Ice Chronicles
Chapter 11: Day of Training
'I'm going to die.' Minato thought. He was lying on his futon; however, his limbs were shackled. But not with chains; instead, Musubi cuddled his right arm. Tsukiumi hugged his left arm. Matsu and Kusano were sleeping on his chest.
'If I get anymore sekirei, I'm going to die.'
That's when the door slowly creaked open, and a shadowy figure stood at the entrance. The shadow's eyes shined blue.
"AAAAAH!" Minato screamed in horror as he swiftly backed away. His scream woke up the girls. Kusano too screamed after seeing the shadow. Musubi and Tsukiumi were about to attack, but when it walked into the light, the shadow happened to be Kai.
"Whoa, what's the matter with you guys? You looked like you've seen a ghost," he said. His eyes were still blue, but he didn't notice. Minato sigh a breath of relief.
"You scared the hell out of me! And why are your eyes blue?" He interrogated. Kai just blinked at him and closely looked to see what he was talking about, realizing the change in color.
"Oh, I guess I activated them again," he replied.
"Again?" Minato asked.
"Yeah, sometimes when I wake up, I accidentally activate my eyes. It's become a habit really," Kai replied. He closed his eyes and then reopened them, showing everyone his hazelnut orbs. He saw Minato and Kusano panting.
"Are you two okay?"
"No! We are not okay! You nearly gave us a heart attack," Minato stated. Kai scratched the back of his head.
"I'm sorry; but I only came for two reasons. First, I was already up and was asked by Miya to wake you all up. Secondly, it's time for you to resume training Minato."
Minato yawned.
"I'm up now thanks to you," he said.
"Then meet me outside when you're ready," Kai told him. Minato yawned again and nodded. Kai left his disciple, who stretched out.
"Alright girls, let's go," he said to his sekirei. He was about to leave the room, but was stopped by his sekirei. He was confused by their sudden blockage.
"Minato, it has come to my conclusion that you're uncomfortable around us," Matsu analyzed.
"Is that true Minato?" Tsukiumi questioned with crossed arms.
"Are you really uncomfortable around us?" Musubi asked. Minato let out a sigh and turned his head.
"It's not that I'm uncomfortable."
"Then what is the problem?" Matsu asked.
"And don't try to dodge the question," Tsukiumi stated. Minato looked at his sekirei.
"I just feel like I have nothing special to give you all."
Matsu fixed her glasses.
"Minato, you need to have more confidence in yourself."
"What dost thou mean you have nothing to give us?" Tsukiumi asked.
"I mean, there's nothing good about me that can make you all happy," Minato replied. SPLASH! Minato was doused with water again. Luckily for them, it drenched the futon and not the floor.
"I have warned thee not to badmouth yourself. Such tongue will not be tolerated," Tsukiumi stated. Minato sighed.
"Then tell me; what made you all react to me?"
Matsu grinned and ran up to him. Suddenly, she kissed on the lips, much to the surprise of the sekirei and ashikabi. The kiss caused her wings to manifest and light the room. When she broke said kiss, Matsu gave him another peck.
"You have many unique qualities Minato. You just need to have faith in yourself."
"Get away from him!" Tsukiumi yelled. She pushed the brain-type out of the way and pressed up against her ashikabi.
"I am the only one who is allowed to kiss Minato."
She did just that and wrapped her arms around his neck. In a more calm voice, she told Minato,
"My husband must have confidence; that is why I have chosen thee. I have chosen thee because you make me feel loved."
Before he could say anything, Musubi bumped Tsukiumi out of the way and kissed Minato.
"Minato, you are a great person, both inside and out."
The two blonds grew veins in their heads as the smaller one flailed her arms in a tantrum.
"No fair! I want to kiss big brother too!" She declared. Tsukiumi pointed at her.
"Thou are too young to experience such acts; and even if you were, I still wouldn't allow it."
The blonds shot metaphorical lightning from their eyes. Musubi joined in on the argument about being Minato's wife. Watching his sekirei caused Minato to start snickering and then to burst out laughing. His sekirei stopped bickering and looked at their ashikabi. He laughed so hard that he was crying.
"You girls are wonderful," he complimented. They all smiled at his compliment.
"Thank you girls; I really, AH, AH, AH-CHOO!"
He sneezed real loudly, forgetting that his clothes were wet. It was Matsu's turn to laugh.
"If you don't want to catch a cold, then I suggest you get changed."
She covered Kusano's eyes, causing her to pout and try to remove the hands. Minato just sighed again.
Standing in the backyard, Kai leaned against the fence with Firestorm leaning against his shoulder. Yomi, Kochou, and Akitsu were sitting on the porch as they watched their ashikabi, whose eyes were closed.
"You know what I don't get?" Yomi asked.
"What is it?" Kochou asked back.
"How is it that our cute Kai knows so much about these blades? What was its name? Devil Trigger?"
"Stormbringer," Kochou corrected. "I've done my own research and everything Kai said is true."
Yomi rested her chin in her palm.
"He said his blade told him everything so he's probably communicating with it."
"Her," Kochou corrected again.
"Ugh, her; he's communicating with her," Yomi groaned. "Question is, why was she attracted to him. I mean I know he's cute and everything; but he said there was something about him that drew her out."
"He said the same thing about Minato," Kochou pointed out.
"What do you think Akitsu?" Yomi asked. There was no response.
"Akitsu?"
Still no response.
"Akitsu, did you hear me?"
Yomi and Kochou looked at their sister and saw her in her own world. Her gaze was set primarily on Kai. Even though, her expression was emotionless, her eyes said she was captivated. She stared at Kai as the wind picked up and blew their hair. Through her eyes, time slowed down as Kai opened his eyes, revealing his shiny hazelnut orbs. Akitsu felt his gaze touch her heart and call out her name. When Kai noticed her staring, he gave her a warm smile.
Softly, she gasped as her cheeks started turning red and her imagination started taking and Kai were the only two people, and Kai was gazing at her. He proceeded over to her, leaving his own afterimages. He stopped in front of her and held out his hand.
"Come with me now Akitsu," he stated. Slowly, she reached out and placed her palm in his. Kai pulled her to her feet and embraced her. With his arms around her waist, he held her close to him. Akitsu placed her hands on his chest, but refused to make eye. Kai noticed and tilted her head up so their eyes met.
"Are you nervous?"
She slowly shook her head no. Kai placed his hand on her back and pulled her closer, making her breasts push against his chest.
"You're so beautiful Akitsu."
"Really?" she whispered.
"Yes," Kai replied as he leaned forward. Akitsu blushed more and looked down as her eyes kept looking from Kai and the white floor. Kai cupped her cheek, tilted her head back, and passionately kissed her. When the kiss ended,
"Kai," Akitsu whispered as she leaned in for another kiss.
"AKITSU!" someone yelled. Her thoughts were broken and saw that Kai never moved from his spot, opened his eyes, or even smiled at her.
"Akitsu."
She heard the voice and turned to Yomi and Kochou.
"Jeez, I've been calling you forever," Yomi said. Akitsu blinked at them.
"What did you need?"
"I was asking if Kai told you anything as to why he was chosen as a wielder or whatever he calls himself."
She shook her head no.
"All I know is what master told us."
Yomi groaned irritably.
"Why don't you just ask him?" Kochou asked.
"I really don't want to hear some boring explanation," she replied. Kochou couldn't help but laugh.
"But didn't you listen to the origin explanation?"
"I just wanted to know more about Kai," Yomi replied bluntly. That's when she smiled devilishly.
"So, who do you think Kai will have sex with next?"
Akitsu blushed while Kochou just smiled.
"Are you proposing a challenge?" Kochou asked. Yomi giggled.
"More like a game, a waiting game."
"Hmm, and what are the terms?" Kochou questioned.
"We let Kai decide; but at the same time, we edge him on a little bit. Give him a little motivation," Yomi explained. Kochou continued smiling, and Akitsu nodded. The door finally slid open, revealing Minato with Leonidas in his hands.
"Alright Kai; I'm ready," he stated. Kai finally opened his eyes and looked at his friend and sekirei. Minato proceeded over him as his sekirei walked out as well. Minato stood across from Kai, who leaned off the wall.
