A/N: Hey y'all! Sorry for the long delay. Events in my personal life have made writing a very low priority. Work, moving, work, family, work, my own issues, and work have just been ASLKJAL;EUIAJSL;BJAOEI. Ugh.

This chapter is short. The reason being that most of it I just wrote in the past hour before posting it. Pretty much the entire segment with Higa as I had a sudden realization while editing my original Chap 6 I'd nearly completely neglected any reaction from him for the events that have occurred thus far. Combine that with the fact I am mentally frazzled from everything, I apologize for how... yuck... this chapter is. Things should be calming down the next few weeks, but it may be another month before the next chapter - which is already written, and would've been this chapter before my new additions - is posted, as I'll need to edit it to incorporate this chapter's revelations.

Standard not a native tea drinker, so not the owner of any recognizable characters.


April 10th, 2020

Izumo Inn

.

"Wakey wakey rise and shakey!" Harry stirred, and the mass on his chest clutched their arms around him tighter.

"Fi- mo- mints" it mumbled, and the green-eyed man just chuckled. He raised his head slightly, and saw the long-haired brunette at the door in nothing more than a bath towel.

"Mmm, now that's a nice sight to wake up to" Harry voiced, and Gabby mumbled before turning her head slightly.

"She's wearing too much" she muttered, before turning her head around and closing her eyes again. "Come back with less and then we'll talk."

"If Miya had left already, I would have woken you two up quite differently. But, she's still here, and I value my life too much" she chimed, and Harry's deep chuckle had the amusing effect of bouncing Gabby's head up and down a bit.

"Stop that" she muttered, inching up so her head was under his chin. "'M, comfy, more sleepy."

"I trust you're not being inappropriate in here, Uzume? After all, rent is due soon, and I would hate to kick you out for inappropriate conduct."

Miya's ninja declaration had Uzume almost losing her towel as she jumped in surprise, clearing half the room with that one bound before turning around, clutching the towel to her chest like a lifeline. Harry was most certainly not going to mention how she landed close enough that he was getting a free view.

"N-N-N-No Miya, I was just waking them up. Y'know, Early bird and all that."

"Oh good. Why don't you go get dressed in your own room while these two wake."

"Suddenly that sounds like an amazing idea, Miya, I'll just get going" she stuttered, shaking in fear as she bolted.

"Mmm, Miya, you wear too much too. And tokking too much. Come back with less then we see." Gabby's sudden declaration and Miya's subsequent gawk of surprise was nearly too much for Harry. His whole body was vibrating from trying not to laugh out loud, which just rubbed her lithe body against his. He felt his body's reaction, and was split between following the house rules or his body's rules. He couldn't help but have that fantasy of Miya suddenly joining them run through his head. It wasn't helped by her still standing there as if considering her request.

"Fuuuuug… Harry, stop shaking me. I was having this great dream about Miya. You had us both tied up and hanging from the ceiling, 'cept she was eating me out while you was reaming her from behind. I had one of your special vibrators in my ass, and I think she did too, and the force of you fucking her was sending her face into my pussy. Fuck it was hot." Throughout all of this, Harry had his free hand spiderwebbed over his face, nearly choking himself from how hard he was covering his mouth and nose, redder than the ripest of tomatoes from his war with his own body, and was vibrating violently from laughter as he observed Miya's reaction to the blonde's explanation.

He was not disappointed, as at first she was simply amused, preparing to chastise her, or them both. Then she was shocked, with the appearance of one who'd never heard such lewd comments, and now was looking very much a fish out of water.

"Why you still shaking, 'arry, you cold or sumtin'?" Gabby leaned her head back yawning, sliding off to the side before looking at him and squinting. "Why is your face so red?" She grabbed his hand covering his face, and saw he wasn't even looking at her. She followed his gaze…

And saw Miya standing there, in the doorway, hand to her mouth in scandalous fashion, eyes wide open, and hand over her heart. Uzume was cackling on the floor behind her in the hallway, both hands on her stomach as she laid there on her side, eyes clenched shut with streams of tears leaking.

"Um… hi… Miya…" That was it for Harry, and he lost all sense of decorum, and busted out laughing, rolling over on his stomach with his head in his arms, howling like a mad hyena as he pounded the floor. That of course woke up the rest of the house, and no level of questioning could get a straight answer out of Uzume or Harry, Gabby was frozen in embarrassment, and Miya was too shocked to respond to anything.

