Disclaimer: I do not own Sekirei.
A/N: Sorry for the long wait, I've been busy with schoolwork, which has been picking up as of late. Going along with that, I've been distracted as of late, mainly with TV Tropes. Freakin' TV Tropes has sucked up hours of my life. DX I need an intervention.
Anyway, read/enjoy/review/etc. Yadda, yadda, yadda…
The Hopes of Ascension
Chapter Seven
The Leaf
"Matsu, how far are we from our destination?" I pressed a finger to my earpiece. I was holding onto one of Uzume's cloths for dear life, swinging back and forth as she raced across the rooftops.
"Around three and a half more miles, Take-tan." Matsu's childish voice replied matter-of-factly.
I grimaced, removing my hand from the earpiece. "This wasn't one of my best plans…" I more tightly wrapped the cloth around my hand and wrist, just to reaffirm my grip on my life. Double tapping the button on my earpiece, I asked, "Oi, who's feed am I on?"
"Mine." Was the curt reply.
"Oh, hey Akira. How're you getting to the rendezvous point?" I promptly heard the sound of brick being destroyed and scattered. "Oh… the dungeon bypass tactic, huh?"
"Of course." He replied tersely.
Damn, trying to have a conversation with this guy is like pulling teeth… "So, uh, I've heard that that's therapeutic. Is it?"
"Indeed."
I groaned, failing to conceal it. Rubbing my temples with my free hand, I tried another approach, "How so?"
"It loosens up the joints and gets the blood flowing." There was a paused. "It's also good for the skin…"
I nodded, "I see; I see." I paused for a moment, allowing that to sink in. "Wait, what? Good for your skin? Are you shitting me?"
"Of course not. Would I lie?"
I made a confused sound, "I don't know; I just met you." I groaned. Shaking my head, I asked without any hope of getting a positive answer. "Would you recommend it?"
"Not unless you want to break your bones."
I paused, unsure of how to reply. "You're not messing with me, are you?" I asked him. There was a pause from his end. "Uhhh, I think I'd rather do the air mail tactic."
Akira snorted, "Have fun with the 30 mile an hour winds. I hear it's supposed to storm tonight."
I blinked, "Wait, what?" That was when I suddenly felt the force of said winds striking against me, sending me flying all over the place. I cried out in surprise and fear. "I hate you, Akira Oshiro! I hope you rot in hell!"
"Already there." He said smugly over the earpiece's mic.
I double tapped the earpiece to go to a new channel. "SOMEBODY, PULL ME UP!"
Two weeks earlier…
I blinked slowly, giving the Sekirei laying on top of me a very perplexed look. "Who are you again? I'm not exactly the most attentive right now."
She pouted and sat up, straddling my waist. Crossing her arms, she said, "I know all about who you are, but you won't take the time to remember my name."
I groaned, "I'm three-fourths asleep right now; I'm surprised I can still remember my own name." I absently rubbed my eye. "Also, how do you know all about me when I just met you?"
The red-haired Sekirei grinned, a sheen coming over her glasses. "You're Takeshi Hitomi. You have a grandmother, mother and little sister. Your father is unknown. You were top of your class all throughout your school-life. Unfortunately, you've failed your last two entrance exams into Shinto Teito. For the past ten years, you've trained in martial arts under MBI's hound, Karasuba, and lived to tell the tale." She leaned down and looked directly into my eyes. "You're exceptionally strong as a human and as an Ashikabi. That is why I've chosen you to be my Ashikabi."
I blinked one final time. "Wow, I guess you do know about me." I then lost consciousness. Or I would have if I hadn't felt her grab me by my shoulders and shake me roughly.
"Come on, Take-tan. Stay awake! There's still some experimentation we still need to do." My eyes snapped open and my body reacted on reflex alone; throwing a hand forward, I wrapped it around her wrist and pulled it to the side. Knocking her off guard, I managed to push her back and get myself into a sitting position and have her flipped onto her stomach.
Keeping a soft, but firm grip on her arm, I leaned down and whispered in her ear. "Please don't sneak up on me, I don't like fighting dirty." My words were sluggish and slurred, since I was still partially exhausted.
The door to my room suddenly slammed open, revealing Miya glaring at the two of us. "Hitomi-kun…may I ask why you have your fellow tenant in such a provocative position?"
I arched an eyebrow at her, "I'm sorry?" Looking down to the Sekirei I had captured, I suddenly realized the position that I was in: I had her on the ground, face down, with her behind in the air. I was also directly behind her, no pun intended. While I was holding her hand still, I was in contact with her in a very questionable way. "Oh… My bad." I released her and quickly fell back.
Uzume stepped into the doorway and peeked inside. Upon seeing the Sekirei, she grinned sheepishly, "I, uh, see that you've met Matsu."
"Matsu…" I said the name of my newest Sekirei before falling back onto the ground, unconsciousness taking me once again.
The next day…
"What you're saying, Hitomi-kun, is that you don't remember what happened last night?" Miya asked me dubiously.
I chuckled lightly, "Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying, Asama-san. I genuinely don't remember what happened after I fell asleep last night. Truthfully, the only thing I do remember is having Matsu sneak in my room and kiss me. After that, I guess I kinda blacked out." I nervously rubbed the back of my head.
Miya arched an eyebrow. "I find that hard to believe…"
I lifted a hand, "That's perfectly reasonable to say, but I have had instances where I have sleepwalked." I paused, then sighed, "Let's just say that my training was rigorous to the point of making me very reactive when someone comes near me when I'm sleeping."
"Really?" Uzume wondered skeptically. "What about when I went into your room the previous night." She regretted her words as soon as they left her mouth, as Miya glared lightly at her.
"You see, I didn't react because it has something to do with the fact that you're my Sekirei and I know you won't try anything overtly." I looked over to Matsu, giving the redhead an amused look. "Matsu, on the other hand, is someone I've never met. Regardless of the fact that she's my Sekirei now, my body still moved on its own." I turned and faced Matsu, "I just want to apologize, Matsu, for what I did." I bowed to her.
She simply waved her hand, "Its okay, Take-tan. It was just a misunderstanding, no one's at fault." Matsu paused, then began to laugh suggestively to herself. "Though I have a few ideas on how you can make it up to me."
"Matsu..." Miya's voice carried itself ominously towards my newest Sekirei.
"Yes, Miya-tan?" She said hesitantly.
"You know my rule involving sexually elicit activities in Maison Izumo, don't you?" I could feel the subtle threat reverberating across the air.
Matsu paled and quickly put her head down.
I got back into a sitting position and looked over to my Sekirei: Yomi was at my side, giving Matsu a small glare while holding onto my sleeve. Toyotama was sitting against the back wall, not really looking at Matsu but more towards me, her gaze cryptic. Uzume was sitting across from me, next to Miya; she's known Matsu, from what I caught from her reaction to me winging her, so I could always go to her if I had any questions.
