Good day to you all, and welcome to the author's note. I would have to say that I was relieved when the second chapter received much praise; I was worried that I had not done as well with it as I had hoped. There was much emotion and spirit put into the first chapter, but I am glad that it didn't take away from the rest of the story.

I do not own Hokuto no Ken nor do I own Sekirei.

Enjoy.


Chapter 3 - The Man of Hokuto

Within a dark room, dimly lit by a series of monitors, Sahashi Takami sat at her desk. Her gaze was transfixed on a specific set of monitors being fed footage via satellite, and had been doing so for quite some time. Rather than return home for some much needed rest, the scientist resorted to napping on her office couch so that she could return to work with the least amount of delay possible.
She had to rub away the dryness in her eyes from not blinking. She had difficulty believing what she had seen.
"The object that fell from the sky... is a man?"
Groaning in frustration, raking her fingers through her hair, Takami leaned back into her chair, a sensation of light-headedness beginning to overtake her senses.

She was hoping that this event wouldn't interfere with any of MBI's operations, but seeing as a Sekirei almost immediately sought him out, there wouldn't be much choice but to look into the matter. If her suspicions were even remotely correct...
A shudder ran up her spine at the thought. "God I hope not. We're dead meat if it is." Takami's head hit the desk with a dull thump. "Someone wake me when this all blows over."

Oddly enough, in a different area north of the city, someone else was looking at Shin-Tokyo's new arrival via satellite. A young woman with glasses stared intently at the man surrounded by defeated gangsters.
"Interesting..." The woman adjusted her glasses and looked closer at the screen. "Who are you exactly, Sky Ashikabi-kun?"


Once she had retrieved her weapon, Toyotama made her way back to her Ashikabi, who was waiting near the entrance of the alley.
"I've told you my name, it's only fair that I know what my Ashikabi's name is as well." She seemed to enjoy teasing her new Ashikabi, though he did not appear to have much of a sense of humor. He stopped walking for a moment to look at her.
"Kenshiro."
"Kenshiro, hmm?" Toyotama made a show of looking him up and down as she made her way towards him. "The name 'Son Of The Fist' suits you quite well."

Together, they begin making their way through the streets, Toyotama arm-in-arm with her new Ashikabi. Kenshiro's upper body was unfortunately still bare. The shirts were not very elastic and easily tore at the shoulders; he would need to obtain a decent change of clothing soon.
It was now mid-morning. Students were at their respective schools, people were at their work places, mothers and such were already looking for ingredients to prepare tonight's dinner.
They had been walking for a little over an hour now, and her Ashikabi hadn't spoken a word to her. The silence was beginning to grate on her nerves.
"Ashikabi-sama," Toyotama began.
"Kenshiro."
The Sekirei blinked. "What?"
"You asked me for my name, you should use it." Her Ashikabi didn't turn to look at her as he spoke. Toyotama brushed a lock of hair from her face.
"Of course, Kenshiro," She cleared her throat. "I was just curious as to where you are from." He was quiet for a time. The silence felt a little awkward.
"You would not believe me were I to tell you." Kenshiro took in a deep breath, "When the time is right, I shall explain why I am here."
"Alright." Toyotama's gaze passed over Kenshiro's chest. "And those? I didn't think someone could survive with wounds like that." Her Ashikabi did not answer, his eyes bearing a sort of thousand-yard stare. Seeing that look in his eyes, Toyotama regretted bringing it up. Looking to change the mood, she attempted to think of something else.
"What was it that you did to the Yakuza, that trick with the knife?" Toyotama's eyes peered around them as she spoke, as though expecting them to leap out of some bushes.
Kenshiro lifted his other hand before him, cracking his fingers and flicking his wrist in a twisting fashion.
"Nishi Shinku Ha. It is a defensive technique utilized for intercepting and neutralizing projectiles such as arrows, needles," his head turned to look at her, "and knives."
"And it's a killing technique?" Toyotama asked.
"No." Kenshiro's eyes moved back to something beyond what was before him. "The Two Finger Air Snatch is a defensive technique primarily used for protection. Its secondary use is to maim the attacker who utilized the ranged weapon in the first place. Though it is defensive, it will often result in death, regardless."
The way he spoke of fighting and killing someone so matter-of-factually made the skin on the back of her neck crawl, but excited her all the same.