Needless to say, it was a very strange and hilarious sight, and only a tired-eyed Kusano arriving and saying she was hungry snapped everyone out of it, and the morning progressed as expected.


"I trust that none of your imaginations came to pass last night, Gabby-san?" Miya's tone was overly polite, but it didn't stop Uzume and Harry from another burst of laughter. It wasn't helped by Gabby turning red, which only fueled it. Several minutes later, they managed to get themselves composed, before looking at each other and falling into another fit, leaning into each other for support.

"That is quite enough you two." As if a light switch, Uzume immediately sat up straight, absolute terror in her face.

"Y-Y-Yes, Miya." She began eating in earnest, not making eye contact with anyone. Musubi and Kusano were both equally confused, though Harry caught a flash of amused violet in her eyes. Minato looked on the verge of a nosebleed, the conversation tickling his senses, but unable or unwilling to believe it.

"No, Miya, we behaved ourselves, as you requested" Harry provided, and Minato's mind finally connected the dots, and ducked his head in embarrassment.

"That is good. Now, Minato-san, you have work today?"

The sudden addressing startled him. That, combined with the tone used towards Uzume, had him sitting ramrod straight and answering earnestly. "Yes, Miya-dono. We're cleaning up the park. I got called this morning, and all the trees apparently died overnight somehow."

"Shiina…" All eyes turned towards Kusano, whose big green eyes were nearing tears. Without hesitation, Minato was next to her, hugging her to his chest. Everyone else smiled softly at the sight, before returning to their breakfast.

"What are your plans for the day, Doctor Black?"

"Nothing too much. Have a patient to check up on, but that's it." Uzume's head snapped up at him with a wide smile, before returning to her breakfast with gusto.

"A patient? Here in Japan?" Kagari asked, entering the room.

"That's why I'm even here in the first place, Kagari" he responded, taking a drink of tea. He had to admit, Japanese tea certainly had its own appeal. "I've been seeing her for over two years now, and only recently was able to discern the cure."

"What kind of disease takes two years to locate the cure for?" More than a few eyes turned to Kagari questioningly. "What? I was curious about him, so I had… um… I mean, I looked him up." Harry didn't miss the slip, and neither did Uzume or Miya for that matter: Miya just raised her eyebrow at him, and Uzume smirked. 'Hmm… so he's familiar with the eavesdropper, who apparently is a good researcher. Interesting. Then again, I shouldn't be surprised, if they've the whole house wired. Might be nearing the time to discover this stranger.' "He's a renowned virologist and epidemiologist, specifically in rare illnesses. Has a reputation for only taking the most difficult of cases."

"I didn't realize I had such a reputation" Harry answered with a smile, taking another sip of tea. "Not that I'm denying it, I have to keep myself busy somehow. Advantage of being a concierge doctor; I get to pick my own clients."

"How much about this patient in Japan are you permitted to tell us, EJ-sama?" Uzume prompted with a hint of tease and challenge in them. He shook his head.

"Nothing much: patient confidentiality I assure you. But, to answer your question, Kagari, the disease in question is so rare, that I had to visit the Library of Alexandria to find it. It hasn't been seen in nearly half a millennium, and doesn't even register on the World Health Organization's list of diseases, it's so old."

"How would something that old reoccur? Old diseases don't just re-appear for no reason, it would have to be intentional, wouldn't it?"

Harry froze, drink halfway to his mouth. Kagari's question had never once crossed his mind. His mind was now running as fast as it could, putting together pieces he didn't even think to connect. He lowered his drink, slowly looking at Uzume. The shock he just felt was mirrored on her face, both of them slowly paling.

Without preamble, Uzume up and bolted from the room, no doubt to her Ashikabi, as the front door slammed only seconds later.

"What's wrong with Uzume?" Kusano's question surprised everyone, including Minato who was still holding her. No one'd realized she'd stopped crying.

