Mikogami was riding in the back of his limo heading for Tokyo airport and his private jet. He was not in a good mood. "All my wonderful toys, all my wonderful toys," he muttered again and again. They were gone, every one of them, even Mutsu who'd been his favorite! The game he'd played with them had been the most interesting and fun one he'd ever found. He was sure he would never find another one as amazing.

"Oh well, maybe I'll go on a safari or something," he said to himself. He had to get out of Tokyo at any rate. Some people might be mad at him.

As the limo turned a corner there was a woman in a dark blur yukata standing in the middle of the street. The driver blew his horn and came to a screeching halt when she refused to get out of the way.

Grinning she brought her fist down onto the car's hood smashing through it and destroying the engine. She then sauntered to the back of the limo and casually tore the back door right off. "My ashikabi would like to have a word with you."

Mikogami smiled back at her. "All you had to do was ask."

XXXXXXXXXX

Minato had a lit cigarette in his mouth and watched as Mikogami stepped out of the ruined limo. Haihane and Akizu were standing to either side of him. Kazehana had brought Ku-chan to M.B.I. to receive medical treatment while Karasuba was off on her own assignment.

Mikogami was a kid of 17 who was dressed up in a ruffled silk shirt that looked ridiculous to him. The bored son of a billionaire industrialist he loved nothing better that to entertain himself with various games and contests. He owned yachts, race horses, a Premier League soccer team, and various other sports ventures. If he had never gotten involved with sekirei he could have lived a nice long pleasurable life.

The kid had just helped kill thousands of innocent people and had come close to doing him in too. And little Kusano had wound up hurt. Mikogami however didn't seem to understand the situation he was now in.

"You're not mad are you?" He asked with a relaxed air.

In reply Minato took out his .45 out and shot him in the stomach.

"Aaaaahhhh!!" Mikogami fell over and clutched his stomach as blood poured out staining his nice white clothes.

"Mad doesn't even begin to cover it you little shit."

He shot him again and again, emptying out his clip. He shot him in the legs, the arms, the shoulder; he made sure none of the shots were immediately fatal.

"Stop it! Oh god please stop!" Mikogami screamed. He was lying in the street covered in his own blood. He was crying and twitching helplessly.

"Why?" Minato asked calmly as he slapped in another clip. "It's just a game, right?" He shot him some more.

Mikogami lived for about twenty minutes before finally dying from blood loss. Minato felt he was being merciful letting it end that quickly.

XXXXXXXXXX

Higa was sitting calmly in his apartment sipping on a scotch on the rocks when the door was kicked open.

"It wasn't locked," he called from the living room. He nodded as Karasuba strolled in. "I did tell you that you'd be welcome to visit any time."

"Yara, yara but you're a cool one. Shouldn't you be running and hiding?"

He shook his head and took another sip of his drink. "What would be the point? I would never survive long anyway. When you strike at a king you must kill him or die yourself."

With a pleasant grin she nodded. "Glad to see you at least have guts, killing cowards always leaves a bad taste in my mouth."

Higa shook his head. "My intelligence and my courage didn't do me any good in the end. If my sekirei had gotten to Minato in time…"

She shrugged. "You would be running things instead of Minaka I suppose, but that's the chance you take."

"Can I make a request?"

"You want me to kill you quick and clean?"

Higa nodded.

"All right, thanks to you I got to really enjoy myself today, and I discovered what I was capable of. For that I'll make it quick."

"Thank you."

Taking her sword out she did just that.

XXXXXXXXXX

Takami was staring numbly at multiple TV screens as various national and local reporters and news crews sent out images of the destruction. Many of the pictures were of a triangle more than a mile long of flat brown earth right in the middle of the city. The reporters were going on and on about it, two square miles of Tokyo was just gone.

The other images weren't any better. There were cars and homes still burning, lifeless bodies littered the street. People were out looking desperately to try and find loved ones. It really was like something right out of a war zone. Rough estimates were as many as 60,000 killed with twice that wounded.

Minaka looked at those same pictures with a different reaction; he was ecstatic. "A new age really has begun; no one can doubt the power of the sekirei now."

Takami glared at him. "Don't tell me you're happy about this?! A huge chunk of the capitol is either gone or a wreck! Thousands of innocent people have all died because of this insanity. None of this would have happened if you hadn't begun the Sekirei Plan. You have got to see we have to stop now! Minato nearly died today protecting us! It's over."

"What are you talking about?" Minaka asked cheerfully. "I consider today just a rousing end to phase two. We can now move on to phase three."

She stared at him with her mouth hanging open. "You know I really truly believe that you are out of your mind. How can you even think of continuing as though none of this ever happened?"

"Even with the losses from today there are still plenty of sekirei and ashikabi still free. In fact I'd say things have only gotten more interesting now. The vast majority of the remaining ashikabi have only a single sekirei; it's more in line with what I'd originally anticipated. Now no one will have the strength to oppose the Sekirei Plan. From here on out things should run smoothly to the end."