Although she enjoyed being close to her Ashikabi, the rumbling in her stomach told her that she needed to have breakfast, or at least lunch.
"Would you mind if we went to get something to eat? I'm famished." Kenshiro acquiesced to her hunger, letting her lead him to a quiet restaurant on a street that was less frequented than the one they were previously on.
The sight of a shirtless man taller than anyone in the restaurant turned many heads. Whispers rose a little throughout the tables as they moved to a booth. "A cosplayer?" "Maybe he's a body-builder." "Look at those scars, are those real?"
Toyotama smiled inwardly at the amount of attention her Ashikabi inadvertently garnered.

Having ordered enough food for four people, Toyotama turned to her Ashikabi.
"What would you like, Kenshiro-sama?" She was smart enough to have kept an eye on her MBI card; some Sekirei have been known to carelessly lose it, and have life outside of the MBI building be that more difficult for them.
"Water." Toyotama looked at him for a moment.
"Water? That's all?" Her Ashikabi nodded solemnly. "Ashikabi- ah, sorry." She smiled apologetically. "Kenshiro-sama, you don't have to restrain yourself when you're with me." She gave him a more sultry smile. "About anything."
If her veiled invitation was registered by her Ashikabi, it didn't show on his face. He blinked for a moment, as confused a look as she imagined he could muster, and picked some very rudimentary foods from the menu.

Kenshiro was mildly surprised at how much his new companion could eat. He had barely eaten half of his food before she had cleaned her plate. Letting out a satisfied sigh, Toyotama leaned back in her chair, only to see Kenshiro's plate being pushed towards her.
"You're not hungry, Kenshiro-sama?" She couldn't fathom someone only eating so little and feeling full. Her Ashikabi gave her a reassuring smile - albeit a small one.
"Where I am from, having an apple was considered a banquet. I am fine."
Toyotama felt a little guilty eating so much in front of him, knowing that. However, she wouldn't let the food her Ashikabi offered her go to waste.

They both sat there for a moment after she had finished eating, Kenshiro gazing outside and she gazing at him.
"What can you tell me about Sekirei?" The question came so suddenly that Toyotama could only stare blankly for a few seconds before coming back to her senses.
"Well," she began, "we are part of the Sekirei Plan, where we seek out our Ashikabi in order to begin the first stage. We battle along-side our Ashikabi so that we can find true happiness with them." Kenshiro looked as though he was mulling the information over in his mind.
"Why do you need to find an Ashikabi?"
"Our Ashikabi are required in order for us to unlock our full power." Toyotama placed a hand on her heart. "By transferring our DNA through mucus membranes - through a kiss for example, we are bound to our Ashikabi. It allows us to access our Norito." Her face took on a bit of a hard look.
"Not all of us have had a choice in finding our Ashikabi." She looked away from Kenshiro after saying so. The two of them were quiet for a time. When Kenshiro spoke, his voice sounded harsh and cracked.
"They are forced to be with one whom they do not love. To be slaves to that person's whim." His muscles tensed, like those of a mighty beast about to tear into its prey. The sight forced Toyotama to hold her breath. She regretted telling him the last part, but he had wanted to know.
"We should look around for a place to stay; an old abandoned warehouse isn't exactly suitable." Toyotama slid out of the booth and stretched, waiting for her Ashikabi to follow suit. After paying the bill, Toyotama and her stoic Ashikabi were on their way.

The duo were headed towards the central section of the city, mainly parks and lower-income housing. For the most part they were quiet. It took a second or two for Toyotama to notice that Kenshiro had stopped walking.
"What's wrong?" His grim face was disconcerting. It made her think of what a wolf would look like if it was listening for another predator, or prey. She looked out at the direction that her Ashikabi was staring.
"Can you see something?" She strained to notice anything out of the ordinary, but couldn't pick anything out of the myriad of civilians wandering around the park entrance and streets. When she looked back to her Ashikabi, he was nowhere to be found.
"Kenshiro..."


Somewhere in the expansive park, on a lone bench, sat a young woman. Sitting with her knees up against her chest, her arms wrapped around her legs, she gazed out at nothing. A strange symbol was emblazoned upon her forehead. Although she appeared to be wearing next to nothing save for a shortened grey kimono, a bloodied lab-coat covered her shoulders.
A car pulled up not far from her. A young boy stepped out of the vehicle, along with a few Sekirei. He must be a powerful Ashikabi to have so many.
The boy was standing before her. He had an arrogant grin on his face. Something inside her told her to leave, but it didn't matter. She was useless. Broken.
"It's dangerous for a young woman like you to be out here at this time of night." She didn't respond. The boy merely grinned wider. "You could come with me. I'll give you a good home, if you promise to serve me well." Something about the way he said it felt as though she was being spoken to as a pet. What did it matter? No one else would want her.