"Okay Minato, let's continue from where we left off. Show me your stance," Kai ordered. Minato nodded and unsheathed Leonidas.
"I had to use your stance for inspiration," he told him. He turned the opposite sideways from Kai's stance and held Leonidas in his furthest, right hand with the scabbard in his left. His left leg bent forward while his right extended back. Kai analyzed the stance, making sure everything is balanced.
"Hmmm, not bad Minato; I see that you favor the sword and sheath combo. Now let's see how well you utilize it."
"Okay," Minato replied.
"Let's see; Akitsu, Ku, can you two come over here?" Kai asked. They perked up upon being call and proceeded to their caller. Yomi and Kochou gave Akitsu thumbs up, making her blush.
"In all honesty, I'm not going to do some Mr. Miyagi wax on, wax off terminology."
Everyone was confused.
"Who's Mr. Miyagi?" Minato asked. Kai shook his head.
"Don't worry about it. Just focus on the now."
His sights went to the sekirei.
"The reason I called you is because I want you to help Minato with his training."
"Okay!" Ku stated happily. Akitsu nodded for her answer. He looked back at Minato.
"Minato, in this practice, I will be testing your decision-making skills and reflexes. Akitsu and Kusano will alternate in attacking you. All you have to do is decide the best action and react quickly."
"Gotcha," Minato replied. Kai kneeled to Ku's level.
"Ku; I know this will be your time doing this, but just listen to Akitsu and you'll do fine."
"Okay Kai," Ku replied. Kai moved back to give the girls some room.
"Whenever you're ready."
Akitsu waved her arm, conjuring up a line of icicles. Kusano was confused on what to do.
"Little one, pretend that someone is trying to hurt your ashikabi. You want to protect him," Akitsu told her. She fired one icicle at Minato, who stood still, waiting for the ice to get as close as possible. Once it did, he moved his sheath hand to deflect the ice; however, he completely missed and it hit him in the forehead. He stumbled backwards as a bruise mark appeared.
"Ahh, that stings," he complained rubbing the mark.
"You okay Minato?" Kai asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Let's try it again," he replied. Kai nodded and got Ku's attention.
"Ku, do you think you can handle this?"
Ku banged her chest with confidence; but she forgot her plant and ran inside to get it. She ran back out and took her place beside Akitsu. She used her powers to make the plant grow exponentially, until she created a giant plant monster with thorns. The beast roared with its razor sharp teeth blatantly visible. Everyone, including Kai, was surprised by her creation. Kai stood beside Minato as the beast set its sights on them.
"No one hurts big brother!" Kusano exclaimed. The beast reacted to her emotions and fired its thorns at the boys. Without thinking, the two jumped out of the way. Kai switched to lightning eyes, slowing down the attack.
"This might actually work out," he said.
"Easy for you to say!" Minato panicked.
"It is actually," Kai said maneuvering through the thorns. Minato saw his friend effortlessly move through the attacks. When one came for him, he moved his head; but was cut in the face. Two more flew at him, but he successfully managed to dodge it; however, the second one ripped his shirt and cut his shoulder.
"Minato!" Musubi and Tsukiumi yelled. They were about to run to him, but Kai stopped them.
"What are you doing?" Tsukiumi interrogated. Kai used his head to point at Minato.
"Look at your ashikabi," Kai stated. The girls did as told and saw Minato still trying to dodge and counter. He jumped to his left, dodging the thorn; and then held his sword and sheath in an X to block a piece of ice.
"You see? He's starting to get the hang of it. If you baby him, he won't get any stronger."
"But," Musubi talked back.
"Let me ask you something; why do you think Minato is going through all this?"
The two looked at each other, but could not come up with an answer.
"Minato really doesn't have to do this. He could've just refused the moment I told him this; but he's going through with it. But do you know why?"
"He's doing it for us," Matsu spoke up. The girls looked at her.
"He's trying to get stronger for you girls; but how do you think he would feel if you were to stop him?" Kai asked. Musubi and Tsukiumi didn't have anything to say.
"If you love Minato, then you'll let him do this.'
Two thorns and an ice shard flew at them, but Kai effortlessly destroyed them. Focus shot to Minato as he panted heavily with his entire being covered in scratches. Parts of his clothes were ripped, revealing blood marks and gashes. His legs were trembling as they tried to stay up.
'I can do this; I won't give up.' he thought. Minato dropped to his knees in exhaustion, signaling Kai, who walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You did good Minato; we'll stop here for today," he told him. That's all Minato needed to hear before he fell on his back and lay like a gingerbread man.
"Ku, your big brother is safe now; you can relax now."
Ku's eyes, which are big and white, are now back to their normal appearance; she saw Minato and smiled happily. She attempted to shrink her creation, but it failed. She tried it again, but the same results occurred. Confusion struck everyone. That's when the beast roared in unknown anger. Its screech forced everyone to cover their ears. Miya and Takehito ran outside to see what's going on.
"Kai, what happened?" Takehito asked.
"We were working on Minato's training; but Ku couldn't make her creation disappear. And now it's acting of its own free-will," he explained.
"Her powers must be starting to run out of control again," Takehito said. Minato got his feet and walked over to the landlord.
"What should we do?" He asked. That's when the brain girls proceeded over.
"By our calculations, if we don't get her under control soon, her powers may be too strong to tame," Matsu analyzed.
"If we take out her creature and get to her, we should be able to calm her down," Kochou added.
"Kusano!" Minato yelled. Heads shot like bullets as everyone saw Kusano drop to her knees while holding her head.
"AAAAHH!" She bellowed. The flowers grew exponentially and soon more beasts conjured up. Upon rising, the beasts screeched, causing windows to shatter and the ground to shake.
"This is bad; we're running out of time," Kochou stated.
"Then let's not waste anymore," Kai responded. He took out Firestorm; but one of the beasts wrapped its vines around the men, encasing the three inside. The respective women shouted,
"Kai!"
"Minato!"
"Takehito!"
There was an exertion of static. WHOOSH!WHOOSH!WHOOSH! The vines were cut to pieces, revealing the guys to be safe and sound. The three proceeded out, much to the women's excitement.
"Well that was unexpected," Takehito said nonchalantly. The same beast reared its ugly head towards the three. The moment it was in range, Kai stabbed its head and electrocuted it. The screech was cut short before the beast ceased moving. With a vehement slash of his sword, Kai sent a wave of electricity that shredded the beast in half, making its piece vanish into ash.
"Minato, my sekirei and I will handle the plants. You get to Kusano," Kai stated. "We'll cover you the best we can."
"But how should I get to her?" Minato asked. The first beast Kusano conjured encased her in its vines, imprisoning her.
"You're her ashikabi so you're the best choice. She'll confide in you the most; but you can't hesitate," Kai replied. Minato looked at his sword and then at the prison Ku is trapped in. The beast roared, causing the other monsters to exert their thorns. Houses and earth shattered as fire blazed. Everyone watched the destruction unfold, seeing building crumple and fire to spread more.
"We have to act now!" Takehito shouted.
"Yomi and Akitsu, stop those creatures. Kochou, go get…"
"I'm already here," Uzume dropped in her battle outfit.
"Great, we could use your help," Kai said.
"Tsukiumi and Musubi, you know what to do," Minato told them.
"Yes Minato," Musubi stated.
"We shall not fail thee," Tsukiumi declared. The five sekirei ran off to fight the plant creatures.
"Minato; I'll help you get close," Kai stated. That's when a silver slash flew past them and cut the plant's vines. The boys turned their heads and saw Miya with her wooden sword. The beast's vines regenerated and stabbed towards the landlady, who jumped to the side and repeated her strike.
"Minato, get going," she stated. He nodded and took off towards the beast. It noticed Minato's assault blasted it thorns. Minato immediately stopped and shielded himself; but Kai and Miya deflected the thorns.
"Don't let up Minato; you can't hesitate," Kai told him.
"Give me a break. This is the first time I'm doing this," Minato pointed out. He continued his charge as Kai and Miya worked in sync to cover him. Miya shredded the vines, and Kai came in front of her and blocked the thorns. Due to their efforts, Minato made it to the prison and did a vehement overhead slash. He made a big enough opening and proceeded inside. The opening sealed immediately, trapping him inside.
