Big shoutouts to my bros for helping me edit this chapter!
Chapter Three: All In Your Head
Takehito stared up at his wife. After the white flash he'd been knocked onto his back.
Miya looked down at him from above, her arms grasping the sides of his head. Her hair flowed with an invisible wind as her body emanated a purple aura of pure power. She smiled as her eyes stared into his with nothing but pure love and joy.
The feeling of the link established between them allowed her to feel her husband's emotions. His confusion, his surprise, but most importantly, the sheer amount of love he felt for her.
Tears of joy fell from her eyes. "...My Ashikabi… my husband."
Miya shot down and captured her husband's lips once again, pouring as much love and passion as she could into the act.
Her wings unleashed again, but in a far more controlled fashion, only filling the room instead of the entire northern section of the city.
Matsu looked on with her jaw dropped, as did Homura and Uzume.
"Uh..." Matsu continued to stare dumbfounded. "Illicit sexual activity in Izumo Inn is strictly forbidden."
Miya ceased her lip-locking and proceeded to give Matsu a bland look. "Overruled!"
She then continued where she left off.
"Okay, seriously! What!?" Uzume shouted.
"Agreed. What!?" Homura also shouted.
The TV turned on by itself showing the visage of Hiroto Minaka.
He cleared his throat. "What!?"
Matsu, Homura, and Uzume snapped their heads towards the TV. "You!?"
Takehito was able to get a single word out through his intense makeout session with his wife. "Mmm, who?"
Hiroto struck a dynamic pose. "It is I… Me!"
Everyone stopped and stared, even Miya who was previously all but trying to suck her husband's face off.
"What!?" They all exclaimed simultaneously.
BGM: Resident Evil 2 OST- Police Station, Main Hall
"Wonderful, I have your attention now!" Hiroto exclaimed. "It's been far too long Asama-kun! You're looking well for someone who woke up no less than sixteen hours ago looking like a skeleton. Rather energetic too."
Takehito shrugged from his supine position. "What can I say, Minaka-kun? I have youth on my side."
Hiroto let out a hearty laugh. "Hahahahaha! I wouldn't exactly call a man in his early forties youthful, but you haven't aged a day since the incident all those years ago."
"Wait, I'm in my what…?" Takehito quickly did the math in his head. "Shit! I'm forty-one!"
"Oh, hush, you look better than I did at your age!" Hiroto complained. "Now, onto the matter at hand..."
Takehito paid no attention to the glares everyone gave Minaka. "Is this about me winging, Miya?"
"That is one of the matters I called to discuss." He admitted. "...Firstly, I spent nearly seventeen years trying to wake you up… and you pick Christmas morning to waltz out of my facility as if you're trying to pull some Jesus nonsense while knocking out poor Takashi-san."
Everyone, aside from Takehito, stared in bewilderment. The crazy madman that wished to plunge the Sekirei and their Ashikabi into a battle royal for kicks had been trying to wake up Takehito this whole time!?
Takehito blinked. "Was that the guard I knocked out?"
"Yes! How could you be so cruel, Asama-kun!? He was going to enjoy Christmas with his friends."
"Is he alright?"
"Mild concussion, he'll live," Hiroto said dismissively. "It was amusing how embarrassed he was to be found in the bathroom stall with nothing but his underwear on."
Takehito smirked. "Hah!"
"Truly, it must be the work of the Heavens that you came back soon after I put the Sekirei Plan in motion!" Minaka exclaimed. "A wonderous, and unexpected event beyond any of my calculations "
Any good mood that Takehito had built up to that point had evaporated the moment the words "Sekirei Plan" left Hiroto's mouth.
It was like the temperature in the room had suddenly dropped a few degrees and everyone turned to face Takehito. His eyes had turned sharp and cold.
No one noticed it more than Miya. Her bond towards her Ashikabi let her feel the simmering but controlled rage he felt, as well as his disgust, and even resentment. There were the beginnings of confusion, then suddenly it all vanished into cold apathy.
"My, my, Asama-kun, those are some scary eyes you have." Hiroto put up a brave facade, but everyone saw the bead of nervous sweat fall from the side of his face.
Takehito let out a deep sigh. "You know, when I saw the date I thought you'd given up on this little game of yours, or at the very least gotten it over with. But no, you waited nearly seventeen years to piss me off."
