Real talk, the only thing going for Minato fics is seeing him with something that resembles a spine... and let's be real here, a wet paper bag has more of a spine than him.
Originally, I was going to go the Minato route... then a bro of mine brought up that everyone fucking does that. Or you know, replace him with an SI or OC, and I have not seen anyone use a side character as an MC in the Sekirei fanbase.
The reason I chose Takehito is because there is so little we know about him, but at the same time, we know enough to have a semblance of his personality. He opposed the Sekirei Plan, and when it was obvious that he couldn't, he quit MBI since he refused to take part in it, but would still do everything in his power to stop it or at least do what he could to protect the Sekirei, and he was best friends with Seo. We know so little that one can play around with his character a lot, even if you keep the core elements and established character relationships intact. It's even more interesting if you keep them.
So, after reading up his wiki, I was all like, "Why doesn't anyone use this guy?"
Because apparently no one wants the guy who was the adjuster for the first generation Disciplinary Squad. The guy who had enough of Hiroto Minaka's respect to willingly abide his final wishes for as long as possible. And the absolute Mad Lad who just straight up married the strongest Sekirei despite not being an Ashikabi, unintentionally giving the middle finger to the whole Ashikabi system as a whole.
But no, everyone wants me to turn wet blanket Minato into a chad when the fandom is full of fics just like that... and they're usually all bad.
Chapter Two: The Reunion
The heavy snowfall continued as Takehito held his wife for the first time in almost seventeen years. But, as he held her, taking in her warmth, the fatigued, emaciated, and starving state of his body finally caught up with him.
"T-Takehito!" Miya exclaimed as her long thought dead husband slumped in her arms.
"Heh… sorry, Miya." He apologized once more. "I'm still… a bit weak right now. Just woke up a few hours ago."
It was a miracle he was able to walk all the way here, he didn't know if it was divine intervention, or sheer force of will that allowed him to do it, he didn't care.
"I need to get you out of the cold now!" Miya put his arm over her shoulder as she led him inside the very inn Takehito once owned.
The inn had changed since the last time he was here all those years ago, more filled out. Felt homey, cozy even.
"Homura, Matsu, Uzume!" Miya called out in an authoritative voice. "I need you three in the dining room, now!"
Takehito blinked, he forgot how commanding a voice she had, and, as usual, it was hot.
Rapid footsteps could be heard as Miya set her husband down against the wall, sitting on the soft tatami mat. Takehito's now soft and warm gaze never looked away from his wife, as if he blinked she'd disappear.
He only looked away when he noticed three people rush into the room through the open door.
"Miya, what happened!?" The first person asked in an alarmed voice.
He was a handsome young man with silver hair and amber eyes, he wore a white dress shirt and black dress pants.
He stopped dead in his tracks the moment his eyes laid on Takehito. He stared at the first person responsible for adjusting him, his eyes wide and his mouth agape.
"...Oh." He said dumbly.
Takehito smiled at him. "Homura… is that you? You've grown up so much."
Two other people walked into the room, they noticed Homura's state of shock first before anything else.
"Uh, Homura, you okay buddy?" The first one asked, her voice laid back.
"Come on, Homura, why are you so stiff?" The second one asked in a teasing and slightly perverse tone.
The first one was a beautiful well-endowed young woman with long, dark-brown hair, brown eyes, and a well-developed figure. All she wore was a pink and violet belly top and a pair of white panties.
The second one was another beautiful well-endowed young woman with a well-developed figure. Though this one had long red hair with side plaits and a pair of glasses over her garnet-colored eyes. She wore a white dress that resembled a cheongsam with detached sleeves.
Homura said nothing, he just pointed at Takehito.
As their eyes met Takehito's, they also gained the same expression of shock Homura had.
Takehito smirked, he could only imagine what face Seo would make.