"Okay, now there's no turning back."
Minato looked around the place, which astonishingly resembled the Botanical Garden where Minato and Ku were reunited. Minato was surprised as he ventured deep into the forest.
"Ku! Where are you?!Ku!"
Behind Minato, some of the vines were slithering across the floor. Minato heard rustling and looked behind him, causing the vines to feign lifelessness. He looked back ahead and continued walking. The vines reacted again and went after Minato. That's when he looked down and saw a shadow extending in front of him. Minato quickly jumped to his right, dodging a smash attack from the vines. He turned around, only to be face to face with the beast that encased Kusano in her prison. However, there was something different about the beast; its appearance was altered. Around its head, twelve spikes stuck out. Its vines were more prickly and its teeth were more menacing and sharper. There was a sekirei mark on its forehead, confusing Minato.
Gulping a little spit, Minato took out Leonidas and entered his stance, concentrating.
'I can't be scared now. I have to do this; for Ku's sake. I just hope she's okay.' Minato prayed in his mind. The beast raised one of its vines and whipped it at Minato. He didn't think and just jumped out of the way.
'Good, I still remember what Kai told me. If I can decide correctly, then maybe I stand a chance.'
The beast withdrew the vine and sent the rest. Minato jumped back and then held his sword horizontally in front of his face, dodging one vine and deflecting another. The force knocked him back, allowing more vines to get a clear shot.
'They're too fast; I have to dodge.'
He ducked under the vines, losing some of his hair in the process. The vines kept going and stuck in a tree, much to Minato's happiness. He slashed Leonidas and cut the vines, damaging the monster and causing it to roar in pain. Minato took the opportunity and ran off to where he met Ku for the first time.
'I did it; I stood up to it and weakened it.'
He made it to the general area, but didn't see the little blond anywhere.
"Kusano! Are you here?! Ku!"
He heard more rustling and immediately took out Leonidas. The sound continued as sweat traveled down his face from the tension. He saw something come out and charged at it, but stopped once he recognized it as Ku. She was unscathed, which made Minato even happier. He sheathed his sword and ran to hug the little one; but vines whipped him in the face, making him fly back. Leonidas flew out of his hands. Minato crashed back first into a tree, knocking the breath out of him. The whipping caused two gashes to appear on his cheeks and made blood ooze out. He groggily got to his knees and faced Ku. She hasn't moved one inch, responded at all, or even acknowledged him.
"Ku, what's wrong? Why aren't you moving?"
She still didn't respond. Minato approached her again, only to be whipped again in the arm.
"AHH!" He bellowed. Minato held his arm, distracting him from the vines and ended up being stabbed in the shoulder.
"AUGH!"
Blood gushed out and poured to the ground. The vine then raised him and stuck him to a tree.
"K-Ku," Minato whispered. He reached out to her, but was too weak and passed out. The vine retracted, and Minato dropped to the ground. Ku's head followed his movement, but she didn't do anything. However, tears started filling up her eyes, which were just a solid bold color. There was no gleam, in her eyes. The tears just fell down her cheeks and dripped to the ground.
"K-Ku."
Kusano gasped s she saw Minato trying to stand up. He groggily got to his feet and leaned against the tree to keep him up.
"Don't worry Ku: I'm going to get you out of here. I swear it."
He looked at the little one, his eyes different. His eyes were glowing red and his pupils have changed. His expression was serious, and his fire, burning furiously. After drawing Leonidas, Minato rushed at Ku, causing vines to lung at him. He slashed horizontally, cutting the vines. He kept going, until a vine wrapped around his leg and stopped him. More lunged out and attempted to finish him, but Minato quickly cut himself free and slashed the vines to ribbons. He continued his assault; but the vines instead imprisoned Kusano in a cage. It soon grew thorns as a defense mechanism.
Minato attempted to break the vines, but the thorns were too tough. Speaking of which, said thorns shot out all of a sudden. Minato used his knowledge to block and dodge at the right moments. More soon regenerated; but Minato noticed a small gap in between thorns.
'There, I have to aim right there.'
Minato took his stance and charged at the cage. Vines spearheaded an assault on his with the thorns soaring parallel. Swiftly, Minato started spinning around as fast as he could. He spun so fast that the vines were torn to shreds and the thorns were deflected. Minato closed the distance and on the final spin, struck one of the small gaps with all his might. The cage completely fell apart, and Minato wrapped Kusano in a tight hug. He looked at her, seeing her possessed eyes.
"Kusano, Kusano it's me, your big brother."
She finally responded to his voice.
"Big brother?"
Suddenlu, she gasped and held her head.
"AAAAAAAAH!"
The place started shaking vigorously. Her scream echoed throughout the place. Minato held her close to him as vines repeatedly attacked him.
"It's okay Ku! It's okay; please calm down! Everything is gonna be okay," he reassured her. Kusano's screams ceased, causing the ground to stop shaking; however, the vines kept attacking.
"It's okay Ku: you don't have to worry anymore. You're safe; it's alright now."
His words reached her, making her grip his shirt. The gleam in her eyes slowly returned, showing her what happened. Tears swelled up as she looked at Minato's damaged face.
"Big brother?" She called out. Minato opened one of his eyes and smiled at the little one.
"Ku, are you okay?" He asked back. Kusano saw the vines attacking Minato and started panicking.
"Stop! Stop it! Stop hurting big brother!" She cried. The vines didn't listen to her commands and kept attacking. They even grew spikes to do more damage.
"Stop it! Please! Stop!"
Minato did his best to withstand the pain, but he couldn't last much longer.
"Ku; I want you to listen to what I tell you," he told her. Ku slowly nodded her head.
"I want you to close your eyes and cover your ears."
"Why?" She asked.
"Just do it," Minato stated firmly. His eyes changed to their dragon form, which made Ku nod again and do as told. While covering her ears she simultaneously buried her head in Minato's chest. Minato help her closer and concentrated, ignoring the pain from the vines.
'Leonidas; I need your voice.'
He heard Leonidas's growl and chimed in. Minato increased his concentration while mirroring Leonidas's growl. He continued, until he let out a powerful, thundering, and earth shaking roar. His roar made the entire place shake even more vigorously than before. It can even be heard from outside where Kai and the others were. The vibrations caused winds to blow and stop everyone.
"What the hell was that?" The brain girls asked.
"Minato," Kai spoke up.
"Seriously?" Matsu asked. Kai nodded his head.
Back inside the plant, Minato continued to roar. The vines stopped attacked and slowly disintegrated from the roar's power. The plant beast was also affected by the power and was visible for seconds before it dispersed like the vines. Minato ceased roaring and panted heavily.
'I did it. Now let's get out of here.'
He picked up Ku, who softly sobbed to herself. The destruction of the plant monster caused the place to break apart and collapse.
With Kai and the others, they saw an entrance open up and Minato making his way out with Ku in his arms. Matsu smiled happily and ran to her ashikabi, giving him a tight hug.
"You're safe; I'm so happy," she stated. Matsu saw Kusano and gently rubbed her hair. Minato walked over to Kai, seeing hundred of dead plants.
"Glad you made it out okay," Kai told him. Minato nodded and searched for the sekirei. He found them all still trying to take down the creatures.
"Kai, take Ku, and I want everyone to get behind me," he commanded. Kai did as told and took the little one away, well tried to but she refused to let Minato go. Once he pried her off, Minato stood in front of everybody. He concentrated again and took a deep breath. On the exhale, he released another powerful dragon roar aimed at the remaining plant beasts. The blast reached its target and stopped the plants, along with the sekirei, dead in their tracks. The vibrations messed with the plants and made them fall apart at the scene. Once all were dead, they suddenly vanished into ash.
Minato stopped again and fell to his knees, panting. The sekirei rushed to the inn and saw their respective ashikabis. Minato's were shocked by his condition. His clothes were in tatters. Cuts and gashes covered his entire being. On his back, a giant blood mark and more gashes were plainly visible. Musubi and Tsukiumi kneeled beside him with worried expressions.
"Minato, are you okay?" Musubi asked. Minato wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"I'm alright; but going through that really took a lot out of me."
Kai placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Relax now Minato; you've been through a lot. It's over now."
