Hello! Hello! It is good to be back. I'm returning with a decently long chapter this time so hopefully this makes up for the break. I really think you guys will enjoy this one. It is setting up some big things so the excitement is about to ramp up in the story.
Also, we are getting close to the next harem member joining, which I know many of you are looking forward too! And speaking of the harem, I have officially decided the full harem, well outside of one, and I've decided that I want the readers to pick the last member!
IMPORTANT: If you wish to help select the last member of the harem then please go ahead and go to my profile. I'll be putting up a poll with the options I have narrowed it down too. Please don't be discouraged if your favorite girl isn't there, it could mean that she has already made the harem.
Next, I am also considering doing a one-shot for Sekirei or another harem franchise, featuring a one-on-one relationship. If you have any specific ships or concepts you want to see, such as Miya or Beni, please leave them in the reviews. I know what you're thinking, I barely upload but I want to do a one-shot. Well, I think writing other things in between these chapters can help motivate me to write more! So, I hope you guys will give me some ideas.
Lastly as I noted I do have the full harem decided. Let me know if you guys want to me put a full list of the members in the next chapter or leave it as a surprise. I think both have their positives, so I want your guys' input. Okay, that's all for announcements, so onto reviews!
Xerzo LotCN- Yeah Minato had it a bit rough there, but it was partially his fault. Poor Yomi for sure though. Also, you're right that it was Kuu's park, but it may not be exactly the park from the show or manga. You'll just have to see what I have in store for that little Sekirei. And just wait, more waifus are on the way.
ErwinG'Arc- Wow, I appreciate all the reviews, they always mean a lot. I can see why people wouldn't like Seo as a character, but I think he is a somewhat integral part of Sekirei, and he'll play a good role in my story. But hopefully I can redeem him a bit! And yes, I do really love Karasuba but she will in no way take over and leave the other girls out to dry. No matter what each will get their proper development and attention, which I hope I display in this chapter. Once more thank you for all the love.
BangSplatt- Thank you, thank you. I hope this chapter is just as good!
HairyLimey- Here you are my good sir.
Majin Othinus- Thank you for the well wishes. Here is the chapter you asked for. I hope to have another out in the next few weeks at the latest!
- Thank you for the kind words. I'm glad you're enjoying the story.
Okay that's all for the reviews so now onto the chapter!
A day after the big spar between Akitsu and Yomi, Minato sat on the couch once more pouring over the notes he took of the engagement as well as postings he had found online of other potential Sekirei encounters. The two lovely women in his life were out on a shopping trip, each given a list of things to buy from Minato. If he had to guess, they had insisted on separate lists so they could have yet another competition for his praise.
'Good to know that the disaster of yesterday hasn't dampened either of their spirits', Minato thought with a small chuckle. He took that thought as a chance to rub his eyes and look up from his work, frustration at both his lack of information and what to do with what little he had, getting to him.
There were so few posts online related to anything extraordinary occurring in Shinto. A few blog posts here and there mentioning seeing women jump inhumanly high and one describing a crazy chick with a giant hammer strolling through downtown. But there was nothing about concrete abilities or videos of any kind he could access, which was incredible considering the few instances he had with Sekirei himself were out in the public. If anything, it just proved how serious this game was.
"Haaa, MBI must be monitoring things online. Not letting anything leak out into the public. Damn that's frustrating," the young Sahashi spoke out into the void. "And now I know it's not like I can ask Yomi or Akitsu about any of the others either."
From what Minato had already gotten from them last night when they woke up, it seemed MBI wanted the game to be a bit surprising early on. Apparently the Sekirei had been mostly kept away from each other during their so-called "tuning" phase. Meaning none of them really knew the others capabilities. All they knew for sure were two things. Every Sekirei had physical abilities that far surpassed that of a human, but the extent of that could vary Sekirei to Sekirei. And two, single digits were rumored to be extremely powerful, possibly even tiers above the rest of the numbers outside of maybe a select few.
"And none of that info really helps me considering I need to know exactly what the fuck we'll be fighting in order to prepare," frustration leaked out into Minato's voice as he stared once more at his notes.
The mock battle had given him at least some insight into how different the physical capabilities of Sekirei were, but it gave him nothing on the powers of the other Sekirei. His mind had wandered to other options such as running if preparing for fights wasn't working, but he doubted that would work considering who the game master was.
