Cage of Birds

by grayfox11738

Its never easy letting a person in. First you get to know them and see if anything can come out of it. In his situation he never cared about anyone enough to do this. Not since she died. Now in the middle of a game can this shattered man play his role and allow others to save his soul? Only one way to find out. OC x Harem. Progressively dark. Grey Protagonist.

10. Find your Center

Chapter 10: Find your Center

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Uzume and I reached that computer hardware store that the punks from before were talking about in no time at all. Even though I've been in this time for the turn of the season what I found inside these stores still amazes me to this day. Though this wasn't the reason why I decided to enter though. I let Uzume look around for a game she might want from her PlayStation or maybe one for my computer because ever since she discovered something called Visual Novels it's been nonstop for me to sit through with her until the end. Then she somehow discovered Erotic Visual Novels and yet again forced me to sit through the stories of every romance story until the end. Admittedly, though not openly, I enjoyed a couple of the stories, the characters, and the fact that you can choose which heroine to go with. Uzume gets a bit annoyed with me when I keep choosing the more "flat-chest" heroines and judges me over my tastes. Calls me a closet washboard lover that only feels her up to appease her. Sadly, Uzume gets her revenge for we play games from both sides of the spectrum. That means I had to choose men in some to romance over women. I shiver a bit at the memory of one about aliens.

Despite my better judgment I didn't stop Uzume from wandering to the adult section this time around and focused on the single entity that followed me inside. A woman of all things, a sekirei, was following me and trying to appear inconspicuous. She's doing well and looks natural enough but you can't fool my senses no matter the guise. I found the women easily in display computer section on a computer doing something. The wonders of manga, television, video games, and books and what you can learn from them about modern culture and technology including cloths still astounds me. I learned the most about the attire of this place because of manga that revolves around such things. I learned about women's clothing and undergarments as well, which I found to be useful seeing that I'm living with women now.

Speaking of women, almost every single sekirei I have seen released so far are just that, women. I have seen two men so far out of the 36 or so of these women. I have two of the 36 that have an interest in me. This one and another that I can feel that are tracking me. I planned to keep my interests to the single digits or top ten but maybe that won't be all that possible after all. If they react towards me then it's meant to be, right? Though I'm not interested in acquiring more now. Winging sekirei causes attention depending on the sekirei. I don't think this one will make the alarms sound though, but it's best I keep them out of my reach unless I can meet them unseen. This is the case because of Karasuba. If she knows she might kill them. That woman does whatever the hell she wants when she wants. I blame my case of 'wandering hands' on her. She forced me to get used to touching.

Wish there's a way to use the thing called the internet to find information of the top ten and maybe some other useful sekirei that might react to me.

I lurked around the aisles and examined the woman following me. She wouldn't take my life physically so maybe through indirect means. I slowed down and glanced over subtly watching the sekirei as she wandered from one side of the store to the next moving from computer to computer. She's blending in almost perfectly and even talking to the associates there making herself seem ordinary. Purple and silver is all I can make out at this distance, but from what I can see she is fiddling with the computers doing something. Just what is she doing? Maybe Uzume might know something but I don't wish to ruin her good mood with something like this. Maybe Mutsu would know if he was here to help me with this predicament. He needs his rest though.

Oh, how I wish it was the 18th century again during the time of monsters and crusades. Such an easier time to kill in, not that this time isn't easy, but it's just most of the things here happen behind unseen barriers. Either behind a phone or behind a screen. I'm not sure just how many barriers I had to shoot down to worm my way into this town but it still came to be.

My thoughts went back to Uzume. She's a fun person but another sekirei under my charge might make her a little less fun. If I get a new Sekirei today she'll be… unhappy with me. With this morning in mind as well I made her unhappy with the lipstick and the perfume on my body. Maybe we should take some time out of the day after shopping to do the daily visit of Chiho and check up on her to see how she is doing to cheer them both up. The Angel and the Goddess in one room. I really wish I could take Chiho home with me without it being a detriment to her health.

I know Mutsu took a liking to her much like how and did with her soft heart and gently nature. I have many more things to tell her like my story with Mutsu there too listen as well and Uzume if I do anything for the day like today other than sleep, eat, and plan. The tale of an assassin thrown into a world of monsters but with allies to call upon during hard time. So far, I've told her of my first time seeing a monster and my first conflict. I stopped last on the time with the Dark Elf Queen with so much more to tell. Chiho holds my right hand during every story telling with me implanting a little more of me into her. Not the darkness but the very same light she spawns in my body before it goes to the void. If Chiho believes in magic then she could more than likely become a white mage with continued exposure.

"I got a new anime and game," Uzume announce as she walked up from behind me. She held up an older anime. I can tell by the label so more than likely she got it from the value stack. "It's Claymore," she said with a smile. I like that one but we already have the first season so why would she get it again? I glanced down and noticed that it's season two and three of the anime that took fifteen years after the first season's release. "That game as well is really good from what I heard from a…"

I took the game out of her hands and held it up. I've had suspicions that she's been buying games and the like for other people. I feel I know Uzume well enough to have an accurate grasp on her tastes. She buys anime with action or mystery to it with gore or horror at times. She buys visual novels, especially erotica, with mainly in the romance genre with "slice of life" elements on top of this. This isn't it because it has rape by the photo of the blonde woman on the cover in a very uncomfortable position and tentacles in the back. I looked back up to her and she smiled nervously. I relented and handed it to her.

"I'm not watching that Uzume and I know neither are you."

"I know, and you don't know that," she glared at me.

SNAP

"Ow!" Uzume rubbed her head in her corner hugging her knees.

"I'd prefer if you didn't glower at me like that Uzume." I dropped the hand I used to flick her in the forehead with. "And I do know." I walked past her with her game and anime in hand. "Let's go."

"Jerk!"

"Bitch," I said back to her almost on impulse. I didn't mean to but it came out after the "jerk' bit from her.

"I regret ever showing you that show," she grumbled at me.

"I don't. All 15 seasons were pretty interesting. Anyway, let's go and check out Angel."

"Yeah, whatever," she scoffed at me but still took my hand gently in hers. She pouted but still held me close to her with our shoulders brushing against each other's. Her actions don't match her attitude.

We paid for the game and video, and I placed them into my coat pockets out of sight and mind for now.

I noticed the woman from before continuing her pursuit of me once I left and followed a good distance away to avoid detection. I took notice of a couple more powers around her and growing in number. I'm thinking this isn't a coincidence.

"Uzume." The woman hummed up to me. "Come here." I quickly said and tucked us both into the first alley way I could move us into.

"Otieno?"

"Shh." I put a finger to her lips and looked over the corner.

I looked down to the street and noticed that the woman from before was walking toward me and the building, but more precisely the alley we were in. She's looking everywhere other than where Uzume and I reside. I wondered why that was until I saw something coming up slowly next to her. It was an expensive car and she's the target. I narrowed my eyes as the car stopped by her and the window rolled down. The man in the passenger seat started talking to the woman, but I was too far away to hear just what they're talking about. A man got out of the car wearing a navy-blue suit with a red tie and glasses.

Uzume tore my hand from her mouth with cute frown in the form of a pout. "What are you doing?"

"Watch," I said to the woman when I gestured up.

Uzume grumbled but still looked over the corner and saw why I pulled us to the corner. She noticed the same thing I did as I pointed them out. At least two sekirei hiding in wait for a signal in the corner of the street, one was with the man in blue, and one was waiting on the building across the street.

"What's going on?" Uzume looked around on guard now that sekirei are involved.

"We're going up to the top of the building. From there we can watch from above. They don't know that we're here so we may be able to get a preemptive attack on the one above then below. You could get the one on the right side by the stop sign and I could take out the one near the blue Honda parked in front of a furniture shop." I noticed one with green hair and the other with dark skin with and a strange outfit. Something is wrong with these MBI dogs for every Sekirei I see seem to match some sort of Manga genre or persona that I have seen a couple times. It reflects in the way they dress, by the color of their hair, and by the way they dress being a little less modest than need to be. I don't mind but it is just strange that they showcase Sekirei like this. Uzume, Kazehana, and Mutsu are good examples. Does Mutsu really need to show off his chest? Does he enjoy all the time earning stares from many women that we pass all the time? Might have to ask him this later.

"You have this all planned out as a smash and grab," Uzume stated dryly.

"It's quite obvious that this man doesn't want to take no as an answer that's why he has the extra muscle," I leered lightly at the mention of these woman having muscle. The strange thing is that they don't all have muscles to show and yet can jump up to five story buildings without even trying. "To reinforce himself with more than one sekirei which means he knows who she is following and needs the muscle. Or is a total bitch and can't handle his women."

Uzume peeked over and smirked, "I'd go with the latter." I nodded and put an arm around Uzume's waist.

"So, let's do this and help out your sister seconds from being force winged."

The mention of that made Uzume's blood run cold. Just like that her expression reminded me of a happy Karasuba just more emotionless in expression. "I knew today was going to be one of those days." Surprisingly, it wasn't me that said this but instead it was Uzume. She sighed in distress at the day for her that just turned upside down in less than two hours of us leaving the Inn. "I knew it."

"Can you take us up. You sekirei have this ability to extend you're jump, right?"

Uzume nodded as her current clothes changed and her veil fell over her head shadowing her eyes. Thanks to my input she fashioned a white kunoichi mask for herself to hide the remainder of her facial features. "I'm guessing Mutsu carried you this way," she grinned under her mask before she wrapped her arm around my waist. I rolled my eyes as we walked out to the side from the alley.