"Now, now, don't be like that; it's just that we only recently hit the most optimal time to begin releasing the Sekirei into the world." Hiroto explained. "Over the course of the next few months I'll be slowly releasing Sekirei to give everyone better chances of finding their Ashikabi."
"I see..." Takehito said slowly. "...and what does this have to do with your call."
Hiroto almost looked offended but Takehito knew that wasn't the case; the man loved being dramatic.
"What, a man can't Skype his friend after he does the impossible!?"
Takehito blinked. "The hell is Skype?"
It was Hiroto's time to blink. "Oh shit, that's right. You got terminated a few months before the public beta was released. By the gods, there's so much you missed while you were napping!"
Takehito gave his estranged friend a bland look. "...I figured."
"Speaking of changes, your winging of Miya is quite the miracle!" The madman exclaimed. "Before the incident you didn't have the genetic qualities to become an Ashikabi, but now… is this due to the effects of the Jinki on a non-Ashikabi human? But that doesn't explain the..."
Takehito narrowed his eyes; had Hiroto found something?
"The what…?"
Hiroto's face took on a more serious expression. "It would be better if we were to discuss this matter in person."
"Like hell!" Miya yelled.
Takehito shrugged. "Sure."
"Takehito!" Miya yelled again.
"It'll be fine, as long as there's not a Jinki in the building, everything will be okay." He assured with a confident smile.
"Ah… then I probably shouldn't mention the Jinki that Matsu stole on her way out." Hiroto said with a cheeky smile.
"Eep!" Matsu jumped as she realized she could be seen by Hiroto.
Takehito lost his confident smile and stared at Matsu. "...What?"
"Uhhhh… heh heh heh..." Matsu laughed nervously while poking her fingers together. "It's uh… it's upstairs."
"Ah, wonderful," Takehito said with a smile devoid of warmth. "...Now, if you'll excuse me, I must run and scream as far away as I can from the Jinki's current vicinity."
Miya pinned her husband's arms to the ground before he could move.
She shot him a deadpan look. "Nope."
"...Okay."
"Speaking of that particular Jinki in question," Hiroto began. "Since it is now in the possession of a group of Sekirei - and an Ashikabi - I deem its possession tournament legal. What better place to have one of the Jinki than with the strongest pair?"
Takehito deadpanned. "I don't remember consenting to play your game, Minaka-kun."
"Oh, Asama-kun, you really should've read the fine print when you winged Miya." Hiroto mocked.
Takehito's eye twitched; he tolerated many things, but no one talked about his wife like that.
"Takami, I know you're there, smack him for me please." He snarled.
"Gladly!" A feminine voice said off-screen.
Thwack!
"Ow!" Hiroto shouted in pain. "T-That's mean, Takami-kun!"
"Thank you."
Takami shoved Hiroto out of the way, taking his place on screen. "You're welcome. Now, answers, immediately! How the fuck did you wake up!?"
Takehito shrugged. "Hell if I know."
"Have you even tried looking into this yet!?"
"Listen, Takami-kun, the moment I started hearing voices, having random images flash through my head, having skills I know I never had before and seeing reflection talk to me, I've been having these strange surges of apathy whenever I try to think about it." He explained. "It's like my mind hits a switch in my brain whenever I try thinking about the strange new things about myself and just stop caring."
Takami stared at him worriedly, as did everyone in the room.
"Honestly, I'm inclined to listen to whatever the hell my subconscious is telling me," He leaned up, kissing Miya on the cheek, making her smile at him as she let go of his arms. "Kind of got everything I want right here."
Takami sighed. "Asama-kun, while that's heartwarming and all, I think this is a pretty good reason for alarm."
"That's why I want him to come over!" Minaka yelled off-screen. "After I started noticing abnormalities in his body during the exams I conducted during his coma."
His words were met with deafening silence as everyone stared at the screen.
Homura was the first to speak up. "What do you mean by abnormalities…?"
Takami grabbed Minaka and put the mad scientist in frame once again.
"Not so rough, Takami-kun… so mean!" He complained.
"Out with it, dammit!" His ex-wife shouted.
Hiroto regained his composure. "I'll be blunt since it's obvious Matsu's expression of 'Wait, that wasn't in the database!' is so telling."
Takehito glanced at Matsu to see the very clear confused and shocked expression. Yeah, that checks out.