"There's no way in hell Minaka and MBI is letting anyone out of this. Already made that threat plenty clear when he said participation wasn't optional after I winged Akitsu," Minato continued to voice his thoughts. "I wonder how they would enforce such a rule. Do they have some sort of device planted in the Sekirei? Or maybe it's just psychological warfare?"
As the man of science was about to deep dive into a string of hypotheses and theories that he had no way of proving, his thought process was cut off by the ring of his cellphone.
"Ah, Minato Sahashi speaking."
"MINATO! Oh, how I missed your voice my beloved grandson," a loud shout greeted Minato as he picked up, one that snapped him from the delusions that only a fellow mad scientist would find normal.
"Ow, Oba-chan no need to shout on the phone," the young man winced away from the loud noise taking a second for his ear drum to stop ringing.
"Oh, I'm so sorry my dear, I just got excited is all. It's been so long since we've last talked and I just miss you. I thought I would die if I went another day, no another second without hearing from you."
The voice belonging to Minato's grandmother rang with a mixture of adoration and mock poutiness as she answered, causing a wide smile to appear on his face as he shook his head from amusement. Before he had met Akitsu and Yomi she was the only person that ever made him feel really loved and could get him to smile like that.
"It's only been a few weeks you know. I'm pretty sure you would have lived just fine," Minato responded with a bit of playful scolding. A lot of the previous stress he was shouldering seemed to lift off him as he leaned back into the couch, the smile on his face only growing wider.
A small 'hmph' that you would expect out of a young girl rather than an old woman in her seventies came from the other side of the call. "And that is a few weeks too long! I always want to know what my little hero is up too. Plus, I'm so lonely here by myself."
Laughter escaped from the younger Sahashi as the woman spoke, his eyes displaying the youthful glee he always felt when talking with his pseudo-mother.
"Your little hero huh? I thought you had retired that nickname when I went into high school? And you wouldn't be so lonely if you actually tried to hang out with the other women in town you know," Minato continued to playfully scold the woman who raised him. "Also, you have Yukari there, she's more than enough trouble to keep you busy."
His response got another 'hmph' in response as the older woman continued on with her charade. "Well, if any of the other women in town were as fun as me I would, but they're all bores. And yes, my little hero. Just because I don't call you it as much anymore doesn't mean you ever stopped being it," her voice gained a bit of a teasing edge towards the end that caused Minato to roll his eyes slightly. Though almost immediately afterwards her words gained a bit of seriousness to them that startled the young man a bit. "And speaking of Yukari, that's actually why I called."
"Huh, what about her?", he questioned with confusion lacing his voice. He had just talked to her maybe a month ago to congratulate her on graduating high school, he doubted anything major could have happened in that short of time to warrant a call.
"Well, I doubt you're going to like this and she begged me not to tell you, but your sister is planning on coming to Shinto in a few weeks," the old woman said with such seriousness he thought it sounded like someone had died.
"Oh, she's visiting? Uh, well that's not too big of a deal, I guess. But I don't know how much I can show her around, I'm kind of swamped with stuff. Even with university being delayed I still have work and-", Minato began before being cut off, a rare thing for his grandmother to do to him.
"No, Minato, you misunderstood. She's not visiting. She's planning on moving into the city."
The words made Minato freeze for a second to process them. His sister had just graduated high school and she already wanted to move out of their hometown.
"Why?"
"Mm she didn't say her exact reason why, but it's not too hard to guess considering you live there. I tried to put my foot down and make her change her mind, but you know how us Sahashi's are, once we decide on something there's no stopping us. I mean just think back to the time you and your mother butted heads over you going to Shinto, I thought blood might get spilled."
For a few moments silence filled the call as Minato replayed the words in his head. A brief flash of anger passed into his mind, knowing his sister was doing this to get closer and try to control his life. It honestly pissed him off, why couldn't his mom and sister just leave him the hell alone, they had to fight him on everything.
The young Sahashi took a deep breath to calm his growing anger before responding, "When is she getting here?"
"A little over three weeks from now. She saved up enough from her part-time job to get a train ticket and rent a place there for a few months. Seems she was really serious about this."
