Standard disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of any of the contents within this story. All rights and privileges are reserved for their respective owners.

Chapter 3: Ice and Veils

"Uh, girls...what the hell is this?!"

Alex was standing at the doorway of the single, most pathetic excuse of an apartment he had ever laid eyes on, gaping at the atrocity he was bearing witness to.

He and the girls had left Izumo Inn after alerting the landlady that they would retrieve Hikari's and Hibiki's things they had at the apartment they had been living in since their release into the capital. The twins had then led him and Musubi twelve blocks away from the residential area and into a rundown neighborhood next to a commercialized zone. The moment saw the apartment building, Alex nearly tripped on his own feet.

The building was, in all sense of the word, a dump! The exterior looked like it had never once had any upkeep done to it. The paint was almost completely peeled off the brickwork. There was exposed wiring everywhere one looked, the pipes running outside looked to be days away from resting out, and any wood left was rotted through.

The interior was just as bad, if not worse.

The walls had numerous cracks and chips, and he could feel a draft clear through the rooms. The cabinets were falling apart, and the plumbing was shot to hell. There was no heat or air conditioning and the bugs….oh dear god, the bugs!

"It was the only thing we could find. Nobody else wanted to rent to us." Hikari said as she threw anything she and her sister owned into boxes. She grimaced as she found a few of her clothes had been eaten by moths...again.

"The landlord is a piece of shit, too. The slime-ball keeps making passes at us every time he comes around." Hibiki growled as she finished collecting the last of their toiletries from the mockery of a bathroom. Alex doubted the girls even attempted to wash in the tub. The damn thing looked like someone decided to use it to conduct a science experiment in it and just left it without cleaning up.

Disgusting.

"This place should be condemned! There is no way people can live here legally. What the hell are the city inspectors doing because it can't be their jobs!?" Alex said as he tested the wall near the door and cringed as his finger sunk half an inch into the drywall. He looked at the corner and found what they had been using as a bed, which was only a pile of old cushions.

"No arguments here. I'm just glad we found an actual decent place to stay, thanks to you." Hikari remarked as she handed Musubi a full box, who happily stacked it with the rest of the boxed items.

"You girls deserve much better than this! If that asshole of a landlord were here, I'd have a few choice words with him."

"And just what would those be, you piece of shit?!"

Alex spun around to see a man walking up that perfectly fit the description of a slime ball to a 'T.' The magus narrowed his eyes and squared his shoulders, not backing down from the glare he was getting.

"Oi, the extra rent is due! You two bitches need to pay up!"

"We already gave you this month's rent! You can't just demand more from us?"

"Oh yeah? Well, I'm the landlord and what I say goes!"

Alex growled at the man. "I don't think so. You're not seeing another cent from them. I think it's you that owes them compensation for the squaller you forced them to live in."

"Eh?" The man stalked up to Alex and tried to intimidate him. "The fuck you saying, Gaijin!? You want your ass kicked? HUH?!"

"The girls are leaving with me, and you can just go jump in the river for all I care. I'm certain the city housing authority would love to know just what kind of apartment you are managing here."

"Fuck you, Gaijin!" The guy threw a punch at the magus, who just casually batted the fist away before slamming his fist into slime balls' floating ribs. Every bit of air in his lungs left him as he wheezed out a pitiful cry but was silenced when Alex rammed his elbow into the back of his head, knocking the man out flat on his face.

The girls didn't even have time to react before it was all over.

"Damn! That was the most satisfying thing I ever saw." Hikari said as she walked over and gave the unconscious slime ball a swift kick. "That's for trying to hurt my Ashikabi."

"Got that right! Man, I wanted to see that bastard get put in his place so badly ever since we had to room here." Her sister agreed with a nod.

"Wow, Alex. You moved so quickly." Of course, Musubi was simply gushing over her Ashikabi's skill in hand-to-hand.

"You didn't think magic was the only thing I learned as I traveled the world, did you?" Alex asked as he knelt and placed his hand on the man's head. "Now, let's see…."

The girls watched in confusion as their Ashikabi closed his eyes and furrowed his brows. After a few quiet seconds, he opened his eyes and smirked as he reached into the man's pocket and retrieved a key ring. "That'll do the trick."

Musubi blinked. "Uh, Alex? What did you just do?"