"Asuma-kun..." Hiroto looked him dead in the eyes. "You shouldn't be alive right now."
Whatever apathy switch nonsense had been going on previously with his questions had been drowned out by the intense dread he began to feel as the words left Hiroto's mouth. He felt his heartbeat quicken, his breath growing slightly erratic. His head began to throb as he fought the apathy trying to take over his mind.
It almost felt as if his mind was all but screaming at him to not ask the question...
...But he did. "What do you mean, I shouldn't be alive right now…?"
"You see, that's where things get disturbing..."
Matsu butted in. "Disturbing enough to remove the records from the database?"
Hiroto gave a solemn nod. "After 2006, I deemed the information too… uncomfortable for any inquisitive eyes. Since then, I've personally conducted the examinations myself, all my notes and findings have been hand-written and have been tucked away in my personal study."
"So, you want me to come over and pick them up?" Takehito guessed.
"Yes, that and I want to conduct one final examination before I let you go," Hiroto said.
"Alright, reasonable enough," Takehito nodded. "Now, what in the world did you find that has you so disturbed?"
Hiroto opened his mouth but he didn't say anything right away, as if looking for the right words to say it somewhat tactfully. Odd for a man more known for his insanity rather than subtlety.
The white-haired sighed, "Asama-kun, I found eyes in your brain."
And just like the last time, a deafening silence engulfed the room at his words.
"...What?"
"I… I first noticed them during your examination in 2005," Hiroto began. "It was just one… one. At least in the beginning. I thought it was a tumor at first. My conclusion was that the Jinki, due to terminating a non-Ashikabi human, which is not its purpose, caused some kind of brain cancer. I resolved to remove them myself, to give you more time to live through radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Then I opened up your skull, got to the… tumor… and…" Hiroto struggled with his words. "I saw an eye staring back at me."
Takehito sat up, Miya sitting up with him. He turned and faced the TV displaying Hiroto's face.
"Eyes…?"
Eyes…
The words in itself struck a chord with him. A very deep chord from the darkest reaches of his mind.
BGM: Resident Evil 2 Remake OST - Fear Again
"Our eyes are yet to open. Fear the Old Blood."
The image of an old, decrepit man in a rocking chair, dressed in tattered white and blue robes, on his head was a hat that made him look like a pope, but this hat was connected to an ornate metal blindfold that obscured his sight.
"As you once did for the vacuous Rom, grant us eyes, grant us eyes. Plant eyes on our brains, to cleanse our beastly idiocy."
His head throbbed as another image entered it.
An odd-looking man with a cage over his head. He was dressed in scholarly looking robes, his eyes were sunken and gave off an unhinged feeling.
"Ugh… dammit!" He cursed as the pain got more intense, closing his eyes, and grabbing his head in a vain effort to soothe the pain.
"Takehito!" He heard everyone shout, but the loud noises just made everything hurt more.
Suddenly, it stopped.
"...H-Huh?"
He opened his eyes.
...And eyes stared back.
Eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes.
On the floor, the walls, the ceiling, the table. Eyes everywhere.
Where had everyone gone? Where was Miya!?
The eyes all locked onto Takehito simultaneously. Even without eyelids, he could feel the intent behind their accusing stare.
"Why did you ask?"
The question repeated itself over and over again.
"Why did you ask?"
The instinctual knowing became actual whispers that seemed to come from each and every corner of the room.
"Why did you ask?"
They grew louder and louder.
"Why did you ask?"
Louder and louder.
"Why did you ask?"
Takehito covered his ears, and shook his head.
"Why did you ask?"
Louder and louder.
"Shut up… Shut up..."
"Why did you ask?"
Louder and louder.
"Shut up!" Tears began to fall from his eyes as it only got louder.
It was unbearable, deafening, his head continued to pound without mercy as the damning question continued to be blared throughout the room.
"Why did you ask?"
Louder and louder.
Arms reached out from the shadows trying to grab and claw at him.
"Help… help me, please…!" His head felt like it would explode, all he could do was plead pitifully for aid that he would never receive.
"WHY DID YOU ASK!?"
"Takehito!"
It stopped. Everything stopped.
The eyes were gone. The voices were gone. He was back with everyone, Uzume, Matsu, Homura, and even Miya was back.
Miya had her hand on his shoulder.
The realization of what just happened and the relief that it was all over hit him like a truck.
Even in his blurred vision, he could see the horrified looks everyone gave him.