Another small silence occurred as Minato processed the information, before his grandmother spoke again. "I'll make sure to tell her not to give you too much trouble. I know-" though this time Minato interrupted her.
"I'll handle it."
"Hm? You don't want me to say anything?" she asked with a bit of confusion.
"No. I'll deal with her. I'm not going to rely on you pacifying her forever. I'll make sure she knows not to interfere in my life," Minato replied with a sternness to his voice that caused a smile to form on his grandmother's face.
"Hm hm, okay. I know you'll be able to handle her, just wanted to make it a bit easier on you. I know life is hectic. Especially with that lovely woman you told me all about. Any new developments? Hopefully I'm not expecting any great grandbabies anytime soon, right?"
His grandmother's words caused Minato's cheeks to gain a bit of redness as a chuckle escaped his lips. He really could never stay mad when talking with her. "No, no great grandbabies any time soon trust me. Um, but there is something new I wanted to tell you about."
"Oh, really? What is it dear?"
"Well, you see, hm how do I say this. I uh met another girl and well um. Well, we've sort of became...Well, she is also-", the young man floundered for a moment for the right words to say before he stopped speaking when he heard a small chuckle from the other side of the line.
"Minato,", even with just the singular word Minato could tell she understood causing most of the tension he had felt about the situation to dissolve. "Whatever you and those girls decide I am fine with. I know you, and I know you would never hurt someone like that. You don't need to explain."
"I... thank you Oba-chan. I just didn't want to disappoint you. I want to make you proud of the man you raised,", Minato's words were softer than normal as he spoke. It would be clear to anyone that this woman's opinion of him meant more than anything in the world.
"Minato, my dear, you will never disappoint me. I know that as a fact. You are the brightest, most thoughtful young man, and you are going to do amazing things in life. I know it okay. I will always be proud of you, just make sure you live for yourself too okay."
Her words held a tone that could only be had by someone who held an intense motherly care for another and they caused what little tension was left in Minato's body to evaporate.
"I will Oba-chan. I love you."
"I love you too. I have to go now, looks like Yukari's home. Call me again soon okay, I really do miss you!"
Minato chuckled a bit, promising to call more frequently, before ending the call. Afterwards he took a moment to just fully lean back into the couch, his eyes finding the ceiling and his mind wandering a bit. A small smile found its way onto his lips as he repeated his grandmother's words in his head.
He was lost in thought for just a moment when the front door burst open with a loud bang and a yell, startling the young man out of his seat. As he looked over, his eyes met a slightly gasping Yomi in front of an unwinded Akitsu, both women having their arms loaded with bags.
"GOT BACK FIRST!" Yomi shouted with a triumphant smile between breathes. "HA!"
Her words caused the smile to return to Minato's lips as he shook his head in amusement at the two women's antics.
'I really am one lucky guy to have such great people in my life. Guess I'll just have to prove I deserve it.' the young man thought fondly as he moved to help the women unload what he was sure was more groceries than he had written down. They definitely went overboard.
….
Minato's grandmother wore a large smile when she hung up the call with her favorite person in the world. Her own daughter always joked around how she seemed to favor Minato from the day he was born, and she couldn't exactly say it wasn't true. She often wondered if that made her a bad mother.
"Ah Sahashi-sama, I presume you just got off a call with Minato, did he tell you about the new girl like you said he would?" a masculine voice interrupted her musings.
The old woman's eyes flicked up to meet the gaze of a familiar young man, a softer smile replacing the larger one on her face. "Hm hm, and what gave you that impression?"
A small chuckle came from the young man as he answered, "You only ever smile like that when talking with him. Or when you hear something bad has happened to Minaka, so I assumed the most obvious."
His words got a small laugh of their own as the woman gestured for him to sit in front of her. While the younger man took his seat in the chair, she took the time to pour some tea that had been sitting on the desk into a cup, sliding it towards him.
"He did tell me about her, it was cute, I haven't heard that boy nervous in years. But more importantly it's good to see you in person again Ren, it's been so long."
"Sorry about that, life has been crazy with the business and I didn't have a lot of free time to socialize before you asked for help. I hope you'll forgive me Sahashi-sama," the young man's words held a clear respect as he spoke.
