Hey! I got another chapter out in under a month. I'd say that's progress! This chapter was honestly my favorite I've written so far and also my longest. In this chapter I actually tried a new writing format/style out. Rather than my more super detailed and wordy paragraphs, I tried to space it out more and create a more easy to read and entertaining flow. I actually had a lot of fun with this way and found myself enjoying the writing process a lot more. I'm curious which one you guys like reading more, so please let me know. Now onto reviews!
Aesir19- Yeah, so that was more or less me not recognizing I could break some of those paragraphs up when I wrote it. But your comment actually made me want to try a different style so I went and looked at how some other authors write for inspiration. I hope this is easier to read and more enjoyable! And thanks for the suggestion.
GunBlade2021- Hi. So about the harem, yes it will be somewhat big but I will still find a way to make the relationships meaningful. Every relationship won't be as deep as certain ones (Akitsu), especially the girls who are less assertive about getting attention. The early girls will also obviously have deeper relationships since they'll have him longer and have more time with him, but he'll still actively try to make everyone feel appreciated and wanted. Some of that will happen in chapter and other parts "off-screen", but I plan to try to give each girl at least a chapter of focus to flesh out the relationship. Though certain girls will need more than that (psychopathic sword lady). There will be jealousy and difficulties, it's a harem so there are bound to be, but they'll still all feel like they matter to him and know he's trying his best. I really want the relationships to feel like their as important as the plan, so it's not just a faceless MC with lots of attractive girls story. Hope that clears it up somewhat! And thank you for the kind words.
healeroffates- Thank you very much, that means a lot!
Bobainox- I'm not sure if this is a question about the harem or you saying I should put them in. Either way the harem is still under debate. A few of these girls are still in consideration though I already decided to not include the lightning twins. I like their bond with Seo a bit too much and feel like they can add to the story in other ways. Though I may try to do another story involving them someday, you never know!
That's all for reviews on the last chapter. Thanks once again for everyone who posted one. Once more I ask that you please review, they truly do mean a lot. Especially this chapter, since I wish to know which style of writing people prefer for future reference! Remember any review whether it be constructive criticism, general comments, questions, or kind words are all read and appreciated. Now without further delay, chapter seven!
Minato would be lying if he said he wasn't enjoying the last two weeks of his life.
After the first night of eating and sleeping on the floor, he got right to work on clearing out his to-do list. And his first move involving that was to go to the best furniture store he could find and buy an entire house worth of stuff.
Was he still a little skeptical about spending so much when using MBI's money? Well of course. But he had already spent a ton on renting a house and he thought he may as well take a bit more advantage of it.
I mean it's not like he'll be using it for his entire life. Little harm now for future gain later. At least that's how he justified it in his head.
Following his entire house being stocked full of nice stuff, something that made him feel slightly weird considering this was his first ever home besides his last apartment, he and Akitsu went shopping.
Akitsu was quite, well different from what he thought girls to be like with shopping. Considering he only had his sister, Yukari. as experience it really was no wonder. She didn't seem particularly interested in anything, her only response when he asked her about things was saying she liked it if it pleased him.
Now don't get him wrong, that answer fucking made his day the first few times. I mean to have a living goddess tell you that would make anyone happy, but well it didn't exactly answer his question. He wanted her to be happy with what she wore, not just be a doll for him.
Not to mention when they finally got to the major topic of their trip, her getting underwear, she seemed quite uninterested in picking them out herself, asking him to pick for her. It's an understatement to say that about killed him. I mean come on; this is his first interaction with someone of the opposite sex his age besides Yukari. And as much as he loved his sister, he never looked at her that way.
Yet an entire day later, through lots of blushing, Akitsu consistently being unaware and flashing him, and countless store clerks commenting on them being a cute couple, they were able to get her an entire wardrobe...of kimonos. Minato quite liked the way she looked in the ones MBI provided for her, and she seemed satisfied enough considering the small smile that came across her lips when he suggested them.
So yeah, the last two weeks have been quite good. He hadn't found a job yet sadly. It turned out finding one that paid well enough to afford the house and groceries for a woman with the stomach the size of a bear wasn't easy. It didn't help he would need somewhat flexible hours for his upcoming college semester.
