In Flight

by gabriel blessing

Honestly, Shirou was beginning to think that he should be used to this; being unwittingly selected to take part in brutal tournament that he had no idea existed until he found himself in the middle of it. Then again, second times the charm, right?

36. Thirty Sixth Wing

In Flight: Thirty Sixth Wing

Author's Notes: Well, smaller delay than usual with the update. I find that with real life more settled, and with the holidays over, I have more time to write. Besides that, the end of In Flight is actually getting near, and I find my own anticipation to finish the story completely is giving me more and more enthusiasm to write as well. Hopefully, things will stay settled and I can keep up a decent pace.

Alright, on to the review responses. A lot of people express either positive or negative reactions to the Karasuba encounter. Most of the positive reviews revolve around keeping Karasuba up as an appropriately powerful antagonist and enjoyment of the frenemy feel that her and Shirou have going for them even if they are serious about killing each other.

And, amusingly, most of the negative reviews have to do with Karasuba not getting to join the harem!

Either way, it's good to see that she's still liked as a character and that I managed to keep a good balance with her, so that's a relief for me.

The fight itself got good reviews as well, so I'm glad about that. The thing which got the most comments outside of Karasuba, is of course the continuing Mask Off between Shirou and Miya, and I'm glad I managed to get comedy right. Comic relief is important to keep too much tension from ramping up too quickly, and it looks like the Mask continues to be a successful running gag.

Alright, now, on to the spoiler section...

*Spoiler Alert!*

And now, things start to happen. I did say that once the world building was done In Flight was going to be getting back to action. With the last three arcs on us, it's only natural that fighting is going to be a big part of it. Shirou and Higa finally facing off is a good example of just that.

Honestly, I had considered not using this arc at all in the past. It's not that it's unnecessary for the story, but if I had chosen not to use it I could have reworked the last two arcs and not had any trouble getting the story moving. However, I found that this arc allowed me to set up several other plot points to later arcs, and even if I could cut it out there was no reason not to. So in the end, we get to have Shirou finally face off with one of the main antagonists of In Flight, the intellectual bad guy Higa to counter Karasuba's fighting bad guy.

Now, focusing on Shirou for the most part. One of the main reasons that I chose to keep this arc in, is because I wanted it to help illustrate just how serious Shirou is when he talks about the Path of the Shura. I'd mentioned before that IF Shirou has spent a good couple of years developing as a magus, and that for all his usual nice-guyness, he could still be ruthless if needed. I also wanted to balance that out with Shirou still trying to do the best to help everyone, even if he knows that he might fail.

Let me know how it turns out, by the way. Was Shirou too ruthless? Or did I manage to make his thought process logical enough for him?

Anyway, that's it for spoilers.

*Spoiler Alert*

A shorter chapter than normal, but still the best place to end the chapter.

Any questions or concerns? Come down to the forum where a thread will be up for the chapter including a deleted scene from this chapter.

Just want to throw a comment out there? Give a review.

And as always, enjoy.

*Story Start*

"They're gone then, aren't they?" Miya asked me, nearly causing me to miss the nail I was hammering in. Thankfully, I managed to keep the tool on focus, and thus the nail and not my thumb took the blow.

"Asama-san?" I asked, glancing behind me to find the landlady standing nearby, at the door between the dining room and the kitchen. I hadn't heard the door open at all, which was somewhat surprising really. Miya was usually pretty careful about not being too stealthy. I was pretty sure it was an attempt by the alien to seem more normal, a way of masking her inhumanity. Generally, the only time when she even hinted at her fighting prowess was either when she was training with her sword or preparing to unleash punishment for those who ignored the rules of Izumo House.

With that in mind, I recalled that quite recently I might have sort of done something which she might have taken offense to, and nervously gulped.

"If this is about the mask thing, then to be perfectly fair…" I began nervously, only for Miya to give me a small narrowing of her eyebrows accompanied by an expression which once more bordered on 'pouting' accompanied by a small shake of her head. With a relieved sigh, I focused on her earlier words.

"They're gone?" I repeated, before realizing what she meant. "Ah," I sighed, turning so I could lean my back against the wall behind me. After several days of dedicated effort I had nearly managed to finish repairs on the dining room. The boarding was all up, and all that remained was to refurbish the traditional paper linings of the walls. "Uzume and Chiho."

Miya nodded once, her expression softening away from petulance as she focused on the topic she had originally brought up.

"It seems that they have already departed," the landlady confirmed, sounding oddly melancholic as she did so. I straightened a bit, paying more attention to her as she continued. It was unusual for Miya to seek me specifically for conversation. While it wasn't unusual for us to talk throughout the day, it was generally conversations that centered on household chores and upkeeps.

I think the last time she ever deliberately sought me out for a serious talk was after Musubi had revealed the true nature of winging.

"Uzume did say that she wanted to leave as soon as possible," I reminded her, though I too felt a bit pensive at the abruptness of their departure. "The sooner they leave, the more it reinforces the impression that they're running from me."

"I am aware of that, Emiya-kun," Miya chided me gently, though with a touch of sternness too. Despite her apparent annoyance, her expression softened afterwards almost immediately. "It just seems so sudden." With a sigh, she gave me a chiding look. "Why is it that you seem to chase so many of my residents away, Emiya-kun?" she gave me an aggrieved look. "Leaving without even paying their last month's rent, or packing any of their belongings, or even waiting for a goodbye party. Why, if this keeps up, I'll soon have no residents at all! What is an old widow to do without any source of income?"

Despite the teasing nature her tone had taken, I couldn't help but glance away awkwardly. Because even if she meant it as a joke, even if she was only attempting to lighten the mood, it was still true.

First it had been Haruka and Kuno, then almost immediately afterwards Yukari and Shiina. And now, it appears that Uzume and Chiho had made good on their departure, in the middle of the day without telling anyone but Miya.

My girls would be disappointed. I think Matsu was still in the middle of planning their goodbye party.

And even if she didn't say it directly, Miya's words were prophetic in a way. Soon, I would leave too, taking my flock with me as we fled the city and MBI with ill-gotten goods in hand.

"I'm sorry," I told the landlady, causing her to pause. "But soon, you'll be able to get new renters, so if you're just patient, I'm sure that you'll be able to refill this house soon enough." It was the best consolation that I could offer the alien. Uzume and Chiho would be back for sure, and with me gone I'm sure that others would come back here. Maybe I should have Matsu start an advertising campaign once we were gone. There must be dozens of Sekirei and Ashikabi who would mind a place to live where all violence is forbidden. The first few weeks after I'm gone would probably be a bit tumultuous, and if word got out of a safe house in the North that was soon to be open…

"That isn't quite what I meant, Emiya-kun," Miya sighed, finally stepping the rest of the way into the dining room. She didn't make a sound while she moved, and her posture set me on edge. I wasn't quite certain what it was, but there was something in the way she held herself which felt wrong, which reminded me of creatures in the past standing on the brink of violence. I felt myself tensing despite myself, a motion which caused Miya to pause for a moment.

"My goodness," she muttered to herself, looking down as though to check herself for something only she could see. After another moment's pause she resumed her movement, and I felt myself relax. Whatever was there that was setting me off in her posture was gone as though it was never there. I could even hear her foot falls again. "It seems I might be a bit distraught," she murmured apologetically.

Despite her passive bearings, I still couldn't quite shake the feeling that something was off with the landlady. Cautiously, slowly, I put the hammer still held in my hand to the side, keeping my eye on the alien as she took in my movements with a sense of amusement.

"Asama-san," I began, before pausing. There definitely seemed something off with the landlady; something which I didn't think had to do with any kind of physical cause. "Miya," I began again, and the landlady's eyes widened slightly as I used her first name without suffix. "Are you alright?"

Miya was still for a moment, before she sighed, and her eyes opened out of her customary lidded appearance. Her fully opened eyes were unusual. Normally, when she looked like this it was usually accustomed by a sense of intensity as whatever had forced her to pay attention was most likely hostile in some way. Now though, the look she turned on me, and then on the repairs to the wall of her Inn, seemed more contemplative than anything else.