"Uzume, you got pretty tall since the last time I saw you." He gave her a wry smile. "Sorry to say, but I think I'm still taller, still not getting those cookies, and still lacking modesty I see. And Matsu, you haven't aged a day."
For a few seconds, not a sound was heard, not even a mouse, then they all opened their mouths at the same time.
"I thought you were dead!" They yelled.
Takehito chuckled. "I thought I died too. Turns out it was just a long-ass nap."
Matsu rushed to his side, and grabbed his hand. "My god, you're freezing! Not to mention you feel like nothing but skin and bones. How in the world did you get here?"
"I, uh… I walked." He said dumbly.
Matsu stared at him as if he'd grown two heads. "Okay, Takehito, Matsu is going to ask this as clearly as Matsu can… hoooooooow!?"
He shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. I shouldn't have been able to sit up, much less walk. Nor knock out a security guard with a single punch, or pull the crap I did on the way here like breaking a mugger's wrist with one arm!"
His voice grew more frustrated near the end of his little rant.
Miya stared at her husband. "...But, Takehito, you never took up any self-defense lessons before."
"I remembered when I was a kid, you couldn't throw a punch to save your life." Homura added. "You said Seo always gave you crap for it."
Takehito nodded. "Yeah, I've been noticing a lot of odd things about myself ever since I woke up. Weird mannerisms that I know I never do. I got the worst migraine of my life when I first got up, the horrible images and voice that accompanied it didn't make it any better." His voice grew more panicked. "For God's sake, at one point, my own reflection started talking to me! Damn near thought I went insane!"
Miya hugged her distraught husband, shoving the side of his head into her bosom. The sound of her heartbeat calming him down.
The room was silent as his words sunk in.
Uzume spoke up, a sudden morbid thought coming to mind. "Takehito, where were you all this time…?"
"I… I woke up in the termination chamber at the bottom of the MBI tower." He answered.
BGM: Silent Hill 2 OST - Ordinary Vanity
Uzume gulped. "You don't think they did anything to him… did they? Minaka wouldn't go that far, right? ...Right?"
Everyone was silent as the implications of Uzume's words sunk in.
Uzume stood there, waiting for an agreement she would never receive.
Homura looked like he was going to be sick.
Matsu covered her mouth as the worst possible scenarios flashed through her mind.
The one that took it the hardest was Miya. She held onto her beloved husband tighter, gritting her teeth, doing everything to not scream in rage. The demonic visage of the Hannya mask she was known for was nothing compared to the look of pure and utter fury on her face.
Matsu turned to Homura. "Get him something warm to drink, some soup or hot chocolate, just something!"
Homura shot up with a start. "R-Right!"
The Sekirei Guardian dashed out of the room and into the kitchen.
Miya had noticed Takehito had been unusually quiet.
"Takehito?" She got no response, she tried again, shaking him gently. "Takehito?"
The man in her arms blinked a few times. "H-Huh? ...Sorry, still pretty woozy."
"It's alright," She kissed the top of his head. "It's alright, you can get your rest later, but right now you need to eat, and a warm bath."
"...That sounds nice." He complied, his voice now softer.
A few minutes passed, Uzume left to get an actual pair of pants, but neither Matsu nor Miya ever left Takehito's side.
Homura finally came back, a steaming mug of hot chocolate in his hands.
"Can you move, Takehito?" He asked as he knelt down, holding the mug towards the man.
Takehito Reached out, taking the mug from Homura's hands. "...Yeah."
"Alright, but careful though, it's still pretty ho-" Homura wasn't even able to finish before Takehito began chugging the piping hot beverage down like it was a cold cup of water.
Homura, Matsu, and Miya stared dumbly as Takehito finished the whole cup in seconds.
Takehito handed Homura back the mug, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. "Thanks, that hit the spot."
The silver-haired Sekirei took the mug back with a stupefied expression. "...T-That didn't burn your mouth, did it?"
Takehito blinked in confusion. "Uh, no…?"