Minato didn't respond and fell forward. Kai caught him and lifted him back up. Minato passed out and was being carried to his room by Kai. Even though he was unconscious, he kept a firm grip on Leonidas. After Kai laid him down and walked back out, he found Kusano in a corner crying. He walked to her and kneeled in front of her.
"Don't cry Ku; it's okay."
He reached to wipe her tears, but she pulled away from him.
"It's all my fault," she whispered. "It's my fault that everyone got hurt."
Kai could see Ku's tears drip to the ground. He reached out again and pulled her into a tight hug. He gently rubbed her hair as she buried her head in his chest.
"It's not your fault Ku. You're not use to this sort of thing so it's not your fault that your powers went out of control," he reassured her. She shook her head no.
"Ku; I too lost control of my powers at one point."
She looked up at him, her eyes streaming tears.
"Really?"
Mm-hmm, remember when I told you all about my past; I couldn't control my sword's power and lost control of them," Kai explained. Ku wiped her tears.
"How did you control them?"
"I practiced. I trained and trained until I could use my powers at will. Now I don't have to worry about them going wild," he replied. Kai ruffled her hair.
"Mastering your abilities take time and effort; you have to work hard and never back down. My favorite saying Ku, is that 'It's not the weapon that makes the warrior; but the warrior holding the weapon.' It's about focus, hard work, and dedication; and Ku; I see a lot of that in you. I see a lot of potential waiting to be unleashed."
"Really? You think I can be strong?" Ku asked. Kai smiled and nodded.
"I do; but you need to have faith in yourself and ashikabi."
Ku wiped the rest of her tears and showed Kai a confident expression, making him ruffle her hair more.
"That's what I want to see. Now just relax and let time take her toll. Minato will recover, but it's going to take some time."
"Okay," Ku said with a short nod. She walked away with her normal cheerfulness. Kai stood up and watched her leave.
"Nice pep talk," Takehito said approaching.
"I was told the same thing a long time ago," he replied. "Do you know how this happened?"
"Yeah, but I'll explain later," he replied. Kai nodded and stared outside, looking at the sky. That's when he remembered something.
'Oh yeah!' I better tell Natsuo about the swords.'
He walked to the front door, only to be stopped by Kochou.
"And just where are you headed?" she asked.
"MBI; I need to speak to my cousin about something. Do you want to join me?" He asked back.
"Once sekirei leave, they can't return," Kochou pointed out.
"But you're going with me so it should be alright. Plus if they anything, I'll handle it," Kai reassured. She smiled and took his hand.
"Alright then, let's go."
The two left, heading towards the biggest building in Tokyo.
Elsewhere
Jacob was at his house along with his sekirei, Taki, Himeko, and his most recent, Ichiya. He gathered then around the living room table, where he showed them everyone the landscape of a building.
"Okay, what you all see now is the foundation of Higa Izumi's pharmaceutical building," he stated.
"How did you get the blueprint for his building?" Taki asked.
"When you're chief of police, you have access to these things. Now then, the reason why I'm presenting this…is because I plan to take Higa down," Jacob announced.
Everything went quiet.
"Yep, we're going to take down Higa; but not right now. I first need to prepare. Until then, I want you all to be ready. There's someone I want to enlist to help us out."
"Is it that Kai character?" Ichiya asked.
"He's the one; I know with him we'll certainly take Higa down," Jacob said.
"What made you decide to do all this?" Taki asked.
"Well, it was after meeting Higa for the first time. I could see how weak his connection to Himeko was. So, I remembered something one of my masters taught me and used it to break that bond."
"Wow, and do you think you and Kai can take on a corporation that large?" Taki questioned.
"Yeah, I bet we can do it; and it won't be just us. Our other sword brother and his sekirei will help out too," Jacob said.
"And how do you know they'll just agree to it?" Ichiya asked.
"Leave it to me; I'll think of something. But for now, I'm going to need more information," Jacob responded. "Let's see; Taki, do you mind scouting for some information? I need you to sneak around, using your shadow skills to gather more info about Higa's company."
"Okay, I can do that," Taki replied. Jacob gave her an earpiece so they could communicate, a kiss goodbye, and watched her leave. He tapped said piece and went to her channel.
"Taki," Jacob called out.
"Yes?"
"Stay safe okay? Don't do anything reckless and come back at the first sign of trouble."
"Got it."
After wishing her luck, Jacob got a call on his cell.
"Probably work related."
He put the phone to his ear.
"Hello?"
"Hello…brother," the caller greeted. Jacob's eyes narrowed in disgust at the familiar tone.
"What are you doing calling me?" he interrogated with anger in his words. There was a fake gasp.
"I am hurt Jacob. I can't even talk to my own brother; and even though we haven't seen each other in so long."
"Don't give me that crap," Jacob snapped. The caller laughed.
"But it's fun messing with you. So tell me, how are the others doing; especially that Kai character?"
"How do you know about him?" Jacob asked.
"Oh I know many things Jacob. For instance, I know that you sent your sekirei to gather more info on Higa Izumi," the caller replied. Jacob's eyes expanded in pure shock. The caller took noticed of his silence and started laughing. Jacob immediately contacted Taki.
"Taki, wherever you are, stop right now and come back. You're walking right into a trap!"
"What? How do you…AAAAH!"
There was total silence.
"Taki? Taki?! Taki are you there?" Jacob questioned. She came back on, but the reception was full of static.
"J-J-Jacob…I'm…f-f-fine…I'm…"
The connection was lost, only giving static.
"Taki? Taki!? Shit! Ichiya, Himeko, go after Taki. Bring her back, watch each other's back, and stay safe," Jacob commanded.
"We're on it!" Ichiya stated. Himeko followed her out and rushed to their sister's location. Jacob remained behind, gritting his teeth in anger.
"What did you do to my Taki you bastard?"
"I've done nothing; unless you count blasting her and making debris crash down on her," the caller replied.
"You bastard; if Taki is hurt, I swear I'll…"
"You'll what?" The caller interrupted. He laughed right after.
"What will you do Jacob? You don't know where I am, or what I'm doing. For all you know, I could be standing right behind you, or maybe I could be killing your sekirei. You won't know. So, what will you do again?"
"I will find you; and when I do, I will make sure you pay," Jacob threatened. The caller laughed, but then let out a disappointed sigh.
"You have the right kind of anger; but it's weak compared to Kai's."
"I see. So you're after him," Jacob said.
"At first, you were the main target; but you've only gotten weaker," the other line insulted.
"What?" Jacob responded. There was more laughter.
"You heard me. Your heart is weak compared to Kai's. While both of you despise me, Kai has a deeper hatred."
"What do you want with him?" Jacob interrogated.
"That's for me to know; but I won't leave you completely out of the dark. The darkness will rise when the offspring have surfaced; but the embodiment of darkness will chose its vessel to inherit the power of storm."
After that, the call ended. Jacob gritted his teeth in anger again and punched the wall, leaving a big hole.
"UGH! Damn it!" He cursed. "Please be okay girls."
He saw a shadow and looked behind him, only to see the person he just finished talking to. Without even a word of greeting, Jacob rushed to him and punched him; but instead hit the wall again. The person was actually just a figment of his imagination.
"Damn you. Damn you!"
He saw the person again and growled like a wolf. He rushed him again.
"DAMN YOU!"
Jacob punched the coffee table, completely destroying it and making wood and glass fly. Jacob saw the shadow once more laughing at him. With a growl on top, Jacob howled. After seeing his hands have now turned to claws, he breathed heavily.
"Relax Jacob; he's just trying to get under your skin."
Jacob changed his hands back to normal and saw the mess he made.
"Sigh, be safe girls; and watch your back Kai."
On cue, Kai looked behind him, as if someone was calling out to him.
"What is it Kai?" Kochou asked. He looked back ahead of him and shook his head no. Kochou nuzzled her head against his shoulder as they continued walking. Kai kept on his guard, paying attention to his surroundings. Upon reaching their destination, Kochou was anxious to enter.
"You okay?" Kai asked.
"I'm just nervous; we've been strictly told not to come back to MBI," she replied. Kai looked at the tall building.
"It's gonna be alright; I'm here. Besides, my cousin works here and I'm well known here."