"I think, maybe," she began slowly, taking measured steps towards the newly closed hole in the dining room wall, "that I might perhaps be lonely."

"Lonely?" I repeated, blinking in honest surprise at the confession. It was just so unusual, something so unexpected, that I really didn't know how to respond. A second later, I think I managed to divine the reason behind her declaration. "Ah, is it time for you to go visit your husband again?" I asked, before wincing slightly as I realized just how blunt and rude that statement was. I opened my mouth to try and make some apology for my unthinking words, but Miya didn't seem to even notice. Instead she just shook her head slowly, eyes distant as they remained locked on the repairs to her house.

"That is not it, precisely," she denied slowly, one hand coming up to touch the bare wood gently. "May I ask you a question, Shirou?" Just like I had addressed her informally, the landlady returned the favor. When I gave a cautious nod, she continued. "Uzume-chan and Chiho-chan have both left. If your plan goes through properly, then you might never see them again." She paused, giving me a searching glance. "Are you truly alright with that?"

"Yes," I answered easily, nodding as I did so. Miya raised an eyebrow, inviting me to explain, and I let myself settle with my back against the wall, trying to find the right words to explain why I would have no regret with my last meeting with the Veiled Sekirei and her gentle Ashikabi being the one that happened no more than an hour ago. "It will be safer for those two if we never meet again. It will just make them targets."

"I was not asking what would be safer for those two," Miya pointed out, eyes still open as she watched me, a peculiar attentiveness to her as she studied me. "I was asking if you yourself were fine with never meeting them again."

I paused, but only for a moment.

"Yes," I repeated firmly, meaning the word. Miya continued to watch me for a moment, before her eyes drifted to the side.

"That is a sad thing to hear," she told me, rebuke in her tone. Despite her chastisement, I shook my head.

"I don't think so," I disagreed with her. The certainty with which I spoke seemed to give Miya pause. Finally, she turned her gaze back to me.

"And why is that, Shirou?" It was a surprisingly tentative question, as though the alien landlady wasn't so much demanding as trying to cajole an answer out of me. "You may very well never see those two again. Even if you had just met Chiho-san a few days ago, you did work hard to maintain her safety. With her leaving, you won't even be able to perform your follow up checks with your," and here Miya couldn't quite hide a little purse of her lips, "magic. And Uzume-san and yourself seemed like quite good friends. Are you really alright, to know that you might never meet them again?"

I considered just repeating myself and giving a simple 'yes' as an answer, but Miya was so insistent with her questions that I felt that she deserved a little bit more than a monosyllable for an answer.

"It's not that I mind never seeing them again," I tried to find the best way to explain my train of thought, to reveal what I really felt inside, but it was slow going. I haven't generally had reason to explain myself too much in the past, all things considered. "It's more that I can leave satisfied knowing I've done everything I can for them."

That seemed to give Miya pause, the lavenderette's eyes opening a bit more as she studied me.

"Go on," she prompted me, sounding genuinely curious about my train of thought.

"I do like Uzume," I admitted, before hastily adding qualifiers onto that ambiguous statement. "As a friend, and a companion, and a comrade. She was someone who was a lot more familiar with the unpleasant side of life, someone who understood how dirty things could be out there." I couldn't stop a small quirk of a smile from forming. "And despite everything she went through, she still managed to be fun to be around. As for Hidaka-san," I gave a small shrug, "the fact that she was someone who had also endured so much but managed to stay so innocent is also admirable. I can honestly say I like the both of them." Miya cocked her head, still waiting for me to continue, and so I did. "That is why I don't mind never seeing them again."

"That seems a great jump of logic, Shirou," Miya pointed out, voice cool as she commented on my somewhat unusual jump of logic.

"It's because I like them that I don't mind never seeing them again," I reasserted, still trying to find the right way to voice my thoughts. I scrubbed a hand through my hair, sighing as I tried to explain something which was so viscerally a part of me that voicing it almost felt like trying to describe color to a blind man. "I have baggage, Miya."

"The first time you said that to me, I had a great deal less perspective as to just how true that was," Miya pointed out, sounding a bit amused at the statement. I blinked, and then couldn't quite suppress a brief smile of my own. The last time I had said that had been well before Miya and the rest of my flock had been exposed to the world of Magi.

"It's the truth," I asserted to her, managing to suppress my smile as I tried to be serious. "With everything aligned against me, with what will happen when MBI starts hunting me as well, when I compare that to what might happen to those two if I stayed in contact with them, then it's better that we go our separate ways." With a small smile, I let a hand come up to scratch briefly at my scalp. "Sometimes," I continued, and I couldn't hold back a wave of nostalgia. "Sometimes, things come to an end. The time we get with people isn't infinite, and nothing lasts forever. I'd rather be grateful for the time I had, and be content with doing everything I can while I'm here. Just knowing that those two are out there, and that they're safe, and happy, that is all I need to keep going."

In the end, you can't save everyone, and love isn't enough. No matter how hard you try, you can't always do everything you want to. But at least in this case, I can be content knowing that I have done all I could to help, that at least this time I managed to save someone.

And, honestly, I don't think I need to worry about those two anymore. Uzume is the type who knows what she's doing, and I don't think there's a thing anyone in this world that could threaten Chiho and not have Uzume come down on them like the wrath of a pantheon of angry gods.

Those two will be fine. Even if nothing in life is certain, I'd still lay hard money on those two's odds.

Miya was silent for a minute or so after wards, her eyes down towards the ground, her hands resting at her sides as she contemplated my answer to her question. Finally, she sighed, before turning back to me, a small smile on her lips.

"It seems that you are well adjusted to seeing people leave," she noted dryly. Her smile turned pensive. "Perhaps it's just that I am not so comfortable with such things."

"You could come with us, if you'd like," the offer was out before I even had a chance to think that it might be a bad idea. Just having the Jinki when we escaped would be enough to draw negative attention from MBI. Having the Number zero one, Miya Asama the strongest of the Sekirei and a fighter more bloodstained than even Karasuba with us would be like declaring war on the company in a way they couldn't ignore. It would almost guarantee that MBI would be willing to go to any lengths not just to see the Jinki returned, but to see a very real threat ended.

But in the end, that didn't matter. Miya was a friend, and if taking that extra risk was what it needed to make my friend happy, than I would be willing to do just that.

Miya didn't seem to have expected my offer, and for a moment she blinked in surprise. Her eyes opened all the way, her usual squint disappearing as she gave me a serious, contemplative look. For a moment, she actually seemed to consider the offer.

Then the moment passed, and she smiled, her eyelids lowering again.

"Why Emiya-kun!" she declared, a teasing tone entering her voice as she waved one hand at me idly. "What a sudden thing, to proposition an innocent widow like me so unexpectedly! Why, what would Takehito think?" She sighed again, one hand coming up to cradle her cheeks. "To think that Emiya-kun was such a shameless predator, all along! My innocence is surely in danger!"

"Yeah, yeah," I drawled, playing along. Miya had given her answer. Even if it meant being alone, it seemed that she wouldn't abandon this place. It just meant to much to her, the place her and her husband had been together in. "I'm sure that he's very worried about me brutishly assaulting your soft, weak, and demure self. Surely his soul in heaven is overwhelmed with concern."

"Ah! At last, proof of Emiya-kun's carnivorous nature shines through," Miya gasped again, bringing the hand she had been waving at me to her cheek as well. "That he would spend so much time watching me to know my helpless nature… Help me, Takehito-san! Your wife is in danger!"

With a snort, I turned back to the wall, resuming my task. "Well, there is one known way to keep me from engaging in my terrible lusts," I pointed out innocently, trying my best to keep from sounding too eager. "All you need to do is…"

"No kitchen until the wall is fixed, Emiya-kun," Miya cut me off, providing proof positive that she had indeed been forcing me from my chosen domain deliberately as punishment.

"Curses," I muttered. "Guess it's back to seducing innocent landladies then." Still, my pace increased ever so slightly as I pushed myself to finish the repairs.

Soon, the dark days would be over!

*Scene Break*

"There," I muttered, flexing my leg under Matsu's watchful eyes. "It's better. Can I put my pants back on now?"