The magus smiled. "I searched his memories for the location of the money he collected running this dump, as well as the name and number of the inspector he's been bribing to keep this place from being shut down. I also took the liberty of erasing all memories he had of us going back to when you two first stepped into his office. He won't remember a thing, and by the time he regains consciousness, we'll be long gone. Fortunately, you two girls were his only tenants right now."

The three Sekirei stared at the magus in awe. "You can read people's minds...and erase their memories?"

"How else does an organization remain a secret for thousands of years?" Alex grinned as he stood up. "Let's get the rest of the things packed and blow this popsicle stand after we make a little detour to the office, that is."

In moments, the rest of the twins' meager belongings were packed and stored in whatever magical storage Alex had access to. After locking up and throwing the key down on the still unconscious man at the door, the quartet found the office and retrieved the 'refund' for the twins in the form of the money box he had hidden in a false cabinet before vacating the premises and reporting the slum lord to the housing authorities as well as leaving a tip about the corrupt inspector who allowed the place to keep operating.

The four left the area with two very happy Lightning Sekirei following behind their Ashikabi with the ever cheerful Fighting Sekirei at his side.

"Mmmmm! I'm so glad to be done with that place." Hikari declared as she stretched her arms over her head.

Hibiki nodded to her sister. "You and me both, sis."

Alex sighed and gave the girls an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry you two had to go through that. Perhaps if I had arrived in the city sooner, you would not have had to stay in that slum."

The twins looked at their Ashikabi and then each other before chuckling and running up to link an arm around the young man's pulling his arms into their cleavages.

"Hey now, none of that kind of talk. You're here with us now, and thanks to that, we are in a much better place." Hikari said as she tightened her grip on Alex's arm.

Hibiki nodded. "She's right. Don't worry about 'What if's.' Let's just focus on the future where we are standing at the top. Nothing is going to stop us now."

Alex shook his head in amusement at the twin's confidence while Musubi giggled from behind with a smile. She just loved it when her little 'family' was all smiles and laughter, and she swore she would fight to keep it all together like this.

A few minutes later, the four made it to another park. Their route home would take them across it to get home. As they walked, they watched as men, women, and children took the time to enjoy the pleasant weather. Alex smiled at this sight. This was why he became a Magus, aside from the fact his entire bloodline learned the arts, but so that he could protect the freedom and innocence of the people in the world. He wanted to protect this scene.

After another minute of walking, Musubi spotted something and let out a startled gasp, drawing attention from the other three with her.

"What's wrong, Musubi?" Alex asked as he saw his Sekirei cover her mouth.

"Look…" Musubi responded as she pointed.

Alex and the twins turned their heads and saw what she was pointing at. His eyes widened while the twins took a sharp intake of breath.

Sitting on a nearby bench was a young woman. She had shoulder-length light brown hair and sharp blue eyes, which were staring blankly ahead of her. She was also well endowed, as evident by the large swell in the partially open lab coat she was wearing.

A lab coat that was covered in blood splattering.

That alone was cause for alarm, but what was extremely odd was what appeared to be a tattoo on her forehead.

A pink bird over a Taijitu, the yin-yang symbol, with four tomoe flanking the Taijitu.

Alex's mind immediately went back to that morning, when he saw the same symbol on the backs of his girls when they got up out of bed. He had asked them what that symbol was, and they told him it was the mark of a Winged Sekirei, one who had been bound to an Ashikabi, like himself. They also said that the mark would always appear on the back between the shoulder plates, but if that was the case, why did this woman have it on her forehead?

"A Scrapped Number!"

Alex turned to Hikari, who had said the name while staring at the woman.

"Scrapped Number?"

Hikari looked back at him. "A Scrapped Number is a Sekirei who cannot be winged for some odd reason. In the scheme of the game, this makes her useless as she can never achieve her full potential. This usually results in the Sekirei being cast out as they can't compete with those who are winged, like us."

"The poor thing," Musubi muttered while the twins looked at the woman in pity.

Alex frowned as he observed the Sekirei, who looked so broken and crushed. He also noticed that none in the park wanted to go near this woman, as evident when a man walking past saw her and hastened his steps to getaway.

Well, Alexander Drake was not one to stand by and let someone who needs help suffer.

"Let's see if we can do something about that," Alex said as he extracted himself from the grip of the twins.

"Wait, Alex," Hikari called out when her Ashikabi began to walk over to the woman. When he did not stop, the Sekirei looked over at one another before jogging to catch up.