I am used to Mutsu carrying me up to the top of a building in less than a second but seeing that Mustu is a good couple inches taller than me it was easy for him to do this sort of thing like dive off buildings with me in his arm. While it's awkward for me being the one led up it's efficient. I will admit it was an issue at first. I am a man and being carried by another in such a way is not all that much preferred. With Uzume though I am judging whether I'm finding this a little better or a little worse.

"Hold on Lois," she snickered as her veil fell upon her head and her white strands spread around me. "I'll hold you down."

It might be worse.

"Be quiet or I'll get mine Smallville," I growled at her. She shot up suddenly and I clenched as we flew up to the roof. The moment we reached to other side she jumped to the top of the building with the Sekirei looking down from above. "Thanks," I grumbled when she let go of me.

Uzume nodded and crouched down. "So how are we doing this anyway? I don't want to fight and get the people below involved."

"Follow my lead and stay quiet." I moved first stopped right behind the woman in a cloak. Slowly Uzume snuck her way up to the woman and stopped behind me to my right.

I took a surprised cloaked girl's neck in hand and slammed her down into the roof. I rolled back away from her and a throwing knife aimed at my head from the sekirei. As the Sekirei shot to her feet to face me Uzume with a ribbon of white silk in hand took the unknowing sekirei from behind with a banner to her neck and leaned down much like in the video gamer classic that Uzume showed me from some time in the early two thousands. It's about a hitman with a name that was just a number. It was interesting but unrealistic.

The sekirei reached up with a star of sorts to cut the make shift fiber wire. I ran up to her and slammed my elbow into her body's center forcing her to bring her arms forward to her stomach. I reach up and grasped her wrists with one hand and locked down her ankles with another. The girl struggled but passed out in seconds from the blood choke not the air one, then went limp.

"Drop her without termination. We don't need MBI coming to survey the area." Uzume nodded and simply let go so the girl could fall over onto the roof. "I am going to go back down and climb to the other building. When I jump the first one you come a second later."

"Hai Ashikabi-sama." I was in battle mode, but I'm still surprised to hear that from Uzume. Her normal happy and free self was non-existent right now. I was full of relief at her look of action and knowing I didn't need to worry about her not following my order.

I ran to the end of the roof and jumped down from the wall of the building next to it and repeated until I reached the bottom. I walked up close to the two glasses wearing duo until I could hear what they were talking about in the middle of their conversation. The building they're close to is the same the other sekirei are on but just on another side. I looked up to the fire escape and shot upward to grab it. I pulled myself up and steadily made my way in while focusing my ears on their conversation.

"No, I have no wish to follow you or be winged by you.

The man lifted his glasses with no intent of taking no for an answer. "I work for a very powerful figure in this city and we could use your abilities." The man said with a professional sort of tone.

"You know of my abilities?"

"I have known about you and your ability to control electronics for a while now. I also noticed your tracking of a certain man." The woman blushed lightly at the mention of this man. So, she is following and reacting to me and to satisfy her reaction she decided to stalk me. Hmm, makes sense to me.

"If you join us we can guarantee your safety and anything else you wish to have during as well. Something I doubt that shadow character you have been following can do."

The woman looked away and lifted her glasses to a point that the glare shielded her grey eyes. "Under different circumstances I would have taken the offer Kakizaki Momura and forgo my own reaction but from the data you're not the best choice." The man's straight face turned into a frown. The woman though was not finished. "Your employer is a powerful man in Shin Tokyo with the mind to execute what is needed to increase his power in this Plan, but his methods are suspect and will be his undoing." The woman fixed her glasses ignoring the look of distain the man gave her. "You as well as his second will fall and under my current plans putting myself in a situation so... Conflicting is not the ideal course of action to take." A more prominent frown formed on Kakizaki's face with an apparent gleam in his glasses as he nodded his head down slightly allowing the woman to continue.

"I know who you are and what you do since I can "control' electronics like you said." I heard a snapping sound of a phone closing hanging up on someone. "I know what you are trying to do, and I know that even if I say no you will force my emergence for your own gain." The woman turned away to the direction she was walking before with the most dignified look in her eye and posture I have ever seen. "If you're a real gentleman you will let me go to find my true ashikabi instead of force it. Now if you excuse me." The man grabbed the woman by the wrist before she could walk and shook his head.

I looked over to Uzume and nodded when she was in position just like myself. When she returned it, I took to the air into a dive. Uzume would follow suit as soon as I landed on the woman below. I slammed into her upper back while wrapping my arms around her body. Her body softened the landing onto the concrete as we landed and with the momentum we rolled together. I propped my foot and pushed while letting her go letting her sail away from me. Her back hit a lamppost and bent through it. She was stunned as she dropped to the ground.

I quickly shot up to my feet and rushed at her. The moment of surprise doesn't last long. "Gak," the sekirei gasped as I landed on top of her with my knee planted in the middle of her stomach and one hand hovering over the center of her chest. With the other hand I held her down by her right shoulder. As I landed I shot my right palm straight into the center of her chest between the cleavage, but not to get a feel like most would think. It was to cause her lungs to excrete every ounce of air in them from the Ki infused palm to the chest. I pushed back down a second time to suffocate her the moment her body's reflex to breath came choking her without touching the neck yet.

Her body arched upward with her legs and head coming straight up from the knee to her stomach and with my right hand pulled the fabric on her shoulder until her chest was parallel with my own. Her staff flew away into the window of a shop the moment she rose it up and I bat it away. That was a shocker to some, but what shocked everyone the most was what I did next, not the broken window. I shot my free hand under my other and took the fabric on the other side of her shoulder in hand. With a strong breath I pulled her in crossing the bones of my forearms into her blood highways on both sides of her neck. Already in shock with no air in a panicking brain in seconds her arms came up to my back to push me off.

"Hey you!" The sekirei from across growled with her full attention on me. A mistake she will live to regret as Uzume came from above and landed on top of her instead slamming the woman face first into the concrete cracking it with the force. Uzume chopped the back of her head with little problem and knocked her out. I didn't know she knew that technique. After a couple seconds the struggling of my targets ceased as she followed her sister into the void. I sighed hard and took a breath that I was holding to expand my chest to keep the sekirei in then slacked my hands from her shoulder. I placed her down gently just encase of the possibility if she fell even an inch more it might cause her to become terminated. I checked her sekirei tama with my spirit sight to see it she's still in the game before I took to my feet.

"Take out your phones and your next," I growled to the witnesses that slowly all took their hands from their pockets. I noticed one girl with a phone already out and attempted to hide it but I was too fast and caught it in a swipe. I looked at the screen to a black one with a triangle at the bottom. I glared at the girl and she shrunk down in place as I played it. She started recording way before I started with three of her friends enjoying their Sunday in peace for school was out. I sighed and leaned over to the girl as I watched the 'me' in the video falling from the four-story building on top of the unsuspecting sekirei and everything I did. In the background she zoomed in on Uzume as well and I should admit she did a good job with recording her and I.

"If you keep this don't spread it around in the internet, understand?" I said in a calm and firm tone as if I was chastening a child for putting their hand in the cookie jar, or if I caught them with their hands in their pants. The little girl of maybe 13 nodded furiously a little afraid of me and what I might do if she disobeyed me. I ruffled her pig tails and handed her the phone. My clothing gives away nothing of who I am and what I look like and some time before the jump I must have unconsciously put my mask on because it was over my face right now. I'm safe.

Uzume walked over to me leaving the woman in the middle of the side walk where she laid and past my target leering down on the girl with her blank eyes. Eyes that lost that 'botousai' look and turned calm with a saucy smile. "If you do keep make sure to edit a hood like his over me. Got that assassin look going heh-eh." The girl nodded not as fast as before but still firmly with a small smile.

"Is she dead," I had to ask just to make sure because the answer will judge how fast we would have to settle this situation. "No, just out for the count. You?" I looked back to the stationary body of the staff wielding sekirei and said, "same."

"Ahh," a man ran out from the store with a horrified expression at the staff sticking out of his window. The man was the owner I assume of the pawn shop to the side which now has a red staff sticking out of it. "No, my window!" Uzume edged behind me making herself scarce out of the man's line of sight. I felt sort of betrayed but at the same time I would have probably done the same if it wasn't my fault. "You," the man pointed straight to me, "you did this didn't you," then the man pointed to the downed sekirei, "right after you assaulted that girl." The man dropped to his knees being a little excessive in the whole dramatics thing. He even had one of those anime clouds over his head, but that might be the hazy feeling in my head from the reactions. This close with it worsening before I suffered from an altered though process from the norm and a few hallucinations.

"I can pay you for damages if it means anything," I offered.

"Yeah sure," he dismissed my words. "I bet you're one of those stupid Americans that thinks that money is all that is needed to solve this."

"I haven't gone to America in a long time (being almost one hundred and fifty years) and if money can't fix your window, what can?"

"It's not money that's the problem but installation." The young man climbed back up to his feet with a sigh. "I don't know anyone that could help me. I don't know anyone that knows how to do this today."

"I might," the angel on my shoulder whispered leaning on me so we are back to back. A card of sorts appeared in her hands from somewhere and handed it to me. After reading it I took eight 5000 bills out from my wallet and folded it on the bottom of the card.