His breathing was erratic, tears continued to stream from his eyes as the horror of what he just witnessed was still fresh in his mind.
"Oh dear God..." He whispered. "Oh God, what the fuck was that!?"
Miya hugged him from behind, her warmth calming him down to some extent. He stared at the floor with a somewhat blank look.
"...Takehito, are you alright?" Uzume asked, highly concerned with what just happened.
Miya held onto her husband tighter, the emotional bond they shared letting her feel the sheer terror Takehito felt.
"I'm okay. I'm okay now." The doctor repeated. "I am okay."
"You were hallucinating, weren't you?" Hiroto asked.
Takehito took a deep breath. "...Yes, Minaka-kun."
"I assume I'll see you tomorrow for the examination."
His hair shadowed his bleak expression. "...I'll see you there."
"Takami will be there to pick you up tomorrow morning. Good night and… Merry Christmas, old friend."
The TV shut off and all remained silent.
The residents of Izumo Inn stared at the shaking Takehito as Christmas had turned into a far more somber affair than expected.
[-]
BGM: Resident Evil 2 OST - Save Room
As promised, Takami was there to pick up Takehito the next day. She was in the backseat of a limo, dressed in her usual lab outfit. White lab coat over a dress shirt and tie, with a pair of black slacks.
She lounged in the back seat, her eyes giving off an air of melancholy as she saw Takehito exit the doors of Izumo Inn, his wife close behind. She saw Number 01 grab her husband's hand, making him turn around to see her well-founded worried look. Takehito kissed his wife, unleashing her wings, and hugged her lovingly as he kissed her again on the top of her head.
Their embrace ended and Takehito entered the car, and it was obvious something about the man had shifted.
His gray-blue eyes turned cold and sharp. Not like how it happened with her ex-husband last night but more… apathetic, like he sort of died on the inside.
Takami suppressed a shiver; Takehito was never like this before. To see him like this just felt… wrong.
Silence reigned as she took in his features.
He hadn't aged a single since she saw him last. He wore his old turtleneck sweater and sweatpants… the very same things he wore when he "died".
Though Takami took special precautions with this, even if it was all but impossible for the Jinkis to act up, she had them moved to secure locations around the city. She would not lose her friend, not a second time.
The silence weighed heavily as steel-gray eyes stared back at cold gray-blue.
"...You need a haircut." She said, finally breaking the silence.
He smirked. There, a small amount of life back in his eyes.
"Nah, I'll keep it like this, Miya seems to like it, and besides..." His smirk turned into a slight grin. "It grew on me."
Takami let out a long groan. "You haven't changed at all."
"Glad to see my puns are still causing more suffering than that little trick I taught Miya."
The car finally started moving and the mood lightened, and while she did want to keep it that way…
"Asama-kun, are you alright?" she asked.
Takehito opened his mouth, but nothing came out. His eyes moved around the car's interior as he searched for the right words.
"I'm… managing." He finally answered. "I haven't had any… episodes since it happened to me last night. Everyone's really worried about me now."
Takami nodded. "I suppose this is the best we could hope for. I'm surprised Miya let you go so easily."
Takehito snorted. "She didn't. Long story short, I've got a long list of promises to keep when I get back."
Takami smiled; things were at least going very well between the two reunited lovers. She knew just how much they loved each other. Miya had been over the moon and then some when Takehito had proposed to her. After they had gotten married, Takami had made sure to stop by and check in on things… mostly to give Takehito shit for increasing her workload. She hadn't been able to ignore the hints of self-loathing in his eyes…
She could guess what that was. Takehito loved Miya without question, but Miya was a Sekirei. An alien being from beyond the stars that came to Earth seeking their "Destined One" or Ashikabi, humans with unique genetic information, to form an emotional bond with them in the form of a "Winging" which was the most sacred thing to the Sekirei as a species. The emotional bond they forged through winging basically completes them on both a physical and psychological level.
As unfortunate as it was, Takehito did not have the genetic information to be an Ashikabi… he could not give Miya the very thing her kind longed for most.
…She could only imagine how much that ate him up on the inside. How many nights he must've spent, just staring at the ceiling cursing himself for not being able to give the woman he loved what she needed.
…Until now that is.
"I assume you read the files." Takehito said. "So, give me the details, how bad was it?"