They reached him just about the time he reached the woman. He slowed his walk, then stopped and knelt to get below eye level with the woman.

He took a moment to study her before asking her, "Are you alright?"

The woman didn't look at him, continuing to stare at nothing, but her lips did move slowly. "Broken…" She said softly.

"Broken?" Alex asked.

"I'm...broken…useless...no one will want me."

"Why?"

"I'm scrapped...cannot be winged...broken…."

Alex frowned. "And who decided that?"

The woman blinked, obviously not expecting the question. She slowly turned to the man and began to study his face for the first time.

"...what?"

"Who decided that you were broken? That you could not be winged?"

"...The adjusters...they said I was broken...scrapped."

"Adjusters?" Alex questioned as he turned to the girls.

"Scientists who know how to limit our power so we would not accidentally kill our Ashikabi when we were released. If they didn't do this, Musubi here could crush you with a simple hug." Hibiki answered him while gesturing to the combat Sekirei, who nodded in agreement.

"I see…" More insight into the inner workings of MBI set aside, Alex turned back to the woman. "I don't know who told you these things, but I assure you that nothing is impossible. I think you can be winged, and I'll do everything in my power to make that happen."

Her eyes, which looked as broken as she claimed she was, gained a slight flicker of light. "...you...think...you can help me?"

"I can if you want. I do have to ask, though. Do you want to be winged? To find your Ashikabi?"

The woman stared for a second before nodding. "...yes. I want to be winged...I want an Ashikabi."

Alex smiled. "Then come with me, and I'll move heaven and earth to make it so you can be winged."

The woman stared at him, eyes widening while Alex's Sekirei glanced at each other in astonishment. They knew he could do incredible things with his magic, but could he truly repair a Scrapped Number?

"...truly...truly, you can fix me if I come with you?"

"You have nothing to lose and everything to gain...um, would it be alright if I had your name?" Alex asked sheepishly.

"Ah…Akitsu. My name...is Akitsu."

"Akistu...well then, Akitsu, shall we be going?" Alex asked as he stood and held out his hand.

Akitsu looked between Alex's face and hand before slowly raising hers to take hold.

"I'm afraid I cannot allow that!"

Alex spun on his heels to find a group of people approaching them.

The first one was a boy, fifteen years old if he had to guess, slim build, wearing a white suit with golden trim. He had an arrogant smirk on his face.

The second person was an older male with messy silver hair and sharp Grey eyes wearing a black long sleeve shirt and pants and black fingerless gloves. The shirt was open around the solar plexus area with crisscrossing bands holding it closed. He also wore an orange scarf around his neck.

A katana hung from his waist.

The last was a girl with long brown hair and eyes wearing a black and white gown with red trim carrying a sizeable red scythe. She also had an arrogant smirk on her face.

The trio stopped a few yards away from Alex and his girls.

"That Scrapped Number is coming with me. It is a unique piece in the game and will be a part of my collection."

Not even two sentences out of this kid's mouth, and Alex had already developed a particular dislike for him. A frown marred his face as he stepped between the newcomers and Akitsu.

"This girl needs help. She has already agreed to accompany us, and I've made a promise to fix her issue."

The boy scuffed. "And ruin such a rare item? Nonsense. Regardless of what you may wish, that one will be coming with me." In response to this declaration, the gray-haired male and brunette female stepped forward, gripping their weapons.

Alex's Sekirei tensed, preparing for a fight. Alex realized this was a bad situation. The kid just looked like he doesn't accept 'No' and had some muscle to throw around regardless of the presence of innocent people nearby.

A fight here would undoubtedly result in collateral damage.

Time for some fast thinking.

"Now, hold on a moment. I'm sure we can resolve this without violence." Alex said as he held up his hands.

The boy's eyebrow rose. "Oh? And just what do you suggest? I'm all for the 'Surrender' option, of course."

"Well, you look like a good sport. How about a little game?"

The boy's eyes twinkled. "A game? What kind of game?"

"A game of luck. Observe."

Alex stepped forward with his hands up, smiling pleasantly. He presented his hands, showing the palms and backs. He brought them together and made a motion to grab something between them. Pulling his hands apart, the boy and his Sekirei were astonished to see a white handkerchief appear out of thin air.

"Oh?!"

Alex, his smile still present, showed one side of the pure white handkerchief, then the other, and flipped it back around to reveal a black diamond now etched in the center of the fabric.