Homura sighed and muttered under his breath. "Add that to the list of crazy things he's done since he woke up."
Miya bit her lip as she oh so reluctantly let go of her husband.
"Hmmm…?" The confused, doe-eyed look he gave her almost broke any will she had to not start hugging him again.
"Takehito, dear, I'm going to make you something to eat," Miya said as she held his hand. "I'll be back soon, okay?"
He nodded. "...Okay."
Miya let go of her husband's hand as she left the dining room.
Matsu got up as well. "Matsu is going to search through MBI's databases, Matsu will see if she can find anything about what they did to him."
Homura nodded, but secretly feared just what they would find. One thing was clear though, if Hiroto Minaka did anything to harm Miya's husband more than he already did, the streets of Shinto Teito would run red with MBI's blood.
As Matsu left, Uzume walked back in, now wearing a pair of gray sweat pants.
She winced once she saw Takehito again. "Geez, I only noticed just how thin he is..."
"Don't worry, Miya's making something for him to eat right now." Homura explained.
"That's good to hear." She said as she sat down next to Takehito, as did Homura.
"Hey, Takehito, what's the last thing you remember?" Homura asked.
Takehito furrowed his brow as he thought back on what happened. "One of the Jinki went out of control… I manually inverted the force field to take out myself instead of the Ashikabi and Sekirei still in the building… a blinding flash of light. Then, I woke up."
Homura and Uzume shared a look.
"Is that all…?" Uzume asked.
Takehito shook his head. "I… I don't think so. It feels like I went to sleep but woke up in a flash, but at the same time… everything feels different. I-It's like I felt those near seventeen years passed by ever so slowly, yet at the same time, it went by in an instant. I-It's hard to put into words."
Homura stroked his chin in thought. "So, nothing happened to you while you were… sleeping?"
"No, I know something happened, I just can't put my finger on it." Takehito sighed. "Goddammit, it's frustrating, it's just on the tip of my tongue but I-"
BGM: Silent Hill 2 OST - Null Moon
"Paleblood, you say? Hmmm... Never heard of it. But if it's blood you're interested in, you should try the Healing Church."
"...Paleblood." He whispered.
He had no idea what Paleblood was or what it meant, but the words carried such strong feelings for him. Hopefulness, yet hopeless. Contentment, yet anguish. But above it all, so much pain and regret. It felt like it was something he followed, something gave him a direction to go, but one that damned him.
"What was that?" Uzume asked.
"Something… something about Paleblood?" Takehito explained. "I don't know what that is, but it was the first thing popped into my head."
Suddenly, a painful throb went through his head. "...Ugh! Not again!"
"Takehito!" Homura yelled as he grabbed his shoulder.
Uzume panicked. "What's happening to him!?"
An image flashed through his mind. A gruesome scene, a man wearing a silver, ornate helmet, and black leather garb with a cape made of crow feathers. He was on the ground, covered in deep cuts and bullet wounds, with a fist-sized hole in his chest. Even with the helmet covering the man's face, Takehito could still feel his burning glare.
"You and I… we're the same… we're both sick. There's… not enough blood in the world to satiate our thirst!"
Takehito groaned as the pain finally left him. "...Fuck."
Homura gently shook his shoulder. "Hey, what happened to you just now? Did the migraines come back?"
He nodded. "Yeah, though nowhere near as bad this time."
"Are you sure?" The silver-haired Sekirei asked, concerned.
"Yeah, just… just let me rest for a bit."
"Alright, but just tell us if you need anything, alright?"
Takehito gave Homura a slight smile. "Alright."
The dining room of the Izumo Inn was silent except for the sound of Takehito's labored breathing.
As Takehito began to drift off, Homura and Uzume still couldn't believe their eyes. The man that was their original adjuster, the adjuster for the first generation Disciplinary Squad, the man who discovered so much about the Sekirei as a race, and the very same man who supposedly gave his life to save the Sekirei trapped in the MBI tower when a Jinki went out of control...was alive, asleep right in front of them.