"Here." I showed it to the young man which he reached for with droopy eyes.

"What's this?"

"A card and some money for installation and a new window. Just give the number a call." The young man looked the card over and nodded before leaving back into his shop.

"Thanks." I breathed in relief to Uzume.

"No prob." She snickered. Uzume bumped me with her arm. I had to stutter step a couple times showing a brief moment of unbalance in order to catch myself. I turned back with a questioning look but she just winked and walked away. I blinked and just but filed that away as one of those kinds of things that will takes time for me to understand. I quickly caught up to my sekirei as we approached the man Kakizaki together and what was the leaving sekirei.

Kakizaki's frown grew and he adjusted his glasses. "Now if you understand my standing I have to insist you come with me."

The woman pulled her arm back and looked back with a blank stare. "I do, so please don't touch me. Have some tact."

The man cleared his throat and walked up to the woman. "Forgive me, and I have to insist that you come with me. My employer wanted me to acquire you and that is what I will do. I am afraid that you do not have a choice." The man lifted his glasses. "And if you don't I will have to force you with his Sekirei." Kakizaki waved his hand and instead of those two sekirei Uzume and I approached but he was none the wiser. The man had a smug smile and extended his hand. "Now will you please follow me to meet my employer?"

The sekirei looked at me with a growing redden of her cheeks. I nodded at her. A ghost of a smirk or was it a smile appeared on her lips. Something the man thought was for him instead. "Good, now if you please…"

"Leave." I finished for him and walked closer behind of him. Uzume grabbed the Sekirei next to him by the neck and held one of my knives at the woman's neck to keep her from moving. I didn't have time for a hold up so I slammed my palm into the side of the woman's head with enough Ki to rattle a bear's brain, and witnessed the light leave her eyes as unconsciousness took her. The man whirled around and saw Uzume tossing his sekirei away next to his car, myself behind him with my arms crossed, and his reinforcements missing in action.

"Who are you?" I walked around the man looking him over now that I could get a good look at the Japanese man in a suit. Blue suit, expensive and tailored well for a near perfect fit. White shirt and blood red tie as well that is clean of any sort of dirt or residue. The shoes even are shiny without any blemishes or marks on them. This man looks like the sort of well up and cut sort a man that does whatever his boss wants when he wants. Loyalty is what I see in his eyes but that can equally be a good thing and a bad thing. Overall, I am not sure whether to convert or kill this man so I suppose I can leave it at that. I let my examination go finding not much that is special about this man other than he is the field worker version of a paper pusher.

"For now, that doesn't matter," I said and walked up to him face to face finding myself two or so inches taller. "Leave this woman alone and I won't do to you what she," I looked over to a cold eyed Uzume, "and I just did to your protection."

"W-what?" The glasses wearing man stood aghast.

The sekirei with the glasses smiled self-satisfied with how the tables turned with her phone tablet thing in hand. "You see? The before you approached me my real and chosen ashikabi already knew I was following him." The sekirei looked over to me and then back to Kakizaki. "Him and his sekirei took notice of you and your entourage and one by one incapacitated them without termination and so keeping MBI or you from noticing until it was too late."

The man looked shocked and looked around the buildings searching for a hint of his little entourage only to find nothing. "I-Impossible."

"This," the sekirei waved a hand from right to left then clenched her fist and brought it to her breast. "Is why you and your 'employer' aren't the best choice and I will never be winged by one as ignorant as you."

"But she wants a guy as ignorant as you?" Uzume whispered with a hardy snort.

"Not right now Uzume."

Kakizaki frowned with a clench of his phone. With a sigh he conceded. "Very well. I am beaten and I have failed but my employer will know of this."

"I don't care," I said in a monotone with a glower literally looking down on the man with a look of indifference. I wanted to let this man know that I and one sekirei that didn't even use her powers could take him and four alone without problem. I wanted him to know that if you came at me I would do the same to him next time and I am not one for empty intimidation as my reputation as a Bloody Dealer calls for.

With that the man stepped back into the car he was in. He ordered the sekirei that was beginning to stir to get in and she crawled into the care. "I will retreat for now but just know that this isn't over."

"Whatever four-eyes, just go away," Uzume told him off making the man scowl before entering the car fully. The engine started and the driver drove away in a loud vroom.

The sekirei sighed and fell left but caught herself on the window a computer repair shop/store. The sekirei panted softly but still looked up to me with a reprieving sigh.

"Nice work." I pronounced with a smile and a pat of on the shoulder for the veil sekirei.

"Heheh, it was no problem I guess." I rose an eyebrow at the lack of emotion and the bit of guilt I felt.

"You wish it was a frontal attack and not a surprise attack." Uzume wasn't shocked that I figured it out so quickly and bowed her head in a yes.

"It's just," Uzume licked her lips. I fought desperately the urge to kiss them the moment she did that and prevailed. "I am a fighter and that wasn't very fighter like. I felt more like a…" She paused long enough to spare me a glance. "Like an assassin or a night blade from a video game or something and that is something I am not." I suppose I can see where she was coming from. If a man is trained as a frontal lines soldier and then sudden placed on the Calvary he will feel extremely out of place and clunky. That's not the case with Uzume though. She did well considering but it was out of her comfort zone regardless. She more than likely sees it as an underhanded tactic that should be beneath her.

I placed a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. "Tell you what, those three are going to hate us for dishonoring them as bad as we did, and when they come back to get it back you can get your fight." That's the easiest way I can see to resolve this issue. What's done is done and even if she doesn't like the actions we took is what I do and how I get things done quick and clean without much blood on the hands.

My words didn't do well to calm her down and instead she sighed, "I guess."

"You shouldn't worry yourself Sekirei number 10: Uzume." The other sekirei finally announced her presence with us and got closer so not to talk too loudly. "You did what you had to make things go by smoothly."

The sekirei on the window leaned off now that she had our attention. I forgot she was there for a second there as well much like Uzume did and proved as much she said, "Oh yeah, your still here."

"Yes," the woman deadpanned. "I'm still here."

Uzume smiled with a cheesy grin on her lips. "Sorry about that heheh."

The glasses wearing sekirei shook her head showing her vanity in Uzume's antics by dignifying her posture. "As I was saying, the way you both handled this may seem dishonorable to some but by taking a subtler approach instead of direct confrontation you not only drastically lowered the civilian casualties by 94% but also collateral damage to the surrounding area. The direction you took was the fastest and most efficient as well as kept the amount of witnesses to a minimum by 84%."

"It's really that much huh?" The sekirei nodded her head. Uzume hummed and looked up to sekirei with a thoughtful sort of look in her eyes.

"Ahhh," the woman groaned in a sensual manner as she fell back but stopped a foot from the pavement. The woman looked up and saw that I had her hand around my own stopping her from facing the ground head on.

"Careful." I warned as I pulled the woman back up to her feet. "You don't want to fall, it will hurt."

"Noted." The woman panted with her hand lightly squeezing my own.

"Wow, Otieno you sure do work fast." I couldn't tell is Uzume was being sarcastic or doing the teasing thing she like to. Though from what I felt form her it was anything but joy at the thought of me taking a woman, another sekirei, right now. I thought on maybe holding off or rejecting this sekirei, but I let that thought go as she came forward from behind me into view to inspect the woman. Uzume's eyes wandered her body like I have before right as the sekirei composed herself from her near death and embarrassing experience.

I suppose I can start at the top and work my way down.

The woman's hair is grey in color reminding me a little of Karasuba only cut considerably short enough not to fall pass the fabric in the back sort of like Homura's hair. The woman forehead is covered by a couple bangs that stick out slightly before falling past her eyebrows. The center of her fore head was free of any bang because they extended outward to the left and right sides but it wasn't free so to speak of everything. There is black dote in the center of her forehead the in true reminded me of how Indian woman had that dote on their heads. Her grey eyes with black sclera slid from me to Uzume whose darker chocolate colored eyes met at the same time with red framed half-moon glasses over them. The silver wire from her glasses fell as far as her chin before leading pass her shoulders to the back of her neck coming together I am sure. The only portion of her hair that's longer than the rest are the strands that fall in front of her ears framing her face all the way to the bottom of her neck cut in an angle to go along with her shoulders.

A calm expression was on her face and by the air I see around her she is cares much of her work and calculations. A strict sort of demeanor that is has a list of goals in a precise order that she plans to go her way and her way only. Like a strategist, I would assume, she's planning and observing everything and anything around her trying to figure them out.

Now down to her clothing first thing I noticed is the trend most sekirei do in the way of the clothes being tight on her body and all to expose her curvature. It looked like a light purple dress robe top with frills like a high collar around her neck that has the slit in the front that follows down to a darker purple corset holding it closed an. There're frills coming off the top of the corset that has a black leather belt tightened in the center of her body, with the buckle in a perfect line with the vertical center of her body.

The lightest purple part of her clothing I think starts at the frills below her big breasts down into a dress bottom with side slits starting at her thighs then falling to her feet. Every shift of her body shown the pale and curvy legs the woman has on her and the light purple sandals she wore with a black strap. The arms now are bare at the shoulders down to the middle of her upper arms where a sleeve falls to the palms of her hands. A strip of the same color starting from the elbow of the sleeve and end at her wrists falls short of her ankles.