"Whaaaa!" The boy was now entirely focused on the trick this older man was performing.

Alex then began passing the handkerchief back and forth between his hands, speeding up the passes before a blur of hands, and the man now had two cloths in his possession, one in each hand. The one in his left hand had the diamond while the right was blank.

"Ahhh. How'd you do all that?" The Boy asked in astonishment.

"Sleight of hand, my boy. Now then." Alex said as he balled up the handkerchiefs and started juggling them. "The game is simple. You simply need to guess which hand has the diamond handkerchief in it. A fifty-fifty chance." Alex stopped juggling and held his hands out. Flicking his thumps, a corner of each handkerchief popping out through the gaps in his fist. "Take your pick."

The boy looked at him with an intrigued gaze, silently pondering before stepping forward.

"Mikogami, perhaps you should reconsider." The ashen-haired Sekirei said with narrowed eyes.

"Relax, Mutsu. This is a quick game between us. Besides, if he does try something, you can take them all easily." The boy, Mikogami, said as he reached Alex. "So that you know, I hate losing."

"Don't we all," Alex said, then gestured to his fists.

Mikogami looked between the two fists, carefully making his choice. Alex's Sekirei stayed close to Akitsu, watching with bated breath.

After a second, the boy reached up and took hold of the fabric in Alex's left hand. He stared directly into Alex's eyes, whose face betrayed nothing. Mikogami pouted before pulling on the handkerchief...and looked surprised when the cloth seemed to grow in length as he pulled.

Two feet...three feet...four feet. The cloth seemed endless.

Alex grinned as he lept back, pulling more cloth out of his hand when he landed near his Sekirei. Now the handkerchief had become a massive white sheet. A quick flick of the wrist pulled the corner Mikogami held out of his hand, and Alex took hold of it.

"Like I said, kid. I don't like to lose. Ciao!" Alex said before, with a flourish; he whipped the sheet around, covering himself and his Sekirei from Mikogami's view; a split second later, the sheet fluttered past in the breeze...revealing nothing but an empty bench with no Alex and company in sight.

"Wha-There gone!" Mikogami shouted as he ran to the bench and started looking around wildly.

"How in the hell did he do that?" The brunette girl asked as both she and Mutsu tried to locate the now missing group.

Mikogami began stomping on the ground. "Grrrrrr! He cheated! Not fair! Why didn't you stop him?!" He demanded as he rounded on his two Sekirei.

"Ah, you did say it was alright to play his game…." The brunette answered quietly.

"No excuses, Yomi! Gah! I won't let him get away with this!" Mikogami continued to throw a tantrum while Mutsu and Yomi watched with exasperation.

Not one of them noticed the large sheet fluttering and floating in the light breeze as it drifted above their heads. It floated up high above the park, carried on the wind, and rose above the buildings. Sailing on the air, it floated north, over rooftops for several blocks, far away from the park. Finally, the cloth drifted serenely down on a roof of an office building. As it just barely grazes the concrete, the fabric was pulled aside to reveal Alex and his Sekirei standing on the roof with Akitsu in tow. The Sekirei were rapidly blinking and looking around in a daze while Alex smiled as he snapped the sheet, which then shrunk down to the size of a cloak.

"Ah, the old 'Disappearing-behind-the-sheet Trick.' Never gets old."

"What was that?! It looked and felt like we were wrapped in a cloth cocoon or something." Hikari asked.

"A technique that utilizes surprise, misdirection, and quiet escape that keeps things from getting violent. There were too many people around that could get hurt if a fight broke out, so I figured withdrawal was a better idea. It gets Akitsu out of their grasp as well."

Musubi beamed. "That was amazing, Alex."

Alex smirked. "Twas nothing for the Great and Mighty Alexander. Just kidding."

"Start acting like a cocktail jerk, and Hibiki and I will give you the shock treatment," Hikari warned, with her sister nodding in agreement.

"I get it. I get it. Sorry." Alex said as he walked over to Akitsu and wrapped the sheet around her to cover her better than the bloody lab coat. "Now then, let's get you home and see what we can do about your winging."

Akitsu blinked. "Ah….alright."

Alex nodded with a smile and led the group to the roof access to get back to ground level and back to Izumo Inn.

Izumo Inn - A Half-Hour Later

"We're back, Miya," Alex announced as he and his Sekirei plus Akitsu entered the Inn through the front door.