Harry didn't answer, and only vaguely heard Miya whispering to her. 'Why didn't I ever question that? I normally do, isolating the origins on how such diseases are contracted. How did she come by it? I never once asked. Why wouldn't I have asked? Did I simply become so fascinated by it that I ignored it? No, that's not it. Knowing how she came by it would've sped up my discover that much sooner. No, something's missing. Something I'm forgetting about the disease itself. I need to talk to Chiho.'

"I gotta go. Thank you, Kagari, I don't know why that thought never crossed my mind. It doesn't bode well in any case." He leaned down and kissed the top of Gabby's head. "I'll leave the car here for you. I'm heading to the hotel to change real quick." He looked back at Miya, who was still talking with Kusano, debating for a moment before turning to Kagari. "We still need to talk with a couple friends of mine. Will they be welcome to visit here, or should I have them stay where they are?"

Kagari was quick on the uptake, and glanced at Miya himself before answering. "I'll talk it over with Miya, but it shouldn't be a problem if they don't cause any trouble." Harry nodded.

"Alright. Gabby can go pick them up when she heads there to change herself. I'll let them know to expect her, and to behave if Miya's ok with it." With a last kiss to Gabby, he headed out the door.


"Doctor Black, how many times do I have to repeat, you are not welcome here!" Kakizaki was as irritating as usual, trailing behind him as he headed for Chiho's new room. The hospital had tried moving her to different areas in the attempt to keeping Harry away from her, but had yet to succeed. If it hadn't been for Chiho's worries and outright refusing his hospitality on the grounds of not being a burden, he'd have moved her the day Higa first tried kicking him out.

"And I will remind you, yet again, Kakizaki, that I don't answer to you or your boss. She is my patient, and there is quite literally nothing you can do about it."

"Higa cut off her finances in regards to paying for your services. That means you were fired" he snapped, grabbing Black's left arm and spinning him around. Following the spin, Harry's right grabbed him by the head and slammed it face-first into the wall, added an elbow for effect, enjoying the sickening *crunch*, then finished the 360 and continued on to the room.

When he arrived, Uzume and Chiho were holding onto each other tightly. Chiho had recovered enough physically to be able to make a lap around the room, which was remarkable by normal standards. Harry'd conspired with Uzume and they had been slipping small doses of muscle recovery potion into her meals and drinks. As Uzume was there every day, and since arriving in Japan so had Harry, it had been a simple task. He hadn't told her exactly what it was, though would likely be doing so soon, but he had assuaged her it would speed up her recovery. Chiho being able to stand, albeit briefly, without help after only three days was all the proof she'd needed.

Right now the two were in the sofa chair, both looked as if they'd been crying, Uzume harder than Chiho. They both looked up as he entered, and were a bit taken back by his thunderous look.

"Uzume, pack up Chiho's belongings. Everything. She's leaving. Now."

Harry noticed the mild dilation, almost imperceptible if he hadn't had his senses on high alert. He filed it away for later as she nodded quickly, and turned to Chiho and kissed her gently. Chiho returned the kiss, but was extremely confused and concerned.

"What's going on, EJ-sama? Uzume-chan wasn't making a lot of sense. Something about my being intentionally-"

"Not now" he interrupted, closing the door with force, causing both girls to jump. He pulled out his wand and waved it a few times, before spinning around. His eyes landed on several items in the room, but widened at one in particular. "Uzume, drop the bunny."

Uzume froze, one of the overstuffed bunnies in her hand. She looked at him questioningly, but his face left no room for argument so set it down and backed up. He approached it, waving his wand in various patterns, before levitating it. "Finite Totalum." To the girl's surprise, the bunny's eyes and nose transformed into cameras and an audio device. Harry ripped the head off, ignoring Chiho's cries, and dropped the body as he cast a couple more spells at it. A couple moments later, the rest of the bunny disintegrated, leaving only the recording equipment, which silenced both women in the room.

"Goddamnit, Cain. Goddamn you to fucking hell." He waved his wand again, and no less than a dozen runes appeared on its sides. "Asswipes. They've been fucking with my head again."

"What is it, EJ-Sama?" Uzume queried, inching to his side.

"Magical Runes. Specifically, compulsion runes. They're exactly as they sound like, they compel a person or persons in specific manners. Could be anything from making someone talk too much, or do specific things, the imagination is the limit. Hell, they could have been set that Chiho here would fuck anyone who walked in this room."