The two Sekirei looked between each other before bringing their attention back to Takehito. This was going to be one very interesting Christmas.
[-]
Miya Asama's mind was a whirlwind of emotions.
On one hand, she was practically over the moon, overjoyed and elated that her husband, who she long thought dead, was back. It took everything she could to not start crying tears of joy again.
On the other, she was absolutely livid, just the mere thought that Hiroto Minaka may have performed some manner of cruel experiments on her beloved Takehito… She almost grabbed the blade she tossed aside years ago, Totsuga No Tsurugi, and rushed over to reign hell down on MBI and Minaka.
She had to take a deep breath, before she bent the ladle in her hand, and continued to stir the pot of pork and vegetable miso soup. Using her ladle, she took a sip of the hot soup.
Nodding in approval at her taste test, she grabbed the handles of the large soup pot, lifting it effortlessly, and brought it into the dining room. Miya smiled slightly as she saw Takehito sleeping, Uzume and Homura at his sides, he looked so peaceful at that moment.
It was absolutely surreal. She spent years and years just wishing for the man she loved back even though she knew he was dead.
..But here he was, alive. Not exactly healthy, but they could work on that.
Miya placed that soup pot on top of the dining table. She left to get some bowls so they could all eat. As she came back with bowls in hand, she saw Homura gently waking him up.
"Mmmm… I'm up, I'm up." The sleepy expression on his face would've been cuter if he didn't practically look like a skeleton. "What smells good?"
Uzume smiled. "Pork and vegetable miso soup!"
Takehito looked at his wife with a serious expression, pork and vegetable miso soup was one of his favorite things to eat, only topped by pizza. "I love you more than you can possibly imagine."
Miya smile. "Oh, hush, now..." She took her ladle, using it to fill one of the bowls and place it on the table in front of him, a pair of chopsticks next to the steaming bowl. "...eat."
Taking his chopsticks, he fished out a sizable piece of pork.
"Careful though, it's still really hot, and a bit spicy, so-" Miya didn't get to finish as without hesitation, Takehito stuffed the still mouth-blistering foodstuff down, garnering a wince from all present.
He paused mid-chew, blinking in surprise as he looked at the bowl in front of him. It was weird, it looked like he had tasted something foreign and odd, like he'd never had it before and this was the first time in his life he'd eaten it.
"Mmmmm!" He nodded in approval as he swallowed.
...Then began to ravenously shovel food into his mouth before gulping down the broth.
He let out a deep sigh of satisfaction as he placed the bowl down. "I think that was the best thing I've eaten in years. Would you happen to have seconds, thirds, and possibly fourths?"
Everyone sweatdropped as Takehito held out his bowl for more.
[-]
BGM: Silent Hill 2 OST - Alone in the Town
After the odd, silly, and heartwarming affair that was breakfast, Miya made her way upstairs, and into Matsu's secret room. She saw the Wisdom Sekirei work tirelessly on her many computers, her dark-red eyes scanning every piece of data she saw.
Miya set down a bowl of steaming miso soup and the table next to her.
"I brought you something to eat since you missed breakfast." She said any Matsu typed away at her keyboard.
Matsu ceased her work and turned her swivel chair to face Miya.
"Ah, thank you, that smells amazing!" Matsu immediately took the pair of provided chopsticks, and fished out a sizable piece of pork.
"Careful though, it's..."
Too late, Matsu had already stuffed it in her mouth. The Wisdom Sekirei's eyes went wide as she spat out the still steaming pork.
"Hot! Hot! Hot! Hot! Hot!" She yelled in rapid succession.
Miya sighed. "Yeah… that."
"Ooowwwww..." Matsu moaned. "Matsu thinks she burnt her my tongue."
Miya gave her a bland look. "Yeah, that's the same reaction we expected Takehito to have. Then he just went through five straight bowls of mouth-blisteringly hot soup without even flinching."