"Well, if you have to…" Matsu leered at me suggestively despite the way she was continuing to prod my knee gently. It had taken a bit longer than I had expected for Avalon to deal with the damage, probably because the stomach wound was most likely a bit worse than I had anticipated, but finally I could move without any sharp twinges or sudden stumbling. A full sixteen hours to recover from the battle was a bit much, but not unexpected either. "Matsu wouldn't mind if Shirou-tan decided not to!"

"Well, Shirou definitely minds," I muttered back, before blinking as I realized that I had fallen into Matsu's habit of referring to herself in the third person. "I mean, I mind," I said again, deliberately correcting myself. "It's going to be hard enough dealing with Yukari and Seo as it is without having to do it in my underwear."

"Ah," Akitsu spoke up briefly, causing both Matsu and I to turn to give her expectant looks. I realized that the snow woman was blushing lightly, and while she was engaging in her usual habit of staring she was focusing on an area a bit different from where she usually looked. "I kind of like it."

With a blush, I deliberately pulled my pants back up. Akitsu was definitely becoming more expressive, as she managed to look a little disappointed at the area she had been focusing on disappeared from view.

"Fuhuhuhu," Matsu giggled, the lascivious witch no doubt enjoying my discomfort. Still, she made no other comment on it, instead leaning back so she could plop down on one of the pillows strewn about her room.

"Well, now that I've proven I'm fully fixed, can we get back on topic?" I asked plaintively, hoping to get this impromptu strategy meeting under way.

It was late afternoon at this point, about time for my normal lessons with the hacker, though today was less about 'getting me out of the stone age' as Matsu like to put it and more about us going over the details we needed to cover for when we fled the city. While some of the planning was already taken care of, like the actual escape from the city, there were other details that needed to be covered as well: things like gathering enough finance for us to be able to survive, getting human identification for the aliens, and securing an exit route from the country as well.

"Matsu has already started to hack some of MBI's accounts," the hacker updated me, turning back to one of her computers. The screens all around us were displaying a variety of different information, some of them focused on MBI related themes, others showing feed from some of the spy satellites, a few of them showing what appeared to be Matsu's progress on uploading my magecraft texts to digital medium, and a bunch more displaying long strings of numbers and symbols which were entirely incomprehensible to me. "But Matsu still isn't sure how to go about getting fake passports."

"Those generally require more in the way of face to face interaction," I admitted, plopping down besides the hacker. With one hand still pounding away at her keyboard she passed me her doohickey so that I could start contributing as well. I might not be at the level where I could help her with the tricky stuff, but I had become at least competent enough to focus on the magecraft databases. My input would be more useful there anyway. "I'll have to start hitting some of the less savory places in this city, hopefully make some yakuza contacts who can point me the right way. It will cost a pretty penny, but it will be discreet at least."

"Matsu still thinks she could just hack the government and get real identities set up for everyone," the hacker suggested helpfully, still mostly focused on the screen directly in front of her. She would periodically close her eyes completely, her eyes moving beneath the lids like in REM sleep, as she used her abilities to keep track of multiple streams of information at once, but I had gotten used to that little habit of hers a while back so I ignored it.

"Might not be a bad idea later on," I muttered contemplatively, before shaking my head in the negative. "But for now it might tip our hand to MBI if they pay attention to those kinds of things. Just hardcopies for now, and after if we need to we can slip it in."

"If Shirou-tan thinks so," Matsu capitulated easily enough, giving me a side long glance as she deferred to my experience with sudden illegal exits of countries. "How long does he think it will take before everything is ready?"

"If we push it, we could have it done in a week," I estimated, trying to guess how long it would take to track down some forgery professionals and factor in how long it would be to get seven new sets of passports and papers done. Seven, I mused. Was my flock really that big already? I shook my head, focusing back on the topic at hand. "But if we move too quick we might draw attention. Better to stretch it out and be discreet, so maybe two to four weeks to get everything together."

"About a month then," Matsu nodded, turning back to the screen. "Matsu is going to miss having all her computers about," she muttered, giving her enormous system a mourning look as she sighed at the loss of her processing power.

"Can't you just slave it to one of your doohickeys and access it from abroad?" I pointed out, trying to cheer her up a bit, and Matsu gave a snort.

"Tablets," she reminded me, rolling a bit so she could bump me with her hips without getting up from her sprawled position. "Not doohickeys, tablets."

"Doohickeys," I told her back with a false air of sternness. Matsu gave me an impish grin at my stubbornness, before her look turned innocent, too innocent, and her fingers paused briefly. I narrowed my eyes, long practice having let me catch the inconspicuous movement.

"Akitsu," I addressed the snow woman without taking my eyes off the hacker who was watching me with a grin. "My screens are showing porn again, aren't they?"

"Yes, Ashikabi-sama," Akitsu confirmed immediately, and I sighed as I realized I probably wasn't the center of the snow woman's attention any more.

"You know what," I decided, rubbing my forehead and wondering just when the previously implacable Sekirei had become so perverted. "I think I'll call it quits for the day." Deliberately not looking at the screens that Matsu had high jacked, I got up, preparing to head out.

"Ah," Akitsu began, before hesitating. With another sigh, I cut her off, already suspecting what she was about to say.

"Yes, you can stay here for a bit Akitsu," I told her, rubbing my forehead even harder at that.

"Ah," Akitsu sounded grateful. "Thank you."

"Sure you wanna leave, Shirou-tan?" Matsu called at my back as I made my way to the exit of her secret room. It sounded like she was having trouble holding back a giggle as she watched me flee. "It'll be just like when we were watching porn together yesterday!"

"That wasn't…" I began defensively, but cut myself off. "You know what, maybe next time," I said instead.

"Really?" Matsu perked, sounding surprised by my sudden change of heart.

"No," I told her instantly, crushing that hope immediately.

"Shirou-tan is a meany!" Matsu's final words were almost certainly accompanied by a pout, but prior experience had taught me well that looking now would only be greeted by even more porn, so I just pushed the door shut behind me.

Honestly, at this point, I had less against the porn in general than I once might have. After having dealt with Matsu and her traps for so long, I think that she was running out of shocking fetishes to unleash on me. However, I couldn't help but feel that deliberately watching actors committing amoral and depraved acts on each other while in the presence of my flock might be a little too Dangerous at this point. The dam of my inhibitions against engaging in those kinds of things with my flock was getting weaker and weaker at this point, no doubt a result of me having actually slept with some of my girls, and the thought of being in close proximity with one of them while watching that kind of thing…

"Focus, Shirou," I told myself, feeling another blush forming. "Focus on the important things."

Important things, like it being Saturday at the moment, and at any moment my sister and her Sekirei would be showing up.

"I hope they won't be mad that I couldn't get that teriyaki," I muttered, raking a hand through my hair nervously. I had no idea how this meeting was about to go. The last time I had seen Yukari she was swearing to find some way to keep me out of what she thought was the clutches of a brainwashing organization of evil after all, and I had little doubt she would have reacted to the fight between Toyotama, Ichiya, and I in what was most likely an inappropriately exaggerated manner.

But even more than worrying about her doing something foolish like trying to attack me in some misguided comic book induced delusion of redeeming me through violence, there were other more dangerous options she might have taken. Options like maybe trying to track that organization down to confront them directly. Or maybe even trying to imitate me and fight a Sekirei directly.

Or maybe, maybe she just wouldn't want anything to do with her brother anymore now that she knew he was a killer?

I think the last possibility chilled me the most. I had never really had family before, though I guess Fuji-nee probably came pretty damn close, and now that I had actual blood relatives I didn't know how to feel about the thought that I might have disappointed one. I didn't know how I'd react if one of them didn't want anything to do with me anymore.

As though to punctuate my thoughts, a knocking came from the front door.

"I got it," I called out instantly, turning to the stairs which would lead me to the foyer and what awaited me there. Nervously, I swallowed. I couldn't sense Shiina's power so maybe she had just chosen to arrive alone for some reason, but then again maybe this wasn't Yukari at all.