Takami didn't have anything more to say. If what had just happened wouldn't make him give up his insane scheme nothing would.

XXXXXXXXXX

Six sekirei eliminated, thirty three terminated. Among the sekirei who were eliminated were numbers 6 and 107. A grand total of fifty four, exactly half, were now gone from the game. Minato shut his cell phone and tried to put it out of mind.

The sekirei were being slowly ground up and reduced to ashes.

He was sitting in the infirmary by Kusano's side as she woke up. He was just very glad that at least she'd been all right. "How do you feel Ku-chan?"

Seeing him she smiled. "Oniichan, I'm fine, it only hurts a little."

He nodded. He'd gotten the same treatment and felt much better as well. "You did a great job protecting me Ku-chan, thank you. If not for you and the others I wouldn't be here."

"I'm sorry you got hurt oniichan!"

Smiling he gently patted her head. "That wasn't your fault Ku-chan, you did your best and the important thing is you did save me. I am in your debt."

His words momentarily pleased her, but her slight smile blew out as she asked in a heavy voice. "What happened to Shiina?"

"He was eliminated," Minato answered. He had no anger against Shiina or the other sekirei who tried to kill him. They'd only been following the instructions of their ashikabi.

"Will I ever see him again?" Kusano asked.

"I… I honestly don't know Ku-chan, maybe." Despite his position as Disciplinary Squad ashikabi and his alpha level clearance there were things he still didn't know. Like what exactly happened to the sekirei who were eliminated from the game.

"I still love Shiina-kun," she told him in a small sad voice. "I don't hate him even though, even though…"

"I don't hate him either Ku-chan," he told her. "He did what he had to, even though he didn't want to hurt you."

The little girl nodded. The treatments seemed to have wearied her as she fell back to sleep.

XXXXXXXXXX

"You're coming with me Min-chan," Karasuba took a hold of him at the apartment and began dragging him to her bedroom.

"Hey!" Benitsubasa said angrily. "We usually all share at night!" The other girls were all frowning as well.

Karasuba flashed a dangerous grin. "I am in the mood to play with Min-chan tonight; do you have a problem with that?" She placed a hand on her sword hilt.

"I'll do something with everyone tomorrow," Minato said quickly. "Come on Karasuba." He headed towards her bedroom door. "I have always wanted to see your room."

When they entered Minato was surprised at just how spares it was. There was sleeping mat on the floor but no bed. There was not furniture at all. Hanging on the wall were twenty different katanas, all in their respective sheaths. Painted on the walls in big black letters were the words, 'commitment,' 'discipline,' 'patience,' and 'vengeance.'

"The word Spartan comes to mind," he said.

She nodded. "They had the right idea, living only for battle, denying themselves creature comforts. They understood that a warrior does not need any of that."

He chuckled. "If you don't like, 'creature comforts' what am I doing here?"

She grabbed his face in both her hands and kissed him roughly, filling the room with her wings of light. "You're here because your body gives me the second greatest pleasure I know. Except for killing this is what I love most, and I don't see any reason to deny myself the occasional treat."

She pushed him down onto the floor and tore his clothes off; she didn't even bother trying to remove them. He was soon pinned beneath her as she rode him mercilessly, filling herself with mounting pleasure.

XXXXXXXXXX

After a couple rounds they were both lying naked on the floor. She had one leg between his and was playfully biting at his neck as she relaxed.

"Even if you are a human you are good for at least one thing,' she said between bites. "Well, two I suppose."

"Gee thanks," he said wearily. He was aching and sore but he was sure she'd want to go again before long. As with everything else, when Karasuba had sex she took no prisoners and showed no mercy. "Tell me something; do you like me, even just a little?"

Grinning mischievously she bit him just a little harder.

"Ow!" he slapped a hand to his neck to find a little bit of blood.

"Sorry," she said playfully. "But don't they say you only hurt the ones you love?"

His hand still over his wound he looked at her carefully. Her eyes gave away nothing and her grin was like always. He didn't know if she was being serious with him or not. "Does that mean you love me?"

She rolled over so that she was on top of him and pinned down both hands so he was helpless.

"Yes I love you," she told him.

And for a wonder she seemed serious. His pleasure though was short lived.

"I love you the way a master loves her faithful dog."

"A dog?" He said with disbelief. "Is that all I am to you?"

"Don't be upset Min-chan," she chided him. "You should be happy. I always said you would never matter to me, but now you do. You matter to me a great deal, be happy with that. I will always keep you close to me from now on Min-chan. You'll be at my side when I win the Sekirei Plan and make the world burn."

"You're not part of the Sekirei Plan," he pointed out. "At least not as a participant."

"Not yet," she told him. "There are six phases to the plan, with the final phase being the last fight between the last two. In phase five the Disciplinary Squad will be dissolved, its members will become participants."

Cold fear passed through him, here apparently was one more thing he hadn't been told. "You mean you'll fight the others?"

Leaning close she whispered in his ear. "No Min-chan, I'll kill the others."