Heart of Shadows

Chapter 49: One Thing After Another

She was sprinting faster than she ever tried, her feet galloping vehemently across the cold hard floor, which gave a reflection of her character dashing just as fast. Heavy pants filled the air around her as she ran. The temperature slowly decreased, getting colder and colder until the runner could see her breath plain as day. She continued to run, afraid to look behind her, but her legs couldn't keep up the pace anymore and failed, sending her tumbling to the ground with a loud thud.

The footsteps came closer, their repetitious patter echoing across the plane. There was no hurry, no rush in their rhythm. However, it was that casualness that struck fear into the fallen female. Her veils were torn to pieces, leaving those covering her privates and a few extra intact.

"I warned you," the chaser's voice filled the air, forcing the endeavoring to stand female to shudder fearfully as she pushed herself to her knees, her heavy pants rushing rapidly from her mouth. "I warned you what would happen if I ever saw you again."

Uzume quickly resumed running, but this time, she dodged the plethora of vacuum sickles racing towards her. The intense adrenaline coursing through her gave Uzume the strength to dodge gracefully and desperately. She maneuvered through the assault, using the small amount of veils as best she could.

"You won't escape," the attacker stated. The vacuum waves continued until one hit home and sliced Uzume's blind spot, forcing a painful scream from her lips to echo through the plane. Her body fell to the ground again, rolling a couple of times before coming to a halt. "I'll make sure you pay for the damages you've done."

"W-Wait," Uzume lifted her head, only to see the instrument of her demise pointed square in her face, making the color fade from her skin. She followed the shaft of the weapon to the hands tightly holding it. Then, raising her head, she stared in trepidation at the cold eyes sending a thousand daggers into her core. Her entire body shook, sweat rolling down her face, her heart racing vigorously against her chest, and her words caught in her throat.

"Shut up," the attack slashed her weapon in a diagonal manner, cutting Uzume from her right shoulder to her left hip. The veiled sekirei released a glass-shattering scream as her blood gushed from the gash. "I warned you to stay away, but you were too damn hardheaded, just like that ashikabi of yours."

Uzume couldn't respond; her words still caught in her throat. She flexed her fingers while the intense pain from the last strike washed over her like a tidal wave.

"I made it clear that I didn't want to see you again, or was I too lenient with my threat?" the attacker questioned.

Yomi twirled her scythe above her head. "It seems I need to remind you."

"Wait…I just," another scream echoed through the place when Yomi stomped on the bloody gash she gave Uzume, ultimately silencing her.

"I don't want to hear any more of your shit. I told you that the moment I left. I don't want to hear your lies and excuses. This could've been avoided if it was not for your pseudo faith, but I guess you'll never have such a thing towards us. After all, you never did trust us."

"That's not," her screams continued as Yomi stomped her gash once more, her blood seeping from the wound and falling down her mandible.

"Don't even think of lying," the reaper raised her scythe. "Your words are filled with nothing but deceit. I hate liars."

"But I'm."

"Going to pay," Yomi tightened her grip. Uzume could feel her body shaking in trepidation again, her eyes glued to the instrument that made Yomi a reaper. "Once you're gone, I'll make sure he pays for his actions as well."

"You wouldn't," Uzume whispered. Yomi's eyes narrowed.

"Watch me," she brought the scythe down vehemently.


Brown eyes snapped open, a loud gasp entering the air, and sweat flying off her face as she shot up in a panic. Her hands clamped over her mouth to stifle the scream that threaten to wake up the entire house, which she didn't want happening.

Uzume peered down at the sheets, a forlorn and melancholic look across her countenance. She could feel her heart racing vigorously against her chest, the residue of her nightmare still in play. The veiled sekirei burned Yomi's image in her head, including the cold hard eyes she glared with, the merciless way she hacked away at her with her scythe, and the final words she said before delivering the final blow. Uzume burned it all into her memory, even though she didn't want to.

Things haven't been the same since everyone found out about her secret. Just a day has passed since then; since she left the group. In those twenty-four hours, the rest of Kai's faction remained too stunned to speak, except the twins. Hibiki already made sure to get the info she needed. Hikari on the other hand, well, no one wanted to mess with Hikari at the moment, lightly speaking. She still needed to interrogate Kai, regardless of her sister's already accomplished deed. The older sister wanted to hear it straight from the ashikabi's mouth.

Except the twins, Akitsu, and Kochou; Oriha, Katsuragi, and Yahan didn't know what to think. The three couldn't wrap their heads around this new revelation. The thought of Uzume being a traitor, just the thought didn't make sense to them. Yahan was more observant than Katsuragi and Oriha, but even she didn't see this coming. Completely taken by surprise, the shadow surfer haven't spoken to the group since Yomi left them.