Hell, maybe it was even worse and Takami had decided to show up. I'm pretty sure the only reason she hasn't is because Miya's presence makes Izumo House a 'no MBI' zone, though I'm pretty sure if that was the reason my mother wasn't here then she most likely was being forced to comply with the hands off policy.

Takami was scary like that some times.

Still, maybe I'd be lucky and whoever was at the door would prove to be just a salesman or something?

"Hello," I began, as I prepared myself for the worst and hoped for the best. "Is that…"

I trailed off, honest shock keeping me from completing my sentence.

Turns out, it wasn't Takami, Yukari, or even some random salesperson.

"Good afternoon, Shirou Emiya," Kensuke Kakizaki smirked at me, adjusting his glasses with one hand as he did so. "May I come in?"

"I can't tell if you're a lot braver than I thought you were, or just that stupid," I told him, my absolute astonishment at the Secretary of the East actually appearing before me, and alone to boot, temporarily overriding my usual courtesy. The former Ashikabi frowned, his expression of superiority temporarily disappearing at my rudeness, before it returned.

"I'll ask again," Kakizaki repeated, lifting up a box I hadn't noticed tucked under his other hand. It was wooden and with hinges on one side set so that he could open it easily in front of him, and my eyes narrowed as I saw what he had in that box. "Can I come in?"

Battle mode was already on me as I took in the sight of Yukari's boots folded within the depth of the box.

"Oh," I murmured blandly, "I think it would be best if you did."

*Scene Break*

"So this is the headquarters of the infamous Ashikabi of the North," Kakizaki spoke, giving the room around him a casually dismissive look, taking in the mostly finished repairs in the side of the dining room. "How quaint," he declared in a tone so dismissive that he absolutely had to have practiced it.

"Hmph," Miya frowned at the tone of the unexpected guess. "How rude," she murmured, before placing the tray with tea on the table.

"I still haven't determined if its bravery or stupidity," I mentioned, speaking in a calm tone despite the situation, "but so far the more you speak the more I lean towards 'stupidity'."

Kakizaki sneered again, and I couldn't help but wonder at the source of his confidence. The two of us had taken up seats on the opposite sides of the dinner table. Considering just how this conversation was likely to go I had already sent Kuu, Musubi, and Tsukiumi up to join Matsu and Akitsu in the hidden room. Most likely they were all already watching the upcoming scene from one of Matsu's monitors. Either that or they had joined Akitsu with her new found perverted porn addiction. Either way, having Kuu and Musubi out of the room would help ensure that no one said anything out of place.

Still remaining, both watching Kakizaki with levels of hostility, were Homura and Kazehana, with Miya also in presence. Homura was leaning against the mostly fixed wall, arms tucked under her breasts as she leveled a narrow eyed glare at the seated secretary. Kazehana had draped herself on one side of the table, looking for all the world as though she was just relaxing with a bottle of sake. Despite her relaxed appearance she too was focusing all her attention on the newcomer.

Miya on the other hand seemed perfectly at peace, acting as though she was nothing more than a host serving an unexpected guest. Given the way Kakizaki had purposefully displayed distain for the landlady's residence I suspected that he had no idea just what she really was, most likely assuming her to be just an ordinary Sekirei or perhaps only a human bystander.

"It seems that you still don't understand the situation you find yourself in," Kakizaki noted, sniffing again in distain. His smile turned smug as he continued. "I will look forward to seeing you put in your place. However, for now, I'm afraid that I must take the time to introduce you to your new employer."

I decided to let that particular comment slide for now, though Kazehana snorted at the presumptuous claim and Homura's eyes narrowed even further. As though oblivious to the reaction of my Sekirei, Kakizaki reached into his jacket to receive another of those doohickeys that seemed to be everywhere these days. This particular tablet had some kind of stiff leather casing around it, and with a quick move the secretary popped the cover open, thumbing the power button with the ease of practice. Even as the screen blinked to life he arranged the case in such a way that it managed to turn into an impromptu stand, holding the tablet lengthwise and vertical so that I could look at it directly without him holding it.

"You're a hard man to contact, Shirou Emiya," Higa of the East told me, the face of the business man already present on the tablet. I could make out the light at the edge of the screen which indicated that the cam was on, and I knew that this was most likely a two way call.

"Izumi Higa, known as the Ashikabi of the East," I responded tonelessly, simply identifying the other man rather than acknowledging his statement. "Heir and CEO to the Higa Pharmaceutical Conglomerate. Current number of Sekirei: fifteen." I paused for a moment, before correcting myself. "Excuse me. Eight."

It turns out that unleashing Karasuba on my clandestine opponent had been a great deal more effect than even I had initially anticipated. It was no wonder MBI had tried to appease the other great power by allowing him to send a substitute to the third match. I decided to double the number of tarts I was planning on making for her.

"Yes," if Higa felt any discomfort at the loss of nearly half of his bonded mates, it didn't appear on his face as he nodded at my abbreviated biography. "Your reputation for being well informed appears to be true." He gave me a serene smile, looking for all the world as though he wasn't discussing the loss of nearly half his flock. "I understand that you might have had something to do with that particular instance."

"As I understand it, wasn't that loss caused by members of the Disciplinary Squad after your refusal to comply with an investigation concerning the security of the Sekirei Plan?" I pointed out plainly, my expression never shifting from battle mode as I kept my face set in stone to avoid revealing anything. Higa's eyes narrowed slightly at my denial of any responsibility with the attack.

"How very well informed indeed." Higa's tone held a bit of an edge to it, before he seemed to catch himself and he returned to a more poised expression. "Well, all banter aside, I assume that we can be professional for this conversation?"

"Oh yes," I assured him. "Quite professional."

The fact that Higa took my words at face value told me quite a bit about the man I was talking to for the first time. If he understood the hidden meaning behind my words I suspect he might not have continued the conversation in the manner in which he did.

"As of quite recently, a Yukari Sahashi has availed herself of the courtesy of my company," Higa went on, and I could pick up a muffled outcry coming from the second floor of the house. It seems that my flock was indeed listening in on this conversation. Higa most likely didn't notice the sound, but Kakizaki's eyes did stray upwards as he managed to catch it. "Though Sahashi-san's safety is naturally being seen to, it would make her continued company more comfortable if I could rely on you and your tools to provide specific services to me in the future."

So, that was the way this was going to go down. It looked like Higa was trying to phrase it politely, either out of some personal sense of decorum or maybe because he thought it would be more intimidating that way, but what it came down to was that he had my sister, and if I didn't do what he wanted then there was no guarantee how well it would go for Yukari.

Okay. Despite how placid I kept my face, my mind had been frantically scrabbling since the moment Kakizaki had shown up on my doorstep. This wasn't my chosen method of confrontation, but I had picked up a few tricks for situations like this during my time at the Clock Tower.

Though, admittedly, considering how that had ended up turning out it didn't bode well for my chances here. Still, I had to try.

"Yukari Sahashi?" I asked, cocking my head to the side in feigned curiosity. "Who is that? I don't believe I know anyone of that name."

First of all, deny. They obviously thought there was some sort of connection between Yukari and me, and they were right, but there was no way of knowing just what sort of connection they assumed we had.

"Come now," Higa seemed amused by my attempt at disassembly. "Surely you haven't forgotten your sister already, Minato Sahashi?"

Well crap. There went that ploy. Still, there was no way of knowing if they had actual proof or if they just had made a well educated guess.

"Minato?" I repeated, once more trying to sound confused. "You already know my name is Emiya, Shirou Emiya. I'm sorry, but are you sure you're not confused?"

"Well if I am, then it would appear that it is a confusion shared by the Disciplinary Squad's chief enforcer," Higa pointed out. His smile grew a bit at the exchange of words. "She did seem quite certain, if her actions during the third match were anything to go by."

Shit. God damn it. That blasted Karasuba. If that idiotic, genocidal madwoman had just kept her damn mouth shut than this wouldn't be happening!