Takami bit her lip. Yes, she had read the files, and they were…
"Disturbing to say the least." She was blunt.
Takehito let out a humorless laugh. "Hah… I'm in for a treat."
The rest of the drive was silent for the most part. Due to traveling by car, or this in case, limo, the trip to the MBI tower only took a half-hour.
They made a bee-line to Hiroto's main office at the top of the building, the elevator ride just as silent.
The mood drastically changed the moment they stepped into Hiroto's office.
It looked more like the modern interpretation of an evil lair than an actual office, but then again, Hiroto Minaka wasn't known for being normal. For God's sake, the man wore a Kamen Rider outfit when he and his ex-wife first explored Kamikura Island.
The glasses of the very man Takehito came to see glinted brightly, as if reflecting the man's own excitement.
"Asama-kun!" Hiroto exclaimed joyfully as he hugged his estranged friend. "It's been too long."
Many mixed feelings rushed through Takehito's head. Anger, resentment, bitterness, disappointment, bafflement. It was mostly negative but in the end he himself didn't really know how to feel about the man.
Awkwardly he returned the hug. "...Yeah."
The following examination was rather standard considering the flamboyantly and eccentricity of the man he'd once been proud to call a friend.
The first was a physical, they made checks on his eyesight, height, weight, blood pressure. Takehito weighed more than what he weighed before the coma, the extra muscle he'd gained from… whatever regenerative nonsense his body was going through wasn't for show. Hell, this morning when he woke up, he was packing even more muscle.
He was taller than before, being a little over six foot five compared to his five foot eleven before. His blood pressure was a little on the high scale of things, but nothing too alarming.
His eyesight was what really got heads turning.
"...This can't be right." Takami muttered. "This goes far beyond 20/20 vision."
The typical eyes test involved a chart with letters on it being put a twenty-foot distance away from the patient and reading the designated letters which got smaller the further down the chart one went. One eye was covered while reading to gauge the effectiveness of each eye.
Takehito surprised both Hiroto and Takami by reading the entire poster, showing each eye had equal effectiveness without any mistakes. This lead to a series of other, more minor tests, to see the extent of his vision. These extra tests involved testing how far his field of vision could go as well as his peripheral vision. The results of these were startling; every single one of them was passed without fail. He had superhuman levels of vision, such clarity that he could make out even the most minute of details. The strangest thing was that he didn't even notice how amazing his vision was, like he'd been seeing the world like this for his entire life and it was not the slightest bit noteworthy.
Next was the blood test, simple and easy. Hiroto drew a few small vials of blood. Takami knew what he'd find if the files she read were any indication. But while he made his checks it was her duty to have him go through the CT scan, as well as an additional MRI scan to check on how his body is reacting to his rapid regeneration of lost muscle tissue.
Sure, MBI had their own regenerative technologies. After all, they brought Karasuba back from the brink of death after Miya flipped her shit when the Black Sekirei brought her Takehito's lab coat, with only a tiny scar remaining.
Takehito on the other hand had no such access to advanced medical technology as theirs at the time. Yet his body regenerated all his lost muscle mass and then some.
A biologically impossible feat. Not to mention how he was able to function in his deteriorated state with little issue for at least two to three hours, and the complete lack of impact to his motor skills.
Thanks to said advanced medical technology both scans took less than a half-hour to perform. The results were no less disturbing than before but she'd leave Takehito to deal with this before her headaches and existential dread came back.
Once the tests were done they just had to wait for Hiroto to finish up the blood test.
"...I don't want to know what's on those papers and scans, do I?" Takehito questioned. "Your face says it all."
Takami sighed. "If it weren't the fact that I knew you'd find out about this through your own means sooner or later, I'd burn everything we found in a fire and toss the ashes to seven winds."
Takehito shook his head. "Well, at least I'll be able to figure something out sooner."
Takami gave her former co-worker a look. "...I hope so."
After a few more minutes Hiroto came into the room, a rather sizable binder in his hands. It was completely filled; he saw some notes sticking out which were obviously handwritten. Though his patented mad scientist smile was still plastered on his face… he had an air of inevitability around him.
"Well Asama-kun, here's everything." He held out the large binder. "Remember, if you need anything I can provide to help resolve your condition I will do everything I can to help you."
Takehito took the binder from Hiroto's hands. It felt heavy, far more than its contents would imply. But maybe that was just him.
