Author's Notes: To all the readers of my forum, three updates as promised.

XXX

With breakfast over the five of them went to Tokyo's largest mall in Takehito's car. It took over forty minutes with traffic and Akizu and Homura both complained that they could have reached it faster on their own.

"Just for today," Takehito chided. "Let's all pretend to be ordinary. Let's just do things the way normal people would."

"That sounds boring," Akizu complained.

"A lot of life is boring," Takehito said with a shrug. "That just makes the other parts all the more interesting."

"After being stuck in a lab my entire life I want to have some fun!" Akizu said with a pout.

"I went to some clubs yesterday," Homura mentioned. "One of them even offered me a job as a host."

"And how would you explain your little change in appearance since yesterday?" Takehito asked.

His question soured her mooed. "You know that's your fault. How am I supposed to get any sort of job with my switching every few days?"

Switching? Minato wondered. He did not ask as he thought it might be rude.

"Don't worry about getting a job," Takehito told her. "You have a million Yen in your MBI account. Since you don't need to pay for rent or food that should last you until the end of the tournament."

"What happens after?" Homura asked. "I don't want to rely on you forever. I want to be able to make my own way."

"Then win one of the prizes and you'll never have to worry about money ever again."

XXX

Even trying to keep things low key there was just no way that three such stunning women wouldn't draw notice. As soon as they had arrived they began to get attention. Minato and Takehito walked behind as the three girls excitedly looked about the crowded mall and pointed to the various shops. Yume and Akizu were jumping about and emitting high pitched squeals. Homura wasn't quite so eager but was obviously enjoying herself as well.

The men who were about gawked at them. A few were scolded by their wives or girlfriends. Minato saw a group of five teenage boys approach the girls and offer to buy them all smoothies up on the food court. The girls laughed and politely declined.

Takehito observed this and also noticed the glum expression on Minato's face as one of them was earnestly trying to win over Yume.

"You don't need to worry you know."

"Huh?" Minato looked at him drawn out of his thoughts.

"You don't need to worry about Yume becoming interested in anyone else," Takehito clarified. "You are her ashikabi now. Believe me when I say there is no way anyone will replace you. In her eyes no one else is going to matter."

Minato wasn't sure, but he thought he detected just the tiniest bit of jealousy in the older man's voice.

"I know I don't need to worry. After last night, well… I know for sure now that Yume truly loves me as much as I love her."

"Yes," Takehito said in a nonchalant manner. "It's amazing how losing your virginity will change things."

"Gekk," Minato turned tomato red and choked a bit.

"Minato-kun!" Yume ran over and enthusiastically grabbed him by the arm. "I want to try out some clothes! Tell me what you think looks best on me!"

Takehito watched as he was led into a clothing store for what was certain to be hours of tedious shopping and waiting as Yume tried on one outfit after another.

"Poor bastard," he said laughing slightly.

He was still laughing when Akizu and Homura each grabbed one arm and began hauling him towards the same store.

"Hey!"

"Come on!" Akizu said with huge smile. "You're helping us pick clothes too!"

"No complaints either," Homura said with an evil gleam in her eye. Being who she was she knew the male mind set and could guess what he was thinking. "You brought us here so you have to take responsibility."

"And after this we'll go shoe shopping!" Akizu added.

"Oh why me?" Takehito groaned and was dragged forward.

XXX

Wisk, wisk, wisk.

Karasuba was using her sharpening stone on her new katana. She flipped the sword about to get a closer look at the razor sharp edge. Humans were weak creatures, but she had to admit they made some very nice things. They're fit only to be servants, she thought. They were far too frail to be anything else.

In her mind's eye she saw again the piles of dead bodies all around. She heard the screams and the cries for mercy. She recalled the pleasure of taking life, even if it had to be the life of pathetic human soldiers. The feel of her sword cutting flesh and bone… it just felt right.

How many years had it been since the last invasion? How long since she'd been allowed to kill? She was a lion trapped in her cage. It didn't matter that she was well fed and taken cared of. The urge to hunt, to kill, could never be denied. So many years of being an over glorified security guard had worn on her. She was consumed by blood lust, and not for more paltry humans. It was her own kind she wanted to hunt down. Their screams, their blood, that she longed for.

One person's blood above all others.

As if her thought was a magical summons the door to her quarters opened. There stood number one with a bouquet of red roses in her hands.

"Yara, yara Miya, I never knew you cared."

As always Miya ignored the joke and maintained her stern disposition. "These were delivered for you," Miya said with an uncompromising air. "They came with a note that read, 'please contact me and give me a chance to change your mind.' Do you have some sort of secret admirer?"

Karasuba frowned at her. "You know it's rude to read things sent to other people Miya."