But he didn't let those issues drag him down. Well at least not too much, what can he say, he's a worrier. But it becomes easier to not worry about those types of things considering the woman he's spent the time with. Which is primarily the reason he's been enjoying himself so much, the moments with her, just like the one he is currently having.
There Minato is, lying in bed; he had been for the past twenty minutes. Not because he necessarily was feeling lazy or tired, but because he physically couldn't move.
His arm was trapped in the death grip of his adorable Sekirei, her face snuggled deep into his shoulder, and her legs wrapped around his. Minato had to admit, he never wanted to wake up any other way for the rest of his life.
His eyes found their way to her face like they usually did, inspecting every inch of her flawless skin, while his other hand slowly played with her hair. The action causing her to slightly stir and snuggle herself closer to him, a small 'hmph' escaping her lips.
A smirk found its way upon his own lips at her familiar reaction.
"Yeah. This truly is perfect."
He had loved waking up like that every day. A soft bed like the one he used to have back home. A gorgeous woman who he cherished with all his heart. And the feeling of being inside his own home, no one else to interfere with his life.
It all made him feel so...wonderful. It was euphoric to a degree.
'I hope this never ends.' Minato thought as his hand continued to slowly rouse the sleeping beauty.
After much resistance from Akitsu, the two finally found themselves having breakfast in their dining room. The meal was of much better quality than the two had endured early on, no longer consisting of only ramen and rice. Rice was still a part of it, but now it was topped by a boiled egg and accompanied by miso soup and various side dishes.
Minato is forever grateful for his grandmother teaching him to cook with her. And from the way Akitsu consumed the food, he assumed she was as well. Minato actually wondered what his grandmother's reaction would be to Akitsu, he hadn't told her about his Sekirei when he spoke to her recently.
He had already told her about moving and the college acceptance, something he got playfully scolded over for not saying anything sooner, but had carefully kept the fact of Akitsu hidden. She already worried about him moving, he didn't feel like adding more on to that. Hopefully he can find a way to tell it to her, unlike his mother she'll be understanding, worried but understanding.
…
The morning remained relatively uninteresting for the couple. And soon Minato had to leave for a job interview he had.
As usual Akitsu pouted in her own adorable way when she was denied coming with him. He nearly gave in and let her come, but he stayed strong and told her to stay home. As much as he loved being with her, he didn't think it a good look to show up with an extra person to an interview.
"Yeah, I'm sure that would look just spectacular. 'Hey future boss, I brought my girlfriend with me to the interview. Hope that isn't an issue'.", he muttered out as he entered into a construction site.
The place was bustling with activity. A bunch of guys either slaving away on the build or chatting loudly amongst each other off to the side. The sound was somewhat deafening for Minato, his thoughts being over taken by the various machines.
"Ah that must be him! Sahashi-san! Sahashi-san, over here!", came a loud yell from somewhere in the site.
Minato scanned the area before finding a pair of people off to side, the older of the two waving his arm up to catch his attention. His walk over was greeted by the same man who called out to him, "Hey, told you that was him! Nice to meet you Sahashi-san. I'm Mitogawa Yusuke, the manager of this site. This is an associate of mine, Shikichi Ren. You're here for the job, right?"
"Ah, it's a pleasure to meet you both. I'm Sahashi Minato. Uh yes I am, I was told to come today and talk about the specifics for the job.", he replied with a small bow.
"No need for the bow, my boy! I'm not big on all that stuff.", the older man bellowed out cheerfully as the other simply nodded his head in return, "Now let's discuss what you're here for while I show you around the site!"
The walk around the construction site was pretty standard for Minato. The boss explained the job and the procedures involved with it, as well as what would be expected of him. It seemed pretty nice, and that wasn't even including the pay.
"You're kidding, we get paid that much!", Minato practically yelled out.
"Hahahaha! Of course, my boy! It's simple but hard work. We understand that and pay accordingly.", the old boss laughed out as Minato tried to process the number fully, "Also I need to introduce you to the guy you'll be shadowing for the first few weeks. He'll be like your advisor, make sure everything is alright early on."
"Wait, my advisor? Does that mean I got the job?", the shock at the man's words seeping through into Minato's.