Miya sighed heavily, "While I am glad that you have chosen to leave your room, the circumstances could have been better." Shaking her head, she met my eyes, "Well, at least you have found an Ashikabi."
I exhaled through my nose, "As much as I appreciate the gesture, I'd love a warning." That warranted a confused look from all the Sekirei in the room. "It's not that I didn't want this to happen, it's just that I'd rather you know who you're connecting yourself to before you make such a drastic choice."
Toyotama scrunched her eyebrows in confusion, "What do you mean, Takeshi-kun?"
I pushed a hand through my hair, "What I'm saying is that I'd rather you know who you're going to be stuck with before you actually make the decision." I looked to each of them, gauging their responses.
Yomi grabbed my arm, "It's not a matter we choose of our own free will, Takeshi-sama. We don't consciously choose who our Ashikabi is; it's decided by our bodies. Our heart, soul, and body belong to our Ashikabi, our destined one." She leaned against me, resting her head on my shoulder.
Uzume chuckled to herself. "You can talk a good game, Takeshi, but you're really clueless."
"You've got that right." Toyotama said smugly.
I rolled my eyes with a small smile. "Gee, thanks, girls."
A few minutes later, I was sitting inside of Matsu's partially-cramped room. Computer screens adorned the walls of almost the entirety of the room. On the floor was a futon that covered the floor; near the keyboard were several opened bags of potato chips. Matsu plopped down in front of her main computer and began typing away.
"So, uh, Matsu, was there any reason that you wanted to have me come to your room; aside from the obvious 'assault me when no one is around' tactic?"
She began laughing ominously, "You're more observant than I thought, Take-tan. Matsu wanted you in here for a few reasons; experimenting being one of them." Typing slowly, she went back to the screen of her main computer.
I arched an eyebrow; I crossed my legs and leaned back lightly, placing my hands behind me. "Okay, if that's one of your reasons, then what are the others?"
"Matsu wants to help you." She said matter-of-factly.
I blinked, "Help me with what? I'm not exactly trying to build a harem of badass Amazons to help me take over MBI."
Matsu paused, trying to come up with something to say. "That's oddly specific…"
I shrugged, "I'm a specific type of guy."
Matsu sighed and shook her head, "Anyway, Matsu overheard what you said last night, about making sure that every Sekirei you come across finds their destined one." She turned towards me, placing a hand onto her chest. "When you said, I felt as though my heart would burst out of my chest. Your words brought forth a reaction I had no idea would ever happen. It was… outside of my calculations." She bit her lip and quickly reached under one of her screens and pulled out a box.
When she held it out to me, I slowly took it and opened it. Inside the box were a set of earpieces. I took one out and held it. "When did you have the time to make these? I doubt you could make all of these within an hour."
Matsu paused and slowly adjusted her glasses. Chuckling nervously, she said, "Well, I, uh, have a friend who also, uh… Nevermind; just put it on. I figured it would be easier if we all remained in contact with each other. That way Matsu can give you much needed strategic data."
I held the earpiece and smirked. "Long distance communication and an eye in the sky? This is beginning to sound too good to be true. What did you say your power was, Matsu?"
She smiled proudly and patted her chest. "Matsu is a brain-type Sekirei. Technology is my tool and weapon!"
A small chuckle escaped my lips. This was becoming too good to be true. I've already winged three combat-type Sekirei and now a brain-type. This Game was leaning more and more in my favor. "That's good… That's really good." I grinned darkly, ominously.
Matsu blinked, "Take-tan is something the matter?" After a few moments, she flinched away from me, a look of pure shock upon her face.
Surprised at her sudden reaction, I blinked. "Are you alright Matsu?"
Almost instantly, Matsu's look of shock vanished. Slowly releasing a breath, she adjusted her glasses. "That was…very strange to say the least."
I scrunched my eyebrows, confused, "What do you mean?"
Pausing, Matsu shook her head, "Nevermind. It's better if Take-tan doesn't know."
I rolled my eyes, "Sure." Placing the earpiece back into the box, I closed it and said, "Okay, is there anything else you need to tell me aside from that which must remain secret?"
My newest Sekirei paused, taken off balance by my words. "Um, well, I think you should know that I can hack into MBI's database with relative ease. That means information on Sekirei, Ashikabi, who's won, who's lost, and that includes MBI satellites."
"Even the Kill Sat?" I asked, intrigued.
"I'm sorry, what do you mean by 'Kill Sat', Take-tan?"
I sighed, "You know, the satellite that MBI has? The one that has a laser that can annihilate anything in its path with the push of a button. Do you have control over that one?" I tried my hardest to rein in my excitement; the thought of having a satellite laser within my grasp was feeding my inner megalomaniac.
Matsu grinned, no doubt feeling proud of herself. "Yep, Matsu can. Why do you ask?"
I grinned evilly again, "Oh, one should always have the option of using a Kill Sat in their back pocket."
I exited Matsu's little den and slid the door shut behind me. I had her do a little side project for me, a little research that's been of interest to me and this Game. Walking down the steps, I casually pushed a hand through my hair and looked around. Stepping around the corner and into the dining room, I saw that everyone else was grouped out in the courtyard.
As I stepped out to the courtyard, I realized that Toyotama was sparring with Miya. It was then that I realized the difference in hers and Yomi's skill. Yomi was still inexperienced in combat, from what I saw, and made unnecessary movements. Toyotama seemed to be the exact opposite; she moved with utterly flawlessness, moving in and out of range of Miya's bokken, striking relentlessly with her staff.
Regardless of that, Miya still outclassed her in every way. While Miya lacked the reach that Toyotama had, our landlady moved faster than I could see. Of the two of them, Miya was the one who was mostly on the offensive, smacking away Toyotama's strikes as if they were nothing.
"You're not striking fast enough!" Miya said quickly.
Toyotama's face was strained as she tried to keep up with the landlady's impressive rate of movement. Jumping back, she retreated away from Miya and lunged forward, stabbing her staff into the ground. Flying forward, she threw her feet out in a missile kick.
Miya easily evaded with a step to the side. "Your side is open!" She swung her bokken, aiming at Toyotama's side.
Suddenly, there was a loud clang as her bokken met Toyotama's staff. A look of intense concentration was on my first Sekirei's face as she strained to push the attack back. Turning her body to the side, she used her leverage to knock the sword away. Effortlessly spinning her staff around her body, Toyotama instantly maneuvered her staff onto the opposite side of her body, striking at Miya's open flank.
The sound rang out again as staff collided with bokken. "Good transition! Now add a little more power." They then resumed a barrage of attacks towards each other.