"Still," Kochou protested. Kai pulled her in, and she reluctantly followed. Kai spoke to the reception ladies, who like other females, found him really cute. Kai and Kochou walked into the elevator, where Kai placed a surprised kiss on her. He looked into her eyes.
"There's no reason to be nervous; I won't let anyone hurt you," Kai reassured. Kochou cupped his cheek and pulled him in for another kiss. The two enjoyed it, but once they heard the "DING!" they separated. The two walked out hand in hand, a blush on both lover's cheeks. Once they arrived at Natuso's door, Kai opened it and walked in. The door made a creaking sound that alerted the person inside, who happened to be Karasuba. She was cleaning and sharpening her blade, smiling when she noticed Kai and smiled evilly at seeing Kochou.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't my cute disciple; and he even brought me a present. I appreciate the gift Kai; I'll enjoy cutting her down," she stated checking out her sword. She swung it a few times, making it whoosh through the air. Kai stood in front of Kochou.
"You will do no such thing. If you want her…"
He pointed Firestorm at her.
"You're gonna have to get by me."
There was no hint of fear in his voice. Kai stayed completely calm as he glared at his sword master. Karasuba merely chuckled at her pupil's courage.
"I see that your fire is still burning bright. You and Musubi may just have what it takes to become stronger than the rest. But in the meantime, try not to die," she warned. She pointed her blade at the big double door.
"He's in there."
Kai held onto Kochou as she walked in front of him, avoiding the Black Sekirei's killing glare. Kai opened the door and let Kochou go first. Inside, Natsuo was at his desk with Haihane and Benitsubasa. The three noticed the guests, and Benitsubasa ran to Kai, wrapping him in tight hug.
"It's so nice to see you again Kai," she stated happily. That's when her focus switched to Kochou, or more like her breasts. Benitsubasa's mouth dropped while Haihane let out an impressive whistle.
"Damn, those are some impressive tits," she complimented. Kai immediately left the conversation and proceeded over to his cousin.
"Kai, it's nice to see my cousin again. What brings you here?" Natsuo asked.
"I came to tell you that I found the other two blades," he replied.
"Oh? So what's next then?" Natsuo asked. Kai shrugged his shoulders.
"I'm not sure."
"Hmmm, did you bring all the blades together?" Natsuo suggested. Kai shook his head.
"Try that; and one more thing. What the hell happened at Takehito's inn?"
Kai scratched the back of his head.
"My friend's youngest sekirei lost control of her powers. We managed to calm her down, but my friend was badly hurt."
"I see. At least you got situation under control. What about you? Are you okay?"
Kai just nodded his head.
"Well I'll look more into this sword business, but I need you to look into something for me."
Natsuo handed him a folder. The contents included a picture of a man, a woman, and two kids. There were some documents about the man included as well.
"The man you see is Richard Nelson. He went missing recently and police haven't been able to locate him. Another thing is, when someone gets close to finding him, they somehow end up dead."
"And you're sending your adorable little cousin in investigate?" Kai questioned. Natsuo couldn't help but chuckle.
"Well when you put it like that, it makes me sound like a total bastard. I did ask Karasuba, but she quickly refused saying, 'I only accept jobs that end with me killing the target.' Beni and Haihane don't have the right skills for these types of jobs; so that leaves only you. I'm positive you can figure it out."
Kai let out a sigh.
"Fine, I'll do it."
"Good, now off you go," Natsuo shooed. Kai sighed again and walked away, dragging Kochou from her conversation. Karasuba wasn't around to see them leave, much to the relief of Kochou.
"What was all that about?" Kai asked her.
"Oh we were just comparing bust sizes," Kochou replied bluntly. "I won."
"I see that," Kai said. She giggled and linked her arm with his. The two stepped into the elevator, but Kai pressed a different floor.
"We're not leaving?" Kochou asked. Kai shook his head.
"We have one more person to visit."
They arrived at their destination, seeing a door with someone's name on it. Kai knocked on the door.
"Kochou, you can make fun of me for what's about happen, but not now and you can't tell the others understand?"
"Depends on what it is," Kochou pointed out.
"Enter," the person behind the door stated. Kai opened the door and walked into the office of Takami Sahashi, who had a big pile of papers on her desk.
"I'm afraid I'm busy at the moment so I don't have time for your questions," she said working on the documents.
"You don't even have time for me?" Kai asked. Takami stopped what she was doing and looked to see Kai.
"Kai? Is that you?"
She stood up as he nodded with a smirk.
"Mommy!" He yelled in a child-like voice and ran up to hug her. Takami gladly returned his hug.
"Mommy; I'm so glad to see you again."
"So am I," Takami replied. Behind them, Kochou was smiling while at the same time snickering at Kai's kid side. She had her tablet out, recording the entire thing. The family broke the hug, in which Takami proceeded to observe her son.
"You've really grown a lot since the last time I saw you. You're taller now; and I can tell that you've gotten stronger; and you're still the cute guy Yukari falls head over heels for. So how have you been?"
"I'm doing great. Right now I'm staying at Takehito's inn to help Minato with his training," Kai responded. Takami gave him a confused look.
"Minato's training? You have some explaining to do," she replied. Kai nodded as Kochou stopped the recording to listen in. To start with, Kai showed Takami Firestorm. He told her the story of Stormbringer and how his defeat brought the three swords into existence. Takami had an intrigued countenance on her face.
"I see," she replied with a nod. "So judging by what you said, Minato came into contact with one of these blades and now you're helping him train?"
Kai nodded.
"These swords, do they contain any special properties?"
Kai answered that question by unsheathing his sword and showing off his lightning element, amazing Takami.
"Incredible; and what kind of powers does Minato possess?"
"He hasn't unlocked his elemental powers yet; but he now has the senses of a dragon, meaning better sight and hearing," Kai replied. Takami nodded and reached out to touch Kai's sword, but he quickly moved back.
"Don't touch the blade; it will electrocute you if you do. These blades have a mind of their own and are only loyal to their partners. And mine happens to be a girl and any foreign grasps will upset them," he explained.
"I see. Then I want you and Minato to be careful," Takami said. Kai nodded again.
"And maybe you could explain the sudden plant attack."
Kai did a nervous chuckle and explained how Kusano lost control of her powers.
"Well that's a relief; you all had me worried. What about Ku? Is she safe?"
"She's fine, a little messed up, but fine," Kai replied.
"That's good," Takami replied. Kai nodded in agreement. He looked at the time.
"We better head back. Natsuo wanted me to look into a mystery case."
Takami gave him one last hug.
"Stay safe okay Kai?"
"I will; you don't have to worry," he replied. Takami saw the couple off, letting out a sigh after they vanished from sight.
"First the Sekirei Plan, and now having demonic swords; what else is going to happen?" She said sitting back in her chair. Kai and Kochou were riding back in the elevator. Kochou had a happy smile across her lips, which didn't go unnoticed.
"Kochou, why are you so happy?" Kai asked. She responded by taking out her tablet and playing the recording.
"Mommy!" It exclaimed. That was the first thing that played. Kai turned to her like a speeding bullet.
"Hmhmhm, I can't wait to show the others this." She stated. Kai tried to snatch it away, but she put it in her cleavage.
"Your move."
Kai groaned.
"Please don't show the others that."
"Why? They'll love hearing your child voice," Kochou pointed out. Kai responded.
"I rarely show that side of me and I don't want the others to know; we'll just keep it our little secret.
"Hmm, okay then; I won't tell the others. But you have to do something for me," she replied.
"What is it?"
Kochou sighed.
"Kai; I need to know. Do you love Uzume more than me? Do you need her more than us? Do you no longer need me?"
The elevator was quiet. When they arrived at the base floor, Kai pressed the button for the highest floor, sending them back up.
"Kochou, where is this coming from?" Kai asked. She placed her hand in front of her chest.
"Kai; I'm going to be honest. When I'm with you, I feel so happy, so much joy. I found someone who cares about me, cares about me feelings; and most importantly, someone who loves me."
Kai was about to speak, but Kochou placed a finger on his lips.
"You have to hear everything I want to tell you."
Kai nodded, and Kochou continued confessing.
"I love you Kai; I don't know any other way to say it. I. Love. You. You make me happy, make me feel safe; make me forget about this horrible game."