She let the roses fall to the ground without a care. "It is also rude to ignore the rules and regulations we are sworn to follow. Improper relations with outsiders are not allowed for the members of this squad."

"I know, but then they're not allowed with people inside MBI either. That's why Matsu and Mutsu have to keep their little affair a secret. Really Miya, are we soldiers or are we supposed to be monks?"

Miya's lips turned downward. She knew all about Matsu and Mutsu. She'd punished both of them multiple times but they kept seeing each other anyway whenever they thought she was busy somewhere else. "Don't mention those two. And Kazehana with her drinking and her ridiculous infatuation with Minaka, I swear all of you are losing your discipline!"

"It's not discipline Miya, it's longing." She again turned her eyes to the edge of her sword and imagined how wonderful it would feel to slide it between Miya's ribs and see all her lovely blood come spilling out. Just the thought of it was enough to make Karasuba's heart begin to pound. "We aren't all like you with a stone for a heart. Some desires are just too strong to deny." Her hands tightened ever so slightly around the hilt of her sword.

"Giving into your passions is nothing but a sign of weakness," Miya replied primly.

"Maybe," Karasuba said with a teasing lilt. "But it does make life worth living."

"That is the difference between us Karasuba, and why I hold the God's seat. You should embrace your duty and desire nothing else. That is the true way of the warrior."

"No," she replied. "True warriors are driven by their desires. The Alexanders, the Caesars, the Attilas, the Tokugawas, the Napoleons, the Hitlers; all the ones who changed this world. None of them were stoic unfeeling marionettes. All of them longed for blood or treasure or glory; all of them followed their passions."

"You are not Caesar," Miya reminded her coolly. "You are my subordinate and a member of the Disciplinary Squad, be satisfied with that. Just follow the rules and forget any silly longings."

Having delivered her message Miya left.

Getting up from her seat Karasuba went over to the roses and found the small card that had come with them. There was no name or signature but there was a phone number.

"If I threw you down from the God's seat would you feel something then Miya? I wonder."

XXX

"What do you think about this one Minato-kun?" Yume stepped out of the dressing room with a little white cotton dress that showed off her shoulders and her legs well above the knee. It clung tightly to her figure and showed off her curves very nicely.

Staring at her he couldn't manage to make a coherent sound. "Uhhhhhhhhhh…"

Seeing the reaction Yume grinned happily. "I'm taking this one too! Let me try another one!" She ducked back into the dressing room.

"What do you think Takehito-san?" Akizu asked. "Does it suit me?" She stepped out wearing a plum colored skirt that was slit down the side to reveal most of one leg. She had a tight fitting lemon yellow top that was opened to show off her more than ample bosom. A male customer who was passing by took one look at her and immediately fell down.

Takehito looked at her without interest. "It's fine," she said. "Now pick something so we can go."

"Everything I put on is just 'fine' with you," she said with frustration. "Could you at least try and say something different?"

"Fine," he said. "That outfit makes you look like a huge piece of fruit. Better?"

She glared at him and he could feel a sudden chill in the air. (Figuratively and literally.) She stomped back into the dressing room without a word.

"You really know how to handle women don't you?" Homura said. She had already done all her shopping and was relaxing with Takehito and Minato.

"I could build you a death ray or tell you about the secrets of the human and sekirei genome, but understanding women?" He shook his head. "That brilliant I'm not."

Next to him a ringing sound came from one of Minato's pockets. He pulled out his cell phone and took a look at the incoming number. Seeing who it was he declined to answer and let the call go through to his voice mail.

"Who was it?" Takehito asked.

"A woman who loves making my life difficult."

"Your mom?"

Minato shook his head. "No, I have more than one scary woman in my life."

XXX

"Stupid onii-chan! Answer your phone already!" A frustrated Yukari yelled.

Like the rest of the world she had been watching the sekiriei release on television and had seen her slacker brother become the very first master. She'd naturally hurried to Tokyo to meet her very first sekirei. She'd shown up at his apartment planning to surprise him only to have his geeky roommate apologize for the huge mess and tell her that her brother had left last night and still had not returned.

With no way to track down her brother and nothing better to do she decided to go and get an early lunch. As she went out to scout for a restaurant she stopped in her tracks as she spotted the cutest boy she had ever laid eyes on. He was obviously younger than she was but absolutely adorable! At his hip was a little girl of no more than eight or so who she guessed was his sister.

"Hmmmm, maybe I can ask him if he knows any good restaurants nearby. Then of course I can buy him lunch as a thank you." Rubbing her hands together she headed over to see if she could bump into him.

XXX

Back at the mall entrance a blonde woman with a black and white outfit and long flowing locks entered. She had an MBI card with a million Yen on it.

"I think I'll see about buying myself a new wardrobe."