"Why?" Uzume whispered to herself. Fresh new tears filled her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. 'It wasn't supposed to be this way.' She covered her face with a hand and cried softly to herself. Everything was falling apart right before her eyes. First her ashikabi left on that five day trip, which was torture enough, then right before he came back, her secret was exposed and the team immediately started to shift in the wrong direction, and finally, one of her teammates, one of her sisters, defected from the team. It wasn't supposed to be this way though. Things weren't meant to escalate this horribly, but it did. Everything went from bad to worse and now the entire team is suffering for something Uzume hoped to keep under wraps.

The veiled sekirei wiped the tears from her eyes, but they just kept falling. She couldn't stop them, stop thinking about what has happened, and can't stop imagining about the one she was doing this for.

Her sadness quickly turned into rage. If it wasn't for them, none of this would have happened. If only they didn't show up in her life, she could live without this overwhelming fear, guilt, and burden weighing her shoulders down. She could be with her sister and ashikabi like she dreamed, have a nice big group that she could call family, and maybe, just maybe, they could think of a way to still be together; all of them. But, and the veiled sekirei let out a sigh because of this, things would never turn out like that now. It was already too late to fix things, to make amends; things would never be the same again.

"Uzume," someone called her name. Quickly wiping the tears, Uzume raised her head to see Hibiki standing at her door with her arms folded under her chest. The veiled sekirei swallowed the lump in her throat and rose to her feet.

"Hibiki, good morning," she went to get dressed. "Is there anything I can do for you this morning?"

"There is," the lightning sekirei sat on the bed while watching Uzume dress in her casual attire. "I want to ask you some things, about what you've been forced to do."

Hibiki immediately noticed how Uzume froze while putting on her jeans and her body seemed to tense up. She was on the right track.

Uzume closed her mouth and swallowed another lump, not expecting the sudden inquiry from the lightning sekirei. She slid her jeans on and straightened out her hair.

"I see," she had to choose her words carefully. "Did Kai tell you anything?"m,

"I believe he held out on me, but I'll get him back for it. Hikari will be glad to take care of him," Hibiki frowned. She tried to be nice and settle things in a comforting manner, some way that Kai would appreciate and comply with. However, things never seem to go Hibiki's way. Oh well, she tried. Now it's time for Hikari to step in.

"That's too much don't you think?" Uzume turned to face the levelheaded twin. Hikari shook her head with a sigh.

"I tried over and over again to be nice and show him that he can trust me, but apparently, I keep asking for too much. But whatever, I'll let Hikari handle it. But I will give you the same choices as I did him so listen very carefully."

Uzume nodded slowly, keeping her eyes firmly locked with Hibiki.

"I'm not picking sides, not with Kai and not with Yomi. Even though Yomi had the more effective argument, I am not siding with her. I am doing this for my own reasons and that is to learn all sides of the story. I have asked Kai to give me his side of the story, but he chose to be stubborn and not tell me everything I wanted to know. His defiance led me to send Hikari in my place. However, if you promise to comply with my request and answer my questions truthfully, I will not call on Hikari, and I promise not to harm you the same way I did Kai," the lone lightning sekirei told her. Their eyes never left the other, staying locked with intense stares.

"I never knew you could be so persuasive," Uzume replied carefully. She didn't doubt Hibiki would bring in Hikari, and the veiled sekirei most certainly didn't want that.

"Kai told me the same thing," Hibiki shrugged her shoulders. She then raised her right hand to show Uzume the incentive she used to make Kai more compliant. "But like I was saying, I have no intentions of forcing the info out of you. Although, all that can change if you disrespect my request; I tried to be nice to Kai, but he continued to test me. Now I will tell you the same thing I told him. Do not take my kindness for granted. I am offering you a chance to speak your mind without any fear of being judged. I will listen to everything you want to tell me, but in return, I expect your full cooperation. So, do we have a deal?"

Uzume bit her bottom lip. She was in a bind, quite the tight one at that. Hibiki's lightning vanished as Uzume approached the bed.

"What did Kai tell you first of all?" she sat down, much to Hibiki's approval. "I'm sure you would not like to hear the same things twice."

"So you're going to cooperate then?" Hibiki asked first.

"I don't have much of a choice," Uzume looked down at her hands. Her voice out loud seemed calm; however, it greatly contrasted how the voice in her head really sounded. But I have to make mine by the time this is over.


"So you and Kai did meet last night," she straightened up the futon, her back turned to the other person.

"Yeah, I couldn't sleep at all last night and the questions I've wanted to ask you kept gnawing at me. So I snuck out late last night and called Kai to meet up with him. We talked for a while before separating, and I did learn what happened," they responded. Yomi narrowed her eyes, not directly at Minato.

"Does he know?" She turned slightly to see the expression on his face. It even amazed her how calm and collected he presented himself.