He nodded. "Thank you."
And with that he made his way back out, Takami escorting him. The halls of the tower felt so familiar yet different. It was sort of a nostalgic feeling. Extremely odd since it felt like yesterday he was racing up this very same tower in order to find out just what Hiroto fucked up this time. Why would he feel a sense of nostalgia about this place…? It didn't matter it-
He paused mid-step.
This time he noticed it, that surge of apathy.
Takehito gulped, feeling a pit in his stomach. That had been the first time he'd consciously noticed it. He knew he wasn't the kind of person to just brush things off like that. He'd been one of the most curious people during the initial discovery of the Sekirei. Always asking questions, always looking for answers. Now…
"You alright, Asama-kun?" Takami asked, worriedly.
BGM: Persona 5 OST - Alleycat
Takehito glanced at the binder tucked in his arm, it felt just a slight bit heavier. "...I'm working on it."
As Takehito was about to leave the building he saw someone. Someone familiar that he knew quite well.
She was a tall woman, taller than him before his recent growth. Her hair was long but pulled into a ponytail; a light gray color nearly to the point one would debate whether it was gray or silver. She wore the uniform of the first generation Disciplinary Squad; an extremely abbreviated kimono reaching only to her upper thighs and bordering on indecently high. She had on black thigh-high stiletto boots leaving some rather appealing absolute territory. Over her shoulders was a haori with the Sekirei Crest printed on it.
Her gray eyes widened as they locked onto his. Her lips parted giving her a dumbfounded look, as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.
Takehito walked up to the woman, barely giving any mind to the nodachi in her hand.
"A-Asama-kun!?" Takami exclaimed as she saw him diverge from their path.
The former MBI researcher waved, a big smile on his face. "Hey, Karasuba, long time no see!"
The Black Sekirei continued to stare at the man in front of her.
Takehito leaned in closer, noticing the bags under her eyes. "Have you been having trouble sleeping again?"
Karasuba blinked. "I… uh… ah… s-something like that, I guess? I don't sleep as much as I used to."
Takehito sighed. "Come on Karasuba, we talked about this… about sixteen years ago..." his eyes widened. "Ah, shit! I missed so many of your Birthdays!"
"...It's fine."
"Like hell it's fine! I have sixteen Birthday cakes I need to bake now!"
Karasuba's face turned green slightly. "No! ...I-I mean, you really don't have to."
Takami stared at the… phenomenon unfolding before her. The poster child of sadomasochism was now distressed in the face of a forty-year-old man greeting her like an old friend.
...Those cakes though. Takami could only imagine the horrors he created considering Takehito was practically useless at anything other than lab work.
"U-Uhh..." Karasuba's eyes locked with Takami's.
Using her incredible speed, she closed the distance between her and Takami and began dragging her into the elevator.
"K-Karasuba, what the hell!?" Takami shouted.
Karasuba flashed Takehito her usual carefree smile. "Don't worry about us, Doctor Asama, I just need to have a chat with her for a bit."
And with that, the elevator doors closed.
"I should be worried." Takehito said as he stared at the now-closed doors. "But I'm more irritated my ride is gone."
Takehito sighed as he exited the MBI tower; it didn't really matter much as he could use the walk to refamiliarize himself with the city a bit more.
It was still snowing; the weather forecast said it wouldn't stop until early January. He was still stuck in his turtleneck and sweatpants. Cozy but not really equipped for the biting cold that easily dipped under twenty degrees.
He should've been shivering but it felt normal, almost pleasant. Another odd thing.
His stride took him through the streets of what was once called Tokyo.
The city felt odd, even more so than the first time he prowled the streets after waking up. It felt too clean… too populated… too bright. While in the darkness, he felt on guard at all times but he also felt in control. The light felt wrong in a way. It made him feel exposed, vulnerable. He had to actively stop himself from traversing the city through the many dark alleys.
He noticed other things as he walked.
One of the main oddities was how he carried himself. He walked with a grace and fluidity that he knew he never possessed. How he walked through crowds of people rarely ever getting touched. How his left hand instinctively held itself as if he was holding a gun. How his eyes trailed the sides of buildings as if there was something that should've been there.
The closer he got to his home, the heavier the binder felt. As if its secrets were far too much for him to bear.
Finally, he made it back to Izumo Inn.
"I'm home!" He announced as he entered, taking off his shoes.