Absolutely! Well, if you still want it that is. I like your attitude, will fit perfectly on the site. Now where is that good for nothing slacker. Seo! Seo! I swear if he's sleeping again.", the man belted out happily before slowly turning a bit more annoyed at the name he was calling.
The trio found the target over on a stack of plywood. His hardhat pulled down over his face and a sledgehammer leaning against his makeshift bed.
"Seo you ass, get up! Quit sleeping on the job before I fire you!", the boss screamed.
His words caused the man to jolt awake with a quick, "I'm up!", as he sat up and turned his attention to the annoyed manager.
"You good for nothing slacker. Get over here and meet your new coworker. You'll be advising him for his first few weeks.", the boss said as the man stumbled his way over to the group. "Seo meet Sahashi Minato, Sahashi this is Seo Kaoru. As I said you'll be advising him."
"Hey kid.", the man gruffly spoke.
"It's a pleasure to meet you." Minato said once more with a small bow, his action causing one of the man's eyebrows to raise slightly.
"Yeah, sure. That all you need, for me to meet him?", Seo turned his attention back to the manager.
"No. I also need you to work, you lazy sack of shit! You keep slacking and I'll fire you, I mean it this time.", came the once more annoyed manager's response.
Seo seemed like he was about to send a bored reply towards the threat before Minato cut in ahead of him. "Um, excuse me sir. We talked about the pay and everything, but we never went over what my schedule would be. You see I hav-", he began before being cut off.
"Let me guess university! That won't really be an issue. The first few weeks will be a bit stricter since you'll have to be here when Seo is, but after that we work with our guys on their schedules. It won't be an issue.", the manager erased the younger man's concerns.
"Really that's a relief! Thank you so much sir.", Minato could have cried hearing that. The amount of jobs he had looked into only to see strict hours that wouldn't work with him going to school was absurd.
"Yep, no need to worry my boy!", the manager cheered out, "Now that that is settled, it's getting late. I'm sorry to have kept you so long young man, I may have been putting off some of my own duties a bit, hahahaha! I'll need to go finish those up, but I'll be seeing you in two days for your first day, correct?"
"Oh, yes Mitogawa-san! I'll be here!", Minato said with an enthusiastic nod towards the man.
"Perfect! I'll see you then!", the older man yelled back as he waved his new worker off.
"Hey boss. Since when are we relaxed with schedules? I thought they were hard set for everyone?", Seo asked with some surprise etched on his face.
"Since I was asked to hire that young man. Now get back to work you slacker!", came the once more annoyed answer as the last of the trio shook his head with amusement while his eyes followed Minato's retreating form.
…
"Man, that went perfect! I wasn't expecting it to be that good, I should celebrate with Akitsu tonight. Hmm, I'll stop by the store and get some fish. Make her something special for dinner.", the young man mused aloud as he walked during the late evening.
The store wasn't too busy considering how late it was, and Minato found himself walking outside with some fresh fish in his possession...right in time for a bolt of lightning to hit the wall directly beside him.
"WHAT THE FUCK!", he screamed in what he hoped was a manly way, his eyes darting from the impact to where it came from only to be taken off his feet by something hitting him.
Now, Minato considers himself to be a good guy, he was raised by his grandmother to be one. So, he can say with one hundred percent honesty that when he recovered from the impact and saw himself cupping the breast of the female that had hit him, it was an accident. Will the girl on top of him believe so... well hopefully.
A quick moan of what Minato believes is pain, I mean it's not like he was actively groping the poor woman, and her eyes opened to meet his. And just as his did found themselves soon catching sight of his hand on top of her breast.
Quickly her cheeks turned a bright red and Minato finally coming to his senses yanked his hand away.
"That was a total accident! You hit me and we just so happened to land like that. I swe-", he began to try and calm her down before she interrupted.
"You PERVERT! What the hell do you think you're doing!", she yelled out with a mixture of rage, embarrassment, and oddly possible arousal, "I should cut you down for doing such a thing!"