Matsu blinked. "What…? But he couldn't even handle mildly spicy foods back when he was with us!"
The purple-haired woman nodded. "And he always waited till his soup was just above lukewarm before he started eating. He wouldn't even touch his coffee until it was cold."
Matsu gave a hum of agreement before she blew on another piece of pork to cool it down.
Miya's face turned serious. "So… have you found anything?"
"Very little..." She ate the pork, not scalding her tongue this time. "But it was something, at the very least."
The Pillar Sekirei motioned her to continue.
"From 2003 to 2006, there was a record of medical exams that he underwent." Matsu brought up the records on the main screen. "Some physicals, blood tests, and even CT scans. Though no explanation was given as to why these stopped."
Miya narrowed her eyes. "Anything else?"
"Well, for what it's worth, Matsu was able to get the security footage of Takehito breaking out of the MBI building. Matsu hasn't watched fully watched yet, got far enough to see him get out of the pod before Matsu moved on."
"Play it, fully."
Matsu raised an eyebrow in confusion, but played it anyway.
As the video played, it was obvious that it was of very high quality, MBI spared no expense in getting the best equipment.
They saw the pod labeled Dr. Asama opened from the inside as Takehito sat up, confused by his surroundings before grabbing his head in what looked like untold agony.
"...Around here is where Matsu stopped." Matsu said uncomfortably.
Miya understood how she felt, seeing someone that was good to you for so long suffer like that…
She took a deep breath as they continued watching.
After seeing Takehito get a hold of himself, he left the terminal chamber. Then came a short series of security camera shots that had nothing on them.
"Why are you showing me this?" Miya asked.
Matsu furrowed her brow. "That's odd… the moment he leaves the chamber, the cameras can't find him." She found another feed with a guard, one that looked like a heavyweight wrestler, walking down the hall. "Hmmm, he said he knocked out a security guard on the way out."
A few seconds later, a fist came out of the shadows at blinding speeds, the went guard tumbling on the floor like a puppet with its strings cut. Out from the shadows walked an obviously confused Takehito looking between the guard and his own as if asking "Holy shit, did I just do that?". Then, after a few moments, proceeded to drag the guard into the male's bathroom, unimpeded by his assumed weight and large frame.
Both Miya and Matsu blinked in surprise at the somewhat comical, and ironic, turn of events.
"...Huh." They both sounded as Takehito left the men's room wearing the guard's outfit.
The rest of the footage was Takehito walking through the building and exiting as quickly as he could without drawing attention.
"That's it?" Miya asked.
"Yeah, that's all Matsu could find." Matsu said, disappointment in her tone. "But there has to be more somewhere, they stopped their records of exams on him in 2006 with no explanation. Damn, if only Matsu had access to her Norito..."
That was unfortunate…
Matsu was a brain-type Sekirei, and by far the most powerful of them. But unlike when they were part of the first generation Disciplinary Squad, most of her power was locked behind her Norito. Her ability to access and analyze any electronic device on a telepathic level was heavily limited by her adjustments, though her vast intelligence was untouched was such procedures. Though as of now, without her Norito, or the information they seek being on some kind of cloud server, they were dead in the water.
Miya too had most of her power locked away behind her Norito as well, it was one of the conditions she had to fulfill before leaving the Disciplinary Squad and quitting MBI. In her current state, if she fought Karasuba, and this is if the Black Sekirei had an Ashibaki, only half of Tokyo would be nothing but rubble. With not even her full power she could sink multiple warships with a shockwave created just by swinging her sword from a distance. God knows what she could do at her full, unrestrained power. Hell, even the woman in question had no idea what the limit of her abilities were.
Matsu sighed, she took off her glasses and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "This is the best we have to work with for now. All we can do is observe Takehito's new… quirks and see what happens. Speaking of Takehito, where is he?"