"Welcome back. I assume you got everything taken care of?" Miya spoke from the kitchen. "Lunch is almost ready. Go ahead and drop your things off in your room and get settled at the table."

"Lunch will have to wait for a bit, Miya. We need a bit of help from you. Do you happen to have any spare clothes we can borrow?" Alex asked as he began to tend to Akitsu.

"Spare clothes? Why in the world would you need any- Oh My!" Miya said as she rounded the corner and stopped when she saw the brunette woman they had brought with them...and the mark visible on her forehead.

Just as Miya came into the hall, Uzume came out of her room with a towel over her shoulder.

"Hey, guys. You made...it...back...uh...what's going on?"

Miya shook her head slightly. "Everything is fine, Uzume. It would seem we have another guest that someone has brought with them." Miya said as she stepped up to Akitsu while giving Alex a sideways glance. "Oh, dear. You are an absolute mess, young lady. Let's get you cleaned up and out of those dirty clothes." She turned to Uzume. "Uzume, dear. You were about to take a bath, correct? Why don't you take this one in with you and help her get clean?"

Uzume started at Miya for a moment before nodding. "Yeah. Sure. I can do that." Uzume gestured down the hall towards the bath. "Right this way."

Akitsu glanced at Alex, looking for guidance. The magus nodded while smiling, giving his assurance. The Scrapped Number stared for a moment longer before slowly nodding and followed the brunette to the bath.

Alex then looked over to Musubi. "Why don't you join them, Musubi. I'm sure Akitsu would feel more comfortable if you were with her."

Musubi thought for a second, placing a finger to her chin before smiling and nodding. "Alright, Alex. I like taking baths anyways." The brawler said before rushing to the bath.

Alex then turned the twins and snapped his fingers. A magic circle appeared above him, and several boxes fell out and into his hands.

"Why don't you two unpack in the room while I have the talk with Miya that I'm sure she wants to have with me," Alex suggested as he passed the boxes to the twins.

The two looked at each other before looking back at their Ashikabi with uncertainty.

Alex chuckled. "I'll be fine, girls. I'm sure she won't maim me."

The two started to protest but stopped and sighed simultaneously. "Well, if you insist. We'll be upstairs if you need anything." Hikari said as her sister nodded. "But seriously, if she tries anything, scream, and we'll come running."

"I'm sure that will not be necessary, now run along you two."

The lightning twins settled for lightly glaring at the landlady for a moment, then walked up the stairs to their room, leaving the magus and the landlady alone I'm the hall. Silence settled in as Miya simply stared at the young man for a long minute while Alex scratched the back of his head. Finally, the man sighed.

"I know it hasn't even been a day since the agreement, but I honestly couldn't just leave that poor girl alone. She was completely vulnerable out there. Hell, I had just managed to get her away from some kid who just saw her as just some collectible piece and not a person. I'm sorry for bringing her in without your permission, but I want to help her. Please forgive me, Miya."

The landlady stared for a moment longer before sighing. "It's alright. My husband never turned away a person in need, and I won't either, but I hope you will not make this a regular occurrence, Alex. I only have so much room in this Inn."

Alex chuckled. "Honestly, I don't know if I can make any promises. It's in my nature to help others, but I will have other options available. You don't have to worry about your Inn becoming a refuge house or anything. Akitsu is unique because she is a Sekirei who needs help, and I intend to help her."

"Are you really able to help her? I know what that mark on her forehead means, and even I am at a loss on what to do to fix it."

"Nothing is impossible, Miya. It's the first rule of a Magus. If there is a way for her to get into that state, there is a way to get her out. The only issue is finding the way." Alex stated resolutely.

Miya could see the determination in the young man's eyes and wanted to know if he could do what her kind considered impossible; Salvage a Scrapped Number.

In the Bath

Water splashed on the tiled floor as Uzume rinsed some soap off Akitsu. The two, along with Musubi, were bereft of clothing and were enjoying the hot bath. Well, Musubi and Uzume were. Akitsu simply stared at the wall ahead and allowed Uzume to manipulate her body any way she pleased.

'She doesn't show much expression. Then again, if I were in her shoes, I'd probably feel the same way.' Uzume thought as she gazed at the crest on the girl's forehead. "How do you feel, Akitsu?"