"No need to be so formal Ren, Kuroka will do just fine," her words getting a small nod before she continued. "So how has it been in Shinto? I know Minato has been well, but are there any updates involving that abhorred game?"
"Yes Kuroka-sama, that's actually why I wanted to meet in person," as the younger man spoke, he pulled out an envelope from his jacket. "Please take a look, minor warning though, they're a little um graphic."
The oldest Sahashi quickly grabbed the envelope, pulling out several photos from inside. As she flipped through them her face gained a look of disgust. All of the photos had bodies, or what was left of them, mangled and sliced in ways that only a psychopath would be mentally capable of. Some of them were hanging from the walls, others in such tiny pieces they were only distinguishable by the fact their heads were near them.
"Those are photos of number four's most recent activities. From what we've gathered they're mostly American mercenaries, though there were two Japanese politicians among the carnage," the man's voice didn't even waver as he spoke about the deaths. "Yukido Hashida and Keiichi Noda, they were the most outspoken individuals against MBI's recent monopolization and acquisition of Shinto."
After looking at the last photo Kuroka sat them face down on her desk, her eyes locking onto the desk for a moment before she gave a brief nod for Ren to continue.
"We determined that they were working with the American government to attempt to get information on MBI. Similar to the event that happened a few years back where one of the Sekirei were taken, I guess they were hoping to find something to expose them."
Ren took a moment of pause to take a sip of tea and let the woman in front of him process the information before continuing.
"The guess is that Minaka is taking care of any last loose ends before he really kicks off the game. Our contact in MBI reported that the tuning phase for the last few Sekirei has been completed, and they're set to release the last half. On top of that with Shinto having been officially bought out, they'll be working on closing off the city sometime in the future. Seems like they don't want any of their Sekirei trying to escape the game."
There was a brief silence after Ren finished speaking, the room's other occupant taking a moment to process everything and mull over his words. After a while her eyes finally broke from their place on her desk and met his once more. "Do we know what the first phase of the plan is?"
"Yes and no. It is mainly going to be about the Sekirei finding their Ashikabi and winging themselves. Nothing else has really been planned, but knowing Minaka and how much he enjoys surprises I doubt there won't be something extra in store."
The lack of information disappointed the woman quite a bit, but a small setback wouldn't stop her from helping Minato. "Okay, tell our contact to keep his ears open for any updates. I want to know as soon as possible what's going on so we can prepare."
Her words got a nod of understanding from the younger man. For a moment his eyes shifted away from the woman before he seemed to regain his nerve and spoke, "There was something else as well, Kuroka-sama."
The woman gestured for him to continue, uttering a small 'go on', along with it.
Ren took a deep breath before continuing, "During my surveillance I noticed that number four has been watching Minato."
A confused look came over Kuroka's face at the news, her eyes flicking over to the photos sat on her desk, before flicking back to the clearly nervous Ren.
"Do you know why?" her words carried a tone that could scare even the most hardened of men, a clear sense of malice filling the room.
Ren took a moment to clear his throat before answering, "No, since she only takes orders from Minaka and Takami its impossible to know why. Though she has kept her distance, and it's only been a few times which is why I'm only telling you now."
For a second Ren thought he might not make it out of the room as Kuroka seemingly stared into his very soul. He felt like a pressure was hitting his shoulders and forcing him down, before finally her face turned back to the normal soft smile she wore. The younger man took a moment to calm his breathing, his hand gripping his chest a little. 'Fuck me, why do all you Sahashi's have to be so scary.'
"Okay, but I want to know if you see it happening again. With her, uh track record, I don't want her around Minato unless I know. Understood?" Kuroka spoke with the softer more friend voice she usually used when not discussing business or terrifying someone to near heart attack.
"Yes ma'am."
"Good. Now if there is nothing else, would you like to stay for a bit? I'd love to catch up and hear about your exploits before you went to Shinto."
A small chuckle of exasperation escaped Ren at how easy the woman in front of him could change tones, before he shook his head and stood up. "I wish I could but my train back to Shinto leaves in an hour. How about a rain check?"
"Of course, dear. You know it's always a pleasure to see you. Let me know when you get back to Shinto okay? And keep me updated."