When it comes to skin color she's more on the pale side unlike Uzume but not as much that Karasuba. Over all she reminds me of a librarian or maybe a devoted scholar with her focused gaze. It's like they're trying to figure me out. I looked down to her breasts and noticed that she forgoes a bra like Uzume does a lot but from the white lace I saw down below underwear really is a must especially with her clothing.

Her breasts are smaller than Uzume's, and if I am eyeing this right I would say around 90 cm. Her waist like many I have seen is shinny sitting at 57cm. Her waist is definitely 85cm. When it came to height she's sort of average of 5 foot 5 inches. Overall, she's beautiful woman and Russian I think. She's built with tense but strong shoulders and balanced position of attention she stood in.

"Are you finished," she asked me as if she knew exactly what I was doing.

"Are you?" I asked back to no reaction.

"No, Not really. But I find it hard to read you while you shield yourself like you do." She gestured to my hood though I was a little hesitant to remove it just out of know where. I considered her eyes that shown nothing but a hint of eagerness.

"I usually don't remove the hood in public I hope you can understand."

The sekirei showed a hint of restraint and patience with a soft, "Very well."

"Though if you wish to look into my eyes I can do this." I pulled my hood back enough to make the outside world seem brighter. I pulled the mask over my face down as well and showed the woman my face from my eyes down. The sekirei gazed into my eyes then left them to examine my facial features. The woman lifted her glasses until they glared again but with the glare also came a slight flush of her cheeks.

"African American, sharp dark brown eyes, short black hair, scar of his cheek and left side of his forehead, well defined and healthy face, an expression that I can't read all that well, and maybe 23 or 24 in age." She listed off as her hand hovered over my face. "You have a sense of calm and understanding in not only the way you look at me but the way you speak. Your eyes are cold and dark like you have seen horrors no regular person could dream of yet still push forward. Your stance is ready which means you are prepared for an attack showing combat training and a sense of situational awareness. PTSD in the way you can't seem to calm down. You watch and plan then act accordingly but at times even you slip up and do something drastic against yourself and others around you." I hummed giving her the indicator that she is right so far in her deductions.

"You're fiercely loyal to yourself and others as well and," she noted as her eyes came back into view. Her hand came up to her chest and she started to pant. Her grey eyes glazed over as her eyes fell to my body. A frown formed on her face right before her eyes shot to my face again. "I suppose I have to research the rest at a later time… ashikabi-sama."

The woman then suddenly started to breathe harder and harder and the blush in her face increased in color and size like she just opened the dam and the plains flooded over in a matter of seconds. Her hand clenched her chest tightly almost ripping the fabric. The smell in nose now as well, the honey like scent that made me shiver slightly at the deliciousness of it, and caused a reaction of my own in my body.

This woman is reacting to me that much was clear, but I really didn't plan to wing a sekirei today. I knew today was one of those days, but I never imagined I would have a sekirei that has been spying on me for the last week to come today of all days. I also got into a scrap with an ashikabi and his sekirei as well today which is bad luck for me for I might have put myself on in the spotlight. Then again from what I heard this woman can manipulate and snake her way into the electronics of this world. A very useful ability if I do say so myself seeing that everyone has a phone on them somewhere.

I looked back to Uzume for some input to this but she just stood there with her arms crossed. Something she doesn't do lightly like Mutsu and I do all the time. She was angry, I could feel it, and I couldn't begin to understand what she might be thinking. I have never been in her shoes or in the shoes of someone with a like situation like this.

The woman stepped closer to me staring at my lips with eyes that belong on a demon of desire. Her glossy eyes seemed to be noticed by a few others in the busy sidewalk.

"Damn," I cursed at the feeling of being watched. "Come on." I gave my hand to Uzume and the other sekirei wanting them to take it.

Uzume just stared at my palm for the longest time before sighing. "Whatever." She took it and instead of waiting for the other sekirei I took her hand in my own and pulled the two away from the street to the tight alleyways to the right and turned to the left at the first one. It was free of most pedestrians which was good and made it easier on myself and the girls with me.

"This feeling is abnormal," she said to mostly herself instead to me. "My heart is racing." The woman looked down to my hand after she said that. She tightened her grip and brought it up to her right breast. I am no stranger to the wiles of woman and how they act when they are aroused but this woman's level of arousal is astounding to me. It seems like the only thing keeping her from jumping me is her will to appear as an outstanding lady. My hand pressed against her chest and my mouth almost went dry. Even after so long this sort of contact brings the fragility out of me. Her heart is racing right now even now. It was like she was having a heart attack. No, I think it is going faster than that even. This sort of speed will kill a normal human easy yet this woman is able to take it. Maybe being a Sekirei means that, that sort of human limit isn't theirs.

"I feel like there is a fire in my very soul. In the pit of my being. Can you feel it?" My hand fell from her chest to her navel where her womb is, if sekirei have one that is. It was like putting my hand on a hot stove but the feeling wasn't unpleasant. The feeling itself made me feel warm at the touch and slightly happy if that makes sense.

I nodded my head, "yes." I answered deeply.

"I want you so much." Her confession might as well have been a slap to the face because my cheeks felt like it. My own blush probably reached to my ears just for saying that to me. Most woman I have met no matter the circumstances have never said that to me like this.

Well, except one.

"Huuhaaa." We heard a loud sigh to the side over to Uzume. She smiled lightly and pushed me closer to the sekirei. "Go on," she said in conceit. "Do your thing Otieno."

"What? Are you sure Uzume?"

"I can tell that she is feeling the same I did when I met you. Right now, she's dying on the inside and no one deserves that if it can be helped." she seized hold of my back making me grunt at the sting. "Hurry up so we can eat."

"Uzume I…" She put a finger on my lips and gave me a reassuring smile.

"It is as she says Ashikabi-sama." The woman tightened her hold on my hand. "It hurts. The amount in which I want you feels as pleasurable as it is painful." This woman meant every word and I could feel it. "Do you see it?" The woman took my other hand. I didn't offer any resistance when she pulled my hands up to cup her cheeks that felt hot as well. My fingers came up to the top of her glasses and pulled them down to her naked grey eyes. I looked into them falling into a vortex of emotions. I felt my own eyes widen as the woman pressed her chest to my own and her glazed over eyes turned my own like hers. "Do you understand reactions now?" I blinked as the woman's hands fell leaving my own to cup her cheeks on my own accord. I see now. She saw my confusion in the reaction process and decided to school me in it.

I said, "Yes I think so."

"Good," she sighed and took the initiative to wrap her arms around my back. "My ashikabi will not be ignorant of something like this or anything else like it. Ahhh." The woman moaned and her legs finally gave out. I quickly caught her though with my arms around her waist. "It seems that losing control of your legs can be added to the list as well," she noted.

"Indeed." The reaction grew worse in the form of electronic devices around us started to short. Being near a department store didn't help either because the televisions, cell phones, computers, hell everything started acting up around us. "Your power is to control electronics," I noted as I witnessed her power as it grew unstable. "Your reaction is causing your powers to go haywire." I looked around and watched as even the carts around are starting to short out. Making a mostly electronic travel device does that I suppose. I looked down to the woman and she looked back to me. "Well shall we?" I asked.

"Y-yes!" She rose her voice at me. If she wasn't already flushed I would think she would be blushing right now. The woman cleared her throat and said, "I am Kochō, number 22." She declared she took my lips as her own.

My free arm fell from her cheeks and wrapped around her waist. Her own hands came up to my shoulders and squeezed me closer to her own body. Like Karasuba, Uzume, and Mutsu every sort of energy was drained in a cycle of give and take and in a large amount. This is in comparison of the other wingings I have seen with my senses. One's where only a small amount was taken instead of what I'm feeling. I think it was done to make those pillars of light that shot out of their back where that symbol on her back is. Pillars that split into wings of a light purple much like the clothing she wears.

The kiss was chaste for the most part. Not vicious and full of ferocious lust much like the one I experienced from Karasuba. The kiss wasn't deep and slippery yet with controlled effort like Uzume's. The kisses I share with Mutsu was just that with nothing to add but still I can compare and this one seemly sort of more distant than the one with him. I couldn't understand why I felt that way but at the same time I found my mind going blank with the new presence in the back of my mind taking form. Like the ethereal chain that bound Kochō and I together is finally taking shape and tying the two of us together almost perfectly.

The light Kochō's wings faded but for some reason it became near impossible to stop for the moment. I could tell by my actions that I could control as my left hand fell down to her rump for an experimental squeeze over the dress bottoms she wore. It was nice and soft to touch and a little plump. She must sit down a lot and not in the customary Japanese way either for she has a bit too much back there for that to be true. My other hand came up to her thigh and pulled her leg up. Kochō's hands fell to my shoulders down and slipped into my coat to my chest. Kochō moaned in my mouth with a mixture of kisses and fondling that probably would have escalated until I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"That's enough." I looked back to Uzume who looked away with a small redden of her cheeks. "You both can suck face later, okay?" I nodded and let my hand drop. Kochō groaned and opened her eyes. She looked the same way I did and peered her eyes. She let go of my ass and took her hand out of my coat from under my shirt and put her glasses on.

"Indeed." She looked back to me with red cheeks and awkwardly we separated. "We should leave." She put simply as if what just happened never happened.

I nodded pulled my hood back down to shadow my eyes. "Yeah let's go."