"Toyotama is really good, isn't she?" Yomi said from her seat as she watched the spar.
"Yeah…" I said, feeling slightly breathless. Of course, I can attempt to fight a Sekirei, but there are things that are beyond me. The fight before me was definitely one of them. The two of moved faster than I could ever hope to achieve. In a fight like that, luck would only get me so far before the sheer difference in skill takes its toll.
"Heh, heh; you look like you're enjoying the fight, Takeshi." Uzume said with a light chuckle. "Though I don't want to fight Miya, I'm considering it, just so you can look at me like that."
Surprised, I turned to Uzume. "What do you mean? What look?" Walking over to my Sekirei, I took the open space between them as my own, sitting down.
"A look of awe and respect. When you were watching the spar a few seconds ago, you were simply watching in wonder." Uzume casually placed her hand next to mine.
I released a breath, "I'm a human, Uzume; I was trained by one of your kind, so I could hold my own. In spite of that, I will never be able to actually fight with you; I'm simply in awe of what I know I can never accomplish." I smirked and shook my head, "Though, I can guarantee that I'll be the only human ever to come close."
She smiled to herself, "I have to agree with you there. Not many people could have done what you did."
The spar between Toyotama and Miya continued for a few minutes longer before being stopped. My Sekirei looked positively exhausted as she walked over to the porch. Falling into her seat next to Yomi, she stabbed her staff into the ground and allowed her head to fall forward. Her chest heaved as she breathed heavily; licking her lips, she looked over to me. "How did I do?"
I smiled widely, "I thought you did great, Toyotama. I can't wait to see more."
Toyotama returned my smile with a smirk, "I'll be sure to impress you even more next time." I could see a faint blush, though I wasn't sure if it was because of her exhaustion or what I said.
Yomi jumped up, "Hey, Takeshi-sama, why don't you spar with Miya? You could show all of us what you've learned." She smiled up to me.
I blinked, slowly processing what Yomi proposed. "I'm sorry?"
She nodded quickly, "Yeah! I mean, you did say that you were trained by the Black Sekirei, right? I was thinking that it would be really cool if you sparred with Miya and maybe she could train you alongside all of us."
"I must admit, Hitomi-kun, that I am curious how skilled you really are." Miya said to me. She didn't look at all winded like Toyotama did; that in and of itself made me wonder just how powerful Miya really was.
I turned and faced Miya, "…I don't want to die, though…"
Uzume snorted, holding back laughter.
Toyotama let out a small laugh.
Yomi gave me a frustrated look, "You won't die, Takeshi-sama."
Miya placed a hand over her mouth, clearly holding back a laugh. "Don't worry, Hitomi-kun, I'll hold back."
I grimaced, they clearly underestimated me. "Okay, fine. I'll play along; just let me get my bokken." I turned around, only to see Yomi holding it out with both of her hands. I arched an eyebrow at her. "You were planning this, weren't you?"
Yomi smiled sheepishly, "Kinda…"
I released a breath and removed my jacket. Taking the wooden practice sword, I handed her my jacket. Walking out to the center of the courtyard, I spun my arm at the shoulder. "Give me a minute, I need to stretch."
Miya held out a welcoming hand. "Feel free." She loosely held her bokken in one hand to the side.
I jumped up and down, lightly to get the blood flowing. Throwing my bokken straight into the air, I jumped and flipped backwards, landing on my hands. Pushing my body up and down, I gave one final push, getting back to my feet. Throwing my hand out, I caught the bokken and spun it within my hand. Rolling my neck, I took a stance, closing my eyes. Position my feet waist length apart; I held the bokken in front of me with both hands firmly. Slowly opening my eyes, I focused solely on Miya. "Whenever you're ready, Asama-san."
Miya smiled lightly, taking her own stance. "Those eyes, Hitomi-kun; they remind me of her. They're not at all like your own; they're cold and calculating."
I clicked my tongue, keeping my body loose. "I have to warn you; I'm much better with the sword than hand-to-hand."
At that, Miya lunged forward; drawing her sword as she struck. Her bokken slid across the edge of mine, catching her off guard. I moved to the side solely on reflex and curved my bokken to the slide, allowing the swords to collide with the least amount of impact. Deftly twisting my wrists, I maneuvered away from Miya and slashed at her back.
She turned faster than I could see, slapping away my attack. I immediately followed up with a rapid barrage of strikes. Miya batted them away, following up with her own swift strike. I moved a hand to the center of the bokken and placed my palm there, blocking the attack. Using leverage to my advantage, I stepped inward and pushed up. Miya's strength prevented me from completing the movement, so I instead stepped into her defense and brought my bokken to the side. Slashing towards her stomach, I lunged forward.
Miya jumped back, slapping my bokken away. Following up with my attack, I reaffirmed my grip on the wooden sword and charged Miya. Slashing again, I watched as she slapped it away again. Using that attack to build momentum, I spun with it and slashed again, adding more force behind my next attack.
"You're too reckless!" Miya said as she evaded my attack.
I smirked as she side stepped me; slamming my lead foot onto the ground, I curved my heel into the dirt as I continued the arc of my slash, aiming at her midsection. "Sometimes the gamble is worth the effort…" I muttered.
Miya brought her bokken forward, stopping my slash with very little effort. The sound of wood impacting wood echoed throughout the air. I continued to push against her bokken as Miya held me in place. "You're too direct. It's easy to tell what you're going to do."
I released a breath, lowering the resistance against her. "I'm just getting started…" I jumped away from Miya and immediately lunged after her again. Drawing my sword, I slashed towards her. Miya deflected the slash and was immediately forced to deflect another one.
Using quick, concise movements, I assaulted Miya with a barrage of ruthless strikes with my bokken. She effortlessly blocked and deflected all of them, but she seemed surprised at the fact that I was able to keep her on the defensive. Keeping my distance, while at the same time stepping into her defenses, I was able to keep Miya on her toes.
The bad part was that I was starting to feel the strain. I was moving as fast as I could, hitting as hard as I could and trying to vary everything I did. I couldn't keep this up for long. So, I decided to end it right there.
Throwing two feints, I brought my sword down and slashed in an upwards arc. Miya evaded it effortlessly by leaning it to the side; I tightened my grip on my bokken and brought it downwards, using the combination gravity and my strength to increase the ferocity of my attack. Miya jumped back as my bokken tore through the air and ripped into the ground.
Pulling the bokken out of the ground, I flipped the bokken in my hand in order to regain the feeling in my hand. "What do you say we end this, Miya? One final strike?" I readied my bokken, holding it to the side.
Miya smiled lightly, "Feeling tired already?" She lifted her bokken, obliging me.