"He was too weak to walk, and he needed a hot bath, so I had Homura help him." Miya explained. "He'll be there to make sure he doesn't get hurt. I made sure to tell him to go to bed right after."
Matsu smiled perversely, her glasses fogging up. "Oh, Matsu sees. Hoping for some guy on guy action~ Matsu understands perfectly, sure, Takehito needs to eat a few steaks and a protein shake, but it should still be plenty excit-"
Thwack!
"Ooooooooooooowwww..." Matsu moaned in pain as she was whacked over the head by Miya's ever-reliable ladle… hard. "...So cruel."
Miya looked at her, eyes closed and a smile devoid of any warmth, the visage of a Hannya mask and a demonic aura around her.
"You will not talk about my husband in such a way again… Am. I. Understood?"
"Y-Yes! Please don't kill Matsu!" Matsu pleaded.
Miya kept up her demonic visage for a moment longer. "...As long as you understand."
Miya Asama, as always, was not someone to be trifled with.
[-]
It wasn't until around 9:30 p.m. that Takehito woke up and stumbled into the dining room once again.
He put on a different set of clothes instead of the stollen night guard outfit he had on originally. He now wore an untied gray kimono and a pair of black sweatpants.
"Hey, I just got up." He said getting everyone's attention. "Feeling so much better now."
Everyone's eyes widened in shock at his appearance.
"...I-I'll say." Uzume said as they all stared.
Takehito blinked as he noticed everyone looking at him funny.
"O-Oh!" His eyes widened as he realized it, he shirtless and still a skeleton. "My bad, I'll cover-up..."
Then, as he looked at himself as he was about to close the kimono, he really realized why they were shocked.
He looked normal, as if his previously emaciated state was nothing but an illusion. Hell, he looked better than how he was before his coma if the hints of muscle definition on his body was any indication. He was never a usually active person in the past, and pumping iron was more Seo's thing. So, why in the world did he look healthier than before he was in a coma!?
"But- I… that's...that's not how that human body works!" He threw his hands in the air. "I'm done! I'm just… done right now!"
He marched over to the table and sat next to Miya, getting a wry smile from everyone as he propped his elbow on the table, resting his head with his hand, an irritated expression on his face. He was a scientist, a researcher, and a doctor, and nothing made sense anymore!
Miya giggled as she hugged her husband's free arm, resting her head on his shoulder, and lacing her fingers with his. The gray-haired man smiled, his irritation melting away almost instantly.
Their antics garnered various reactions from the residents of the inn.
Homura rolled his eyes but smiled, Uzume gave Miya a thumbs up, and Matsu snapped a picture with a camera.
"So, we just finished dinner, but since you finally got up, I can make you something to eat." Miya said.
"Don't worry, I'm not hungry right now." Takehito really wasn't hungry, but even if he was, the last thing he wanted was to leave his wife's embrace.
Suddenly, Miya felt something. It was rather odd. A warm feeling building up in her chest. Her face quickly grew flushed as the heat became more and more intense.
Her eyes widened as a sudden thought came to mind.
...Was she reacting to Takehito?
No, that couldn't be. As unfortunate as it was, Takehito did not have the genetic potential to be an Ashikabi. But…
Just one kiss and that'd settle the matter.
"Hey… Takehito?" Miya's breathing became slightly labored.
Just one kiss…
"Hm?" Takehito turned to face his wife. "Is something wro-"
He didn't get to finish as his wife's lips captured his own.
Then everything went white.
[-]
BGM: Steins;Gate 0 OST - Okabe's Defiance
Hiroto Minaka was many things, a crazy, flamboyant, goofy, a moron, but contradictory to that last one, above all else he was a genius. He was a man that had accomplished deeds that most can only dream of, and the company that he founded, MBI, Mid Bio Informatics, all but ruled the world.
He sat on a throne-like chair in the main office on the top floor of the MBI tower. He was a slender, bespectacled man with tall and spiky white hair. The man was practically wrapped in the color white as he wore a pure white suit with a white shirt underneath, a pair of white pants, gloves and robe.