Minato was going to attempt to diffuse the situation, his reply already coming out of his mouth when he saw another lightning bolt coming from behind the woman. Without much thought, he grabbed hold of her, getting a quick yelp at his action, before rolling to the side in barely enough time to avoid the bolt. The strike hit the ground next to them, leaving a dark black scorch mark where the two had just been.
The woman's eyes widened at that, her meeting his own for second causing her blush to return in smaller capacity before wriggling out of his grasp and standing up. Minato following suit, his eyes locked onto her in intrigue.
"Where's my damn scythe!", she yelled out in frustration and panic before letting out a sigh of relief and running towards her destination.
As Minato got a better look at the woman, he couldn't help but think her beautiful. She had medium length brown and from what he saw her eyes were of similar color except slightly darker. She wore a black gothic like gown with a ribbon around her neck and stockings adorning her legs, leaving only a small section of her thighs exposed to the night time air. Her hands were covered by black gloves and now held a giant scythe within them, something that caused Minato's eyes to widen in surprise.
Considering what he had done earlier Minato was quite tempted to just make a run for it while she was distracted, until a somewhat familiar voice yelled out.
"Don't think you can get away from us!", a feminine voice screamed towards them as another blast of lightning came forward.
The girl holding the scythe used the blade part of the weapon to deflect the bolt, before using it to send a blast of wind back at her attacker. Yet another blast of lightning came from the other side of the scythe wielding woman, causing her to jump back beside Minato as it impacted with the ground.
He had seen powers like these before, Akitsu showing him her ice powers when he inquired about the Sekirei, and then the incident that happened involving those three girls, yet he was still amazed by them. Speaking of that incident, the two assailants landed in front of the Ashikabi and Sekirei, their appearance familiar to Minato.
"Wait. Aren't you those two same BDSM girls who chased that other one the other day!?", he shouted out in surprise. He really wasn't expecting to see these two again, especially not so soon.
"Wait, you're that prick who stopped us from defeating that unwinged Sekirei! Who the hell do you think you are! We found that fight fair and square! I should erase you for that!", one of the identical women shouted out aggressively.
"Hikari don't! You know the rules, we can't touch Ashikabi. Plus, he had a single digit with him remember.", the second one called out, once more being the rational one of the two if he remembered correctly.
"Yeah, well I don't see her here now. And if we get rid of him then she's done for! We can deactivate two right now sis!", she spat out as lightning began to build up in her hands. Before she could do anything though, a blast of fire came from the side sending the two girls back to avoid the blow.
"You know it's against the rules to fight unwinged Sekirei. And really 2-on-1 when they're unwinged too, how sad can you be.", a masculine voice cut in as a figure landed on a nearby lamppost.
A dark glare formed on one of the sister's faces as the other looked on in concern, the odds seemingly becoming less favorable.
"This is none of your business! Why don't you bother someone else!", the hotheaded of the two shouted at the newcomer.
"I'm the guardian of the unwinged Sekirei, so this is my business. And if you're looking for a fight, I'm more than happy to give you one.", came the masked figures response as he stood tall on top of his vantage point, his left hand going ablaze.
Minato watched the entire situation with great concentration, his mind working overtime to keep up with everything occurring. He was still relatively new to the Sekirei plan, so seeing and hearing all this was baffling. He glimpsed over at the woman beside him, only to see her scowling at the figure above them as well.
"Hikari w-we should go. This isn't a fight we can take.", the unnamed sister spoke out timidly, as she pulled on her sister's shoulder.
The more aggressive of the two stayed glaring at the fire wielding figure before with a 'hmph' and a nod, the two once more jumped away similarly to last time. The figure's hand went back to normal once the two were gone before he turned and addressed the other powered being still scowling at him.
"You're alright, they shouldn't be back anytime tonight. No need to worry, and good luck finding your Ashikabi.", the figure spoke with an even tone, as if not expecting anything for their help.
The scythe wielding girl scoffed at their words, mumbling something about they could have handled it if Minato heard correctly, before turning their gaze towards him. Minato met the gaze of the woman that had literally crashed into him, her cheeks once more turning a shade of red in what Minato assumed was due to their earlier situation. For a few moments she seemed to analyze him before she gained a small smirk and jumped away herself.
Minato looked on to where she went for a moment, his mind racing about all that happened.