---

One hour later

---

"Kochō." My newest sekirei looked over to me evenly to give me her full attention. During the walk to the restaurant, one that we have yet to make it to, I have felt a gnawing at the back of my head. No matter where I leaned or how I shifted about I could feel the needles on the back of my neck from the visual intent that was implemented on me. I'm still being watched, I have been for a while now, and she was there watching me, but not watching me at the same time. It makes no sense, I suppose. To say that you are being watched but at the same time not being watched, but I know the woman following behind me was doing it. I am not sure how for every time I peeked back I noticed that she was looking down on either my phone that she asked for not too long again, or some high-tech thingy in which she would move four fingers along the surface of the screen. I am not sure what she is doing but I know it has something to do with her abilities.

The gist of her power is the ability to manipulate anything electronic, thus hacking into it and allowing her to gather information, but I am not sure just how she does or how far that power can go. Even if she controls something like a camera or a computer in what manner does she utilize this talent? Can she see anything a camera does? Can she change the settings of a computer without looking at it? Just what sort of sekirei is this woman?

I asked her the first two and the answer she gave me surprised me. Apparently, she's been putting those street cameras to good use by monitoring something around me and throughout the city, but I am not sure what. I know she was watching me, but I'm not sure in which direction. That is the bad thing about my senses. I know that she is looking at when it pertains to me. My senses tell me the direction of the person delivering the visual intent and the directions it's coming from. It's fine to know where your prey is but it's disadvantageous when you don't know what they're studying. She could be looking at my face and wouldn't know it.

I thought on this and berated myself on having such unusable thoughts without action. Instead of wondering all these thing by myself I could just ask her. That will make things simpler. I looked back to the woman but Kochō didn't even look up from her thingy as she tapped on the screen at least a hundred taps a minute. It is a miracle that thing hasn't snapped in two by now. She has my phone in her hands as well. She's be using it for something, I think to monitor the activity on my phone that I've been really lacking on using lately. I faintly use it because it was provided to me by Minaka. He asked for me one day and provided me a phone for "posts" and "updates" and the like but I didn't understand that well. I think he sends me things but I never bothered to check. I suppose I can just leave that to Kochō since she's expressing and unexpressive interest in it.

"I am a brain Sekirei," she answered finally done with whatever she was doing and placed the tablet things under her arm at her side. I haven't really asked her anything but I feel she said this because I would only make sense I would be curious of her moniker since I asked her on a few of her actions. "The Insight Sekirei, I think that's a suitable title for me."

"Ah, I see." That makes some sense. Mutsu is an earth based being the Quake sekirei, Uzume is a veil sekirei, Karasuba is the Black sekirei; I guess brain or Insight sekirei are out there too with the priceless ability to control electronic devices. And how did she know what I am thinking?

"Because you are talking out loud," Uzume answered with the faintest of smirks on his face. I could respond in kind but instead priority dictates.

"What do you mean by a brain Sekirei?" Before Kochō started I put a hand up. Talking about this sort of thing while walking is getting sort of tiring after a time. Now that I think of it I spend most of my time talking while walking or running which is strange of me. In the past I never held conversations while walking before so why did I start now? Was it a sense of urgency or something?

I pointed out a restaurant I have never been to before called some weird name that means tadpole in the grass. "We should eat. I know you both are hungry, myself included."

"No ashikabi-sama I am…" The gnawing sound of a stomach resounded in the ears of Uzume and I. Uzume leaned close into the woman's face looking dead into her eyes making a satisfying "hmm" sound and cheeky grin to match as a mild blush formed on Kochō's cheeks but that was the only change to her outward appearance.

"Try that again Kochō and be more honest this time," I said with my arms crossed.

The woman sighed with a stiff nod. "I am famished Ashikabi-sama. I haven't eaten in two days," she admitted and drew my confusion out. "The reason being because my card became inactive and I have no other ways to gather funds at the moment." My thoughts went towards her taking money electronically because I remember it working for one hacker in one of Uzume's visual novels. "And because of my reactions I've been having trouble with my work."

She answered all my questions without me having to ask and impressed me. Why her card stopped working I could assume only one man that's been watching me would do this on a whim, so I left that alone. For now I said, "Then let's eat then, I am starving as well… but not there." I took a breath and didn't like the scent coming off that place. Sweat and sorrow is a bad sign. Uzume didn't ask why and opted to take me by the arm instead and drag me along. Kochō fixed her glasses first then followed with her thingy out again.

We traveled for a minute maybe around thirty, but I am not sure but I am sure of this; Uzume was about to throw a fit.

"Ah!" She threw the fit. "Where is this place?" She roared to the sky.

"Calm down Number 10 we'll get there," Kochō instructed in a careful tone with a fitting attitude to fit it. It's like she knew the right way to tell the brunette to calm down, because almost instantly she sighed out the steam that was building up in her and said "Sorry," Uzume breathed out before letting her tense shoulders go loose. Might have to fix the thousands of knots I can see sometime today. Maybe tonight.

Thank the spirits for the time I spent in the Beyond and the other side for the energy I have. I just need some essence of life and soul from either an animal, humans included and preferred, or a demon (least preferred out of everything) either in the form of sweat, tears, or mostly preferred blood to keep going. The energy I took from Kochō helped but I love the taste of virgin blood from humans. The Sekirei around are so delicious to taste. A person's life is either in their fluids like saliva or blood with is the most connected to the soul.

Karasuba is the most animalistic of the ones I have tasted and I wonder what some of the others taste like. I also wander what some of the other sekirei around me that will soon be chained or already are will taste like. Like a vampire I need some sort of substance that connects to the soul but not the soul directly. Sucking a person's soul out of their body can have effects on the one that does it and not all of them are positive. Like my knowledge of this place. Not positive and by the looks of things those punks from before, "screwed us over," as Uzume just said.

"I swear those punks played us."

Kochō poked and prodded her surface thing a couple more times and stopped suddenly. "This place these... "Punks' told you about, is it in this general direction?"

"Yeah, but I don't see it," Uzume said with an annoyed tone at the situation we found ourselves on. It was true that we have been walking for quite a while without any sign of the place or even the scent of the meat either in the front. I could smell it to the side though at my left into the park but it wasn't the way we were told. If they decided to lie or even make a simple mistake in simple directions I am going to find those sons of whores and take that 3000 back with interest.

Kochō poked the screen of what appears to be a tablet with her thumb and index finger then spread them out. I'm still wondering where she is keeping that thing anyway. Her clothing is quite tight. It's not revealing much except showing a few curves and the large chest she couldn't hide. There're not many places she could hide that thing on her body so maybe she has a hidden pocket somewhere on her clothes, but I couldn't see anything in the front so maybe it is in the back where I haven't seen yet. She has always been face me; that's something I just noticed as well. She's been keeping me in her line of sight the entire time. I wonder if she is doing this on purpose. If so, I can assume since I've just become her ashikabi after a few days of studying me she probably knows my personality inside and out by now. She more than likely planned for a long time studying every ashikabi she came across even if she was reacting to me beforehand.

She fought off her reaction to find the ashikabi that would suit her the best and most likely give her the assets she needed to apply her full commitment to this game of ours. If that's the case she might be more valuable to this game than I could assume. A rational and sound mind that doesn't let her emotions come between her and the task at hand. Someone like that, always analyzing and examining a target while collecting the found information for a later time, is useful. We're in the Digital Era I think I heard Uzume call it once. If she did follow other ashikabi like that glasses wearing man then she might have info on key figures in this game.

I could use her to get me some info on the loose ends. I could use some edge on the Hiroshi family. They're starting to get on my nerves. Damn old men. They live the high life directing from the top of their tower buildings. Meeting one or two isn't as bad as some think. Many are smart and know potential when they see it like in me. Most of them want me and The Group, my people, on the payroll, but I'm not one to let certain old men tell me what to do, especially if I don't respect them.

Information is key and having an Insight Sekirei will help me in my future endeavors against my enemies. I wonder now if there are anymore sekirei like Kochō or Uzume or even Mutsu. Are they the only ones with their own specific powers or are there many others like them, but abilities tweak in different degrees than them? Like a sekirei that uses cloth as her weapons to mold it into a sword with the same cloth coming out of the hilt that can cut like any other sword. Different variations of the same power used in alike ways through way of a medium.

"Where is this place?"

I blinked coming back from my long line of thoughts and looked back. Uzume let my hand go and took to Kochō's side some time during my trek. I didn't notice her let me go until it was too late which is shocking enough to make my eye twitch. Usually I am sensitive when it comes to touch. Even when you open a door or a window I can practically feel the sound waves bouncing off my body little by little. It's a large reason why I wear long sleeves and a hood, because it gets annoying after a time whenever my sense of touch becomes that sensitive. It happens at the most random of times but still happens.

I could see right now that Uzume was talking to Kochō about something with the screen thing in Kochō's hands as the topic of conversation. I stopped before they did and turned to them waiting for an explanation or an update.

"Ashikabi-sama," Kochō looked up a little but kept her eyes on the screen. She finally looked up and pointed to my right to the park then she looked up to me. Her eyes included. "A restaurant that is renowned for steak and its meat buns is in that direction in the opposite side of the park."

"Really," I mused in a near growl but stayed calm for the most part. It was easy just had to think happy thoughts like how I planned to hunt down and possible accidentally kill every single one of them right before ripping out balls to make them a meat ball sandwich. Maybe I could also go long term and slowly make them suffer with crap jobs and barely any money out of it and if they turn to drugs I will make them drown in it, because if there is one thing I will not have on my watch its drugs. White collar is cleaner and efficient.