Akitsu blinked. "Ah...I'm not...sure. I feel...better…but…"

Uzume sighed. "Hey, for what it's worth, I'm sorry. I can't even begin to imagine how you feel."

Musubi piped up from the tub. "There's nothing to worry about. Alex is going to fix you right up. He'll make it where you can be winged again."

Uzume and Akitsu looked over at the bubbly girl as she smiled. "How can you know for sure. True he can do magic, but do you think he can undo this?" Uzume asked as she gestured to the mark on Akitsu's forehead.

Musubi nodded. "I do. I have complete faith in him."

Uzume blinked. "How? I mean, he winged you not that long ago, right?"

"Just yesterday."

"Then how can you have such faith in him when you only just met?"

Musubi's smile widened as she clasped her hands together in front of her chest. "What Sekirei doesn't have faith in their Ashikabi? Just through the bond, I can tell. There's nothing he can't do because he knows he can do anything. He'll fix you right up, Akitsu, so don't worry."

Akitsu stared at the winged Sekirei in wonder and slowly nodded her head.

Uzume was also left speechless at the sheer amount of faith Musubi had in her Ashikabi. She wondered what it would be like to experience such a bond. She also wondered if Alex's magic was truly capable of fixing a Scrapped Number.

'I'll ask him myself if he can do it. I've seen only a sample of it earlier, but I want to know if he can perform miracles.' Uzume thought as she went back to helping wash Akitsu before they joined Musubi in the tub for a quick soak.

Later

After the bath, the three girls joined everyone at the table in the dining room after Akitsu was given a spare kimono provided by Miya. Musubi made small talk while complimenting Miya on her cooking, which the landlady took graciously. Hibiki and Hikari took to savoring their meal. Having needed to live on the bare minimum, well-cooked food was a luxury to them. Akitsu kept casting glances at Alex, trepidation and hope warring in her eyes. Alex would give the girl reassurance as he ate. Uzume also kept glancing at the Magus as he ate, her cheeks slowly reddening the longer she looked at him.

Soon enough, the food was gone, and everyone stood to go about their business. Alex asked the girls to take Akitsu to their room so that he could begin looking into her condition. Agreeing, Akitsu was escorted up the stairs as Alex helped Miya clear the table.

"I'm going to start looking at Akitsu. The sooner I can identify her problem, the sooner I can come up with a solution."

Miya nodded as she began cleaning the dishes. "I do hope you can help her. The poor thing is suffering because of that mark on her head."

"I won't stop until I figure out a way. That's a promise." Alex said as he left the landlady in the kitchen and headed for the stairs.

As he got close, he found Uzume waiting at the bottom.

"Can you do it?"

Alex stopped in front of the girl as she continued.

"Can you really fix a Scrapped Number?"

Alex stood silently for a moment before answering. "I can."

"How? How do you know you can? You said you arrived not that long ago, so you shouldn't know anything about us besides what you have learned in a day."

"Because I am a Magus, Uzume. The word 'Impossible' doesn't exist to us. There are only doors that have yet to be opened. I am going to find a way, and I will help Akitsu; that's all there is to it."

"It can't be that simple."

"Perhaps...but I won't stop until I do it," Alex said with all the confidence in the world.

Uzume had to wonder just where this guy got his bravado. There was no doubt in his voice or his poster. It was making her feel a little flustered.

"I want to watch. I want to see you do it."

Alex thought it over for a second before nodding. "Very well."

Alex stepped past Uzume and climbed the stairs with the girl following close behind. They quickly arrived at Alex's room and entered to find his Sekirei waiting for him with Akitsu sitting on their futon. She looked up at Alex as he walked up to her and sat down Indian-style. Uzume sat in seiza next to the door.

"Alright, Akitsu. We're going to start looking into your condition. First, I will need to ask a few questions to determine exactly what happened to you. Is this alright?"

The girl nodded, and Alex nodded back.

"First, I need to know how long ago this happened."

"Ah….um….a few days ago…."

"Can you tell me what happened?"

Akitsu went quiet and wrapped her arms around herself as she trembled. Alex immediately understood what this meant.

"You don't have to say anything if you don't want to, and I'm sorry if that question brought up bad memories. Even though I still need to know what happened, there are other ways to do so without you speaking about it."

Akitsu looked up at him curiously.

"With your permission, I can place your mind in a haze, so you don't have to remember while I search through them for the answers."

"Oh, just like you did to that scummy landlord!" Hibiki said as she smacked the palm of her hand with her fist.