Kai listened more intensely.
"Kai; I hate this game. I hate being a sekirei. All it's going to come down to is my death. No sekirei, even Kusano, is safe from the game. That's why I hate being a sekirei; I don't want this to happen. I don't want to keep thinking that one day I might be separated from you."
As she spoke, tears started filling up her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. Watching her made Kai tighten his hands into fists. Kochou took off her glasses to wipe her tears away. Before she could put them back on, Kai lowered her hand to look at her face.
"Kai; I don't want things to be like how I dream. I don't want to be separated from you."
She gripped his shirt.
"I don't want us to drift about. I love you Kai; and I want to stay with you. Kai, do you love me?"
He responded to that by wrapping Kochou in a tight embrace. She was surprised by the sudden action, but melted into it. Kai gently rubbed her hair and then looked into her eyes.
"Kochou; I do love you. I love you more than anything. Yes I understand that it's hard for you to accept the fact that Uzume and I had sex; but that doesn't mean I love you any less."
He stopped to give her a kiss. That's when the elevator opened up, and Kai brought her to a secluded area. He kissed her until her back touched the wall.
"Kochou, listen to what I'm about to tell you."
She nodded her head.
"Kochou, you are an amazing, beautiful, and intelligent woman. I love everything about you; I'll say it again. I love you Kochou."
"Really?" she whispered. Kai kissed her again.
"It's like I told Akitsu; I will always need you by my side. You girls just don't understand how much I need you. Without you, I'd still be swimming in a sea of hatred."
Kochou gave him a serious look even though more tears fell down her cheeks.
"Kai; I know for a fact that you're still hiding things from us."
Kai let out a sigh.
"Kochou, some things are just too personal to say; but I promise I will tell you when I'm ready. So please try to understand."
Kochou put her glasses back on.
"I do understand; and it's okay with me, but I don't that to come between us. I don't want that to make you ignore me."
Kai hugged her once more.
"You should know me better; I would never do that."
Kochou returned his hug and nuzzled her head in his chest.
"I know; I just wanted to hear you say that."
The two embraced each other for a while before heading back in the elevator, where they kissed the entire ride down.
At the inn
Minato was lying in his futon; but he was twisting and turning, mumbling to himself. In his dream, everything was chaotic. Buildings, were being destroyed, fire was blazing, people were screaming while running for their lives, and to make things worse, Minato saw many dead corpses on the ground. Before he could ponder the next thing, Minato was stabbed brutally in the back of the head; ending his nightmare and making him shoot up. He panted heavily as sweat trickled down his face. His heart felt like it was about to explode. That's when pain surged through his body and caused him to lay back down.
'AH! That hurts!' he screamed mentally. Minato took it slow this time and sat up. He noticed the bandages around his arms and body, making him remember the event with Kusano.
'Oh yeah, I passed out after saving Ku.'
He had a flashback of going through the garden and finding Ku, even the part of his dragon roar. Speaking of dragon, Minato looked for his partner. He found Leonidas right beside him and grabbed him.
'I did all that?'
That's when he heard mumbling and turned towards the voice. He assumed it would be one of his sekirei, but instead, he found Kazehana sleeping next to him; and to his relief, fully clothed.
'Kazehana? What is she doing here?'
Answering his question, Kazehana opened her eyes and looked at Minato. She smiled and sat up.
"Well look who's finally awake," she said.
"Kazehana, what are you doing here?" Minato asked. She pouted and put on a sad face.
"You're not happy to see me?"
Minato shook his head repeatedly.
"No! That's not it at all; I'm just surprised."
She giggled at his embarrassment.
"But what are you doing here?"
"A giant plant attack doesn't go unnoticed you know," she pointed out. Minato let out a nervous chuckle.
"I figured as much."
"As for why I slept in your room, I heard what happened to you through Takehito and was worried," she told him. Minato blushed at her words.
"You were worried about me?" he asked.
"I was," she whispered loud enough for him to hear. Minato smiled back at her as the two gazed into each other's eyes; but the moment was ruined when Tsukiumi burst through the door.
"Minato! Are thou alright?" she asked. Musubi soon walked in with the same amount of concern. They sat in front of him as they pestered him with questions.
"I'm okay girls; I'm okay."
"You were hurt really badly. Are you sure you're okay?" Musubi asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine; don't worry," he replied. He then saw veins popping out of Tsukiumi's head.
"Tsukiumi what's wrong?"
She shot Minato a death glare, making him flinch.
"Mi-na-to, who is this woman?"
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"Um, uh, s-she's Kazehana, sekirei no. 3; and she was just worried about me as you two were?"
"Did you wing her?" Tsukiumi questioned, trying to suppress her anger.
"Huh?" Minato said, but flinched at the angry aura Tsukiumi was giving off.
"No, I did not wing her."
"Are thou telling the truth?" Tsukiumi asked. Minato quickly nodded, making his angry wife calm down. However, Kazehana gave Minato another sad face.
"You don't like me? Are you saying you don't want me as your sekirei?"
"No that's not what I'm saying! I mean I do like you," he confessed, but covered his mouth for the accidental confession.
"Minato! How dare you confess your feelings for this concubine in front of thy wife?!" Tsukiumi interrogated. She then pointed at Kazehana.
"And as for thee, keep away from my husband!"
Kazehana switched to a more serious expression.
"There are only two people who can give me orders; No. 1 and The Game Master. Since you're not either of them…"
Kazehana thumped Tsukiumi on the forehead, causing a powerful gale to kick up and blow her out of the room.
"AAAAH!" Tsukiumi screamed as she hit the wall. Her head was spinning. Minato was astonished at what just happened. He looked at Kazehana, who smiled at him.
"That was impressive," he complimented. He then saw the ecstatic look on Musubi's face, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"You're so strong! Will you spar with me?" she asked enthusiastically. Kazehana put a hand on her chin and thought about it.
"Hmmm, I believe you should tend to your ashikabi before fighting again," she replied.
"But I'm fine, AAAH!" Minato protested. Musubi laid him back down.
"You need to rest more Minato. You're still too weak," she said.
"Sigh, alright then," he complied. She smiled and kissed his cheek, making him blush.
"Rest well Minato; we'll check on you again."
She kissed his cheek again and walked to a dizzy Takumi. Kazehana gave Minato a wink before walking out the room. Minato just stared at the ceiling as drowsiness came over him. It didn't take long for Minato to drift back to sleep. He soon had another dream where he was on top of a mountain. He started looking around, seeing that he couldn't see the bottom. He gulped a little spit and slowly backed away from the edge.
"Holy crap I'm so high up," he said aloud. "Why am I even here?"
"Sure is strange isn't it?" someone asked. Minato heard the voice but couldn't pinpoint the location.
"Behind you."
Minato did as the voice said and looked behind him, only to see Jacob sitting on a flat boulder with his head resting in his left palm.
"Hi there."
"W-Who are you?" Minato asked. Jacob stood, jumped into the air, did a front flip, and landed perfectly in front of Minato.
"If everything goes right, then we'll meet soon. So my identity is for you to find out," he responded. Minato observed him closer, seeing Destros across his back. He felt something about Destros, something similar to Firestorm and Leonidas.
"That sword," he pointed out. Jacob smirked and took out his partner. He pointed the tip at Minato.
"Nice blade isn't it?"
Suddenly, a bright light white light flashed and called out to Minato. Gulping, he reached for it and grabbed it. He pulled it away and held it beside him. The light soon diminished, and Leonidas took its place.
"So you have a sword like mine as well. That means you're that other wielder Kai mentioned," Minato stated. Jacob burst out laughing, confusing him.
"I'm laughing because now I get to see how far you have become," he said. Jacob took his stance.
"Hold on; why do we have to fight?" Minato asked.
"Are you familiar with the theory that people can communicate through their fists?" Jacob asked back. Minato nodded.
"Well then, let's kill two birds with one stone. You want to talk, and I want to fight. Let's talk with our blades; after all, we are connected by them."
Minato gripped Leonidas tighter. He let out a repressed sigh and took his stance.
"Guess I have no choice," he responded.