I rubbed my thumb to my index finger that little tick I acquired from an old friend of mine. "Lead the way Kochō." The Insight Sekirei nodded and made her way into the park. Uzume and I followed her into the park. It was a nice park I suppose. It was quieter than the surrounding city but smelled of debauchery and blood at off places for some odd reason. Odder than that was the smell I could pick up was freshly spilled and getting stronger the deeper in we went. I wondered on how this smell could develop like this unless someone was bleeding out somewhere up ahead not that is any of my business. I am sure the man was stabbed, maybe for money, and left to die alone. Such is life and I shouldn't get myself involved if I don't have to. You can't save everyone and only a fool tries for he will fail in the end.

Kochō stopped at a fork in the path. One leading to a fountain and the other leading to more forest. The smell of blood drew me right to the forest and the smell of food that could only make my stomach roar led me to the left with the fountain in sight. A blank shade of grey formed in the woman's eyes. For the first time I saw her with that panel finger touch thing in hand her hands have stopped moving like they were before. Instead they spread open from each other with her thumb going the opposite way of her middle finger.

"Hm," she murmured to herself. I don't know what was going through her head or even what she was seeing but it must be important for someone with her demeanor to just stop and focus on the screen like this. If she stared at it any longer like that I would be surprised if it didn't burst into flame. I had my suspicions was related to the blood I smell in the air, it had to be, but what could be ahead that is making her hesitate like this? I continued to think on this for a moment until she cleared her throat to get my attention masterfully enough to succeed.

"Ashikabi-sama," Kochō began while still appearing to be contemplating the right way to say what she has to tell me. Her tone was grave despite the lack of one she had for the moment. Kochō bit her bottom lip then relaxed it. She had made up her mind about whatever she is thinking of. "After our meal are you and Number 10 going clothes shopping after this?" If there was any tension building in the back of Uzume's mind it faded away like a bad hangover. It showed on the sigh of relief we heard from her and by the sly smile that grew on her lips.

"Oh," Uzume mused sliding over to her... Sister?

I'm not sure if they are sisters at all like the bond that she has with Mutsu who turned out to be her older sibling, no real surprise there. They're nearing complete opposites when it comes to personality which happened with siblings, have many of the same facial features blood related siblings would have, if they share like parents or one like parent at least. Only difference I can are Mutsu's eyes being a shade of grey not just brown, the ears with Uzume's being lower and slightly bigger, the plush of Uzume's cheeks, and some other differences I noticed as well but many others are there as well. The shape of their eyes and noses are the same.

Uzume and Kochō have almost no relation with each other physically as far as I can see so the word 'sister' when directed to Kochō will not be as deep was 'bro' when directed to Mutsu. I can tell that Kochō was slightly uncomfortable with the sudden touching via an arm over her shoulder. I didn't see what was wrong with it not that seeing the two women's breast collide and bounce back in a hypnotic way. Now that they are close together I can compare with ease not that I should. It is unfair to compare one woman with another but I couldn't help myself right now. Kochō's chest isn't as big as Uzume's and doesn't sag much like Uzume's but instead are quite full, almost perfectly at the edge of a sag. Not to say Uzume sags but with breasts her size it only makes sense really. They both though have beautiful breasts regardless of what I or anyone else may think. Something I would feel terrible about thinking so soon in our relationship if the ashikabi and sekirei thing we have can constitute as a relationship.

Not friends but not lovers.

We are not even enemies. It has always been one of those three at least but not this time for any of my sekirei. Karasuba being the biggest bitch in the world teasing me six ways from Sunday every time I saw her, Mutsu is more of my comrade than anything else or adviser in case of emergency, Uzume has been a constant form of entertainment in her teasing of others and her more intimate way to entice me every now and again, and Kochō, that remains to be seen.

Uzume looked over Kochō with some sort of stare that even made me a little ill at ease. "I bet you would look amazing in one of those Chinese dresses and maybe a business suit as well with a short skirt."

"W-what?" the woman gasped just a bit flustered.

"I could also get you a swim suit as well. Hmm," Uzume hummed while eyeing Kochō's chest and nodded. "A one piece or maybe a blue striped bikini will do. Bring out the real boing if you catch my meaning."

"Uhmm," Kochō cleared her throat and the blush that threatened to come to her face. "I don't wish to get any clothing."

"Hm," Uzume frowned. "Why not?"

"New clothing is not a necessity," Kochō said dully and I nodded in agreeance with her. New clothes are a waste of money but when Uzume wants something and forces me to buy clothes as well I can't really say no.

Uzume sighed with a shake of her head. "God, you are just like him in that regard." I took that as a compliment. Uzume didn't like this deter her though. She smiled because she knows how to rein me in and if Kochō is like me then she already has an idea on how to tackle this. "But so what? I bet Otieno-kun would love to see you in a business suit or swimsuit," Uzume smiled turning this on me, "Right?"

I tilted my head a little at the expectant look I received from Uzume and the lack of a look I got from Kochō. I don't like the fact that Uzume is using me to get her way, but I did think on it. Kochō would look nice in certain outfits or uniforms like a woman from an office space and blue when it comes to bikini.

I nodded slightly. "I think you would look amazing Kochō." The woman looked down to her thingy again not really reacting to my admission not that I expected more from someone like her.

"See," Uzume pointed out, "we're out and about so we might as well get you something nice after we eat."

"Very well," Kochō sighed and pointed to one direction in the fork leading deeper into the woods and the smell of blood. "That way then Ashikabi-sama." Kochō went back to her panel. "By the way ashikabi-sama, how often do you check your messages?"

"If you have my phone you know the answer to that question. But why do you ask?"

Kochō glanced up to me in her eyes I saw a bit of approval from my quip. She does in fact know my rate of checking my messages and it's stagnant. "It's because you should acquire a certain "gift" from a certain someone about four days ago." Now I'm curious. Minaka sent me a gift and I was supposed to receive it a couple days ago. I wasn't in the country at the time because I was in Korea but still this is new to me. I should investigate it, but if I know Kochō she's already taking care of it.

"What matter of gift is this?" Uzume asked openly but Kochō didn't seem to hear her for a moment.

"Don't worry about it," Kochō dismissed my Angel and Uzume pouted a bit. Kochō didn't seem to notice and went back to her tablet thing.

"Kochō what is that thing you have in your hands?" Kochō blinked a couple times taking a moment to come up with a good answer which I appreciate. I can't keep on calling that thing a "thingy" after all and I am tired of basking in ignorance when I don't have to.

"This is the newest in cutting edge technology of a Surface Tablet that MBI has yet to release to the public and if my calculations are correct it will be another eight years before they do."

"Wow," Uzume whistled, "that long huh. Why eight years to release that thing to regular people and why do you have it anyway if that's true?"

"Because," Kochō lifted her glasses causing them to glare in the faint light from her Surface Tablet. With that she pointed to the direction she wanted us to go again and walked on.

"Wait," Uzume walked up to the sekirei, "You didn't even answer." Kochō didn't respond to Uzume and instead took to looking at her Tablet. Uzume huffed and left it alone as did I. I could guess just how she got her hands on that thing and don't really care on how or why.

"Leave it be," I said placing a relaxed hand on Uzume's shoulder. "If she doesn't wish to talk it is best not of force her."

"For now," Uzume added on top to which I had to agree. "Why do you think she asked if we were going shopping after this?"

I looked out to the pathway ahead smelling the answer in the distance. "We will soon find out."

"Huh?" Kochō snort in amusement at my words and Uzume's confusion. "What do you mean? Now the both of you are not making sense."

"All in good time Number 10."

Uzume pouted. "Like, can you stop with the whole 'Number 10' thing? I have like, a name and want you to use it."

"Like, we'll see," Kochō mused in an almost pungent tone.

I have a feeling these two are either going to be the best of friends or worst of enemies with the lightning I am seeing right now between them.

Before I could enjoy the coming verbal lashing between the two sekirei I spot something unusually usual in the distance. I had my suspicions on just what was up ahead that smelled of blood and tundra pine wood somehow and it came in the form of a woman up ahead sitting on the side of the path on the ledge of the right side. I saw a white lab coat with a red stain here or there that looked like blood, a white buttoned up shirt underneath that but that looked to be the extent of the clothing I saw. Kochō stopped when she noticed the woman on the side as well then looked back at me.

"I see why you asked me that question now," I sounded with faint curiosity. Is that the "gift" Minaka wanted me to take care of days ago? "Who is that, sekirei?"

"One that is "damaged goods and thrown out but perfect for a heartless individual like yourself,' or by what I just read," she answered ironically with my phone in hand. I shook my head at the fact that Minaka still calls me heartless. I have a heart… it's just hollow.

"May I make a suggestion?" She asked me instead of flat out telling me her input. She's really striving for my favor it seems. I gave her permission to speak instantly. "You should talk to her."

"What," Uzume came between the two of us. "No, I don't think that is a good idea. For all we know she might be hostile."

"Nothing Ashikabi-sama cannot handle." Kochō looked back to me and nodded.

"I don't like this," Uzume voiced again.

"Noted, but in order for the plan to work we need to have that "gift" on our side and the failure to recruit it will prove to be consequential later in the game." Meaning that if I fail to convince her to come with me I have to terminate her. I'm beginning to see why this sekirei reacted to me in the first place. I like her a bit more now.