"Precisely," Alex responded.

Uzume blinked. "Wait, you can read minds?"

Alex nodded to her and turned back to Akitsu. "May I look through your memories, Akitsu?"

Akitsu sat in silence for a moment before nodding slightly. Alex smiled as he placed his hand on her head. Seconds later, Akitsu's eyes glazed over slightly as her body relaxed. Alex closed his eyes and remained still as he began sifting through her memories. A minute and a half ticked by as the other Sekirei waited for him to finish.

Suddenly, a burst of air exploded out from Alex's body, sending hair and clothes ruffling in the wind and knocking pillows back.

"Alex!" His Sekirei nearly shouted as they felt a powerful feeling of anger flow through their bond. They immediately began sending soothing feelings back to calm him.

Alex breathed deeply through his nose and exhaled through his mouth. He opened his eyes and looked at Akitsu sympathetically.

"That bastard…."

"What….what happened?" Hibiki asked for everyone.

"One of the scientists….an adjuster, if I had to guess, tried to force himself on her while she was restrained. He kissed her, which initiated the winging process."

"A Forced Winging!" Uzume gasped out. Alex looked over at her for clarification. "It's what happens when an Ashikabi forces a winging on a Sekirei that isn't reacting to them. The Sekirei is practically enslaved to the Ashikabi and will obey no matter what. It...it's something we all fear."

Alex went still, his hair obstructing his eyes. His Sekirei all tensed up at the feelings they were sensing through the bond.

"Are you telling me...that these….deviants….can force a soul-bonding on an unwilling person….with such an act?"

Uzume recoiled a bit at the aura that rose off the young man. His Sekirei all looked like they were a hair's-width away from a panic attack.

"Y-yes. It's a despicable act that Minaka encourages. The more Sekirei an Ashikabi has, the more likely they are to advance in the game. Some Ashikabi actively hunt unwinged Sekirei to add to their numbers."

Alex began breathing hard as he struggled to rein in his anger. As someone who knew the significance of a soul binding as the ultimate act of matrimony, the idea of a person capable of forcing this act on another and enslaving their soul strictly for their own gain was very….upsetting.

Eventually, Alex got his anger under control, and his Sekirei calmed down as well.

"I'll….look into that later. For now, we'll work on fixing the damage done to Akitsu. So, that scum attempted a forced winging, but it seemed to have failed. Can you Sekirei resist the winging if you don't want it?"

Uzume clenched her arm. "Honestly, I've never heard of a Sekirei resisting a forced winging. She may be the only one who has ever done so."

Hibiki hummed on thought. "But most of the time, these Ashikabi have already winged a Sekirei, which strengthens their ability to attract and wing other Sekirei ... Considering he was an adjuster, he shouldn't have been an Ashikabi in the first place."

"Explain," Alex demanded of his Sekirei.

"From what I heard, only certain people have enough of the gene that allows them to become Ashikabi. It's that gene that triggers our reactions. If they do not have a strong enough gene, then Sekirei will not react to them. I overheard the adjusters say that everyone employed at MBI was screened for the gene so that Sekirei were not prematurely winged before we were released."

Uzume smacked her palm. "He must have had a weak gene, enough to start the winging, but-"

"-Not enough to succeed." Alex finished for Uzume. "I think I know what to look for now." The Magus turned his attention back to Akitsu, who was still in a daze, and pressed his fingers on the crest on her forehead. Closing his eyes once more, he began sending his mana into the girl, using it as an extension of his senses. He sent it deep inside her, using the crest as a guide to the center of her being. He found a ball of light that he deduced was Akitsu's soul encased in a 'core.' He could 'see' a stream of her soul stretching out and wrapping itself around the core like a protective envelope. And he could 'see' the lingering remnants of foreign energy floating around the enveloped core.

"Bingo," Alex said as he opened his eyes but kept his fingers connected. "The energy from the adjuster still lingers inside her and is causing a sort of self-defense response from Akitsu. The tether that would link her soul to her Ashikabi has looped back in on itself to create a protective shell. As long as the foreign energy remains, she cannot be properly winged."

"Can you do something about it?" Hikari asked.