The two of us rushed each other. We reached one another within a few seconds. I slashed sideways and she slashed downwards.
Standing with out backs to each other, I waited for the outcome. My shirt was ripped open across the front and a clean line crack appeared along the lens of my glasses. I released a breath and dropped my arms to the sides. "Wow, Asama-san, you really got me." I turned to face my landlady. "This is the second shirt this week that's been torn." I chuckled lightly.
Miya placed a hand on her cheek and said, "I seem to have much to teach you as well, Hitomi-kun." At that, a breeze slowly came across the courtyard. A small hair flew from Miya's shoulder. She saw the hair and her eyes widened slowly.
I grinned, rubbing the back of my head. "I guess I still have a lot to learn." I turned to my Sekirei to see them staring at me with looks of pure shock on their faces. Toyotama was gripping her staff so tightly that her knuckles were white. Uzume was frozen completely, watching in awe. Yomi held my jacket up to her face, her eyes wide with surprise and wonder. "What?"
"Y-you…kept up…with Miya…" Uzume said, dumbfounded.
I cleared my throat, "Actually, she kept pace with me. I was the one who made it go as fast as it did. I had to; otherwise I wouldn't have lasted as long as I did." I looked over to Yomi and whistled to catch her attention. Holding the bokken out to her, I tossed it handle towards her, handle first.
Yomi barely managed to catch the wooden sword. "Takeshi-sama…how did you…?"
Before I could say anything, Toyotama said, "The Black Sekirei. He had to get that good if he wanted to survive." She was staring directly at me, though her eyes were heavy with something not at all wholesome.
I looked over to Miya and asked, "So, how did I do?" I was genuinely curious as to what she thought.
Miya paused for a moment, then nodded. "Well, you have talent, I'll say that, but your place isn't to fight."
I chuckled lightly, "I figured you'd say that." I shrugged, "Eh, I just wanted to know what you thought." I tried to start walking, but my legs refused to move. Trying to lift my leg, I staggered to the side and nearly fell over. Miya caught me before I pulled a face plant.
"You need to sit down." She said to me as my head swam.
I swallowed lightly, "Uh, yeah, I think so too." She helped me over to the porch, where Uzume and Yomi helped me into the spot between the two of them. As soon as I relaxed into the seat, my stomach growled loudly, protesting for food. It clearly orchestrated a strike with my legs to refuse working if I didn't get something to eat. "Well, I guess I could use a little snack."
Miya laughed lightly and said, "Well, I believe it is time for lunch."
The next thing I know, I'm walking through a forest. Yeah, I'm confused too. I mean, the last thing I remember was eating Miya's delicious lunch and sitting on the patio. Now, here I am, walking aimlessly through this blasted forest. It seemed oddly surreal, too; like it wasn't really real.
Sighing heavily, I shoved my hands in my pockets and started walking a random path. Feeling disgruntled at my forced appearance in some random-ass forest, I looked around the green foliage and wondered exactly why and how I managed up to end up here anyway.
As I walked, I couldn't help but hear the soft sound of crying. My funk was instantly washed away as my inner chivalric streak came to the forefront. It wasn't too loud, nor did it sound like the person was in any immediate danger. Regardless of that, my inner 'knight-in-shining-armor' was banging his shield and crying out to me to help them.
I stopped walking and tried to pinpoint the origin of the sobbing. It was a child, which I knew for certain was true. Closing my eyes, I strained my hearing to find the child. Opening my eyes, I started walking quickly; keeping alert to make sure I could more easily find the child.
Stepping out into a clearing, I saw a single tree in the center. The child was sitting on one of the higher branches of the tree, leaning into the tree itself. From where I stood, I could see her long, shaggy blonde hair. She was shaking in her perch, crying lightly to herself. I immediately felt a surge of anger race throughout my body. Someone had done this to her, somebody had hurt this little girl, this defenseless child.
Releasing a silent breath, I calmed myself down. Getting angry wouldn't help her at all; it would only serve to get me fired up. Feeling my anger reach a manageable level, I slowly approached the tree.
As I approached the tree, I cleared my throat. "Hey, there. Are you okay?"
The girl froze, slowly turning to face me.
I smiled softly, lifting my hands. "I'm not going to hurt you." I paused and cocked my head to the side. "Are you okay? Do you want onii-chan to help you down?"
The girl blinked and smiled at my offer of help. Nodding her head, she climbed towards the edge of the branch. Hesitating lightly, she looked down to the ground.
I extended my arms and said, "Don't worry, onii-chan won't let anything hurt you." I smiled towards her, reassuring the girl.
She sucked in a breath and leapt from the tree. Falling into my extended arms, she nearly caused me to fall over. I had to take a few solid steps back to assure my balance.
Cradling her gently, I reached up and lightly wiped a tear from her cheek. "Hey, it's alright now." I said soothingly. "You don't need to cry anymore." Placing her on the ground, I allowed her to stand as I crouched to look her in the eye. "I'm Takeshi, what's your name?"
She wiped her eye with the heel of her hand. "Ku-Kusano…"
"Kuu, huh? That's a cute name." That elicited a smile and giggle from Kuu. "Say?" I asked her. "What were you doing in the tree?"
Kuu bit her lip and pouted, "Takami-onee-chan said it wasn't a good idea to go outside, but Kuu was selfish and wanted to go for a walk." I could see her eyes watering lightly.
"Hey, hey, hey. It's okay. You don't need to cry; it wasn't your fault." I placed a hand onto her cheek and grinned at her. "Do you want to tell onii-chan what happened next?"
"Well… when we coming back, Takami-onee-chan and Kuu were attacked. A mean nee-san with a really big blade cut Takami-onee-chan and pushed her away." Her lower lip quivered as she was about to begin crying. Shaking her head, she continued, "Then the mean boy tried to wing Kuu."
It took every ounce of self-control to not ask Kuu where this boy was and hunt him down. I wanted to find that heartless little bastard and beat him within an inch of his life, just to teach him a little respect. The hand I didn't have near Kuu was off to the side, clenched tightly to the point of my knuckles turning white. "You're still okay, right?" I asked her; if she said no, then I would have blood on my hands.
She nodded, "Yes. Kuu lost control of her power and everything went crazy."
I blinked, surprised, "This isn't real?"
Kuu looked at me, shaking her head lightly. "Kuu called you for help… I'm scared onii-chan." Her lip quivered.
I could barely contain myself. I wanted to pull Kuu into my arms and continually tell her that everything would be okay; tell her that I would never let her get hurt by anyone else. I placed a hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes, smiling lightly. "I'll come and get you, Kuu. Don't be afraid, because Takeshi-onii-chan will protect you. I will never let anyone hurt you, do you understand?"