Ren gave a small affirmative to her requests before exiting out of the room, leaving the older woman alone once more. Her thoughts went over the conversation, picking out details to replay, as her eyes wandered until both were caught by a picture sitting on her desk. In it was a younger version of herself alongside a little boy and girl, each with a large grin on their face.
For a while a soft smile played on her lips, her mind getting caught up in old memories, until her eyes drifted to the face down photos on her desk. A sigh escaped as she shoved them into a drawer in her desk, before turning once more towards the photo. "Takami, what are you doing?"
Right after she spoke the words the door to her office flew open and a young teenage girl flew into the room with the subtlety of a bull.
"Oba-chan I'm home! Who was the guy that just left the house?" the loud voice of Yukari Sahashi filled the house. Kuroka laughed a little at her energy, she reminded her of how she used to be, before getting up from her place behind the desk.
"Ah, that was just an old worker of mine. He was just paying me a visit. More importantly you're back from work. How about I get you some lunch, maybe I even make some cookies."
Her words of distraction got a small shout of excitement from the young girl as she ran off to the kitchen, causing the older woman to shake her head and follow after. It truly was crazy to think that either of these women could be some of the most scary and demanding people alive.
….
"Ah, Minato-sama I prepared you a bath," Akitsu's loving yet somehow neutral voice cut through the sound of the news playing on the television.
Minato was sat on the couch in front of the television, half paying attention to its contents and half nose deep in a textbook of his. Even if his college career had been delayed it wasn't going to stop him from learning as much as possible. Yomi was sat on the floor a few feet away, her hands busy sharpening her signature scythe.
"Oh, you take a bath first Akitsu, I'll go after okay. I need to finish up here first."
The simple rejection caused the ice Sekirei to frown a little, something Minato was able to fix with a small smile sent her way and a promise to make it up to her later, before she relented and went to bathe. That left the house's other two occupants alone for the first time since the spar had occurred.
Minato glanced upwards from his textbook at the sound of the bathroom door closing. Part of the reason he had wanted her to go first was to get some time alone with Yomi, they hadn't addressed what happened yesterday and it was eating Minato up from the inside. He still felt at fault.
The young Sahashi watched the Sekirei work her fingers over the blade of the scythe, sliding a smooth stone over the edge in a practiced motion. This continued for a few moments, Minato opening his mouth at times to try and start a conversation, before quickly closing it. He hadn't felt unsure of himself like this since he was young, even when he first met Akitsu he was positive about everything. It felt weird.
For a few more moments the two sat in a somewhat awkward silence, well for Minato at least, until a sharp intake of breath came from Yomi. One of the hands that had been sharpening her weapon moved to right shoulder, one of the places where Akitsu had struck home during their mock battle. The sight of his Sekirei in any sort of pain was enough to set Minato into motion.
"Yomi," the single word broke the silence of the room causing the Sekirei to turn towards her Ashikabi. "Come over here."
At his command the young woman placed her scythe to the side and stood up, making her way over to Minato. He motioned for her to take a seat beside him, as he quickly stood up and made his way over to the kitchen, returning with a small bag of stuff they had just bought that day.
Retaking his seat, the young man brought out a small array of medical supplies. "Can I?", he asked gently as his hand slightly touched her shoulder. A small nod gave him approval, Yomi turning a bit to give him easier access while sliding the t-shirt Minato had bought her off the shoulder a bit.
Minato finally got a good look at the hit she had taken. It wasn't anything dangerous, especially not for someone of her caliber, but he was always a 'better safe than sorry' kind of guy. He slowly poured some disinfectant onto a cotton pad before gently dabbing it onto the wound. The action got another small hiss of pain as he did so, causing him to whisper some comforting words as he continued to clean the wound.
As he slowly worked on bandaging the small wound Minato spoke once more. "Hey Yomi."
The words caused Yomi to turn her head slightly to face him better, her eyes met his and that small comforting smile of his made her heart speed up a bit.
"I was thinking, since I still have a few more days off. Why don't we go out tomorrow and do something fun?"
Yomi wasn't positive why he was asking her and she was just about to open her mouth and agree when Minato continued.
"Just you and me."
Those four words caused the Sekirei to freeze up a bit as her brain tried to process exactly what he meant. After a moment she shook her head clear, Minato watching on with slight amusement as she answered. "Um, uh ye-yeah. I mean absolutely, what Ashikabi wouldn't want to have some alone time with their favorite Sekirei."