"He doesn't," Minato shook his head, still keeping calm. "I never told him you were here, but he thinks I'm lying. The tale I gave him is of you snapping at us to leave you alone and hurrying off on your own."

"Did anyone show up with him when you two met up?" Yomi asked next.

"Hibiki showed up," Minato replied again. "She was the only one."

"Hibiki huh," Yomi leaned against the wall, staring out the window, towards his house. A day has passed since she left him and yet it feels like an eternity to her. Damn her sekirei traits! Even though her anger was still there and burning intensely, her sekirei traits made her have a very low, like below one percent low, longing for her ashikabi. Again, damn sekirei traits! Her anger and rage couldn't override her natural sekirei desire and traits. Why did it have to be so damn annoying?!

"I never knew she could be so persuasive," Minato pointed out, explaining how she managed to get Kai to talk.

"Wow, she is persuasive, but I expected Hikari to do the hurting," Yomi crossed her arms under her chest. "So what did you find out? I tried to get him to spill, but you know how that ended. What did he tell you?"

She didn't pretend to ignore the way his expression changed. What he found out was big enough for him, but to actually hear everything Kai was just too much. Minato was a smart individual; he wouldn't classify himself as a genius, but pretty smart nonetheless. He couldn't believe what he heard, the way Uzume, a person he considered a good friend, and her sister were essentially captured by Higa and wrapped around his finger like a slave. That's basically what Uzume was, a slave for that man's own gain.

"He told me what Uzume was forced to do," Minato said, his fists clenching tightly. He could feel it rising again. The intense anger he's shown to have multiple times; he can feel it rising again. Maybe it was the dragon properties he obtained or just the natural emotions rising from these revelations, but the ashikabi could feel the anger coming to a boil.

"And what was your response?" Yomi was very curious now. Minato wasn't the type to get so angry about something, even when it involved those he cared about. Now she was dying to know how he of all people responded to the news.

"You may not like it," Minato turned his head to avoid her stare. "But I told Kai that we would help him think of a plan. And when I say we, I mean Matsu and I."

She wasn't necessarily surprised by his answer, considering the history between him and Kai.

"I see," was all she said. Her tone remained neutral, no hint of anger or anything similar in her voice. "And how much did he ask about me?"

"Quite a lot," Minato cracked a smile. "He just wouldn't stop asking where you were."

"He's only wasting his time," Yomi turned her head with a 'hmph.' "I don't care how much he asks about me; I won't go back."

"Are you sure about that?" Minato inquired, drawing a questioning look on Yomi's face,

"What do you mean?"

Minato shook his head no.

"Nothing, just be careful."

He didn't say anything else and walked out the door, ignoring Yomi's call. The door closed, leaving the female reaper alone in the room Miya allowed her to stay in. Her lips closed into a thin line and her head turned back to the window.

"What did he mean by that?" Yomi asked herself, pondering the final words Minato told her. She didn't know Hibiki could be so persuasive and now she learned that Minato is quite the sly individual as well.

The raven haired ashikabi's head was filled with multiple questions and possible answers. He couldn't answer most of them, nor did he believe his answers were the right ones. However, he could one hundred percent say that the anger inside him was still rising. The worse part? Not even he knew he could harbor so much rage towards one individual. Sure he wasn't happy towards his family at one point, but he didn't hate them, not at all. Despite their faults, he still loved them. He just couldn't tolerate their actions towards him.

"Minato," someone said his name. The ashikabi raised his head to see the caller. Kuruse approached with his cell phone in her hand. "Jacob is calling for you."

"This early? Did he say what exactly?" Minato accepted the device, but gave it a skeptical look.

"No, he didn't say. He just wanted to speak with you," the trident user shrugged her shoulders. "It sounded important."

"Guess we'll have to see," Minato answered. "Jacob, what's going on?"

"That's what I want to know," he said. "I've had this bad feeling as of yesterday. Maybe it's just me, but I can't shake this. I tried calling Kai earlier, but he didn't pick up."

"Maybe because it's still early and the guy is still sleeping," Minato pointed out.

"I figured that was the case, but I was hoping you can shed some light on the situation for me," his fellow ashikabi requested. Minato stepped outside to talk in private, but he was being spied on by his little sister, who noticed the slightly sullen look on his face and gave chase.

Minato remained silent for a few moments, contemplating on what to say. He remembered that Kai said Jacob is aware of the primary situation, but now the dragon ashikabi felt like an idiot for not figuring it out sooner. The way Uzume would be gone for most of the day while Minato and Musubi first stayed at the inn; even Kai wasn't that busy for her to be away for so long. But his obliviousness to details left him in the dark about everything else.

"Minato?" Jacob said his name again.

"I only know a few things, but I'll share what I know," Minato's nose took in his sister's smell. Nothing can really avoid Minato's new enhanced nose. "I spoke to Kai last night, because like you, I too was restless. However, unlike you, I tried to press matters."