A loud "eeep!" and fast steps had Uzume and Chiho clutching each other. "Magic can do that?" Uzume voiced, ignoring Chiho's questioning look.

"Magic can do a lot of things, Uzume, but yes, it can do that" he spat out disgustedly, before turning to the redhead. "But that's not what these ones were for, Chiho. These ones weren't for you. They were for me."

That pulled Uzume up, and she glanced questioningly at Chiho before back at Harry. "What do you mean? She's had that bunny since…"

"Before she came to the hospital, yeah" Harry finished, to which Chiho raised her eyebrows.

"How do you know that? I don't think you've ever asked about that bunny before."

"And I never would have. These runes prevented me from doing so."

Chiho was utterly confused, Uzume only less-so, but she'd been witness to the argument the night before.

"You said 'Cain'. Is it the same Cain you talked to last night?"

Harry nodded his affirmative. "Yes. About a decade ago, during my service, an old friend of mine, Hermione, and my then-friend Daphne, who would later become my second wife, helped me figure out a runic sequence that essentially combines magic and electricity, allowing them to function together. The reasons aren't important at the moment, but magic and electricity don't go together, much like oil and water, except they fight each other more than just coexist. This, however," he pointed at the camera, "is a product of that achievement, making them work in harmony. And these runes are specifically attuned to me."

"Why you?" Uzume asked.

"That, my dear, is the right question. And the answer, I don't think any of us are going to like. Suffice it to say, Chiho, you did not contract that disease by accident. I am now of the mind you were intentionally infected so I would be brought to Japan."

Chiho was getting a headache, all the new information blurring together. But, that he'd just answered what she'd told him not to ask confused her. "I thought you said not to-"

"I did, because I was worried we were being monitored. And I was right. I've already disabled all of them, so it's safe to talk."

"But, why you?" Uzume repeated, not having left the previous conversation, and bringing them both back to it. Harry just shook his head.

"I don't know, Uze. I really don't. But I fear it has something to do with what happened 10 years ago when I was first here. Chiho has been used as the bait to keep bringing me back, infecting her with an ancient disease that was created by the Babylonians. The fact that I found the cure on a scroll made of flesh should tell you just how old it is. And it was nearly pure chance that I succeeded at all. Nearly."

Chiho looked like her head was going to explode, and Harry wanted to fill her in, but time and place didn't allow it. He was still analyzing the camera, having already dismantled the transmitter, but was hoping to save the inner workings.

Uzume was looking back and forth between Chiho and Harry, her mind trying to make the bridge she knew was there but wasn't quite connecting. The argument of the previous night was running through her head as well, looking for clues, before a major one finally sank in.

"The Sekirei Plan. You're here for the Plan." Chiho's eyes widened as she looked at Uzume as if she'd just shared a national secret. Which, from her perspective, the Plan was to be a secret. That weird professor guy had even personally visited her to explain her role in all of it, and imprint the need for secrecy.

Harry didn't physically respond, his focus still on the rune sequence. "I'm not sure, Uzume, but that I found the cure just as the Game is about to kick off seems too much of a coincidence. My modus operandi is such that I usually spend extra time with my patients during their recovery period. It's not a secret amongst my clients. As Chiho's recovery period is going to be extensive, though sped up by the potions we've been giving her, I'll be here awhile. I don't have any other ongoing cases at the moment, having closed them in the month before arriving here.

"It all seems too convenient and coincidental, and I don't believe in coincidences at all. I told you two about my buying a place in-town. I had, have, every intention of inviting both of you to stay with us so I can keep a closer eye on Chiho. GOTCHA!" He nearly shouted the last, and the two girls saw the camera unfold like a Transformer. In it was a blue-crystal in the shape of a cube. Harry took it in-hand, and examined it before zeroing in on a particular segment.

His already angry face darkened further, and the window to the room shattered. He turned to the brunette. "Keep packing. Leave her hairbrush, all the toiletries, her phone, the rest of this bunny, and those Yoda slippers. Actually, put them all in the shower. They have monitoring charms on them, and the phone is traceable." She jumped to it, and Harry pulled out his mole-skin pouch, remembering his biggest friend who'd given it to him all those years ago. 'I wonder what my life would be like if I trusted as easily as you did, Hagrid. You deserved so much better, my friend. Rest in peace.' He pulled out a trunk, and tapped it a few times as it grew and set it on the ground. He tapped a sequence to it, then pressed his thumb to a small metal disc on the front. A prick on the finger later, and a drop of blood, the trunk opened.