"Hey-", he began as he turned to the lamppost where the figure had been only to find them gone as well, leaving him alone in front of the store.
With a sigh he looked around at the various marks showing the chaotic scene that occurred, yet found himself surprisingly less blown away. He still found the whole scene incredible to witness, but I guess after living with a person capable of creating ice he found it to be not entirely insane.
As his eyes wandered, they soon found the dropped bag of fish, his whole reason for coming here in the first place.
"Haaa, this is ruined. Guess I'll go buy more...hopefully they don't question me on what happened out here. What the hell would I even say."
…
An hour later Minato found himself outside the gate of his home. He still liked the sound of that, 'his home'. The sun was gone, and the night sky was in full view as he finally entered the house.
The sound of the door closing caught the attention of the house's only other occupant, her head fully turning to see Minato entering from her spot on their couch.
"Ah, home.", her voice came out in the usual dull monotone. She got up from her place on the couch, moving right towards him.
"Yeah, I'm home. Sorry it took so long, I wasn't expec-", Minato began only to cut off as Akitsu embraced him. A soft smile formed on Minato's lips as she began to snuggle her face into his chest, while her arms tightened the embrace between the two. "I missed you, I'm sorry I was gone so long."
"Ah, it okay.", was her simple answer to the apology. She wasn't really interested in one anyways, her Ashikabi could never do anything wrong in her eyes.
A small chuckle escaped Minato at her adorable behavior, before he lifted his hand carrying the bag of fish he had bought. "I brought home something nice for dinner. I'm sure you're hungry, so want to help me cook it?", he asked.
As usual Akitsu's stomach voiced its opinion on the matter, a large growl sounding out causing her cheeks to be dusted with a light pink. A quick nod gave Minato his actual answer, another laugh escaping him before walking into their kitchen with Akitsu latched onto his free arm.
The preparation was a smooth process, the two of them had cooked together for the past two weeks since Akitsu had asked to help him, and as she got more familiar with the place the two became quite the duo.
They worked around each other well, though Minato made sure to supervise the entire process and give her detailed instructions. He honestly really enjoyed cooking with her, doing anything with her made him happy, and it helped that she always looked so adorable when concentrating.
"So, what do you think? You like it?", Minato spoke with anticipation, wanting her opinion on one of his favorite dishes growing up.
His grandmother used to always make him the best sashimi as a reward when he did something good, like when he won first place in a regional mathematics competition. Those really were some of his best memories as a kid.
"Good.", Akitsu was barely able to get out between bites even forgoing her usual 'ah'. She was devouring the food in front of her faster than normal, something that caused a wide smile to spread on Minato's face.
"Slow down a little bit okay. The food isn't going anywhere, and it tastes better if you savor it.", he playfully scolded her. Another blush filled her cheeks as she slowed her eating, her nodding at his request causing his smile to widen. "I'm glad you enjoy it so much. That makes me happy."
The rest of meal was spent with Minato discussing the job he had gotten, while Akitsu listened. She wasn't much of a talker herself, but whenever Minato spoke, he always had her attention, her eyes sort of lighting up at the sound of his voice showing some form of emotion that was usually absent from her face.
After cleaning up their mess and washing up for the night, Minato found himself sitting on the couch waiting for Akitsu to finish in the bath. His head was leaned back as he just let himself sink into the comfortable piece of furniture; the length of the day having tired him out quite a bit. The sound of their bathroom door sliding open and footsteps coming from his side made him raise his head and looks towards the direction. His eyes widened at the sight before him as his cheeks became quite the shade of red.
Akitsu was wearing a near see-through purple nightie that hugged her body snugly, a pair of similarly colored bra and panties seeable underneath. Her hair was still slightly wet and clung a little to her skin, while her cheeks were a similar color to Minato's own from the steam. Her head was tilted slightly to the right like it usually did when she was curious and her eyes looked into his own as if desperately seeking his approval.
Minato blinked a few times to gather himself then motioned her to come join him, his eyes never leaving her as she did so.