"It must have taken your tool quite a while to cover your connection," Higa continued, sounding amused, "but in the end it looked like even with its talents it could still miss things. She should have had someone destroy the physical birth records, or at least change them to whichever name you assumed." He leaned back, putting a bit of distance between himself and the screen, bringing his hands up in a slow exaggerated clap. "Still, I applaud your efforts. Going so far as to erase yourself in order to try and conceal a weakness? Bravo."

I stilled, my mind dissecting his words with frantic speed. Erase myself? My tool's efforts?

That's it!

He must know about Matsu. Just like I had already pegged Kouchou as a threat, Higa was probably one of the Ashikabi most likely to truly understand the potential of an information type. He must have assumed that I had deliberately gone out of the way to change my identity, most likely as a means to distance myself from my family. It made sense in a way. Considering how highly placed Takami was in MBI, and the rather extreme measures I had already taken, cutting connections with a mother and a sister would make a great deal of sense, if I had actually been raised in normal conditions.

It was actually precisely the type of thing I could see myself doing, if that had been the real way of things.

"You know," I hedged, still trying to figure out how I could use this misconception to my advantage. "I never much cared for referring to the Sekirei as 'tools' you know that right?"

"I can imagine," Higa seemed to feel that my lack of denial was a victory, and his smile turned a trifle triumphant before he can continue. "After all, having been raised from such a young age exposed to them, learning so much about them that you were even able to wing one that the rest of MBI deemed unsalvageable? Yes, that must be quite a connection, a bond strong enough to even attract so many single numbers." He snorted. "However, in the end, that is all those things are: tools. And now, Minato, so are you."

The last bit at the end must have been deliberate, an attempt to get a rise out of me, but I dismissed the insultingly familiar way he used my birth name. Oh, this just kept getting better and better. It was a logical string of assumptions he was making, after all. If my mother really was one of the heads of MBI's Sekirei related research, then it would have been possible for me to learn more about them than most people would. Maybe even visit the facilities, make acquaintances with some of them, draw them in, and attract as many single numbers as I had even before the plan started.

Honestly, it was a more believable scenario than me being a magus on the run who might or might have been guided by a superior cosmic force or maybe just had the blind luck to attract so many random powerful creatures through sheer charisma.

Homura seemed to be a bit confused by Higa's assumptions, but she at least seemed to understand that I wasn't making corrections for a reason and she kept her mouth shut. I couldn't get a read on Kazehana at all, seeing as she was using a cup to conceal much of her face. Those two were probably my most discreet Sekirei, which was why I had let them remain in the room unlike Musubi or Kuu. That and Kazehana was most likely willing to back me up if I had to get violent, even if the enemy was only a human. Homura had also already admitted to being willing to attack humans as well, though so far the only target he was focused on was Minaka.

Akitsu would have been willing to, but considering her penchant for overkill it was probably for the best that I kept her back for now. I might need Kakizaki alive by the end of this conversation.

"A tool, am I?" I repeated, trying to keep this conversation going for the moment. I needed to get as much information out of Higa as I could.

"Indeed," Higa smirked. "I have a number of tasks that I find need of accomplishing, and quite recently the number of assets at my disposal has decreased drastically. Luckily, it seems that I have just gained seven new ones." He paused, giving me narrow eyed looks. "No, make that eight," he corrected himself, and I realized that my display in the third match had done just what I had intended.

It looks like I was being considered just as dangerous as my flock. Good.

"And just what kind of tasks did you have in mind?" I prompted, finally reaching for the tea that Miya had brought. The landlady herself had perched herself at the edge of the room, in a position that was out of the way but allowed her to observe everyone in the room, including Higa's face on the screen. She had brought out a pot, four cups, a bowl of sugar and a bowl of lemon, as well as enough spoons to supply each cup with one. Deliberately, I poured myself some tea, adding sugar and lemon before stirring it.

"Well to start with, I do believe you have some items of mine," Higa's smile was equal parts triumphant as it was sinister. "The Jinki. Both of them. Please hand them over to my secretary, if you will."

The Jinki. Alien weapons capable of mass genocide and havoc at such an epic scale that even the sight of them was anathema to me. And this twisted, ruthless, and unethical man wanted them.

But only two of them. So they didn't know about the third that Matsu had brought with her when she escaped MBI. Good.

"And after that?" I made no effort to get up and jump to my counterparts orders, instead reaching for a second cup. Pouring a new glass, I took looked up to meet Kakizaki's gaze, wordlessly lifting the sugar bowl as I offered him the new glass. With a triumphant smile at what he assumed was my capitulation, he indicated two with his fingers, and I put the appropriate amount in the cup, stirring it briskly with a new spoon.

If Higa took note of my inaction, he made no particular comment at it. He most likely interpreted it as a minor act of rebellion, meaningless defiance to his will. "After that," he continued, smile growing, "it seems that you were instrumental in removing another tool of mine from its rightful place. Once it has been returned to me, well, there are many tasks a tool of your stature might be useful for."

Uzume then. There was no way that he could know that I hadn't just stolen Chiho and moved her to a new facility. She was supposed to be incurable. The very thought that she could be healthy and out on her own was most likely something inconceivable to him, so he thought I had simply moved her somewhere safe for my own purposes. That was good to know.

"And after that?" I prompted, pushing the newly prepared cup of tea in front of me. I made sure that it was far enough away from the waiting Kakizaki that he would have to reach for it, an act which caused the secretary to snort. It seemed that I wasn't going to be called to task for this kind of defiance so early in the arrangement.

"I'm most interest in learning just how it was…" Higa began while his secretary reached for the cup, leaning forward as he did so, before I interrupted him.

A silent round of Alteration added sharpness comparable to any knife to the teaspoon still held in my hand, and without another word I drove it downward, through Kakizaki's hand, leaving it impaled to the table in front of me.

Higa froze mid speech, flinching backward as the view of the screen allowed him to see the brutal attack, and Kakizaki shrieked, his expression twisting in pain. To my side, Homura shot up straight, eyes wide at the attack and Kazehana flinched back a bit as well, spilling some sake. A yelp of 'Emiya-kun' alerted me to even Miya's surprise at the motion.

Ignoring them, I leaned forward reaching for the screen displaying a recovering Higa.

"What is the meaning of this, Minato…" he snapped, angrily, only for me to interrupt him.

"My name is Shirou Emiya," I told him with narrowed eyes. "Now, excuse me for a moment while I deal with your secretary." With that, I flipped the table so the screen was face down on the table.

"You bastard," Kakizaki hissed, trying to pull his hand free, only for the pain to stop him. He flopped with his other hand, reaching for the spoon so he could try and pull it out. "I am going to have your pathetic slaves flogged for this right in front of your eyes…"

He froze when the hand he was trying to free himself was interrupted by mine, a grip like steel crushing his wrist. Furiously, he looked up to meet my eyes and froze.

"Further speaking from you is prohibited," I hissed, the dark rage in my eyes finding an echo in the creeping madness spreading behind me.

Kakizaki went white as for the first time he was confronted by a horror beyond his comprehension. And what a horror it must be.

I was fucking furious.

I had thought I had been angry when Yukari called me about having met a strange boy. I thought I had been enraged when I had believed Homura might have slept with my mother.

But that was nothing compared to what I was feeling at this very moment.

My sister, my little sister, at this very moment had been captured and imprisoned by some self-entitled little shit, and it had been because of me! She had been accosted, and was enduring who knows what at this very moment, and it was all my fault!

It was taking all of the hard won self-control imparted to me by my years of magecraft to keep myself from tracing a dozen different of the cruelest swords I knew of and impaling this smug bastard in front of me and then going out and doing the exact same thing to the one behind it all. I was so furious that I felt lightheaded, the thrum of my heartbeat an angry echo pounding through my ears and brain, my breath coming short as rage caused my breathing rate to accelerate dangerously.

I don't know what the Asura behind me looked like at this moment, but from the way Kakizaki began to frantically pull at the hand still impaled to the table, an animal move that paid no mind to the way the silverware was digging further into his flesh, it must be something horrifying to behold. Even Homura and Kazehana seemed caught in its sway, the two going white, and to the side Miya tensed.

