of a wonderful woman who I loved to no end. I won't be forced to love someone who doesn't embrace my way of life completely; not again. And I refuse to even think about being with you in that sense until we get to know each other properly." Appaneesty replied in a no-nonsense tone that left no room for arguments.

Yume sighed as she forgot to mention one crucial detail. "I don't think you'll have to worry about that; so long as I lack a body of my own and everyone else is ignorant of my survival… it's not like we could make it work between us." She informed him diligently, not missing the smirk that split his face when she finished her sentence.

"You do realize I am quite capable of reconstituting you in a supped up version of your former body AND sustaining Musubi's life force in turn, do you not?" He said, effectively reminding her of his capabilities which were limitless, albeit on an endlessly self-transcendent scale.

Only another ZOF Master could've surpassed him, and one with certain IB titles or multiple ones would vastly outstrip him in every regard… as being the IB counterpart of Appaneesty would've made him the strongest of all versions of himself in the Omni-Omniverse. Of course, that particular IB title was already taken, and the current AIB looked to be in fabulous shape even to this day and after he created that very same Omni-Omniverse- a feat that made him a ZOF legend- not that Appaneesty himself was necessarily envious.

Besides, all ZOF Masters had the ability to temporarily emulate any IB title and the powers that came with in extreme enough situations; though that very same power could overwhelm them just as easily as their worst enemies did. If needed Appaneesty could draw the same amount of power from the ZOF that AIB himself did… but hopefully it wouldn't come to that.

Yume's Yin-Yang eyes lit up like a pair of ultra-luminous quasars. "Really, I mean I had a feeling that was the case, but I didn't want to get my hopes up!" She whisper-shouted in exclamation… prompting Appaneesty to try and shush her before she woke up the whole damn house. When she showed no signs of stopping anytime soon he gave up and simply muted the bathroom to the entire household with a wave of his hand.

"Yume, you'd be amazed how many people don't consider the various applications of my powers; it's not always as simple as resolving any conflict with a flick of my wrist… there are methods to my madness, sciences to many of my miracles, and explanations to many of my improbabilities. Granted, these are explanations that only my kind have really explored the avenues of and most people just assume that everything I do is forever 100 percent incomprehensible. My point is… I can do anything but a lot of what I can do is not strictly absurd or beyond the scope of human imagination. The first rule of ZOF Mastery is there is always a bigger infinity and always a stronger Master of the source of our powers; you need to be aware of this if you are to become my Sekirei." He informed her with a fond smile; her cute reactions and mannerisms were starting to grow on him.

Yume nodded eagerly, hungry for more information on his people which her visions only barely hinted at. She always had this naïve fantasy that her Ashikabi would be like something out of a fairy tale… what she got instead was a literal God. How many Sekirei could say their fated one was a being of peerless might and an immeasurable life span completely its own and separate from the Sekirei? The primitive part of her genetic code that longed for a strong mate was singing in absolute bliss, and it helped that he seemed really sweet to. Maybe she was premature in her decision, but she honestly believed she couldn't have wished for a better Ashikabi.

Sure, it wasn't the princes and kings she'd dreamed of in her fairy tale fantasies- Karasuba always called her naïve for her belief in fairy tales, magic, Santa Clause, and other impossible, equally metaphysical Entities- but this was even better in a way. "I… will do my best to learn my Ashikabi! So, how does this work; what method do you intend to use in order to reconstitute me in my former body?" She asked him like a curious cat.

Appaneesty's answering grin was positively feral. "I was hoping you would ask that. It's a simple combination of scanning your memories via my omnipathic abilities to get an idea for what you looked like as well as creating a perfect copy of your lifeless body out of the past from literally seconds after you saved Musubi's life via my Omni Replication powers. Hell, it'll still be warm and the last of your synapses will still be firing. I will then use my own maximum quintessential control to separate your spirit from hers, as well as bestowing her damaged core with overwhelming life force to keep it running smoothly in your absence and grant her back her life without the need for support by you."

"I will then place your newly spiritually enhanced core back inside of your equally enhanced copy of your former body, your core enabling it to function as your original body did only much better, stronger, faster, etc. If I am able to see it happen I will also make you into the IB version of Sekirei Number 8 AKA Yume, but that might take enormous effort on both our parts as IB titles are not at all easy for any Zenith Omnidony to attain. Is that a sufficiently informative response to your query?" He asked her with a cheeky grin replacing his formerly feral one, and Yume's eyes widened as her shared brain attempted to process this massive influx of information.

"Um… yep, I mean… I think so." She responded in a stupor, still trying to wrap her head around some of the ridiculous terminology Appaneesty filled her head with.

Appaneesty chuckled at the adorably lost expression on Yume's face, before his expression grew much more serious; the change in demeanor strong enough to cause the world around them to tighten in response to him. Yume felt hard pressed to so much as breathe in those moments, and she sensed whatever he was about to say was significant.

"Then I will reconstitute you and grant you new life as a ZOF Master. Bear in mind Yume that once one is reincarnated into a Zenith Omnidony there is no going back for that person; the ZOF will forever change you and nothing you do will be able to erase it from your life. I need you to be absolutely certain this is what you want, because if you are I will never let you go. This is significant for me as well; I've never had the opportunity to reincarnate someone as one of my own people before, though I've heard of it being done by others many times before."

"So, what say you Yume? Are you prepared to sacrifice everything… including your mortality and your very fundamental existence… to spend forever in a life as my Sekirei? You don't have to answer that right now if you don't want to. I'd completely understand if you…" Appaneesty was interrupted by Yume shouting over him.

"I'll do it; I'll accept this new life you've given me!" She exclaimed without hesitation or consideration… yet another shocking surprise for the ZOF Master. This one was far more pleasant however; especially since he realized he was about to have someone with him who shared his longevity. After so many years of being denied a permanent, infinitely long lasting relationship, this almost felt too good to be true.

"Then get ready for the God of all Deifications! Oh boy, I'm going to have some explaining to do come morning. Still, stranger things have happened I'm sure; especially in such a universe as this one." Appaneesty rambled like a raving lunatic. His eyes ignited with an electrifying amalgamation of every pigment in the entire visible spectrum throughout the Omni-Omniverse. Yume was struck by a much larger variant of the same unlimited colors and energy; which seemed to hit her from every conceivable direction and even erupted from the ground underneath her feet. Everything went black for her as her Tama- which now illuminated the bathroom with the same multicolored radiance as the lightning crackling in Appaneesty's eyes- was all but forcefully ejected from Musubi's body.

Author's Notes: And that's all she wrote folks, though technically I'm a guy lol. I honestly cannot believe I managed to get this all done in pretty much the span of a few days. It took a long time for me to muster up the energy to get to writing this and when I finally did I got back into Sekirei hardcore. Man I can't believe what a fantastic series it is; beautiful female leads for the fucking win guys! As always, read, rate, and review. Let me know what you think. Also, for anybody wondering when Zeneptron Infinity will finally show his arse I've got big ideas for what he's been up to during the course of these two chapters, and I can honestly say you'll know by chapter 3 what he's been doing. It may even surprise you I daresay.

Also, huge thanks and shout-out to my best constructive criticizer in a long while; you know who you are and I can honestly say your advice has helped me out in a big way. Hopefully this chapter is much more up to par than the crap I initially wrote last chapter. To this day I still don't know what in the fuck I was thinking. I'll wrap this up by saying I don't respond to flames so don't bother leaving any. Anyways, have a good one guys and gals; Omniarch is signing off now.