"That's the way; now let's do this," Jacob replied. He started things off and rushed at Minato. He started with a stab of the sword, and Minato jumped to his left to dodge it. He then retaliated with a three-sixty diagonal up slash. Jacob swung the opposite way and deflected the attack. While Minato was staggering, Jacob shot a wave of fire at him. Minato saw the attack coming, but didn't have time to counter. The attack hit and black smoke started rising. A chunk of rock broke apart from the attack. Jacob couldn't see Minato and scratched his cheek.
"Oops, I used too much power."
The smoke started to fade away. That's when Jacob's eyes widened when he saw Minato still standing. His sword and sheath were crossed, which he attacked in to blow the smoke away. Jacob smirked and then burst out laughing again.
"You withstood my flames. Not bad for a beginner; but this is only the tip of the iceberg."
Minato didn't respond and resumed his stance. While his outer being was calm, his mental being was freaking out.
'Holy shit! I can't believe I survived that. How did I even do that?' he pondered. He focused on Jacob, who launched more fire waves. Minato dodged left and right while simultaneously charging at Jacob. When he got close enough, he slashed downward. Jacob easily blocked the attack and then kicked Minato back. He stopped himself and attacked again. Minato slashed diagonally twice, downward, and then ended by spinning full circle and stabbing, alternating using his sword and sheath.
Jacob stood in the same spot, effortlessly deflecting all of Minato's attacks.
'Not bad; he's doing better than I expected.' He thought. Jacob hit Minato's sheath up, but he retaliated by swinging his sword horizontally. Clank! Swords collided and released sparks into the air. Minato moved back and then back in. He slashed vertically, but Jacob jumped over him and threw a kick. The moment Minato turned around; he was hit in the face and crashed to the ground. Jacob then stabbed his sword in the line Minato created and generated his fire. Minato sat up, signaling Jacob to send his flames. It traveled the line and came for Minato, who quickly and horizontally slashed Leonidas and met the flames. Without proper grounding, Minato was too weak to deflect the attack and was caught in the explosion. The force knocked him off the mountain, but he grabbed on to the ledge,
'Crap, crap, crap!' He screamed in his head. Minato tried to grab another ledge, but the rock started breaking. Soon after, it fell apart and Minato started plummeting to his death; however, Jacob saved him just in time and pulled him back up.
"Thank you; but, why did you save me?" Minato asked.
"Because if you were to die, Kai and I would have lost a brother," Jacob replied.
"Brother?" Minato repeated. Jacob nodded.
"You are quite strong for just staring out. Not as strong as me, but strong for your level; now I want you to become even stronger so that you can reach my level. There's still a lot you haven't unlocked yet; and if this was a real batter, you would've ended up dead."
Jacob jumped back on the rock.
"Continue your training; and when you unlock your true potential, we'll settle this fight. Until then."
Jacob left in a wall of flames. Minato sheathed Leonidas, replaying Jacob's warnings.
'I need to get stronger. Kai; I still want you to train me.' He thought. Minato sat on the rock Jacob stood on and talked to Leonidas.
Back to Kai
He and Kochou have just solved the mystery of the missing man. Turns out the man, was a target of M.B.I and was supposed to be assassinated. He only claimed to be missing so he and his family wouldn't end up dead. Speaking of dead, Kai easily made it through any traps set with his lightning, which he also used to shield Kochou. After settling everything, the two made their way back to the inn; but as they walked, Kai kept thinking of Kochou's confession. He stopped walking, making her stop as well.
"Kai what's the matter?" she asked. He looked at her.
"Kochou, how are you feeling?"
She just blinked at him.
"I'm doing fine; why do you ask?"
Kai kissed her forehead, making her blush.
"I mean your confession; are you alright."
"Yeah," she whispered. "I'm okay."
Kai cupped her cheek and kissed her lips.
"Kai, will you go out with me? I want to have my first date with you."
"Uh, can you wait after Yomi?" Kai asked with a little chuckle. He just remembered that Yomi requested a date with as well.
"Why?" Kochou asked with a little jealousy in her tone.
"Um, I promised to take her out after winging her, but I forgot," he replied. Kochou let out a sigh and started walking away. Kai caught up to her and hugged her from behind.
"Hold on Kochou; I'll still take you out, but I'm afraid it will have to be after Yomi."
She didn't respond.
"Are you mad at me?"
She turned her head towards him.
"I'm not mad; just a little jealous that she got to you before I did."
Kai kissed her lips again.
"There's no need to be jealous. They leaned in for another kiss, but it was cut short when something crashed down around them. The two ran to the impact and saw someone trying to walk away. Their hand was against the wall as means to keep them up. The person's shoulder was badly bleeding, leaving crimson pigment on the ground. Kai saw the person fall and ran up to catch them. He got a better look at the person, who was a really cute girls with violet hair and ribbon tied on it. She was wearing a white blouse with another ribbon tied around it and a black dress over the blouse.
"She looks badly injured," Kai pointed out.
"Most likely, she's been attacked," Kochou analyzed. The girl's eyes slowly opened as she groaned. When they focused on Kai, she blushed as a small gasp escaped her lips. Then she quickly moved away from him.
"Back off; I'm going with you. I want to find my own ashikabi," she stated. Kai put his hands up as a sign for peace.
"Hold on; we're not going to hurt you. You can trust us," he reassured her. The girl listened to his voice. To her, it was calm, trustworthy, and protective.
"Okay; I trust you," she told him. Kai smiled at her, making her blush.
"Since you mentioned ashikabi, that means you're a sekirei. If you wouldn't mind, may I have your name?"
Hearing his calm and reassuring voice made her smile. She felt calm now thanks to Kai. In a sing-song voice, she responded.
"My name is Oriha, sekirei no. 101. Please to meet you."
"Oriha, my name is Kai; and this is my sekirei Kochou," Kai greeted. Kochou nodded and waved. Oriha returned the greeting.
"Why are you injured?"
Oriha held her shoulder.
"I was attacked by Higa's sekirei."
"Higa?" Kai asked.
"Higa Izumi, Ashikabi of the East. As the name implies, he controls the east and have a vast number of sekirei at his disposal," Kochou elaborated. Oriha nodded.
"I was ambushed by two of them. I tried to fend them off, but they were too much for me."
"And that led to you crashing to the ground," Kai added. Oriha nodded, but pain started to swell up, causing her to kneel. Kai ran up to her and kneeled as well.
"Are you okay?" He asked.
"Yes, it's just my shoulder. I was hit really deep," she replied. Kai ripped off one of his sleeves and wrapped it around Oriha's wound. He then let out a sigh and looked at Kochou.
"Remind me to go shirt shopping," he told her. She couldn't help but giggle.
"Duly noted."
"Why are you helping me?" Oriha asked. Focus shot to her.
"Is it wrong for wanting to help you?" Kai asked back.
"I suppose not," she replied. Kai held his hand out for her.
"Here, come with me. We'll get you to safety."
She looked at his hand.
'Should I? He seems really nice; and he's so cute. But, can I really trust him?'
That's when she noticed something emanating from Kai. She noticed a sinister dark aura around Kai. It felt cold, like the frozen void of space.
'What is this? This… this dark feeling.'
She looked deep into Kai's eyes; but saw only sadness and pain. She only saw a bottomless abyss of hatred and a never-ending sea of pain.
Slowly, she reached out for his hand.
'I feel all tingly inside, like my heart is calling out to him. I…I want to be with him.'
Kai saw something coming towards Oriha and quickly picked her up. He jumped back, dodging an attack that could've killed her. He landed beside Kochou and looked at the rising dust.
"Are you okay Oriha?" He asked. She simply nodded her head with her cheeks red as a tomato. Kai let her walk and stood in front of the girls.
"What are you doing?" Oriha asked.
"Don't worry; he's stronger than he looks," Kochou said. The dust cleared, revealing two more girls. One was a girl with short blond hair. She had a collar around her neck, wearing long black gloves, a black top with white strips, and a single black stocking on her legs. Her weapons were a multitude of whips. The other was a young girl with clothing similar to a miko consisting of a white haori and red hakama. Her hair is dark and unkempt; however, she is equipped with a pair of wicked swords.
"Did you think you could escape from us?"
They saw Kai standing in front of them, confusing them and making them smile.