"You look, you look...um you're wow. Just, uh wow.", he was able to stumble out. Since their shopping trip Akitsu had dressed a bit more conservatively, sleeping either in a yukata or one of the full pajamas sets he had purchased her. This was the one thing she had directly picked up without asking his opinion before questioning him if she could get it. He would be lying if he said he wasn't happy that he said yes.
Akitsu's blush went a shade darker at his answer as her signature small smile came upon her lips. She pushed herself closer to Minato, curling up next to him as the news played on the tv. His eyes widened a bit more at her action before clearing his throat.
"Oh, uh hey I forgot to mention it earlier. I ran into some more Sekirei on my way home. Well, more like one ran into me.", he began trying to lighten the slightly embarrassing situation for himself. "This girl crashed right on top of me. Turns out she was getting chased by the same two Sekirei that we ran into the other day."
Akitsu had her eyes on him the entire time he spoke, which he took as a sign to continue.
"Yeah, and then this other one showed up, I think they were a guy. He lit his hand on fire and that seemed to scare the two of them off again. Was pretty interesting, especially the one who landed on me. She had this big scythe and sort of stared into my soul before she left. Kind of freaked me out, haha.", he finished off with a small laugh at the whole incident.
Akitsu continued to stare at him for a few moments after he finished, her head tilting to the side again as she processed his words. Without any warning she suddenly shifted, sitting up and lifting herself up onto his lap facing him.
"Oh woah. Uh, Akitsu?", came his confused words as he looked into her eyes. Her eyes stared deep into his own, the two seemingly baring their entire feelings to each other through a look alone. The world around them seemed to disappear as they became consumed within each other, neither willing to look away, almost as if they're scared that the other may disappear.
"My Ashikabi.", Akitsu whispered after a long moment, a tone of foreign possessiveness tinting her words.
The two slowly leaned into each other, their lips soon grazing, before finally fully connecting and sending a bright light show throughout their living room as her wings emerged. The light soon faded, but the two were unaware as Minato deepened the kiss, intertwining his tongue with her own.
His hands found their way to Akitsu's hips, pulling her further into him. The kiss became desperate and needy, much different from the soft delicate slow ones they had shared before this. Akitsu's own hands found themselves pressed against Minato's chest, seemingly trying to feel every inch of her beloved Ashikabi.
Minato continued to dominate the submissive ice Sekirei with his tongue, the cool touch of her breath and skin fueling his desire for her further. He finally broke away but only to catch his breath, the lovers heavily breathing as he gently put his forehead against her own and stared into her eyes once more.
The pure need for the other was fully on display as they just enjoyed the moment of bliss between the two. There was nothing in the world that could hope to separate them from one another.
"I love you.", the words left Minato's mouth without hesitation or regret. Akitsu's eyes widened slightly at his declaration before tears slowly started to well up in her eyes similar to the first time they met. Minato worried for a moment, fearing he may have said something wrong, before her arms embraced him and she buried herself into his neck.
"I love you, Minato-sama.", the emotions she held deep within for him displaying themselves as she whispered out her own feelings. A smile of relief came across Minato's face as he returned the embrace, wanting to show every bit of love he held for the woman in his arms.
The couple stayed that way for quite a while, sitting in each other's arms cherishing the warmth and love of the one they wanted to spend their entire lives with. An hour passed, then two, but neither moved.
They soon found themselves sitting there wrapped up in each other in the middle of the night. Minato took a quick look at his phone for the time, before looking down at the now sleeping form of Akitsu attached to him.
With a small sigh, he was able to lift himself and his love off the couch, her grip tightening onto his shirt as he did so. Even with the amount the Sekirei ate she was quite light, so he carried her back to their bedroom. With a small struggle, that led to him having to give her his shirt due to her death grip, he managed to separate himself from her and properly lay her into the bed.
His eyes found her delicate face once more and he lightly brushed a piece of her perfect brown hair to the side. With one last small smile he crawled into the opposite side of the bed, carefully moving himself next to her and placing his arm over her. He pulled her tight into his chest, earning a light approving moan at his action, as he tried to drift to sleep.
"Mm, stay with me forever Akitsu."
Hope you guys enjoyed the appearance of some fan favorites. Like I said I really enjoyed writing this one, especially the Sekirei encounter. And I'm now sure you guys can guess the second possible member of Minato's harem!