"Hey I can't really do anything when I'm all the way in the East Sector," Jacob commented. "And I'm not moving any time soon."

"Can't argue with that, but anyway, I asked Kai probably the same questions you were thinking of asking him. Before I go any further, I guess I should tell you that Kai's team is not seeing eye-to-eye at the moment."

"Was there a fight?"

"You can say that," Minato nodded. "A big fight broke out between Yomi and Kai, who said it really got serious when Yomi drew first blood. It got so bad that Oriha started crying."

"What happened to Yomi?"

Minato remained silent for another few moments, his head spinning, swimming in the new information still swarming around his mind. Flashes of when Yomi appeared in her beaten and battered state appeared in his mind along with the cryptic words she said to him.

"After their fight, Yomi left and decided to hide out here at the inn. She didn't say until when though but I'm sure Miya wouldn't care about how long. I'm more worried about Kai and his team."

"But why were they fighting?" Jacob asked. Minato turned towards Yukari's hiding spot and ushered her out, much to her surprise. He pointed to his nose to reveal how he knew of her location.

"I haven't worked out all the details, but all I know is that we have a forced double agent among us," he replied to Jacob's question.

"Huh?" Jacob and Yukari said at the same time. He couldn't see it, but Minato had a hunch that Jacob was also giving him that raised brow stare.

"You should know what I'm talking about. Kai did say you already figured it out," Minato replied. "Remember Uzume?"

Yukari's eyes began to open wide. Did she hear that right? Uzume is a double agent?

"Oh! Oh! Yes, yes, I finally remember," Jacob started to laugh. "So did they finally figure out her secret? Do you know about it? I'm guessing so since you know who the agent is."

"Yes, they did; and that's why Kai and Yomi fought each other. Apparently, he kept the information a secret from his team, but they found out without his knowledge and now things are heated between them. Yomi got so mad that she left the group and put Uzume at the top of her kill list," Minato nodded to Yukari, telling her everything he said is true. She couldn't believe it either. Uzume was always a good person to be around, even from the beginning, Yukari considered Uzume a joy, but to find out she was a double agent took a minute to properly click in her mind. But wait, her brother said 'forced double agent.' What did he mean by that?

"Wow," was all Jacob could say. "I knew Kai was a secretive guy, but I didn't think he would withhold info from his own team. And no doubt Yomi was beyond pissed when she learned of this. So the reaper left the team? And Kai just let it happen?"

"He may be strong, but he's still human. He and Yomi practically beat the day lights out of each other so I assumed he couldn't do anything while Yomi still had enough strength to make her departure," Minato hypothesized. "When I met up with him last night, he demanded to know where she was. I promised Yomi I wouldn't tell him so I made up a lie and told him something different."

"And he believed it?" Jacob inquired. Even Yukari gave her brother a skeptical look; he wasn't exactly the best liar and Kai is quite perceptive, easy to see details that even some veterans might not be able to, but if he actually believed Minato's lie without breaking it down, something might be wrong. And the look on Minato's face solidified Yukari's assumptions.

"That's quite hard for me to explain. I can't say for sure whether or not he believed me, but that's not the hard part."

"Well then what is the hard part? Does it have anything else to do with the team?" The wolf ashikabi replied.

"No," Minato shook his head slowly. "It's about Kai. I think something is wrong with him?"

'I knew it!' Yukari screamed in her head. Something definitely had to be wrong if someone like Kai is easily fooled by a terrible liar. But the question is what exactly.

"Something wrong with him? Why do you say that?"

"Because, Kai wasn't acting like his usual self," Minato pointed out. "Despite everything he endured, he was always able to ignore it and continue on with life, but now, he just seemed…sort of lifeless."

"Lifeless?" Yukari whispered loud enough for Minato to hear. He nodded back to her and the same response Jacob gave him.

"Yeah, it's probably just me, but when I saw him, he looked different, although slightly. I'm unable to explain it correctly, but I do believe something is wrong with Kai. At first, I just thought it was because of his team started to split up. If there's one thing Kai respects, it's good teamwork. But maybe the notion of his team splitting up is hurting him inside."

"Maybe, but what do you think of this? Remember at the bridge where you, Kai, and I fought my brother and Kai received that scar from Stormbringer?" Jacob brought up a time where Minato first developed such intense rage. How could he not remember that scene? It was the same night he awakened his Dragonis Mode and nearly blew the bridge apart. Most importantly, it was the night he thought Musubi was terminated, thus his Dragonis Mode state. James struck Kai with Stormbringer, broke his blade, and forced Kai in a coma; that was a sight Minato never hoped to witness again.

"Yeah, I remember," he responded softly.