Kuu looked up to me with a smile, then she was suddenly being pulled away by an unseen force. She reached for me frantically, "Onii-chan, save me!"
I reached for her, trying to pull her back.
My eyes snapped open as I looked around the courtyard. Pushing myself up, I paced around the yard. Casually pushing my hand through my hair, I tried to find out ways to locate Kusano. "I could ask Matsu to try and find her with the Sekirei database." Nodding my head, I turned and started walking towards Maison Izumo, when I felt a chill race up my spine.
Turning around, I took notice of the tree that stood at the edge of the courtyard. It reminded me greatly of the tree from my vision, not because of the fact that it was also a tree. It felt similar, like it was calling out to me. Approaching the tree, I extended my hand and placed it on the tree.
As soon as I did, I was assaulted by the image of Kusano hiding in the undergrowth of a rather large tree, covered in dirt and quivering in free. "Onii-chan…"
I turned away from the tree and left the courtyard. Walking inside the inn, I walked quickly through the dining room and towards the front door.
"Takeshi, where are you heading?" Uzume took a step off of the stairs.
"Out." Was my concise reply.
Confused, Uzume approached me and asked; "Are you o-" She froze when she saw the look in my eyes.
Someone was hurting a young child; regardless of the fact that she was a Sekirei, no one has the right to cause such a reaction within her. Whoever was doing this to her deserved to be suffering in the deepest reaches of hell; that would be a mercy to what I would do to him. The fear I saw in Kusano's eyes was something no child should ever go through. If he was anywhere near Kuu, then I would make him suffer exponentially for every moment Kuu suffered. I was beyond shaking rage; my rage was focused, tranquil. I was ready…ready to kill.
"I'm going out." I replied curtly as I slid on my shoes.
"Where?" Uzume asked silently as she grabbed my hand; I hadn't noticed it until then, but my hand was clenched tightly, the knuckles pure white.
I paused, not knowing where to start. Wherever she was, Kuu was hiding in a place where there be a high concentration of lush forestry. There weren't many places like that in the capital, so the options were few. I'd start at the closest places and go from there. Even with that plan, I still had no set destination in place.
"I don't know yet."
Then my phone went off. Pulling it out, I realized that I had a text from the CEO of MBI, Hiroto Minaka. Flipping it open, I read the text. Over time, I could feel my anger growing, festering under the layer of self-control I had placed over it. The text said something along the lines of, 'The Green Girl is up for grabs. At the Arboretum; first come, first served.'
I couldn't restrain a frustrated growl as I dropped my phone and pulled my hand from Uzume's grasp. "I'm going to play hero." Opening the door, I raced away, my legs carrying me faster than I thought they could carry me. Racing down the streets, I headed towards the Arboretum. Everything faded out from my periphery; my thoughts were focused on a single thing: getting to Kuu before anyone else could touch a hair on her head.
They say the fastest path towards your destination is a straight line; well, I took that at face value. I was heading in a purely straight line, disregarding everything that stood in place. If I could knock it over, I would; if I could climb over it, I would; if I could break through it, I would. My agility was my best friend at this point, my long legs allowing me to cover long distances in no time flat; it allowed me to scale fences as if they simply step ladders. My training was coming out and showing itself in its complexity and simplicity.
Throwing my hands up, I caught an overhanging tree branch and pulled myself up and over a tall fence, evading a crazed dog. As soon as my feet hit the ground, I continued my run. I could feel the adrenaline surging through my body, fueling my rage and my body. Lengthening my stride, I loped across the street, bypassing several pedestrians who were unlucky enough to get caught in my wake.
Seeing a wall that was high for me to simply jump over, I leapt to the side and kicked off the wall, jumping to the wall on the opposite side of the alley and leapt off of that one. Getting over the wall, I crashed onto the ground in a roll, continuing my run unobstructed.
Within a few minutes, I could see the Arboretum. The overgrown expanse of plants could easily be seen from a few yards away. Racing towards the wall, planted a foot onto the wall and partially ran up the wall, throwing my hand towards the top and pulled myself over the top of the wall. Racing through the expanse of trees, I come upon a trio of people. Two of which, I recognized immediately: the lightning twins. The third was a taller man with short, shaggy black hair; he wore a dark brown jacket with a white shirt underneath and a pair of blue jeans.
The three of them turned and faced me. One of the twins, Hikari, pointed to me and cried, "That's him, Seo; the guy who fought us when we tried to eliminate the staff Sekirei!"
Seo arched an eyebrow, "Him? Really, Hikari; doesn't he look a little scrawny?"
I snorted, "I'll show you scrawny." Cracking my knuckles, I looked straight to their Ashikabi, I suppose, and said, "Before either of us go any farther, do you have any Sekirei that uses a giant blade?"
Seo chuckled, shaking his head. "Does it look like either of these girls use a blade? No, these are my only Sekirei." He looked to the side and muttered something, which elicited a glare from one of the twins.
I closed my eyes and released a breath, "Good, that means I won't have to beat you half to death." Opening my eyes, I glared at him, "Now tell me, are you here for Kuu?"
My comment caught his attention. "You? Beat me half to death?" He let out a bark of laughter. "I'd like to see that."
I clenched my fist angrily, "Just answer the damn question. I don't have time for your mindless chatter."
He glared at me, "I don't know who you're talking about. What the hell is a 'Kuu'?"
I snarled, "The Green Girl, you dumbass!"
Seo narrowed his eyes, "I'm here to make sure she's not taken away freaks that have a thing for forcing themselves on Sekirei."
I could feel my hand slowly unclench. Releasing a steady breath, I tried to level my voice. "I'm not here to force myself on anyone. I'm here to save the girl who's called me for help." I steadied a glare in his direction. "When someone asks for my help, I give my full cooperation; if anyone gets in my way, they have a tendency to get hurt." I slid my foot across the ground, preparing myself.
Seo narrowed his eyes, "How do I know you're not lying?"
I met his glare with one of my own, "She told me herself. I'll say this only once: get out of my way or I'll move you myself. I'll help Kuu regardless of whether you want me to or not."
Seo paused for a moment, the stepped to the side. "Go on; but if you're lying then I'll make you regret it."
Hibiki looked at Seo incredulously. "You're just going to let him pass?"
Hikari placed a calming on her twins shoulder. "Hibiki, he can't be that bad; after all, he is Uzume's Ashikabi."
I raced by the three of them, nodding my thanks towards Seo. Heading through the forest as fast as I possibly could, I reached a clearing and came to a screeching stop. As I did, I noticed a pair of Sekirei who looked exactly alike; they both wore the yellow and black leotard. One carried a whip, while I couldn't see what the second one wore.