"Most certainly. This will only take a moment." Alex replied as he dove back in, sending more mana in to fulfill his objective. Arriving back at the core, he flooded the area around the core with his mana, targeting the foreign energy orbiting the core. As the potent mana made contact with the energy, it began to eat it away. Within a minute, the Adjusters' residual energy was destroyed. Alex pulled his mana back, leaving only enough to observe any changes to the core. He 'watched' as the binding tether began to unravel and retract back into the core until all that remained was a pure core floating in the center of Akitsu.

Opening his eyes, Alex smiled as the crest on Akitsu's forehead slowly faded away. He enjoyed the startled gasp Uzume made. He heard and felt the joy of his Sekirei. And he felt happy for Akitsu, whose eyes returned to focus.

"It is done," Alex informed the Sekirei, who stared at the Magus in wonder as she slowly lifted a hand to her forehead as he pulled his hand back.

"I am….fixed?" Akitsu asked, hope shining in her eyes.

"Yes. You are no longer Scrapped. You may now find your true Ashikabi, Akitsu."

Uzume stared at the man. He had done it! He had performed a miracle! She couldn't believe it. But there was no denying what she had witnessed. This man was truly amazing. He was incredible. He was‐

Ba-Bump!

'Wha? No...no way! I'm...reacting!'

Akitsu was also staring at the Magus as she was coming to grip with her salvation. She had all but given in to despair after she was declared a Scrapped Number, but now, she was free.

"My….Ashikabi?" She asked the man before her.

Alex nodded, still smiling.

Akitsu's eyes began to tear up. Now she couldn't find-

Ba-Bump!

Akitsu felt her heart thump, and her face became flush as heat swelled in her chest.

"My….Ashikabi."

Alex leaned back as Akitsu began leaning forward.

"Uh….Akitsu?"

"You are...my Ashikabi."

"Wha-?" He didn't have time to react as Akitsu grabbed him and pulled him into a kiss. His mana was drawn into her as wings of ice formed behind her. He heard the startled gasps of Hikari and Hibiki and the squeal of delight from Musubi as the winging was completed.

"By the Ice of my contract, may my Ashikabi's misfortunes be shattered," Akitsu stated her prayer as her wings vanished, leaving a cloud of snow that floated down to the floor. "Now and Forever, my Ashikabi."

Alex looked dumbfounded as he blinked several times. "Uh, wha, but...I thought...I didn't think-"

"That she wouldn't react to you after everything you did for her? Guess what, big boy. She's not the only one!"

Alex turned around just as Uzume quite literally pounced on him, pinning him to the floor as she breathed heavily with a flush face. Without even allowing him to speak a word, she dove down and claimed his lips. Pure white wings erupted from her back as she deepened the kiss, even adding in some tongue for good measure.

Alex was utterly stunned.

Hikari and Hibiki were gawking.

Musubi was dancing.

Akitsu pouted.

"By the Veil of my contract, may my Ashikabi's troubles be forgotten. Yours Now and Forever, my Ashikabi." Uzume prayed as she smiled down on Alex.

"I...honestly did not see this one coming," Alex remarked as he stared at his newest wife.

"Well, you better get used to it, lover boy, because you are stuck with me now. Now pucker up!" Uzume declared as she went in for more kisses.

"Hey, now just a damn minute!"

"That's our Ashikabi!"

"Hurray! More sisters!"

"Ah….jealous."

About that time, the door slid open to reveal an irritated Miya standing in the doorway, a 'pleasant smile' on her face that scared everyone in the room.

"May I ask just what all this commotion is about? You are creating quite the disturbance."

"Uh, sorry?" Alex said as all the Sekirei in the room suddenly decided that his back was a safe location from the scary landlady.

"What's with all the noise?" The last of the residents, Kagari asked as he stepped into view through the doorway. He looked at all the people in the room before asking. "Um, did I miss something?"

To Be Continued

Author's Notes:

A bit on the short side, but I'm pleased with it. This one was a bit tough to write out. I had some issues trying to plan out everything in this setup.

Uzume and Akitsu are in! I had been planning this from the start. Chiho will still be featured and have another Sekirei. Who exactly, I'm not sure.

I hope Akitsu's fix for her condition is acceptable. Many other Fanfictions go for a brute force approach to winging her. I thought I'd do something different.

Alex has learned about the practice of 'Forced Winging' and is not pleased. Not. One. Bit. He'll be cooking up something for this sort of thing.

Next chapter, Alex has a little surprise for the residents of Izumo Inn, and we begin the Green Girl Arc. I hope you are looking forward to it.

Peace.