She looked up to see that Mutsu, the male Sekirei who had accompanied the Ashikabi, had moved in front of him, shielding him with one arm. His eyes were fixed upon something behind her.
"What is it Mutsu? Another Sekirei?" The boy sounded eager, as though he was salivating at the thought of increasing his collection.
"Quiet, Hayato." The other Sekirei moved up to defend their Ashikabi, but from the look in their eyes she could tell they were nervous; anything that made Mutsu wary was cause enough for others to be as well.
The area surrounding them was eerily quiet, similar to how animals will flee an area when a predator comes near. It wasn't long before she could hear it. Foot steps.
Step. Step. Step.
They were calm and steady. Their footfalls echoed around them. They were near.
Step. Step. Step.
Mutsu's knuckles were white from gripping the hilt of his sword firmly. Hayato - as he was called apparently, - no longer had a grin on his face; he knew that if his Sekirei were nervous, then this was no easy matter. Curious, she turned to see who was approaching them.

The first thing that caught her attention was that familiar feeling in her heart, that feeling she thought was impossible for her to have given what she was. The warm glow within her, scarred with sadness. That warmth was steadily being engulfed in fiery rage, tempered with an iron will. It frothed and flamed until it quieted to a deadly white hot core.
When her vision adjusted to the darkness, she could make out the eyes. Beautiful, blue eyes. They held the same sadness she felt weighing within her heart, but his burned with the fiery glow of rage.
The light from the car's headlights eventually reached far enough for it to reveal the person.
They were tall, with a body toned to that uncharacteristic of most men. Terrible scars adorned his chest - shaped like the big dipper. Her eyes widened.
"Ashikabi..." was the only word she could whisper at the sudden recognition.

The man walked with a deadly grace. He put one fist in his other hand, cracking the knuckles, and did the same to the other hand.
"Leave her alone." His words rang in the silence, the deep, commanding voice still thrumming in their chests. One of the Sekirei, dressed in black and white and holding a scythe, nearly buckled her knees. Another Sekirei, wearing a yellow and black track-suit and holding a red whip, moved to help her up.
"Yomi, get yourself together!"

"For your sake, I think you should leave." The young Ashikabi felt confident because of all the Sekirei surrounding him. The scarred man did not listen.
"This is your last warning, or you'll be in some pretty deep trouble. There's a limit to how generous I can be."

The man moved past the bench, stopping directly in front of it, shielding the broken Sekirei. He looked at them all, his gaze settling on the boy.
"Why?"
Hayato blinked for a moment. "Why what?"
"Why do you force them into slavery? Why do you force them to forsake love for your selfish ambitions?" His voice was a mixture of anger and sadness. From where she was sitting, she could see some of the Sekirei turn their faces away, unable to look into his eyes. Almost as if... they were ashamed.
Hayato gave a derisive snort.
"What are you talking about? They're just play-things; it's all about the Sekirei game. Who can get the most and win." The man's hands clenched tightly, the muscles of his arms growing slightly in girth.
"Enslaving peoples' hearts, taking away their lives and their right to love. You treat these people as though they were tools for you to do with as you please." Although she could not see them, she could feel the heat from his glare. "I will destroy you, and scatter your broken remains to the four winds."

Mutsu, his hand straining from gripping his sword so tightly, took a step forward. Before he could even begin to draw the weapon, the man was instantly upon him, the palm of his right hand slamming Mutsu's sword back into its sheath, keeping the weapon firmly in place. With a flash of movement, his middle and index fingers penetrated Mutsu's neck.
"Ahh-" was all that Mutsu could muster before he fell to the ground in a heap. His sword was still in the man's hand. Holding it up so that the Ashikabi and his remaining Sekirei could see, the man with seven scars put his thumb onto the flat of the blade and pushed. The sword snapped in two, the blade clattering harmlessly to the ground. Their eyes grew wide.
The man tossed the broken handle to the side. The remaining Sekirei readied their weapons.
"Hayato-sama, we should go. It's not safe." The one named Yomi spoke, eyeing the man nervously.
"No." It was the man who spoke. "You," his finger pointing directly at Hayato, "are not leaving this place alive."