At my side, I heard the rustle of leaves and branches. Glancing to the side, I saw the 7 foot tall giant from earlier was standing at my side, also looking to the clearing. That's when the two of us met eyes; in an instant of understanding, we nodded and he stepped out first. One of the twins turned and pointed to the giant.
"Hey! What're you doing here?" She looked over to the other Sekirei, "Mitsuki, you take care of 108 while I deal with the Jolly Green Giant."
The giant groaned, brushing stray leaves from his shoulders. "I get that way too often…"
The Sekirei reached behind her and grabbed her whip; throwing it forward, she aimed at the giant. The edge of the whip wrapped around the giant's hand as he casually lifted it. He simply looked at the whip as he slowly wrapped his fingers around it. The Sekirei tugged at it, to no avail. The giant simply lifted a single finger and waved it back and forth in the 'uh-uh-uuuh' motion. He then pulled the whip towards him and threw it to the side, catching the Sekirei off guard. She stumbled forward and lost her balance. The giant then whipped her to the side, throwing her into the underbrush and she crashed into a tree trunk with a thud. He then casually followed her into the brush, the whip still wrapped around his hand.
That happened while I acted on my own. As I raced after the second Sekirei, Mitsuki, I jumped into the air. Spinning, I threw out a kick, striking her in the back of the neck. As she stumbled forward, I landed on the ground and whipped around, throwing my fist forwards. It collided with her throat, lifting her into the air and away from the opening.
After that, I immediately turned and entered the opening into the tree cave. "Kuu? Are you there?"
I heard the scuffle of feet as I saw her come around a bend. Dressed in her off-white dress, with a bow in the back, she stared up at me with her wide, leaf-green eyes. "Onii-chan?"
I crouched and held my arms out, "The one and only." I said with a smile.
A beaming smiled appeared on her face as she ran into my arms. She looked like her entire world was brought back into place. To feel this happy about seeing someone, regardless of the fact that I was meant to be her Ashikabi, is something that shouldn't even be considered.
Behind me, I heard a groan, followed by an enraged growl. "What do you think you're doing? She belongs to my Master!"
I placed a hand on Kuu's head. "Why don't you close your eyes for a moment? Onii-chan will get rid of the bad guy, okay?"
Kuu nodded quickly, "Okay, onii-chan!" She covered her eyes.
I blinked back tears as I stood. Turning, I glared at Mitsuki and growled darkly. "I'm here to make sure that Kuu finds her home and that she doesn't fall into the hands of a heartless bitch like you and monster like your Ashikabi. Next time you want to torment a child, make sure you do so when her onii-chan isn't around!" I raced towards her and leapt forward.
Mitsuki threw something towards me, but I lifted my arm to block whatever it was. I faintly felt something wrap around my left arm as I slammed my fist into her jaw. Causing her to fall back, I followed her descent and landed on top of her. Rearing back my fist, I threw it forward and connected it with her nose, breaking it. She pushed me away from her and got to her feet.
I planted my hands on the ground and threw my foot out, crashing it into her stomach; followed up with a second kick to the side of her knee. Pushing away from her, I lunged forward and threw an uppercut with my left fist. The punch connected flawless, lifting her a few inches off the ground as she fell back to the ground, not moving.
I released a breath and checked my hands. My right knuckle throbbed lightly and was lightly covered with blood. Wiping the blood from my hand, I walked back to Kuu. Getting back to her, I said soothingly, "It's okay, Kuu, you can open your eyes now."
She did and immediately raced into my arms. "Kuu was so scared, onii-chan, but she knew you'd get here in time." She buried her face in my chest.
I breathed heavily, rubbing her back. "It's okay, Kuu. Once I get us out of here, I can introduce you to some friends."
She looked up to me with her wide eyes, "Are they nice, friends?"
I grinned, lightly ruffling her hair, "Of course; they are my friends after all." I tapped her on the nose, "Then they'll be your friends."
Kuu laughed lightly, burying her face into my chest.
That was when I felt an intense pain in my left arm, causing me to cry out in pain. It felt as if something was burning and slicing its way through my skin. I felt it lift from the ground against my will. I gritted my teeth to hold back another scream. Slowly turning, I saw Mitsuki standing a few feet away from me, holding her hand up. She grinned evilly, her mouth lightly covered in blood from the broken nose I'd given her.
"Feisty, aren't you?" She reached forward and grabbed whatever was in her hand. The light in the sky revealed a hair thin wire. "This here, Ashikabi-san, is a special wire from MBI. It's completely indestructible; it can't be torn, ripped, or cut. It's the perfect tool for dealing with nuisances like you." She grinned evilly as she lightly tugged the wire, eliciting a cry of pain from me.
I grimaced, gritting my teeth painfully. I gently pushed Kuu away. "Stay back; Kuu. Onii-chan will handle this." I sucked in a pained breath as the wire cut into my skin.
Kuu looked from my face to my arm. Racing to my arm, she grabbed at the wire and tried to pull it off of me. "Get off my onii-chan!"
"Kuu, NO!" I yelled at her, but it was too late.
Mitsuki walked up, making sure to keep a tight hold on the wire, and slapped Kuu aside. "I'm sure Master won't be too disappointed in me if I bring you in a little bruised."
As I watched that happen, I felt the dam holding back my anger give way. "You bitch!" Ignoring the pain, the wire tearing into my arm, I twisted around and jammed my thumb into her eye. She stumbled back, holding her hand over her eye. As I forced myself to my feet, I saw a body fly back into the clearing from the forests. Walking ominously from within the trees, the giant stepped back into the clearing.
He looked to me, then to Mitsuki. Before he could say or do anything, I grounded out, "Don't do a thing; this bitch is mine." I twisted my left arm around and grabbed hold of the wire. Grinning, I growled, "It works both ways." Pulling the wire, I forced her to come to me. Reaching forward, I grabbed her by the top of her head and pushed it down; at the same time, I threw my knee forward.
Mitsuki dodged to the side and slipped behind me. Wrapping the wire around my waist, she rolled away from me and threw another length wire into the air and hooked it around my neck. "Who's whose, bitch?"
I tried to turn around, to duck, to evade the wire, but it caught me. I'm stuck; no one can help me. Shit, I'm a dead man…
"NO!" I heard a very familiar voice cry out as the slack from the wires vanished. The wire fell from my waist and neck. Looking over my shoulder, I saw my scythe Sekirei standing defensively in front of me. "How dare you try and hurt my Ashikabi?" Yomi growled out.
Mitsuki met her eyes incredulously, "He attacked me!"
"I don't care!" Yomi cried out. Spinning her scythe, she glared at Mitsuki. "I'm Number 43 Yomi. Prepare to meet the chopping block." The light flashed across the blade of the scythe.
I blinked, removing the wire from my arm. That was…badass.