He was the very same man behind the Sekirei Plan, a battle royal between the Sekirei and their Ashikabi to see who would reign in the Age of The Gods.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
The world seemed to shake as a giant pillar of light erupted from the northern section of the city.
His former wife, Takami Sahashi, a slender woman with grey hair and grey eyes, looked at the giant screen before them as if she'd seen death itself.
Hiroto, on the other hand, was not paying attention, he wasn't even panicked at the violent seismic event that rocked the tower. His mouth was set in a thin line, his usual goofy persona gone as he stared out the window looking at the pillar of light.
"That's not possible..." Takami muttered. "That's not possible! Miya… she's… she's..."
"Winged," Hiroto finished for her. "...I can see that."
Takami stared at him in shock at his reaction. At the very least she'd thought he would eat this up and start laughing like a madman now that Miya was a part of the Sekirei Plan.
As he started through the window, as the pillar's sheer power parted the clouds, his mind drifted back to a certain event.
"I can manually "invert" the force field of the Jinki… by doing so, it'll terminate only those who aren't a Sekirei or Ashikabi."
"Stop it Asama-kun! I didn't call you here to do something like that! You've done enough! Leave the rest to us and evacuate!"
"Minaka-Kun, you're a genius, but you really suck at being an adjuster and other delicate tasks, don't you? So I'm the only one who can control this situation and prevent it from reaching outside. In exchange, can you promise me one thing? Don't ever involve Number 01… Miya, into MBI's operations, and let her live as a human."
"...Yeah, I understand."
"...I'm sorry, Miya."
Hidden behind that glare of his glasses were Hiroto's very own scalding glare.
He respected and appreciated everything that Takehito had done for him, including saving his, and his former wife's life.
If there was anything Hiroto truly regretted in his life, it was that he could not be there to help raise his own children, and the sacrifice of the man he considered a friend... a sacrifice that had been his fault.
He spent nearly seventeen years up to this point, trying to find a way to wake up his fallen friend from termination even though he knew it was a lost cause. Termination was like a coma, the body persists, but the mind was gone, and there was no chance of awakening.
He abided by his Takehito's last words due to the respect he felt for the man, and the love that he shared with Number 01, Miya Asama, despite the fact he wasn't an Ashikabi. The fact that he wasn't one made him respect the love they shared even more, they came together, not through a reaction, but through pure genuine love.
Hiroto promised to keep Miya out of this, and he would for as long as he could… until the final round.
But this changed everything. She had… an Ashikabi now. It wasn't a forced winging, considering her vast strength and skill, even while limited, it would be impossible for that outcome.
He clenched his fist in anger and grit his teeth, as the beam of light transformed into twelve purple wings with dark red outlines.
A voice echoed throughout the city, brimming with pure and utter power, making sure the entire city knew that Number 01 had been winged.
"Behold the blade of this pillar and its pledge. With a swing of my sword, mountains shall crumble, tsunamis will ravage the land, fires will burn the sky, and naught but my Ashikabi shall be spared, for his nightmares will be slain."
So, who…
Who did she spit on Takehito's memory with!?
"Who is it..." Hiroto all but growled.
"T-That's the thing..." Takami stuttered.
Hiroto's eye twitched. "Who. Is. It?"
Takami paused, she had never seen Hiroto like this before. "It's… Takehito Asama."
Hiroto blinked. All the anger and tension in his body evaporated instantly.
Mechanically, he turned his head to face the giant screen.
Number 01: Miya Asama
Status: Winged
Ashikabi: Takehito Asama
And along with the man's name, was a picture of the very same man whose wife he was about to call in an airstrike on for being… what do the kids say nowadays? THOT? What a dumb acronym.
Either way, respect restored.
Now, onto the matter at hand.
"WHAT!?"
Chapter End.