"You paid too much attention to the third match," I continued in a hiss, "and not nearly enough to the first. You had been warned that there were demons in the North." The man was making mewling noises now, unintelligible strangled animal sounds, and if he had been an animal he most likely would have begun trying to gnaw his own limb off to escape. "Now, sit down, shut up, and don't move, and I may allow you to walk away in one piece."

Kakizaki froze, some bestial part of his mind interpreting my words and understanding him, that same part most likely causing him to go absolutely still despite the no doubt painful wound.

With a nod, I released both his hand and the Asura, a noisy sigh of relief coming from Homura as I did so, and with a deep breath I forced my face back into combat mode and then righted the tablet. Higa no long looked nearly as confident, his eyes narrow and hard like daggers as he searched the room that he could see, finding that he could still make out his secretary's impaled limb in his line of sight. His eyes narrowed even further.

"Kakizaki," he snapped, addressing the statue still former Ashikabi. "Kakizaki, are you alright?"

"He's fine," I assured the other Ashikabi, once more calm and firm, none of the rage still pounding through me observable. "Fortunately for him, there is no violence in Izumo House. However," my eyes drifted to the bleeding hand, "exceptionally stern chastisement is occasionally permissible."

"Stern chastisement he says," Homura muttered, shivering as she did so.

"I'm disappointed," Higa declared, a sneer forming as he glared at me. "I had honestly thought we would be able to handle this professionally."

"I had thought so too," I confirmed. "However, even if your behavior so far has been pathetically amateurish, I suppose I can look past that."

"Amateurish?" Higa snapped, drawing back in surprise, his tone angry. "Why you insolent little…"

"Tell me, Higa," I interrupted him head cocked to the side. "Do you even know the best way to maintain hostage? So far, I'm beginning to think you don't even know that much."

"Oh?" the other Ashikabi sneered, "and just what way might that be?"

"Why, you kill them of course," I told him, and the other man paused, blinking at my blunt statement. "Then you destroy their body. That way, there is never any way to prove where the hostage is, or for them ever to be rescued. So long as the body is sufficiently destroyed, there is no way to prove their death either. In that way, the hostage becomes the perfect tool, something which can always be held out of reach."

"I see," Higa snapped. "I suppose I should take your advice to heart. I'll be sure to tell your sister just who suggested it."

"However, that won't work in this situation," I continued, still perfectly calm. "After all, if you kill her, then her Sekirei will automatically terminate. With my own access to MBI's information, I would know instantly. Then, there would be no reason for me not to seek retribution by killing all of your remaining family, your friends, destroying your company so thoroughly that its name will be used as cautionary story in business schools for decades to come, and then finally impaling each and every one of your organs in alphabetical organs while keeping you alive the entire time."

Higa sneered, but he kept his mouth shut. The look he was giving me was hard and evaluating, as though he had only now realized the peril his ploy had put him in.

"Of course," I continued in a lecturing tone. "In this case a medical coma is just as effective. It removes the hostage's ability to resist, while allowing for their Sekirei to remain functional. If the hostage is kept in a sufficiently remote medical facility, under a fake name, then they could be kept out of reach nearly as effectively. Of course, by doing so, the ruse is still only as effective as the hiding spot. A hospital would most likely be out of the question, but a private facility or restructured living quarters could take years to locate, especially if the hostage was periodically moved to new ones. In a way, your former situation with the number eleven and her Ashikabi was ideal," I noted distantly. "Even if Hidaka-san's location was known, you did have the only facility that was capable of providing treatment. Well, 'had' the only facility anyway."

"Shirou," Homura hissed, apparently realizing that this new method I was explaining was actually an effective method of carrying out a threat against me. It wasn't nearly as effective in my case as I was making it sound. With Matsu I would have the resources to find any such hostage rather quickly, and with Avalon even a medical coma could be recovered from.

"Of course," I continued, leaning back. "This is all dependent on whether or not you actually have a hostage in the first place. The one in question, Yukari Sahashi, does possess one of the more powerful members of the Plan, the number one oh seven, and being able to get by that one is no mean feat, especially with your recent losses." I gestured at the shoes, snorting in contempt. "The only thing you provide is a pair of shoes which may or may not have belonged to my sister, or may or may not have been purchased due to their similarity. This could very well be just a ploy to try and use panic to convince me to comply to your immediate demands, the exchange of the Jinki, with your secretary escaping with the prize before I have time to realize that it was all a feint anyway."

"And just what might be a more effective way of proving your sister's presence?" Higa spoke bitterly, still glaring at me as I continued to rip apart his ploy. He did not seem to be taking the lecture well, though whether it was at the fact that I was being defiant or that all the points and options I had described were indeed more effective than what he had been attempting to do. To me, Higa did not seem the type to take having his errors pointed out to him well.

"Typically? A recorded video of the hostage in question, sometimes accompanied by a body part, typically an ear or finger, something that can provide biological proof of the hostage's identity."

"Well then, in the interest of formality, which would you prefer," Higa asked coldly. "The ear or the finger?"

"The finger," I supplied with a nod, before reaching out to grasp Kakizaki's nearby hand. I wrapped my hand around one of his fingers, separating it from the rest as I reached for another spoon. The secretary flinched at the contact, but that same animal panic from earlier kept him from moving. "We can trade, if you'd like," I offered. "After all, my hostage might not be as important to you, but I'm sure you'd rather he came back in relatively one piece rather than the theoretical numerous ones I could return him to you in." I gave the other Ashikabi a hard look. "After, of course, I have him inform me about as many of your plans as he is aware of. As your secretary, I'm certain there must be quite a few useful tidbits he could tell me."

Higa's mouth twitched, but he made no further comment as the situation became plain to him.

The most likely reason Higa had sent Kakizaki, his right hand, was because of the Jinki of course. If things had gone as they had expected then the secretary would have left with two of the Jinki, the most important revealed element of the Sekirei Plan so far. The possibility of someone betraying the Ashikabi of the East and making off with the Jinki for themselves was probably too much a risk for Higa to send anyone but a highly trusted and informed lieutenant to retrieve them. Add on that Kakizaki probably had a personal grudge against me, and the secretary had probably volunteered for what he anticipated to be a round of one upping me directly.

However, now that I had proven to be less than compliant, it looked like overconfidence had turned the table on the other Ashikabi. Now I had a hostage of my own, after all, one who just happened to be highly trusted and exposed to most likely numerous sensitive projects.

"Make no mistake, Izumi Higa," I continued quietly. "I am no lovesick alien that will do anything without question to protect their Ashikabi. I am no confused and easily intimidated young man, who had never had to face threats or violence before. Your secretary's Sekirei were by no means the first targets that I have killed. It was not a fluke that I was able to deal with them, or just chance that I am so familiar with the proper protocols of hostage taking. Between the two of us, I have been involved in this kind of thing a lot longer than you have."

I leaned forward, meeting Higa's eyes directly, the man watching me with intense eyes as he took in my cold speech.

"And, unfortunately for you, you were mistaken earlier. Even if she is my biological sister, I have only known her for only a few months at best. It has been years since I used the name Minato Sahashi. My name is Shirou Emiya, and not even the Black Sekirei herself can call me anything else. Now. Are we going to handle this professionally, or do I need to continue educating you on proper protocols?"

And this was the pivotal moment. By now I had given Higa enough clues and false leads to hopefully direct him to the conclusion I wanted him to make. This was a battle like any other, and the key to all battles was controlling their flow. Before, Higa had been expecting to simply blow in like a foul smelling breeze, throw his weight around, and properly intimidate a promising former opponent into being a proper pawn. It made sense, in a way. Just like before, when Kakizaki had first tried to make a move on Tsukiumi, it appeared that they already had a system in place, an approach which had met with success in the past. It had been a proper combination of intimidation and dismissal, a presentation meant to emphasize how helpless the newly compromised individual was.

However, everything I had said so far was designed to counter that impression, and present a new one of my own. Crisp professionalism, extensive knowledge on unsavory tactics, the hinting at superior experience in this field:

If he had any sense at all, he would naturally think that I am an assassin, or a mercenary, or some other profession that is steeped with violence.

Which, on second thought, I actually was. It made the ploy a lot easier to pull off, I suppose.