"Number 39 Mitsuki." She held out her wire and prepared for a fight. I was not having that. There was going to be a slaughter.
I stood and cleared my throat. "Yomi." I called her name.
She quickly looked over to me, still making sure to keep Mitsuki within her periphery. "Yes, Takeshi-sama."
I looked in her eyes, "Make sure you use your Norito. Finish it quickly." I placed my lips onto hers, causing her wings to erupt to life. Breaking away from her, I hurried to Kuu.
Yomi closed her eyes and turned to face Mitsuki. "By the Scythe of my Pact, Behead the Woes of my Ashikabi." Her eyes shot open and she brought her scythe back; the blade shone brightly, engulfed in a red light. Slashing forward, the red light flew from the blade and exploded into a burst of light, blinding everyone in the clearing.
When the light died out, Mitsuki blinked slowly. Suddenly, several cuts exploded over her body, sending blood flying everywhere. Collapsing to her knees, she opened her mouth and whispered something, then fell to the ground.
I stood, holding an unconscious Kuu in my arms. Looking coldly down to the body of Mitsuki, I shook my head. I didn't hear the name of her Ashikabi, but I know her name. That'll be enough for Matsu to figure out who the Ashikabi is.
Yomi approached the fallen Sekirei and stood above her. Looking down to the unmoving body, she blinked slowly. A glistening tear fell down her cheek as she kept a vigil watch over her fallen sister Sekirei.
I approached her and placed a calming hand on her shoulder, holding back a grimace as my arm screamed in pain. "You did what you had to do. There wasn't another way for this to work. Someone had to-"
"I know…" Yomi cut me off.
I bit my lip, knowing when to shut up. Pausing for a few moments, I leaned and kissed her on the cheek. "Thank you." That surprised her, causing her to face me. I smiled lightly and placed my forehead against hers, looking into her eyes. "I wasn't going to make it if you didn't arrive when you did. You saved my life, Yomi, and for that I thank you." I hefted the sleeping Kuu on my arm. "You also saved Kuu, here. We owe you, Yomi." I placed my free hand on her cheek, "I owe you. If there is anything I can do to repay you, all you have to do is ask. Okay?"
Yomi looked to me, a luminescent blush on her face. Looking away sheepishly, she pushed a stray hair from her face. "It wasn't all me, you know that? Uzume found your phone and showed the rest of us the text. Matsu told all of us a shortcut here."
I smiled lightly, "Regardless, it was you who saved us, Yomi."
The sound of a helicopter coming closer interrupted the two of us. Looking up, I noticed a single heli coming towards us. Yomi grabbed her scythe and began walking away, grabbing my hand on the way. "C'mon, let's get back to Maison Izumo."
I grimaced lightly when she took hold of my hand. Following her, I couldn't help but see the heli coming closer and closer. As it did, my anger began to come flooding back. All of this was the fault of a single man; the man who drew those Sekirei here. One thing was for certain, before this day was over, I'd give that prick some harsh words.
As we left the clearing and made our way back to the entrance of the Arboretum, I heard the rustle and crash of leaves and branches as Toyotama and Uzume came crashing out from the trees, both clad in their battle attires.
"I told you that going around the long way would get us nowhere." Uzume said, sounding slightly frustrated.
"And I told you that if we snuck around the bend and ambushed them, then our chances of winning would be better." Toyotama retorted testily.
Uzume snorted, "I'm all for fighting to win, but is there ever a time where you'd want to actually fight fair?"
Toyotama paused, then smirked, "Nope."
Before they could continue their quarrel, I interjected, "Will the two of you please stop arguing? It's over, which means you can relax." The two of them immediately turned towards me, each giving me a glare that could burn through steel.
"Relax?" Uzume said heatedly. "Did you think we could relax when you raced out the door and went here? Did you think we could relax when you decided to go and fight on your own?"
Toyotama stepped up to her side, "You're not meant to fight, Takeshi-kun. I don't care what sort of complex you have about letting others fight for you, but that's what we're meant to do. You're meant to sit in the back and let us do what we were born to do." Her cold eyes bore into mine, emphasizing her point.
Yomi squeezed my hand. "Please don't that again, Takeshi-sama. You nearly died when you fought Number 39 and I don't ever want to see you in that position again. I don't want to see my precious person in danger again." She met my eyes with her own; the sheer sincerity behind her words was enough to make me feel like I had kicked a puppy.
I released a breath, giving in. "Fine. I won't do it again. I'm sorry, all of you."
Nodding her head, Uzume crossed her arms and gave me a skeptical look. "I believe you, Takeshi; for future reference, if you want to run out and play hero, then just ask us and we'll help you."
Toyotama simply nodded, pushing a tired through her hair. As she did that, she saw my arm. The wire had tore its way through the skin and left a set of painful abrasions that stung when I flexed my arm. "What happened to you arm?" She asked quietly, her soft voice full of a hidden rage.
That brought it to the attention of my other two Sekirei. "The Sekirei that I had to deal with was a wire-user. I guess, during our fight, she wrapped a good bit of it around my arm. If it wasn't for the wire, I'm sure I could've gotten away before it got too bad."
Toyotama looked over to Yomi, "You defeated her, right?"
Yomi nodded lightly, her eyes sharp.
"Good. I wouldn't let anyone who hurt my Ashikabi get off easily. No matter how dumb a mistake he made." Toyotama's voice was harsh.
I released a breath and pulled my arm away from Yomi. "Let's just get back. There's something I need to do before I get back to Maison Izumo." I looked over to Toyotama and nodded. Holding Kuu out to Uzume, I said, "I need to go to MBI for a little."
"For what?" She asked.
"There are some words I need to have with the CEO." I growled under my breath.
Uzume caught the meaning behind my words and held out her arms, taking Kuu from my arms. "Do you need one of us to go with you?"
Toyotama stepped to my side. "I'll be going with him. Don't worry, either; he's not leaving my sight." She glared at me from the corner of her eye.
I looked from Uzume to Yomi and said, "Make sure you get to Maison Izumo safely. There are still some enemy Ashikabi and Sekirei around."
The two of them nodded slowly.
"Also, make sure Kuu knows she's safe and tell her that I'll be right back." I looked over to Yomi and smiled lightly, "Don't let her see your scythe, Yomi. It's not exactly the most welcoming image for a scared, waking child." She smiled lightly and nodded. I wrapped my good arm around Toyotama and said, "We'll be back in no time."
At that, Toyotama leapt into the air, heading directly towards MBI.
Moments later…
"You can't go out there!" A small team of security guards raced towards me, trying to impede my path.
"Like I hell I can't." I threw out a foot in a vicious side kick, striking one of the guards in the gut, knocking him to the ground.