"Try not to go dragon on me, but I think I may know what could be wrong with him," Jacob's reply made Minato straightened up. "I was just talking to Destros and he said that since Kai has been affected by Stormbringer's dark properties for a while now, the slowly stealing rate is making him weaker and dampening his senses I guess you could say. Did you notice any other changes in him?"

Minato thought back to last night. At first glance, nothing seemed really wrong with the lightning ashikabi, but the more he spilled his guts, Minato could notice the change in his eyes. Years of bonding with Kai taught Minato to read him through such means, but the way his eyes appeared, even in the dead of night, were unlike anything Minato had seen. His brother's eyes were kind of dull, but still held the fire and determination he exhibited on a regular basis.

Minato told Jacob what else he knew, which wasn't much except what he told Kai last night.

"Okay, I'm going to pay Kai a visit this time. I'll call you back when I learn something new," Jacob responded.

"Got it," Minato ended the call and let out an aggravated sigh. It's always one thing after another. Things seem to be hidden in the shadows before rearing its ugly head into other people's affairs. But why? Why does it take satisfaction in knowing what's going on in everyone's lives? What purpose does it fulfill by doing so? Is it just for kicks? For some kind of gain? Or does it just enjoy screwing its victims over, relishing in their displeasure as it watches from the sidelines, knowing the possible pain and suffering is by its hands? That's what Minato believed. He believed it enjoyed tormenting people, enjoyed ripping things apart, and enjoyed basking in the tidal wave of despair caused by it.

"So what's the plan bro?" Yukari questioned, placing her hands on her dainty hips. Minato gave her a blank stare, blinking twice. "What? Did you think I was going to sit on the sidelines while you assemble your army?"

"What makes you think I was going to do it?" Minato asked back.

"Because Kai is going through tough times and will be distracted and Jacob, who I don't know very much about, doesn't seem like the strategizing type of person. Ergo, you are now the temporary leader," she nodded confidently. "Now answer my question; what's the plan?"

Minato didn't know how to respond, mainly because he didn't have a plan. He didn't have a plan right now at least, but more importantly, it's who they would be taking on that hindered the dragon ashikabi's thought process. The Ashikabi of the East, Higa Izumi, will be a very difficult opponent to tackle, lightly speaking. With resources for days to use at his disposal along with other ashikabi and sekirei under his reign, there's no way a full throttle assault will work. It would be over before the fight even began; and while they're overwhelmed and killed, the boss man himself would be watching from the comfort of his very own office. Minato would need to unleash every ounce of brain power at his disposal to take on such an opponent. Luckily for him, he has two brain-type sekirei to lend a hand. Even though one isn't his sekirei, her ashikabi would not mind her helping out; it's for him in the first place.

"Let me get back to you on that," he responded to his sister's question. "The person we're taking on is very dangerous and has a very huge advantage over us. We're outnumbered for starters, but not outclassed. We don't have near as many resources as our enemy does."

He proceeded to list the advantages, disadvantages, and neutral qualities they possessed. To Yukari, things didn't seem that bad, but Minato knew better. He would need to formulate one hell of a plan. Actually no, multiple plans would need to be concocted in case one fails and others plain right goes under.

"In the meantime, we will have to wait and see how things turn out," Minato finished his long explanation. "It's too soon to say for sure we need to resort to battle."

"You said Uzume was a forced double agent. I get that part, but why was she forcibly brought into this?" Yukari asked one last question. Minato explained that as the two siblings took a walk around the neighborhood.


She spent majority of the morning looking out the window, glaring towards his house. After Minato left her room, Miya soon entered to have another chat with the reaper. Unlike yesterday, Yomi couldn't hide from the landlady this time. She had to spill what happened between her and her ashikabi, everything. As she talked, Miya could feel the rage bursting her body in outrageous amounts. If Miya herself wasn't there, Yomi would most likely punch a giant hole in the wall out of pure rage, but thankfully, the landlady's presence subdued the rage Yomi released to a reasonable level to avoid such events. But while her rage was lowered, it did not go away so easily. She could feel it washing over her, drowning her a boiling sea of hatred.

Yomi wanted nothing more than to make her ashikabi see things her way, regardless of how much she would need to beat the ever living shit out of him, and pound a certain brunette into the ground. The one part that made her the most livid was her ashikabi's inability to see the truth stretched out before his eyes. In her eyes, Kai was smart, perceptive, and protective of those he held dear. Two of those traits turned out to be a huge lie and the final turned out to be his downfall. The reaper can't fathom the things that go on in her ashikabi's head, but the guy needed some serious re-evaluation; and until he does, there's no way Yomi will come back. And if she heard one word about saving Uzume, there would be serious hell to pay. She'll save the brunette alright, but it would end with her blood splattered all over the floor and coating Yomi's scythe.