"It seems that we are at an impasse then," Higa finally responded, expression serious after I had finished dressing him down. "It seems that I have something which holds no value to you, whereas you have something which is easily replaced of mine. It will be difficult, invalidating any of the information you might receive from Kakizaki, but getting rid of the useless hostage will no doubt help provide me some satisfaction."

There. Ploy success. Earlier, Higa had been treating me as a clear inferior, having already relegated me to the role of 'tool' in his mind. Now though, he was regarding me as, if not quite an equal, at least a potential threat.

Why on earth does it always take me so damn long to get some genuine respect out of the people I deal with all the time? I swear, it's ridiculous how often I get underestimated and looked down on. Maybe it's the cooking. For some reason, people just have such a hard time taking a chef seriously. It must be the apron.

"The fact that your hostage does indeed have value to me is the only reason this conversation is continuing," I corrected him. I had no doubt he was serious about just cutting his losses at this point, and I didn't want that. Now that I've established a position of power of my own, now proper negotiations can be held.

"Well then," Higa leaned forward again, accepting my acknowledgement of the validity of the hostage as a chance to reopen dialogue. "Now we just have to determine the value of it. To begin with, we will be starting with the two Jinki, as well as my secretary, without further harm."

"Impossible," I told him bluntly. "You want me to give up two of the most important prizes of the game simply on the off chance that you might have something important to me? And without properly negotiating a release of your own hostage? No. First of all, we will have you establish both the presence and the safety of my sister."

"So eager to have a part of her back with you?" Higa sneered, reminding me of my own earlier mention of body parts being appropriate proof of hostage. "I can make the video during the removal as well."

"Unfortunately, that is no longer an option for you," I answered back easily. "Given you've already displayed your unreliability, I will be requiring no less than a video conference like this one."

"Oh? And here you've made such a show of professionalism," Higa noted, "going back on your speech so soon?"

"The problem is that you aren't a professional," I countered, "If you were, then I would be able to rely on you following through with any deal that might be made. However, your reputation precedes you, or did you think that I hadn't heard some of the stories from number eleven?" I raised an eyebrow. "As a business man, surely you should know that reputation is important, and you have a poor one." His lip actually twitched in anger at the unsubtle dig. "No, I will be requiring visual and audio proof of her continued safety, and since you no doubt have the resources to fake a simple video, it will have to involve conversation where I can confirm authenticity."

It looked like Higa was enough a businessman to make concessions, or at least he realized that he had inadvertently weakened his position due to his earlier actions. "That can be arranged. However, it should be noted that if negotiations go poorly, proper proof can still be provided later on."

"Due to the situation, I find that I am unable to prevent such actions," I allowed. The threat was clear, misbehave and Yukari would suffer for it. "However, any damages on her will decrease her value in the future."

"And since you're so reluctant to part with your particular prizes, just how do you intend to ransom your sister?" Higa pointed out. The business man was starting to settle, the familiarity of negotiations putting him more back in his element.

"Services, of course," I offered my own particular concession. "Just as you have your own reputation, I've no doubt you're aware of mine as well." And what a reputation it was at this point. "I'm willing to offer five operations, at your discretion but with veto power in the case of impossibility, where in both I and my flock will be in your employ." I gave a small, carelessly exaggerated shrug. "It wouldn't be the first time my services were for hire, though previous employers have tended to be a bit more polite than yourself."

Higa's eyebrow rose at the offer, the possibilities no doubt tempting to him. I'd already proven myself competent in not just combat but in back door deals and information gathering, and was reinforcing my image as a professional mercenary. The chance to use me to accomplish some of his own goals was no doubt one of his original intentions, and here I was offering to do just that. With me, he could no doubt engage on more ambitious undertakings, using me as a screen to protect his own assets.

"A tempting offer," he noted, nodding slowly. The fact that I was bartering in earnest was definitely helping him relax. "However, I'm afraid it's not enough. The Jinki are, unfortunately, a nonnegotiable article."

My eyes narrowed briefly. It seemed that Higa definitely had his eyes on those prizes. Unfortunately for him, I agreed. The Jinki were nonnegotiable. Knowing what they were, what they could do, it just was impossible for me to give up that much potential danger to the hands of an unreliable enemy.

Also, unfortunately, it looked like my options were running out. I might have been able to change the flow of the battle, but if we were to think of leverage as weapons in this fight it would appear that Higa was better armed. No matter how much I might try to downplay how important Yukari was to me it didn't change the cold dread and near frantic worry that was fueling my anger at the situation.

It seemed that I was running out of options. In a perfect world, I would have been able to ransom my sister without endangering her. Then again, in a perfect world, my sister would never have been in danger in the first place.

My options were running out. No good choices were making themselves known. This situation had no perfect solution.

My eyes closed, and I realized what I would have to do. When I opened them, it was to find Higa's cold smile. It seemed he had caught my slip, and knew that I had come to a decision. He also seemed to think he knew what the decision was.

Again, if Higa was aware of the difference between his expectations and reality, things might have gone very differently.

"One Jinki, and three tasks," I offered bluntly. "The Jinki only to be provided upon return of my sister."

At my side, Miya drew in a soft breath, the knowledge that I was actually willing to offer up one of the most dangerous items on the planet no doubt striking her with indecision. Homura's scowl grew, and Kazehana frowned herself, the expression mostly hidden behind her cup.

"One Jinki, and three services," Higa agreed, before relentlessly pushing. "However, the Jinki is to be provided immediately."

And that settled it. I nodded. "I will be requiring further proof of wellbeing at the beginning and end of every task," I added on, angling for one last concession, and the other man nodded in return, sealing the deal.

"Show me the first proof of continued safety," I ordered. Higa's smile grew, and he glanced to the side, leaning out of sight to whisper something to someone off screen.

"It'll take just a moment," he assured me, leaning backwards the perfect picture of relaxation. He made a magnanimous gesture, no doubt reveling in his victory.

It took five minutes, and they passed silently, no one in the room having anything to say and Higa seemingly satisfied with having gotten at least part of what he wanted out of me. Finally, Higa seemed to follow something onscreen, leaning over to once more consult with someone off camera, before nodding and reaching for the screen.

The view flickered over, and I found myself looking at my sister.

Yukari looked scared, that much I could say for sure, but she seemed to be in good condition. Her clothes were a bit scuffled, and she was barefoot except for her socks, but she didn't look hurt in any other way. The room she was being kept in looked to be some kind of conference room, a large table and some chairs the only furniture, no window that I could see. Her eyes flickered from somewhere over the view at whoever must be holding the screen, before they locked on the screen, disbelief and relief flooding her eyes as she realized who she was looking at.

"Onii-chan!" she yelped, eyes watering before one hand came up to scrub at her eyes furiously. "Uh," she began, giving me a watery and sheepish smile. "Hi?"

"It looks like you won't be making it to dinner today, will you Yukari?" I asked, having trouble maintaining my composure. Part of it was sheer relief that she really was well, and another part was that same absolute fury that she was in this condition. I wasn't quite able to keep my hands from clutching my knees, thankfully out of sight from the camera.

Yukari gave me a blank look, before she half laughed, half hiccupped. Her grin grew a little more sheepish, but she looked like she relaxed a little at my attempt at brevity. "And it would have been teriyaki too," she muttered, rubbing her head as she did so.

"Well, it would have been," I admitted, finally allowing a small grin of my own, my own hand coming up to echo her gesture. "But Miya has been kinda mean lately, and she hasn't been letting me do any cooking…"

"What the heck you do to piss of Miya-san, Onii-chan?" Yukari asked, pouting as she did so, but that was the last. Without any warning, the screen switched back to Higa, the business man giving a confident smile.

"Will that suffice?" he asked, though judging by his tone it was mostly a rhetorical question. The smile disappeared from my face, and I let my hand fall back to my lap.

"For now," I acknowledged, sliding back into my implacable expression.

"Then I shall wait for my secretary to return with the first installment of your payment," Higa announced, and without waiting for a reply he reached towards the screen. "Talk to you soon, Minato," he smirked at me, once more using my birth name with deliberate rudeness, before flipping off the screen.