The statement made them all shift a step back, one of the girls pulling Hayato behind her.
"Quick, get him in the car!" She yelled, pushing him back further. Everything afterwards was a blur.
The man moved with monstrous speed, striking the whip Sekirei twice in the throat and immobilizing her. Yomi, the girl with the scythe, charged forward. Her weapon caught only air. The man had shifted immediately to Yomi's blind spot behind her swinging arm, his hand quickly slicing a zigzag motion through her scythe. Nary a split-second afterwards, it fell to pieces.
"Why do you defend him?" Yomi looked surprised at the question moreso than the fact that she was only holding a two foot long piece of metal in her hands.
"He... he's our Ashikabi. We must-" her voice was cut off when a nervous yell from the car forced her to come back to her senses.

Before he could give chase, a hand touched his forearm, holding him back gently. He turned to see that the girl who was almost abducted now standing before him. Her eyes had an empty quality to them. Her hair was a pale auburn, her skin almost porcelain in color. Although she wore a lab coat over her normal clothes, it did nothing to mask her figure. An ample chest pressed onto his own as she moved closer, intently gazing into his eyes.
"Are you truly... my Ashikabi?" Her voice was tentative. He took her hand off of his arm, leaving it in his upturned hand.
"I do not deserve to be anyone's Ashikabi. I only wished for you to be safe from those like him, so that you could be free to love on your own terms." She stood transfixed, her eyes locked onto his own. After a moment, she put her other hand under his, holding his larger hand tightly and placing it over her heart.
"My heart tells me, you could be none other than my Ashikabi."

Her breathing became slightly labored, her thinking erratic. Her chest felt as though it was on fire, her legs weak. Was this how other Sekirei felt when they were about to be winged by their Ashikabi? But he made no movement toward her.
Pushing herself against him, the broken Sekirei moved to kiss him, to feel the warmth of his lips upon hers. He was so amazingly warm, she couldn't feel her own cold any longer.
To her surprise, she couldn't move her face any closer to his. It took a moment for her to realize that his hands were at the sides of her face. The tips of his middle and index fingers gently probed behind and below her ears. A chill ran up her spine, her legs weakening for a moment. Something on her forehead tingled. So did something in between her shoulder blades.
Looking up at the man, sudden realization washed over her. He gave her a small smile.
"You are free to love who you choose. Let it be your heart and not the hearts of others that dictate your life from now on." Through some kind of technique or magic, he had coaxed her Sekirei symbol to readjust itself. She no longer had any link to her first Ashikabi, and could be winged again.

Instinctively, she wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, burying her face into his chest. He stood there awkwardly for a moment before, with a gentle sigh of defeat, put his arms around her.
"Why do you wish for me to become your Ashikabi so badly?" His voice carried a distinct sound of confusion. She looked up at him from their embrace, with a face that told him simply, 'what is, is'.
Seeing that she would not choose no for any sort of answer, Kenshiro leaned towards her slightly, as one would when in the process of bowing. Taking the opportunity, the Sekirei quickly slid her arms up to around his neck, pulling herself up for a kiss. Wings of light burst from her back, pale and frigid, but pure and beautiful. Releasing from their embrace, face flushed with more color than he had seen of her yet, the Sekirei gave him a flushed look.
"Sekirei 07, Akitsu, is yours; now and forever."


Toyotama scanned her immediate area again before moving further into the park. She had underestimated her Ashikabi, a mistake she would not soon forget. It had only been a few minutes, but that didn't stop her from worrying.
Why should she worry? He wasn't useless by any stretch of the imagination. She hadn't seen the full extent of what he could do, but what could he do against Sekirei? They aren't the same as humans on many levels.

The sound of her name behind her as she landed from atop a lamp post startled her out of her thoughts. Turning quickly, staff at the ready, Toyotama's muscles relaxed at the sight of her Ashikabi. A woman stood behind him, her hand on his back.
"So that's where you ran off to." Toyotama gave Kenshiro a knowing smile. "You didn't have to go off to wing another Sekirei without me; I don't mind sharing." Kenshiro didn't reply, such comments didn't appear to register.
"I confronted one of the Ashikabi you mentioned." Toyotama raised an eyebrow.
"An Ashikabi? Were they trying to wing this one?" He only nodded.
"Hayato Mikogami."
Toyotama made a knowing grunt in her throat. "He's a spoiled brat who sees Sekirei as the next new thing he just has to get." Her expression became expectant. "Did you kill him?"
The pale Sekirei stepped forward, moving to Kenshiro's side.
"I stopped him before he could do anything." She gave a bow. "My apologies."