Disappointed, betrayal, hatred, and rage; the four main emotions coursing through the reaper. Disappointment at her ashikabi for not seeing the truth and allowing such a thing to happen within his faction. Betrayal from her ashikabi not trusting in her to reveal such a big secret, protecting the traitor without hesitation, and learning that a teammate she loved like a sister turned out to be working for the enemy. Intense hatred towards the traitor and the burning desire to make them rue the day they committed such an act. And finally, the heavy, drowning, and unyielding rage aimed at the traitor, their ashikabi, and everyone else who made this experience a living hell. She could feel it all blazing inside and around her.

It washed over her so much that she needed to hold her fist with her free hand, the shaking fist trying its hardest to tear into something. Her fiercely shaking hand continued to struggle, but the reaper wouldn't let it free. Yomi gritted her teeth, a dangerous growl seeping through them. Her thoughts were filled to the brim with them. No matter how much she tried to ignore them, her mind constantly brought them up, forcing more rage to leak out of her. Even her heart screamed out in rage while her mind replayed their deeds over and over again.

She couldn't stare out the window anymore, and yet that's all she did. She couldn't look in that direction, but her narrowed eyes refused to look away. 'It's all their fault!' She screamed in her head. 'I trusted them! I believed in them! But one turned out to be a traitor and the other is as blind as a fucking bat!'

Her thoughts cursed them with all its might, and Yomi continued to fight the urge to unleash Armageddon. She grabbed her scythe, the weapon shaking in her hands, and headed outside for some light practice. Her injuries weren't completely healed, but her body was strong enough to exercise and keep fit. Maybe some light training would take her mind off the issue.


Jacob remained silent as he rode his bike towards Kai's place, hearing his partner relay more theories about the lightning ashikabi's condition. According to Destros, Kai lost so much of his spirit to Stormbringer that he is now becoming weaker and weaker. He hypothesized that James purposely let Stormbringer steal Kai's soul at such a slow rate in order to prevent him from acting at full strength. The weakening of his spirit will make him much more vulnerable and easier to take down, which in turn, will give enemies a much bigger advantage over him. Jacob listened to each hypothesis his partner came up with, but one big question popped into his mind.

"Since when were you this analytical?" he asked his partner, who let out an annoyed growl.

"Don't insult me pup," Destros purposely called Jacob the name he hated most. "I may not be as smart as Leonidas, but I do understand how my father works. Don't forget; I was created from his pieces."

"I've been meaning to ask you about that. How can Stormbringer be here if you and your siblings are here? If you three were created from his broken pieces, how is my brother wielding him?" Jacob questioned. That is a good question, as Kai explained the story about how the three demon blades came into existence, but he was unable to explain the father's appearance.

"We may be the forged pieces, but that doesn't make it impossible to re-forge my father. The way I see things, your brother or someone else must've found the hilt of the sword with some of the metal still intact. A blade isn't perfectly broken apart into specific pieces you know. Some of the metal might have been usable and so, whoever found the sword, used the metal to recreate my father's sword," Destros explained to the best of his abilities. Even he didn't know exactly how his father came back, but he had a very good hunch. His brother might know; he is the most intellectual of the trio.

"The sooner we get to Kai, the sooner we can get to the bottom of this," Jacob revved up his bike and increased its speed. However, a swift shadow stepped in front of his bike, causing Jacob to swerve and maneuver around it, but the shadow still emerged in front, readying to attack.

Gritting his teeth, Jacob repositioned himself and flipped off his still racing bike, which soared into the shadow. But, the bike met a cruel fate when it was slice cleanly in two and exploded upon crashing. Jacob clenched his fists tightly, a raging growl rushing through his fangs. The wolf ashikabi drew his sword, the flames already igniting around the blade like a raging storm.

"I'm not in the mood for any bullshit right now!" He cursed loudly. "What do you want now James?!"

The maniacal brother himself smiled and drew Stormbringer, releasing a fraction of its demon powers. Jacob could feel the power radiating off the blade and took a precautionary step back; he knew he could take on James, but that sword of his is extremely powerful and deadly on contact. Minato and Kai were both struck by that sword. Jacob cannot let the same thing happen to him.

"What I want is quite simple dear brother," James pointed the demon blade at his twin. "Basically, someone wants you neutered and they sent me to operate. So what do you say little brother? Think you take down big bro?"

Jacob snarled again. "No question about it; I'll make sure to send you back to your client, in a body bag."

"Bold claims, but do you have what it takes to back them up," James stepped forward. Jacob did the same.

"Just try me," the ashikabi charged forward, his blade following behind. James took off in a slow sprint, perfectly following his brother's movements as their respective blades cut through the air.

Clank!

A metallic roar filled their ears and echoed through the air. The brothers pushed each other back, a smile on James and Jacob barring his teeth.

"Do you remember our last bout?" The older twin inquired. "I remember the lizard that you were trying to teach, but things didn't work out like they should've."