"My name is Emiya," I murmured softly, before speaking up. "Matsu, bring one of the Jinki."

"Shirou," Homura began, tone anxious as she maintained her vigil by the wall. "Are you sure about this?"

"It seems there's no other choice but to follow this through," I responded. It only took a moment for Matsu to arrive, carrying a wrapped bundle in her arms as though it were a baby. The hacker wasn't wearing her glasses, and her eyes locked onto mine before she gave me a small nod.

Reaching out, I took the spoon still imbed in Kakizaki's hand, and twisted it before pulling it free. The secretary flinched at the little extra spike of pain, but quickly retracted his hand, still watching me with a terrified expression. He barely even noticed it when Matsu pressed the Jinki into his damaged hand, just awkwardly clutching it with his uninjured limb.

"Run," I suggested to him.

"What the hell are you?" he finally rediscovered his voice, the words cracking as he stared at me, still unable to move. "What are you?" he repeated.

"Run!" I snapped at him, feeling the Asura grow as I allowed myself to vent a little more of my fury on this worthy target.

He obeyed, running into the wall at the exit to the room as he kept panicked eyes on me, before I heard his footfalls escape into the hallway, and then out the door.

I closed my eyes, sighing as I did so.

This just got complicated.

*Scene Break*

"This is an outrage!" Tsukiumi shrieked, her tone high in her anger. I could hear the water user was pacing angrily, her hair no doubt dramatically flowing around her as she stalked the room like a caged tiger. "How dare that contemptible monkey think he can do something like this!"

"Quiet down, Tsukiumi," Homura countered, her voice tense but low. "Getting angry won't change anything."

"I hope that Yukari-chan will be alright," Musubi noted, though again the distorted Sekirei seemed more idly curious than she was worried.

"I will not stand for this!" Tsukiumi wasn't so easily mollified, and continued her rant unabated. "To think such a contemptible monkey tried to get his filthy claws into me! I will show him what it means to threaten the most powerful Sekirei's Ashikabi!"

"Ne, Onii-chan," a tugging at my sleeve caused me to open my eyes to take in Kuu's wide and worried glance. "Is Shii-chan going to be alright?" I wasn't certain how much of what was going on Kuu understood, but she had at least made the connection that danger to Yukari was danger to Shiina as well.

"I'm sure he's fine, Kuu-chan," I reassured her softly, putting one hand on her head. Kuu wiggled under the touch, but seemed to take comfort in it as she knelt next to me. I heard the jingle of chains, and knew that Akitsu was down here too.

"Emiya-san," it was Miya's voice that finally seemed to calm down Tsukiumi, the water user reducing her volume to grumbling at the landlady's behest. "Are you certain this course of action is wise?" She was definitely worried, and probably rightly so. "Even if it is your sister, you know what the Jinki can do…" It sounded like even though she realized the danger my sister was in, she still couldn't put aside her worry over what the Jinki might be capable of doing.

"We'll have the Jinki back by noon tomorrow," I assured her softly. That settled even Tsukiumi, a silence falling on the room.

"What do you mean by that, Lover-kun?" Kazehana prompted, still sipping sedately at her sake. The worldly wind user was watching me with expectant eyes, offering no other contribution to the conversation.

"Higa has no intention of following through with the bargain," I noted with a cocked head, eyes drifting to the blood stain on the table as I voiced my train of thoughts. "If he had, he would have accepted the Jinki as final payment. He most probably intends to extort either the second Jinki after he finished using up my favors, or simply demand 'one more' service, for as long as he can. He intends to betray us whenever it would be most convenient for him."

"That's what I suspected," Homura muttered. Again, I suspected her involvement in an industry rife with such schemes had given her some insight into blackmail. "So what do you intend to do then, Shirou?"

"He's finally proven that he is too much of a risk to allow anymore," I concluded. "His own pharmaceutical company has been rivals with MBI for as long as MBI has been around. He's no doubt been studying the Sekirei under his control since he first became aware of them, and the Jinki will also most likely be examined. Even if he hadn't come here, he would have probably found a way to get a later one, maybe after we had left. No, I'm afraid it's time to assassinate him."

"Him and Minaka?" Homura chimed in, sounding slightly hopeful despite the gravity of the situation, and I sighed, shaking my head. He was the only one in the room who found any sort of hope in my proclamation.

"Did you plant the tracker, Matsu?" I instead turned to the hacker, and the redhead nodded back in affirmative. I had trusted the intelligent hacker to be able to take the initiative in this instance, even though we had never specifically planned on a situation like this. It looked like I had been right to do so.

"I attached it to the Jinki directly," she confirmed, already pulling a map with a blinking mark on it that I assumed was the Jinki up on her doohickey. "I'll keep an eye on it until it stops moving."

"They might find it, so make sure to note its final location if you lose the signal," I reminded her, and she nodded dutifully.

"So… that's it?" Tsukiumi asked, gnawing on her lips as she looked between Matsu and I, apparently unable to believe that just like that, I had committed to an action so far outside of the rules of the Sekirei Plan. "Shirou, are you sure?" I nodded without hesitation.

"Lover-kun," Kazehana spoke back up, still looking somber. "What about washboard-chan?"

"Chances are that Higa will have her watched, most likely with the orders that if anything happens to him she be killed," I admitted. "There's a chance that we might be able to avert that, but it's most likely that she will die."

"But, I like Yukari-chan!" Musubi protested, still sounding innocent. I couldn't help but wonder if I ever sounded that, so absolutely nonchalant in the face of grave situations. Again, it was a bit disturbing to see someone as distorted as me, and I had no sympathy for Saber and Rin for some of the things I must have put them through.

"Emiya-kun, is that really alright with you?" Miya asked softly, and again, I nodded.

"The chances that Higa will somehow manage to find a way to use the Jinki in a destructive fashion, either on purpose or simply by accident, are too great," I shook my head. "Even if he won't be able to gather all of them, it's a risk that can't be taken. He needs to die."

"I meant your sister," Miya pressed, brow furrowing as she found herself agreeing with me, but still feeling the need to ask. "Even if she…"

"The Path of the Shura," Matsu said softly, uncovered eyes watching me with an expression that I couldn't quite read. "Ashikabi-sama," she continued in the same tone. "If you were just planning on killing Higa, than you wouldn't have needed to negotiate. You could have just finished Kakizaki, and then gone on to your next," her words hesitated for only the briefest of moments before she finished her sentence, "target."

"If I had done that, than Higa might have tried to retreat, or at least fortify his condition," I noted, still in my battle mode, the swirling possibilities of what might happen being weighed, measured, and set aside so the next one could be studied. "If I had capitulated too early, than he would have gotten suspicious. I had to drag it out as long as possible, try to get as much information from him while simultaneously making him work for concessions, otherwise he might have suspected my own intention to betray him. Now that we have a deal, one in his favor, he'll be less likely to expect an attack."

"You used Yukari-san as bait, Ashikabi-sama," the hacker summed up my unspoken statement bluntly. Tsukiumi stiffened, looking offended at the idea that I would do something so callous, though Homura and Kazehana's eyes both focused on me with resigned grimness.

"Yes," I admitted.

I was furious, but not just at Higa. Not just at Kakizaki. They had threatened my sister, the family I never knew I had but found myself caring for anyway. They had brazenly walked into my home and attempted to trample on my pride, to steal my prizes, to try and force me to their will.

I was furious at them, but even more so at myself.

Because no matter how much I might be screaming inside, no matter how low I knew it meant me to be, in the end I measured the life of my sister against the lives of who knows how many other potential victim, and in the end my sister's life was the lesser.

Maybe I wasn't as crappy a magus as I always thought myself to be. It turns out I could be pretty damn heartless as well.

"We have one chance of managing to retrieve the Jinki, eliminate Higa, and save my sister as well," I continued on in the shocked silence that followed my words. "The first two take priority. If we move fast enough, the third might be accomplished. The rest of you, get some sleep. Matsu," I focused on the hacker, and the redhead stiffened at my gaze. "Matsu, you and I have work to do."