"Well aren't you the cute one?" The girl with the blades said. Kai groaned as his cheeks turned red.
"Aww, you're blushing," the whip girl stated. Kai only blushed brighter as he tried to keep a serious look.
"Why are you after Oriha?" He asked.
"Our ashikabi wants her; and that is what we are ordered to do," the blade girl answered. She pointed one of the blades at Kai and smiled devilishly.
"Now that you know that, we have no choice but to use force.
She rushed at Kai with the intent to kill.
"Don't this the wrong way, but this is a direct order from my ashikabi."
She dragged her blade against the ground, making it generate sparks, and went for the uppercut. Kai simply moved back and avoided the attack. She came back down with a thrust, but only hit the ground.
"Hmhmhm, this is going to be fun."
Kai gave Kochou a kiss.
"You and Oriha get out of here; I will handle them," he told her.
"You can't take on two sekirei at once," Kochou back talked. "And I'm not just going to leave you."
"Don't worry about me Kochou; I got this. Just trust me," Kai replied. He and Kochou has a stare off that ended quickly in Kochou's defeat.
She sighed. "Alright, but don't do anything reckless."
Kai kissed her again. The sekirei with the blades came down, readying her blade to stab Kai in the neck. Oriha was about to act, but Kai took out Firestorm and blocked the attack.
"Now you will feel the power of lightning," he stated. Kochou moved to Oriha.
"C'mon, let's go," she told her.
"No, I'm staying," Oriha announced. She quickly summoned several bladed disks and launched them at the bladed sekirei, who jumped out of the way in time. Oriha stood beside Kai.
"I'm going to fight with you."
"You sure?" Kai asked. Oriha answered that by throwing her disks at the enemies. The girls split up, and the one with whips used them to throw the disks back at Orhia. She gave a confident smile, making Kai smile in return.
"Kochou, stand back."
"Got it," she replied getting to safety. Oriha moved her arms, changing the trajectory of the disks and making them fly up in the air. She made them descend and float around her. Their position inspired Kai to come up with an idea. The two sekirei stood beside each other with their weapons ready.
"Sekirei no. 62, Kaie," the girl with the whips introduced.
"Sekirei no. 21, Kaisha; and that will be the last name you hear," the girl with the blades stated. Kai readied his sword, and Oriha readied her disks.
"Oriha, you take Kaie and leave Kaiha to me," Kai stated.
"Okay," she replied. Kaiha rushed at the two, aiming for Kai. Oriha moved away and launched her disks at Kai, but she used her whips as a shield and deflected the attack. Following the defense, Kaie snapped her whips at Oriha. She dodged it and lined her disks in a row. Suddenly, wave of lightning hit her disks and formed saw like disks. Oriha looked at Kai, who smiled back her and caused her to blush. She then heard the sound of whipping and turned her head, only to see Kaie's whips coming her way. With her now lightning disks, Oriha sent them at her opponent. She spread them apart, seeing some cut the ground and the walls. She was amazed at the power behind them. Kaie too was amazed, but she attacked them anyway; however, the moment her whips made contact, the lightning followed the line and zapped Kaie with an intense voltage. Even so, she managed to hold her ground and stay standing.
Oriha smiled happily as she looked back at Kai, blocked Kaiha's cross slash with a stab. She smirked and barrage attacked. Kai switched to his lightning eyes, slowing down the attacks. He easily avoided the assault and held his sword vertically to block the final strike.
"What's the matter? You can't fight a woman?" Kaiha taunted.
"I believe that a man should never hit a lady. While I know someone who has a code against hitting females, I will at least honor their request and fight back. Even though you intend to kill me, I still won't hit you," Kai replied. "If there's a chance where my attack is about to make contact, I can easily change the direction."
Kaiha laughed at him.
"That's sweet of you; but in battle, everyone is your enemy."
She moved back charged again. She threw a stab this time, and Kai deflected it with a horizontal strike. With her free hand, Kaiha thrust her other sword multiple times, but Kai again easily deflected them. Even she started gritting her teeth in anger.
"Why can't I hit you?"
"You're too slow," Kai stated bluntly with a tilt of his head. Kaiha growled.
"What?"
"You heard me. The reason why you can't hit me is because you're too slow; and to prove it…"
Kai switched back to his original eyes. He did the 'bring it' sign.
"Come."
She growled again and rushed at him out of anger. Vehemently, she slashed downward, but it was met by Kai's blade and stopped cold. She then smirked and went for the uppercut. Kai didn't flinch, but instead summoned his lightning. It exerted in all directions, causing everyone to duck and cover. All the sekirei, excluding Kochou, was astonished by Kai's technique. Oriha was the most surprised.
"Whoa; that was amazing," she said softly. Kai channeled his element and sent a wave of lightning at Kaisha. After gaining focus again, Kaiha crossed her swords and absorbed the impact; however, the metal conducted electricity and electrocuted her. The shock sent her flying back and crashed her into the wall. Again, the girls, except Kochou, were amazed.
"I don't have the powers of lightning just for my cute face. Since lightning is my element, I can move faster than the average human," Kai said. Suddenly, he heard laughing. Kaiha stood up and had a wicked smile across her lips.
"Hmhmhmhmhm, hahahahaha, yes! Such strength; I want to see more of it. Forget the sekirei; I want to fight you seriously now."
She rushed Kai with quicker speed. She and Kai swung at each other and crossed blades; however, Kaiha's slid against his and continued to his eye. She laughed devilishly, but it was cut short when Kai disappeared and reappeared right behind her and held his blade against her neck. Kaiha tried to move, but Kai moved his blade as a warning.
"I got you, so it would be wise if you don't move," he said. She looked at him through her peripheral vision.
"Who, and what, are you?"
"My name is Kai Sasaki; and I'm just your above average powerful human," he replied. Out of his peripherals, he saw multitudes of whips coming him way. He simply waited and let Oriha deflect them. Her back touched his.
"Thank you Oriha; so have you decided?"
Oriha blushed a little.
"You knew didn't you?"
Kai nodded. "I am a lot more observant than you think."
Oriha didn't reply. Kaiha on the other hand, started laughing again.
"You're really something," she said. She used her peripherals again.
"I like you. You may have outmatched me, but next time things will go in my favor."
She jumped out of the way and stood beside Kaie.
"Kaie, we're going."
"But what about the sekirei?" Kaie asked.
"We can't get her; our foe is too strong," Kaiha replied. "Even if we team up on him, we can't beat him."
"Really?" Kaie asked. Kaiha simply nodded her head.
"But what do we tell our master?"
"You can yell Higa that Kai Sasaki stopped you; and if he wants revenge, I'll accept any challenge," Kai stated. The looked at each other, giggled, and jumped away.
"So Higa of the East, Mikogami of the South, and whoever controls the west and north; but I guess the north is controlled by Minato and I."
"The West is controlled by Sanada," Kochou said.
"You just know everyone don't you?" Kai asked back. She giggled at him.
"This coming from the guy who can't keep a shirt intact."
Kai blushed a little.
"It's not my fault universe wants me shirtless."
She giggled again.
"Kai," Oriha called out. His focus shot to her. He sheathed Firestorm.
"So tell me Oriha, have you truly thought of about your decision?" he questioned. Oriha nodded her head and held her hand in front of his chest.
"Watching you fight really captivated me. First you helped me when I needed it, then you fought for me; and after watching you, I decided that I want to become your sekirei," she declared. A pair of hands settled on her shoulders. Oriha looked up and gazed into Kai's eyes. She noticed something different this time. His aura wasn't a sinister one, but a warming azure. Kai took notice of the red on her cheeks. He gently caressed one, making her turn redder. Kai slowly leaned in closer. On instinct, Oriha closed her eyes and followed Kai's lead. Within a few seconds, their lips me, sending warmth through Oriha's body. Her sekirei crest flashed and bright wings sprouted. When their kiss ended, Kai wrapped her in a warm hug. She stepped back and courtside.
"Sekirei no. 101, Oriha; we'll be together for now and forever."
A/N: And there you have it everyone, Kai has finally winged Oriha. Maybe now you'll get off my back because of it. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter and will continue to support me. This has been MalevolentDarkness16 and Jacobthedarkone, wishing you well.