The slight breaking in her voice followed by the false bravado caused a laugh to escape Minato, which in turn caused Yomi to gain a small pout at being teased. He applied the finishing touches of the bandage to her shoulder, before pulling her t-shirt back into place, his hand lingering on her shoulder.
For a moment the Ashikabi just stared at the face of his second Sekirei, her taking notice and gaining a light blush at his gaze, before he gently leaned forward and placed a kiss on her cheek. The blush on Yomi's cheeks increased in intensity at the contact, her brain malfunctioning once more.
"I'm glad you're in my life Yomi," Minato grabbed her hand with his own as he spoke, "I'm looking forward to tomorrow."
Just as Yomi was about to respond the cute moment between the two was cut short by the house's third occupant clearing their throat.
"Ah, am I interrupting something."
Akitsu had a pout on her face at seeing the two so close, causing Minato to chuckle and stand up from his place on the couch, but not before giving Yomi's hand one last squeeze. He moved over to Akitsu, planting a small kiss on her cheek as he did so.
"Nothing at all. I'll take my bath now; Akitsu do you mind prepping for dinner while I do so? I'll help you cook when I'm done, okay."
His words smoothly avoided any little argument that might come up and got a small nod of approval, causing him to plant another small kiss on the ice Sekirei's cheek before moving towards the bathroom. Akitsu made her way to the kitchen while Yomi sat on the couch watching the retreating form of her Ashikabi. Her hand involuntarily made its way to the place where Minato had kissed her.
She sat there for a few moments, tears slowly beginning to brim in her eyes, as she savored the kindness of her Ashikabi. After a minute she wiped them away, standing up and with determination marched towards the kitchen intent on finally getting another chance at cooking. She was going to prove to Minato that she was worth that kindness, even in the smallest of ways. Let's just hope she doesn't set the kitchen on fire again.
….
Shink. Shink. Shink.
The sound of a blade slowly getting sharpened filled the night air. A katana sharpened to the point it could break skin at the littlest of contact. A woman wrapped in a gray coat with lighter gray hair is sat on a roof, the blade in her hand and a sharpening stone in the other.
Her hands work the blade with practiced ease, her eyes never once looking down. She was too transfixed on the building in front of her. Her gaze never wavered, yet she had the upmost relaxed nature about her. It was as though what she was doing was simultaneously the most and least important thing in the world to her.
For what could have been hours she stayed like that, until a motion at the door of the residence caused her to pause in her actions. A familiar young man exited from the home, his hair still slightly damp from a recent bath, and his attire nothing more than a pair of night pants. The woman's breath hitched at the sight of him for but a moment, before her eyes narrowed and a sadistic smirk adorned her face.
She watched with growing intensity as the man fiddled with the mailbox by his door, her thumb slowly gliding across the sharp edge of her Katana, barely piercing ting into the fragile looking skin. Her tongue slightly glided across her lips as she observed him, similar to a predator stalking their prey, an air of killing intent surrounding her small frame.
Right as the young man was about to reenter his home he stopped for a moment, causing the woman to duck into the shadows of the roof she was perched on, as he looked back directly where she had been positioned moments ago. The idea that he could sense her presence excited the well-known battle fiend. It had been ages since someone with enough power could sense her, it only made it all the better that he was human, and that woman's son to boot.
A small bit of uncontrollable laughter escaped the deadly woman as she watched the young man close the door behind him. The beat of her heart increased with intensity as her eyes came alive with a joy that she had only ever achieved in a few moments of her life. It had been so long since her last real bout of excitement, and she couldn't wait to see what he had in store for her. Another dark chuckle escaped her at the thought.
She once more retook her perch on the building, her eyes glued onto where the man had stood just moments ago. Her mind imagined slowly plunging the tip of her blade into the man's skin. But not before relishing in his pain and screams as she forced him to watch her kill those two weaklings he called Sekirei. Her body shuddered slightly at the thought, her cheeks flaring red with her breath turning a bit ragged, as she licked her lips once more. She just hoped he would live up to her expectations, at least until the other one fulfilled her promise.
"Hm hm, I can't wait to see what you can take. Don't disappoint, Minato Sashasi."