Toyotama held out her staff, stopping the rest of them. They tried to push passed it, but a swift glare from her silenced all of them.
I stomped forward and lifted my foot, kicking the doors to the extended balcony out of place. As I did so, I cried out, "Minaka, you crazy son of a bitch! What gives you the right to just decide who can wing a child?"
Minaka simply laughed, the wind blowing his overdone cape dramatically. He turned and faced me, "Takeshi-kun, I am the Game Master. I am simply trying to make the game more exciting for all the players."
I snarled at him, "'Exciting'? You call putting the safety of an innocent child in jeopardy a way to make things more exciting?" Slowly stalking towards the titanic moron, I growled, "Do you have any idea what you've done?"
He simply laughed, "The Game has hardly even begun, Takeshi-kun. You can't lose your head this early." His eyes locked with mine as he continued, "Do you not understand what is being done? I'm going to give any lucky winner of this Game a chance to b-"
I stepped up to Minaka and grabbed him his collar. Getting nose to nose, I bared my teeth and growled, "I don't give a flying fuck about what you're planning to do. I just want to know if you're going to do anything like this again."
He didn't seem put off at all by my sudden verbal threat. Instead, he laughed to the sky, "Oh, Takeshi-kun, I wouldn't be a very good Game Master if I told one of the players what I was planning to do."
I growled, frustrated and pushed myself away from him. Placing my hands on my head, I roared in sheer frustration. Pacing around the balcony, I muttered angrily to myself, debating on whether or not it would be a good idea to just kick his annoying ass off of the building and be done with it. "You know, you're making it real easy for me to make a certain decision right now."
Minaka simply smiled, "Oh? What would that decision be?"
I stopped pacing and glared at him, "On whether or not I should stay with the Discipline Squad."
He clapped his hands, "Of course you should! Having such a powerful member on the team would kee-" He was interrupted by my shoe colliding with him face.
"Will you please shut the hell up?" I hefted my second shoe, preparing for another throw just in case.
Minaka lightly rubbed his face, chuckling lightly. "Ah, I can see the resemblance to your mother, Takeshi-kun. She too has a tendency of throwing things at me."
I dropped my shoe and approached him menacingly. "You just don't know when to shut up, do you?" I stopped a few feet away from him. "You know, for a 'genius', you're pretty stupid. You're going to piss off a large percent of an alien species that is by far more powerful than you are; you stand at the edge of a balcony and scream like you're the village idiot; truthfully, everything you've done has painted an extremely large target on your back for people taking part in this game." I paused, staring him directly in the eye. "How does that make you feel?"
He simply grinned, "That everything I've done is meant for a greater purpose."
I groaned, palming my face. "You are the densest person I've had the displeasure of knowing." Throwing my hands into the air, I cried out, "I'm done! I'm done with trying to talk sense in the psychopath running this company." Shaking my head, I simply said, "You know what, I quit."
I heard no response, save for a small thump.
"No response? Eh, I finally trumped you, huh? Well, I'll give you one last thing: my Letter. Of. Resignation!" I jumped and twisted mid-air, throwing a back kick.
Which promptly struck air before it was caught my an unknown hand. "What the hell?" I felt the person drop my foot as I righted myself. Seeing the perpetrator, I realized it was the giant from before. He was seven foot tall, easily, with a military crew cut. He was also ripped with muscle.
I looked around, not seeing the CEO at all. Looking to the giant, I asked, "You kicked him off, didn't you?"
"Yeah." He said, sounding bored. Looking over the edge, he muttered, "Eh, he hit the mattress on the twenty-seventh floor."
I blinked again, "You just kicked him off…"
"So? That was my letter of resignation, too." He simply shrugged.
I paused and extended my hand, "Great minds think alike; the name's Takeshi Hitomi."
He took my hand and shook in return. "Name's Akira Oshiro."
Moments later…
Toyotama and I returned to Maison Izumo, walking around the bend towards the front door. As I did, I noticed a black, stretch limo parked in front of the inn. "Hmm, I wonder what this is for."
Kagari strode out of the house, dressed in a nice suit. "Hello, Hitomi, Toyotama; what were the two of you up to while the others came back?" He asked with a grin.
I waved my hand, "Nothing like that. I had some business I needed to take care of and she didn't want me going off on my own again." I arched an eyebrow at his rather expensive looking suit, "Speaking of which, what are you up to?"
He smoothed out his suit. "I've got an appointment at the club. I'm number one after all."
I snorted, smiling lightly. "Yeah." As we walked passed one another, I lifted a hand and said, "Good talking to you, Kagari."
"You too." He called to me.
Toyotama and I stepped inside and I was instantly assaulted by a tackled at my legs. I looked down to notice a blob of shaggy blonde hair. "Kuu." I smiled lightly as I ruffled her hair.
"Onii-chan! You disappeared." She looked up to me with a pout.
I smiled as I looked down to her, "I'm sorry, I had something important to do." I leaned down and peeled her off my legs. "What do you say we sit out on the porch and watch the stars? They are pretty this time of night."
Within a few moments, I was sitting on the porch with Kuu. I was leaning back, casually looking up to the night sky. Kuu, on the other hand, was sitting down, facing me. On my left was Miya, who was applying the bandages to my left arm. "Hey, Kuu?"
"Yes, onii-chan?" She answered lightly.
"I was sitting right here when I had the vision of you. The one where you were in a tree." I looked over to her, she nodded lightly. "When you told me you needed help, I ran right over."
"You also gave your girls a massive heart attack, Hitomi-kun." Miya spoke nonchalantly.
I grimaced, "Yeah, I know I did."
Kuu brought a hand to her mouth. "Onii-chan…I was really scared." I looked over to her and placed a hand on her head. She smiled at that. "But, when Kuu saw you, Kuu knew she would be safe." She bit her lip and stood slowly. "Onii-chan, I have a question."
I arched an eyebrow. "What is it?"
"Will you be Kuu's Ashikabi?" She leaned over to me and placed her small hands on either of my cheeks and placed her lips onto mine.
I froze instantly at the kiss. I could easily see the light erupt from her back as her wings grew to life. The light extended outwards, reaching over the courtyard and engulfing the plant life. Everywhere the light reached, plant life flourished beautifully.
"Oh, my." Miya said softly as she witnessed the growth of the plants.
I blinked slowly, in a surprised stupor.
"Onii-chan, I have another question."
I blinked again, feeling apprehensive of what this one could be. "Yes?"
"What does 'bitch' mean?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, I could feel a demonic aura rolling off of the landlady as she applied my bandages behind me. "Hitomi-kun…what have you talking about in front such a young child?"
I now know what it feels to be assaulted by a kitchen implement. I'll never look at that ladle the same ever again.