"That's because you stuck your ugly head where it didn't belong," Jacob retorted, planting his feet firmly on the ground, and mustering more strength to overpower his brother. They bounded back and then swung over their heads. Their blades met once more, producing another roar as sparks sprinkled to the ground. "Everything was going just fine until you showed up and ruined it."

"Maybe if you weren't so weak, your friends wouldn't be suffering right now," James spat back. His smile grew larger as Jacob frowned deeper. "If only you were stronger brother. If you were, Kai wouldn't be suffering right now and your lizard friend wouldn't end up the same way."

"I am stronger," Jacob pushed back and swiped his sword horizontally, but his brother met the attack in the opposite direction, staggering the wolf ashikabi.

"You're weak; it's only because of our species that you are strong. But take that away and would be left? A weak shell of a pup that doesn't know his place," the older twin insulted. Jacob flared the flames on his sword and fired a vehement wave of the element. James countered by firing water in the same manner. Hot steam rose into the air, concealing the other's presence.

"You know I'm right Jacob," James continued to speak. "You know how weak you are, but continue to flaunt your alien heritage like some sort of badge. You can't handle the fact that without our Licothian properties, you would just be another weak human."

"Like you're one to talk!" Jacob shouted back. "You have some balls saying this stuff to me, but who is the one working for a man you could easily take down?"

"It's called strategy little brother; you can learn to use it every once in a while. And don't you know that deceit can a person's greatest weapon?" the voice of his brother protruded through the steam. Jacob listened with his ears, regardless of the annoying voice entering inside. "After all, how do you think I was able to take down Kai's group so efficiently?"

"By taking advantage of their weakness," Jacob fired another flame wave behind him, but missed his target. He then raised his blade in time to block the counterstrike.

"They were going to find out sooner or later; I merely sped it up," James back away into the steam. "But don't think my plan stops there. That was only phase one."

A fierce wind blew the steam away, revealing both brothers to each other.

"Phase one was getting Kai's group off balance, which worked perfectly if I do say so myself. But phase two will now focus on you and your group," James smiled wickedly while Jacob stared back in confusion.

"What do you mean my group as well? I'm not hiding anything from them that you could possibly use," he pointed out, but James's smile didn't falter. It only seemed to grow.

"Who said I was going to turn your group against each other?"

Jacob grew even more confused.

"Let me enlighten you on the situation. You're here, miles away from your faction. I'm here, keeping you from moving. Your group is back at your abode, completely unaware of the surprise attack I planned against them."

"Surprise atta…no…you wouldn't," Jacob responded.

"That's right dear brother; I wonder how long they'll last," James waved his sword back and forth. "You on the other hand, won't be getting back there any time soon. I'll make sure of that."

"Why you rotten bastard," Jacob tightened his grip on Destros. "I swear if Drake and my girls are harmed in any fashion, I will make sure there won't be any ashes left of you."

"More bold claims, but I'm going to love seeing your reaction by the end of today," James pushed his right foot forward. Stormbringer began to blaze with fire. "Let's fight fire with fire shall we?"


Why was he so tired? Normally he would be up and running by now, but not this time. This time, he was still tired, sleepy even. He didn't even feel like getting up, which was the strangest part. Why though? Why was he so tired?

"Master, are you still sleeping?" Akitsu lightly knocked on the door and stuck her head in. She saw Kai turn his head towards her, but noticed the tiredness in his eyes. "If you are still sleepy, I will return shortly."

"No, I'm fine Akitsu," Kai yawned and entered a sitting position. He ushered the ice sekirei, but he could tell something was wrong. Something felt…off to him. He felt weaker than normal. It confused him greatly. Why did he feel this way?

"Are you sure Kai? You don't look all that well," the lone single number of Kai's group placed her forehead against his to confirm any fever, but there was nothing wrong. "You're not suffering from a fever. But I believe you need more rest."

"I'll be okay Akitsu," Kai threw the covers off him, but a firm shove forced him back down. He looked at Akitsu, who pulled the covers back up to his chest.

"No, you will rest. I will tell everyone else not to disturb you," she planted a kiss on Kai's forehead. "I will have Oriha bring you your breakfast."

"There's no arguing against you is there?" Kai yawned. Akitsu shook her head no.

"You would lose either way," she smiled teasingly and exited the room. Kai's attention went to the ceiling. He just lied in bed, contemplating on the issue. Why did he feel so tired? It didn't make sense to him. He wasn't this exhausted earlier, but now, now he just felt sleeping the entire time. He couldn't be getting lazy. Maybe it was his injuries; he still needed to recuperate from them. Yeah, it had to be his injuries. Who knew they were that severe?

He closed his eyes and relaxed his muscles, letting the tiredness numb his senses, until he heard another light knock tap at his door.