Toyotama blinked a few times, looking at her and then at Kenshiro. Other than obvious physical appearances, her face was almost the same emotionless slate that her Ashikabi often wore. Before she could ask another question, the pale Sekirei interrupted her.
"He handled No. #05 as though he was a child."
This brought a look of shock on the Staff Sekirei's face. Fighting a group of thugs was one thing, but to easily defeat a single number was unheard of. As far as she knew, there was no possible way for a human to match a Sekirei in combat.
"How..." Toyotama took a moment to compose herself. "How did you manage to defeat him? The single numbered Sekirei are among the strongest of all of us."
Kenshiro, with a grim expression, spoke with finality. "Hokuto Shinken is invincible."


It was late. They were beginning to tire. Though the day was beginning to wear on them, the two Sekirei hid their exhaustion from their Ashikabi; if a human could continue walking without showing any signs of being tired, the least they could do is keep up.
Toyotama held back a little and to Kenshiro's left, looking for any potential hotels or apartments for rent. There did not seem to be any; moving week had ended and most students will have snatched up any and all rooms or board that they could have gotten.
Akitsu stood closer to her Ashikabi, her hand resting on the back of his arm. Her eyes were staring forward but did not appear to be looking at anything in particular. Where they would possibly be headed did not matter as much as where she was now.

"Kenshiro-sama, will we be consumating tonight?"
The question almost made Toyotama trip over her own foot. Whether Kenshiro was ruffled in any way by Akitsu's comment wasn't shown to either of them. He did, after a few seconds, turn to her. A slightly puzzled look adorned his face.
Toyotama quickly moved to Kenshiro's other arm, winding her free arm around it and pressing her chest against him.
"You'll have to wait in line," she gave a warning look, then melted into a smile. "I haven't had my turn yet."
Akitsu nodded. "Then I shall wait until you've had your turn." Most men would have melted or made a fuss over such comments. They would need to increase their efforts.

Both girls jolted to a halt when their Ashikabi suddenly stopped walking. His gaze had locked onto something within a tea-house they had almost passed by.
An elderly woman, quite possibly in her sixties or seventies, was carefully and lovingly polishing an old statue of some god or other mythical being. An old man was reading a news paper behind the short counter, occasionally sipping at his cup of hot tea brought to him by the woman. After cleaning up the statue, she fussed with his tea for a moment before looking towards the door.
"Ah," the old woman said, a nurturing grin spreading upon her wrinkled face creased with years of smiles and laughter. "we have guests, Oji-chan. And so late at night too."
The old man looked up from his newspaper, his eyes looking over his glasses. He gave a smile and waved them in.
Bowing their thanks, Toyotama and Akitsu moved to sit at a table near the door, their gazed fixed upon their Ashikabi expectantly. Kenshiro stood transfixed upon the statue.
"Do you like it?" The elderly woman had noticed him staring at it, and moved beside it.
"It has been in our family for generations."
"Bishamonten." That one word escaped Kenshiro's lips. This made the woman smile.
"Yes, Bishamonten. You know of him?"
"Why do you house the god of war in your tea house?"
"Ah," the woman shook her head knowingly. "But he is not merely a god of war. Bishamonten is a god of prosperity and riches, a patron god of those who wish to lead prosperous and fulfilling lives." She picked at an imaginary piece of dust on the statue. "It is only right that we pay tribute the god who watches over us." The woman beckoned Kenshiro to come sit with the two Sekirei.
"Why is it that you know of Bishamonten?"

The others hadn't picked up on it, but Kenshiro could tell that there was more to this woman. Her features were matronly, but her eyes were sharp; her mind sharper. She was attempting to pry information out of him. But if she was a follower of Bishamonten...
"Bishamonten has burdened me with a task." His eyes held fast against her own. When he would say no more, her gaze relented. A deep sigh left her lungs as she rubbed her tired hands on her knees.
"I could tell from the way your gaze locked upon the statue that you were of ours." She nodded slightly. Having kept silent for the entirety of the exchange, Toyotama decided that she needed to muscle in.
"What do you mean by 'ours'?" She sat close to Kenshiro, whereas Akitsu had gotten up from where she was sitting in order to relocate beside her Ashikabi.
"Why, a child of Hokuto of course." The elder spoke of this as though it was universal truth. "Your scars were a sure sign that you were from the Hokuto school."