"What plan?"

"The one I created and just finalized for Ashikabi-sama," Kochō looked back to me. "I recommend you talk to her at least for a moment."

"Otieno-kun?" Uzume looked at me asking "are you really going to do this?"

I looked between the two then back to the woman in the distance at least 100 or so feet out. "We can't ignore her I know that. Especially if she is hurt," I spoke like a fool hero and spat to the side once I finished. "But in all seriousness, it won't hurt to speak to her and if she attacks I'll handle it."

"Why, she isn't your sekirei?"

"If that is true then why did you talk me when I wasn't your ashikabi at the time?" I retorted back to her making her bite her teeth. I don't know why Uzume was so adamant against me talking to this sekirei, but I'm curious and had to satiate it.

"I... but..." Uzume drew a blank then stepped down. "Fine." I didn't like how she said that, again. Last thing I wanted was Uzume to be angry at me, but I didn't care all that much right now.

"I will go for a moment. Just follow close behind me but not too close. We don't want to show ourselves as aggressors to anyone around."

"Hai Ashikabi-sama/Otieno-kun." They both announced.

I nodded and started on the walk to the "gift" that Minaka threw away for me to pick up.

---

First thing I noticed about the woman was that like her sisters she's beautiful in her own way. Her hair is a greyish-blue with light brownish hair falling over her forehead and a little over her eyes. The sekirei has 'that look' in her eyes. Like when a woman was raped and later found out she ended up with child. Like a woman that ended up suffering one of the greatest travesties in the world and has yet to overcome the shock. Like a woman that just found out she lost her life and provider in war and was told on a rainy day. This one looked broken on the inside, something I hate to see, but the question is why. What could have happened to this woman that placed her in such a state of shock?

I checked my watch and frowned at the time I saw. Two fifty-two in the afternoon and have yet to get any breakfast like that damned woman cursed us with, but I will be damned if I don't get lunch. I inspected the woman a little more and noticed those empty eyes on me looking directly into my own. Somewhere down the line I let my hood down to check out the scenery better and now I felt it would have been better if I had kept it up.

The woman looked at me for a moment more before she looked down to the ground again taking that quiet, dead, and still position from before. The nod down lifted her bangs though and gave me a good look at the thing on her forehead I didn't notice before. A sekirei mark like the one on Uzume's back and like my other sekirei, but it is on her forehead instead of her back. Does that mean she was winged by unconventional mean? This is the only way I can see this happening. If it's by the way of a kiss then her wings would have sprout but instead the mark is on her forehead. Does she have someone that tried before and it failed or was it something else?

Then there's the blood and clothing she has on as well. Her legs are bare from the waist down or where the shirt stops meaning that her modesty is non-existent right now. Whose blood is on that coat as well? Her adjuster maybe or a man that tried to take advantage of her or is it hers. I doubt a man that knows what this woman is would try to abuse her without running the risk of getting folded like a suitcase and if it is hers I wonder just who it was that did this. Sekirei have some tough skin, which I learned that hard way from the more 'hands on' sort of way than anything else.

I don't see a weapon around or gloves like on pinky so maybe she is an elemental. I can feel her energies and just how unstable they are. Her energy is much larger and less controlled than Mutsu's or even Karasuba's. It reminds me of Homura's with the vast size and girth behind it, but it just doesn't burst at the seams like with him.

The woman looked back up to me when I just kneed down in front of her without saying a word and regarded me like she does the ground almost as if I am not here but noticeable. I cleared my throat first before I started talking. I don't want stutter or anything else that might put me off as weak. "Afternoon." It is customary to start with a greeting so that is just what I did. The woman just stared at me with blank eyes that flowed slowly to Kochō then Uzume. Uzume hide half of herself behind Kochō for some reason when the sekirei did that.

"Who... are you?" The woman finally said though in a slow and methodical way. Is would have been sort of soothing if it wasn't so blank much like her stoic expression.

"You may call me Otieno. Otieno Jäger," I answered briefly and to the point.

"What... do you... want? I have nothing I could give you." Her tone may have been empty but the emotion I felt in it was as depressing as finding out you're the last of your clan or family. She truly believes she has nothing to give. Nothing worth taking. This sort of prey… I would leave to spoil and fade into the beyond like I did that man so long ago.

This isn't that time and I'm a man not a boy.

"Maybe to ask a question?" The woman just stared at me; waiting for me to ask my question. "Are you stable?" The wording caused the remaining light in her eyes to waver. It was an honest question as well but maybe too abrupt. Her vision dropped from me back down to the ground.

"I am… not." I rubbed my chin and hummed.

"Do you have a home? An ashikabi?"

"I," the woman paused then her head lowered down even more then before if that is possible, "have no... Home. No one that would want me." The woman moved her hand up at a slow but gradual pace and stopped at her forehead. Right over the mark on it moving bangs of hair out of the way. "Because... I am broken."

I could practically taste the large aura of depression that threatened to consume the three of us. I felt a change inside myself coming from another source. The only external sources of emotion stand behind me but I can properly decipher what was transferring into me. I glanced back and noticed Uzume's fear from before had turned into sympathy and pity for her sister sekirei and the mark that was on her brow. Kochō fixed her glasses before turning a full 90 degrees to the right to ignore the feeling that surrounded us. I placed this emotion in a file for later. If this is what sympathy feels like then I'll remember this to get a good read on my sekirei later.

I turned my attention back to the sekirei below me when I heard her me an intake of air. It seems to be a trend to breathe in for an extended amount of time when she wishes to speak. Another note for a file I made mentally for this woman.

"I am a failure," she paused again to drop her hand. I have the feeling that she can't multitask and must do one thing before the other. "Of a sekirei," she finished. The haze grew so dense I could probably cut it with a knife.

Before the woman could look down again I cupped her chin and pulled her back up to look me in the eye. The contact surprised the woman but she made no move to bat my hand away. "Do not bow your head," I said with a serious frown at the constant weakness I felt from this woman who is supposed to be one of the strongest beings I have ever seen in the city. The woman blinked for the first time which I took as an indicator that I got through to her at last and let my hand fall back to my knee. "Good," I nodded in approval when she remained in the same position. "How are you a failure of a Sekirei? How are you broken?"

The grey in the sekirei's eyes darkened. "Because... I cannot be winged."

That answered so many of my questions that sadly ended up replaced by many more again. "Why can't you not be winged... have you tried?" The woman shook her head in a 'no' maybe for both questions. "Because you cannot be winged you think you are a broken sekirei no one would want?" The woman blinked again but did not look away like I am sure she wanted to.

"Yes," she whispered loud enough for me to hear.

"What would you do if I told you that I," I pointed to myself, "wanted you?"

The sadness in the root of the woman's eyes faded away replaced by surprise on the plus side a little light came back to her eyes. Mistrust, shock, and a twinge of hope were in those eyes. "Why," she asked using only one word to speak paragraphs. "I cannot be winged and you," she stopped her gaze at the two sekirei behind me, "already have sekirei. Why would you want a... broken tool like me?"

I cupped the woman's chin again and pulled her eyes back up to me and let my hand fall back again. "Don't bow your head. You are a sekirei, one of the most powerful beings on this planet. Even if you believe yourself broken don't bother for there isn't a declaration anymore untrue than that. Your kind are powerful and you are a prime example of this. Do not bow your head," I said sternly.

I find the way she reveled in self-pity to be pointless and I refuse to accept it. The strong stand strong not crawl on the ground like worms. "Never bow your head before another for that shows that you have given up on yourself. Do not allow the words told to you by anyone to take control of your life." I pointed to the woman's chest at her heart and stared straight into her eyes. "This is your life and in life we all have choices so tell me do you wish to stay here and wallow in self-pity or move placing one foot in front of the other?"

These words came somewhere I never thought possible. These words come from personal experience in this field that even now hurts. I heal from all wounds and live to fight another day but the one wound that never closes makes life feel meaningless. I failed Them and deserve to stop existing. I learned better than this though. I was forced to keep moving on because death by a wound that you can't see brings disgrace to you and the bloodline. To let this consume me would be an insult to the ancestors and those I have walked side by side with in my life. I felt that this woman could see this within me. Like Bethany always told me "you wear your heart on your sleeves," and because of this it's not too difficult to read my thoughts once eye contact is made.

The woman was silent for at least a good five minutes before she gave any indication that she was listening or even alive for that matter. It wasn't about what she did when I took to my feet but what she didn't do. She didn't bow your head but instead followed me with her eyes blinking in a robotic sort of rhythm. Once every ten seconds exactly.

"But," she tried to say before I shook my head.

"I wish to sit next to you." Almost instantly the woman changed position in her sitting instead of having her left leg up at her chest and opt to have both hanging of the ledge until her naked feet touched the stone path. I looked to the side and found there to be a lot of room for me to sit and did just that. "What is your name?" I demanded more than asked from the woman.

"Akitsu," she answered without any pause or hesitation.

"Akitsu," I said to swallow the name and found it to my liking. "That's a fine name for you, it fits." I looked over to the woman when she said nothing and waited for her to react for lack of a better word. Her reaction time seems more... lengthy than most normal people but maybe that has something to do with her power.