"Kai, Akitsu sent us to deliver your food," Oriha and Katsuragi entered the room. They set the tray on his nightstand while taking a good look at their exhausted ashikabi, but neither could muster a smile. Not in this situation; they wanted to ask Kai, but feared it would bring up something bad. So they remained silent on the issue.

"Thank you girls," Kai whispered, nearly freaking the two sekirei into jumping. Oriha and Katsuragi couldn't help but notice the quietness in his tone. He definitely looked exhausted.

"Are you feeling okay Kai?" Oriha spoke up first. The ashikabi lazily opened one eye and nodded slightly.

"I'm fine. I'm just…really tired," he responded softly. "But I want you two to stay. I need…to tell you something."

The two sekirei shared a short glance and gathered at their ashikabi's bed.

"What do you need to tell us?" the disk thrower asked back.

Kai couldn't keep his eye open any longer.

"How sorry I am," he whispered loud enough for the girls to hear. They gave him a nervous look. Was he about to tell them about what occurred the other day? Isn't it too early to spill his guts? "I'm sorry you had to see that."

"Kai, we," but Oriha's words were silence when Katsuragi placed a hand in front of her lips and shook her head no.

"Yomi and I; we were not acting like ourselves, but her reasons are more… justified," Kai's voice remained soft and tired. Oriha wanted him to stop and rest, but Katsuragi kept her at bay. "You heard about what Uzume does and why, but…allow me…to clarify some things."

Katsuragi swallowed the lump in her throat while Oriha held her arm tightly.

"Uzume never wanted this to happen; and that's the reason why I stick up for her, because she has no choice but to obey if she doesn't want her sister to be terminated or forced into Higa's faction. I can blame the things she has done on her, but I cannot be angry at for her doing what needed to be done. However, if there was some other way, I would scream and implore her to take it. But there wasn't; and now she's completely under Higa's thumb until I can think of a way to set her free," some of Kai's strength was returning. He could open his eyes again and face his sekirei. "What do you two have to say about this?"

Again, the two girls shared another nervous glance. They didn't expect to be put on the spot so suddenly.

"I'm not asking you to choose sides here. I just want to know your opinions on the matter. Do you believe Uzume is a traitor?"

Katsuragi bit her bottom lip while Oriha stared at her feet. Neither knew what to think about the situation.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Katsuragi asked first. Oriha stared at her fellow sekirei in pure shock. Even Kai raised his brows in shock; they were taken aback by Katsuragi of all people asking such a question. She fixed Kai with a stare that begged to know why. Deep down, she didn't like how things turned out. She and her group were supposed to be inseparable, but just one revelation; just one slip-up shattered all that.

"Like I told Hibiki and Minato yesterday, I did it because our enemy has eyes everywhere. Not just in their sector, but in our sector too; and I couldn't risk them using more of us to their advantage. A terrible plan on my part, I know that now, but I was looking out for all of us. Higa relies on blackmail and knowing how to get inside people's head to steal their loyalty. If a few of us, meaning Akitsu, Kochou, and me, are aware of this secret, that's less chance of the rest of you being used to torture Uzume into thinking we're not aware."

"Huh?" The girls' confusion was clearly evident across their faces. Kai managed to push himself into another sitting position.

"Think about it like this then. You are the only one who knew about Uzume's secret, but it tore you up inside to let anyone else know, including Uzume. She didn't want anyone to know, but you have stumbled across it. And like I said, you were conflicted on whether or not you should tell someone. However, what if someone evil was also aware of the secret? They could use both you and Uzume to their advantage. Does that make sense?"

"A little?" Oriha still wasn't sure and Katsuragi just settled on nodding.

"In layman's terms, some things are better off unsaid," Kai crossed his arms.

"Oh," the sekirei said, but Kai knew they still didn't get it. Even when he's tired, he still made things more complicated than they should be.

"Now you still have to answer my last question," he said, gaining their attention once more. "I'll ask it again. Do you consider Uzume a traitor?"

The two were unable to answer at the moment. A little light was shed on the situation, but still, it was too early to decide.

"Forgive us, but we still need time to think," Oriha said, her companion nodding in agreement. Kai could understand their reasoning and let them go, basking in the silence that washed over the room after the sekirei left. He laid his head on the pillow, relaxing the heavy tension in his shoulders. While explaining himself, his body tensed up, leaving him a little stiff.

"Now I just have to endure Hikari's wrath when she comes in," he sighed and tried to go back to sleep. He couldn't wrap his finger around his problem. A few minutes ago, he was completely tired and wanted to sleep the day away, but now, he was awake somewhat and a little better. Why is he being so fickle? If only he knew the reason.


A/N: And that seems to be a good place to stop this chapter. Things are really heating up now, but tune in next time to see what happens next. This has been MalevolentDarkness16 and Jacobthedarkone and we will see you all in the next chapter. Thanks for reading, reviewing, which you should definitely do, and take care.