Kenshiro's face relaxed considerably, quietly letting out his breath. His body visibly relaxed, as though he had kept himself coiled like a viper the entire time.
"Then this is also a sign from the heavens."
"Perhaps." The old woman motioned to her husband. "Why don't you get the guest room prepared for our guests?" Grumbling softly, the old man headed upstairs. Kenshiro looked a little perplexed.
"You do not need to help us." This made her smile wider.
"But I do." She patted his hand, and then his Sekirei's hands. "Besides, you can't drag these poor girls around with you now, can you? The poor things aren't like you Kenshiro-sama; they haven't gone through what you have." Kenshiro's muscles tensed.
"How do you know my name?" Her eyes denoted a tinge of regret when she stared at him.
"Those few of us who are left from Hokuto know of the Savior of Hokuto, the man with the seven scars." A wistful look overcame her. "Things are different here than they were not long ago. The Hokuto that was once in this world is all but eradicated." Kenshiro's fists clenched. Akitsu and Toyotama placed reassuring hands on his arms.
"What happened? Who did this to you?" The elderly woman shooed his question away like an annoying fly.
"Bah, it isn't important right now; the heavens don't reveal everything to us. You should be more concerned with getting your bearings." She rose from her seat and rubbed the small of her back.
"Always the back problems when you get to my age."

When she turned, she found Kenshiro beside her, urging her to retake her seat. Obliging him, she knelt back down, only to find his fingers pressing at certain points on her spine and at her sides. A visible look of relief washed over her, as well as a knowing smile.
"You really ARE the successor to Hokuto Shinken, aren't you?" She looked to him with awe.
Akitsu and Toyotama merely stared, unsure of what had just transpired. The conversation felt convoluted and confusing.
Kenshiro merely stared at the old woman, a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She nodded her thanks and patted his hand.
"Thank you, Kenshiro-sama. I just wanted to make sure that you were the one." Getting up with much more spring in her step, she dusted off her knees and beckoned them to follow her up the stairs.
"Come on, you can stay with us for the night. It's the least we can do for a man of Hokuto."

They had settled in for the night, with three futons set out on the tatami floor. Akitsu and Toyotama had slid into the first and third futons, waiting for their Ashikabi to take up the middle. Kenshiro moved to the wall close to them and sat up against it, using it to lean against.
"Does the futon not suit you, Kenshiro-sama?" Akitsu's tone was one of curiosity.
"I'm alright." Kenshiro moved a little in his new clothes, a little reminiscent of what he was so used to wearing back in his own world - sans the shoulder-pad and sturdy leather.
Toyotama propped herself onto her shoulders, her bosom spilling in between her arms as she looked at her Ashikabi. She had a curious look of her own.
"Kenshiro-sama, who are you exactly?"

They waited in silence while their Ashikabi collected his thoughts, eyes closed in contemplation. The minute that passed felt excruciatingly long.
"I am the 64th Successor to the ancient assassination technique known as Hokuto Shinken; the fist of death." He absently flexed his fingers. "It is an ancient and deadly technique that has been passed down to only one person for over three thousand years." His two Sekirei were now in rapt attention. Toyotama had an eager look in her eyes.
"Whereas a normal human being would only ever be able to tap into 30% of their body's hidden potential, Hokuto Shinken aids in tapping into the remaining 70%.
"Unlike other killing techniques, Hokuto Shinken destroys from the inside, striking vital pressure points - of which there are 708, - and causing the internal organs of an opponent to rupture and implode." His eyes took on a hard look.
"Hokuto Shinken is the fist of the heavens; it is the fist of the god of death. It cannot be defeated."

Toyotama had to remind herself to draw breath, so transfixed on her Ashikabi that she didn't realize she had held her breath for so long. Glancing at Akitsu and seeing the red that was touching her face, Toyotama knew that she would also have a flushed face. She had never met a man like this.
"You should go to sleep, it is late." His voice woke her from her day-dreaming, bringing back the exhaustion that had long been forgotten and forcing her to yawn.
As one, the two Sekirei spoke to their beloved Ashikabi.
"Good night, Kenshiro-sama."


My apologies for taking so long, I had a little difficulty writing how I wanted this chapter to end.

You have my sincerest thanks for all the reviews, I love reading them very much and they help inspire me to write more.

I hope you enjoy this new chapter, and I shall immediately begin work on Chapter 4, as soon as I get some sleep.