A persons physical and mental ability weigh heavily on how a person acts and how others see them. Maybe the time she needs to process is one of them or maybe that mark is involved which I must admit is sort of cool to see on her forehead. Almost like a brand of sacrifice for she was too beautiful and destined to be sacrificed to a god somewhere on the Greek side like the goddess of the hearth. I saw them literally throw virgins in the fire for the "goddess" that is until I killed her and took her soul into my body as well in my left arm. I already have a demon god in my right arm so the last thing I needed was their exact opposite to occupy the same place in existence and render my body unusable.

I reached up for a moment and hovered my hand over her mark but stopped when I noticed her peering at me. I have the decency to appear sheepish and pulled away. I'm used to being able to freely touch sekirei that I forgot my manners. "Excuse me." The woman just looked at me then away. We didn't dwell on this so I continued with my friendly interrogation. "Why can you not be winged?" I asked quickly to dispel the awkwardness of the situation.

"I... winged myself," she worded faintly.

I rose and eyebrow at this but it's possible I suppose. I can practical taste the potential sealed with this woman's body. The power that lies behind that mark is…greater than any other sekirei's I have seen thus far just below the innkeeper. Her power greatly mirrors my own when I stop holding back the demons in the sea of my soul. This Akitsu woman may have instinctively sealed away her own power because to protect herself and those around her. She may have had her powers seal during the adjustments as well to contain it and thus keep it untainted by human hands. If the adjustments they tried to implement on her caused this then I can only imagine what that dam on her forehead is struggling to hold back. If I can feel it behind the barrier I can only imagine if what deducing is true. I can only grill for more information at this point.

"Who told you this?"

"The bastards... that did this to me." So, it wasn't her fault or she believes it wasn't her fault. Regardless of who can take the blame in the end she potential is sealed. It could be that MBI sealed her powers or that Akitsu sealed her own power away to protect it. If a being born to be powerful despises that power they try to limit the power. She may have unconsciously protected it. It's possible. Or maybe the men and women in that clock tower screwed her over then forced her body tama to emerge prematurely, if that is even possible. I'm not sure of this is the case because I've never heard of a case of a sekirei acquiring wings without an ashikabi. I've been led to believe from multiple sources that only an ashikabi can wing a sekirei. No if's, and's, or but's about it. This only further cements the deduction that she sealed her own abilities.

Uzume, Mutsu, and Takami all told me that the only way a sekirei could be winged is if an ashikabi and sekirei traded DNA to make each other more compatible so how can a winging process happen without the trade of DNA or an ashikabi? The answer is that it can't. One fatal flaw in the miracle that is science is that the body synergy can morph and shift at any time. The energies of the body are lost on men and woman of science and trying to examine the body of a being comprised of energy like a sekirei is above them.

But not me.

"Do you believe them?"

"I," the woman paused again to breathe, "do not know?" That through off even more alarms. Slow reaction time, branded forehead, and now faulty memory. If this mark isn't a curse brand I don't know what is. If so I wonder how this could have happen to her if she did this to herself. How can I remove it if this is the case? The only way to remove it is to overload it which is very dangerous or have the one that placed it on her to remove it manually. I may be wrong seeing that this is a sekirei and not a human for a curse doesn't work well on other species if done by another species. If succubus tried to curse me at best I might just cut their wings off out of principle. I don't like curses, I have been cursed before, I'm currently cursed, and don't wish to go through any more.

Back to the brand though. If she branded herself with something like this then she's especially powerful.

"Does your brand hurt?" Akitsu shook her head.

"Do you mind," I reached up with a naked hand to her mark and stopped an inch from contact.

"You want to... touch this ugly thing?"

"Anything on you is not ugly Akitsu and to tell the truth it gives you an exotic look. I really like how it looks on you even if you don't." Akitsu blinked then nodded once for the go ahead. I place my hand on cool icy skin and almost pulled back with how much it burned. Not a hot burn but more like when you put your hand on a block of ice or a glacier in the North Atlantic. Gods she is cold in mind, body, and expression. How is that even possible!? I breathed and pushed a little of my Od into the mark. This is a dam and holding something back. It needs energy. Energy is the key. The small bits of od I'm placing against this dam doesn't create even a dent in it. I need to research this

"I want to give you a choice Akitsu." I let my hand fall and took to my feet again. I took her silence as a go ahead. "I want you," I said bluntly causing her eyes to widen at my admission. I thought on my words for a moment the realized what I just said and quickly corrected myself. "I want you to come with me but I will not force you to. You can come with me, wait here for someone to take you, leave and search for your ashikabi who all sekirei are supposedly destined to find, or take the easy way out and wait until you expire."

"Whoa Otieno you don't..." Uzume tried to say.

"Leave it," Kochō said taking Uzume's shoulder in hand, "he is right. In life we all have choices."

"But you told him to..."

"I suggested," Kochō corrected with a small adjust of her glasses. "I didn't suggest he'd take her number ten just to talk to her." Kochō released her sister sekirei from her soft grip and glanced back towards Akitsu. "There's a difference and if this sekirei doesn't wish to find out how appealing our Ashikabi-sama is that is her choice. A poor one, but a choice none the less that she made and can be satisfied with."

I fought the urge to glare at the glasses wearing woman behind me. I see what she is doing. Forcing Akitsu to see the 'light' and come with us. She has a choice my eye. I rolled my eyes and looked back to the woman then to the right down the path we came from. I could feel something and someone approaching. I know the feeling of a sekirei anywhere and I felt two of them with a single human heading in this direction. I can safely assume it's for the only sekirei here and I will not allow this. I can let this…goddess find herself in the hands of mortals that wouldn't understand her.

Ignoring the fact that I'm being hypocritical because I'm quite mortal myself and turned my gaze back to Akitsu. "Make your choice Akitsu for time is running out." The woman looked at me the entire time then nodded. She reached out and I took her hand in my own. "Thank you," I sighed and pulled the woman up.

The moment she got to her feet though her legs gave out and why not after all she has been sitting in a very uncomfortable position possibly cutting off blood flow to her legs thus making them like rubber. I quickly caught her at her waist and back hugging her to me and mushing her breasts to my chest. It was then I realized just how big the twins are between the size of Uzume and Kochō meaning they are big. Akitsu out of reflex took my shoulders in hand to keep herself up right. Her face inches from mine.

"Ah,"

I paused and bit my lip nervously, "Are you okay?"

A faint redness formed on Akitsu's alabaster skin that shined like diamonds in the sunlight. I almost can't wait to see it in the moon light.

"Yes." She said in a tone very much different than that of the one she had previously.

"Good," I said gratefully with a light smile at the sudden shift of disposition she took. One that she noticed and seemed to take a shine to. I normally don't smile sincerely but every time I see a man or woman on the brink take the beginning steps to the light it makes my soul feel lighter than before. It shows with all the approval I hold for her choice to come with me. One I swear she will never regret and one I won't waste.

"Good." I looked away for my eyes kept falling from the beautiful face in front of me down. An action that had Akitsu tilt her head a little.

"Is something... wrong?" I shook my head.

"No," I stopped to turn my words into action instead. I whirled around and let the woman fall onto my back while I took her thighs in hand wishing I didn't. Her skin was so soft and smooth... Damn it and my weakness to gorgeous woman. My light soul right now is causing the emotions for the bond with my two sekirei to become potent and cause a little pain in my head. I felt a small measure of jealously from the two of them and surprisingly the bulk is come from Kochō.

I could see it at the edge of my sight the smirk Uzume had but said nothing for it was her way to get her way over me like that damn Kunoichi Kuu. I pulled us both up with Akitsu resting on my back. Her arms hung over my shoulders for a moment before wrapping around my neck and her head resting on my shoulder.

"Are you comfy?"

The woman shifted a little and said, "Yes."

I sighed and started to walk away with my current sekirei following close behind.

"Are we still going to eat?" Uzume asked as we turned the corner.

The real answer came in the form of a series of stomach growls and it wasn't just coming from me. I looked back and noticed Kochō hiding her embarrassment behind her tablet. Uzume averted her gaze and coughed in her own attempt to drown her own special full faced blush. I couldn't see Akitsu's expression but I could feel her stomach quake angrily on my back. It was as loud and furious as my own so I can only imagine how long she's gone without food.

"Because," Uzume continued despite the flush on her cheeks. "I don't think a place will let a half-naked woman in it."

"Tssk," I clicked my tongue. Uzume is quite right. In modern day society the blatant revealing of the body is looked down upon unlike in the old days like on the islands of… It's doesn't matter.

I shrugged. "I can talk them into letting Akitsu in and if they don't cooperate then I will have to up the ante."

"You mean threaten him?"

"I don't make threats," I simply said.

"Mmhm." She hit my shoulder and I grunted from the sekirei enforced slam that made my arm hurt. I looked at her for an explanation but she just glared at me. "No more… ya got that?" She threated me in a whisper like death in my ear.

I nodded quickly. I have an angel of death already. I don't need a second.

---

A/N: Main Character's Nest of Sekirei: Karasuba(winged), Mutsu(winged), Uzume(winged), Haihane (winged by Natsuo), Kochō (winged), Akitsu (Broken),?

God, I was reluctant to add anymore sekirei to the roster but someone made a comment about Kochō and I saw the potential in it. Akitsu as well... I want to play with it and see where it goes. I might have made a pretty interesting story with the three I've written in now but I got a bit curious of where I can take it now. I plan to add a few more but stop there. I don't want too many but every portion of the heart needs to be filled by a sekirei that can connect with the MC. Once filled only then can we find Harmony without our body and soul.