"Ah, Takehito, you're back!" He heard the voice of Matsu greet him. "Matsu was worried, you were gone longer than expected."
Matsu's garnet-colored eyes locked on to the binder tucked under his arm.
"Oh, you got the files!" Matsu reached for them, but Takehito took a step out of her reach.
The wisdom Sekirei blinked. "T-Takehito?"
He opened his mouth. "I-I… uh..." There was no use trying to lie to Matsu, despite her nickname of Hentai-Glasses, and her general demeanor, Takehito held no illusions of deceiving her.
Matsu was the most powerful brain-type Sekirei for a reason; she was, without question, the smartest being on Earth. Trying to get one over her… well, you'd very stupid for even thinking about it.
"I… want to read through this myself… alone." Takehito said truthfully. "I want to know just what is wrong with myself before I show anyone whatever is in here."
Matsu gave him a worried look. "Are you sure? Matsu can help..."
He gulped thickly. "I'm sure. I just have this pit in my stomach, this nervousness, it's… I feel like I have to do this alone."
Matsu held her stare for a few moments longer before nodding. "Okay… okay, Matsu understands."
"Thank you, Matsu."
The Wisdom Sekirei closed the distance and hugged Takehito. "Just promise Matsu that you won't hide anything from us, okay? We're all here for you."
"...I promise, Matsu."
She held onto Takehito tighter for a few more moments before abruptly letting go, turning around rather quickly.
"M-Matsu needs to go now!" She quickly started walking towards the stairs. "Matsu will tell Miya you're back home!"
Takehito stared at her retreating form until she had left his line of sight… that was odd.
He glanced at the blinder, time to see what the actual hell was going on with him. He slid open the door to the living room and stepped in.
BGM: Silent Hill 2 OST - Devil's Call
He froze.
There were people in the living room, gathered around the table. They weren't residents of the inn… but they all had his face.
They were dressed in Victorian clothing, covered in blood, burns, lacerations, teeth marks… the longer he looked the more mutilated these men seemed. Their clothes were also shredded and covered in blood, making it incredibly difficult to discern who was who, so instead, Takehito, as morbid as it was, decided to differentiate between the three through noticeable wounds or anything that really stood out.
On the table was a teapot and all three had a steaming cup of tea in front of them.
The first mutilated copy was the least injured, he had teeth marks on his chest and arms. His right hand was burnt completely black, but the most noticeable thing was the noose tied tightly around his neck.
He'd call this one The Noose.
The second had half his face melted off, exposing the skull. He had a fist-sized hole in his chest along with what looked like many bullet wounds in his torso.
He'd call this one The Heart.
The final one had his skull crushed, but it looked like it happened from the inside out, less like it was crushed, and more like it burst open violently exposing a generous amount of gray matter. His left eyeball hung out of its socket yet he paid no mind to it as if it was of little consequence. The right side of his torso looked like it had been ripped off violently, displaying his ribcage was desperately trying to keep his organs inside.
He'd call this one The Brain.
The Brain turned to face him, his one good eye staring back at him.
"Oi! It's about bloody time you got here!" He spoke with an English cockney accent.
"Well, the man of honor finally graces us with his glorious presence." The Heart spoke with a heavy Japanese accent.
The Noose waved at him. "Hey, come on, sit down, have some tea, we were just about to start the game."
The Noose spoke Japanese instead unlike the other two.
Takehito's eyes scanned the three horrible mutated versions of himself with confusion, but for some reason felt neither disgust or horror at the gruesome sight.
He did as instructed, sitting next to The Noose. He set the binder off to the side as a cup of tea was placed in front of him.
Takehito's expression turned slightly apprehensive. "A-Ah, I uh… I don't really drink tea, sorry."
The Brain shot him a look. "Doesn't drink tea… what kind of self-respecting hunter doesn't drink tea!?"
Takehito raised an eyebrow. "...Hunter?"
"Nothing!" They all exclaimed at once.
"Now," The Heart began raising his arms, showing a deck of playing cards. "Let's have some fun. Texas Hold'em."
Ah, that was what Takehito and Seo played together a lot during college when they were bored as all hell.
The Heart delt the cards to each of them. On impulse, Takehito took a sip of his tea, black tea. It was good.
He picked up his cards, and stared at the other versions of himself.
...This was going to be anything but a normal afternoon.
Chapter End.