"Toss everything else in here. I'll carry it with us." Uzume didn't question it, sensing the rush. Chiho was undergoing a paradigm shift, as the green-eyed man kept doing things with a little stick that shouldn't be possible. Several minutes later, Harry was slamming the trunk shut, shrinking it, and shoving it back into his pouch. He then pulled out a small flash drive, heading towards the bathroom.

He picked up the phone and plugged it in, tapping a button on the drive. A couple more minutes later it flashes green, and he dropped the phone back into the tub. "Localum Inflamare." The items all burst into blue flame and, a few seconds later, were nothing but ash. He cast a quick aguamenti and washed the ashes down the drain, before drying the shower again, leaving it as clean as it had been.

Coming back out, Uzume had transformed into her battle outfit, as the doctor was calling it, and was standing behind Chiho, her hands on her shoulder, trying to keep them both calm.

He cast another spell, and just as he got the results, multiple fists starting banging on the door, as the handle was being twisted. "Huh, that certainly took longer than I expected."

"You were expecting security to show up? Why?" Chiho asked worriedly, suddenly less sure about what happens next.

"I busted Kakizaki's face about 30 seconds before I walked in here" he answered absently, heading to the window. He had originally thought to just apparate them back, but the broken window provided an opportunity. "Say Uzume, how would you feel about becoming a Wanted Woman?"

Despite the circumstances, Uzume couldn't hold back the retort. "I'm already a wanted woman, EJ-sama, or have you forgotten already?" she asked teasingly. Chiho smacked her hand in reprimand, but the black-haired Black turned and caught the smirk she was fighting back.

"No, I haven't forgotten, and hope to get some more of it soon" he riposted, wagging his eyebrows. Uzume just laughed, and Chiho held her head in her hands, muttering under her breath. "But no, I meant, how about becoming Wanted for kidnapping Chiho here?"

"Why would I do that?" Uzume asked, humor leaving her voice.

"I told you we were leaving, and we're going to. Now, I could just fix this window and we could literally disappear. Or… Uzume here is seen breaking out of it, and running away in her garb, carrying a dummy of Chiho here."

To Chiho's surprise, Uzume was seriously considering it. She had decided to just go along with whatever at this point, because it was readily apparent that Uzume knew more about EJ than she did, so was trusting her Sekirei. Not that she didn't trust EJ, it's just that he's revealed himself to be capable of things that she was having trouble processing mentally, and her judgement towards him was skewered.

"I don't see why not, it could be fun."

"Excellent!" Harry replied with a clap of his hands, truly smiling finally. If Chiho knew anything about the man, he loved causing chaos. Nothing like causing a little trouble to lighten the soul. Uzume and her had teamed up to prank him a few times, and he'd taken it well, even enjoyed them. He often pranked them back, and Chiho had to admit, some had been quite clever. Though, this new 'magic' he was capable of using certainly explained how some of them were accomplished, as having a sealed Tamp-on suddenly vibrating shortly after use was quite the feat.

"You realize Higa is going to come after you even harder for this, right?" Uzume verbosed, walking to the broken window. She was examining her 'escape route', taking notes of where everything was so she wasn't seen too much.

"After what I did to him last night, and gonna do later today, this is just the cherry on top sweetheart" he parried, looking at his watch. He waved his wand and a life-size imitation of Chiho in her current outfit appeared on the floor next to the door. "Alrighty then, time to go." Uzume moved near the door and picked up the dummy bridal style. "The seal on the door will come down 15 seconds after my mark, count to 12 then make your escape … mark" he declared. Harry waved his wand once more towards the window, then holstered it as he picked up the actual Chiho the same way. With a twist, he disapparated.


"You have quite the habit of bringing home women, don't you Black-san?" Miya's greeting had him chuckling with a shake of his head.

Harry had apparated him and Chiho to his hotel room. He'd arrived right as Gabby was leaving with the two girls. They hadn't been there when Gabby had appeared the night before, as they had initially been unwilling to accept his offer, but decided to take him up on it around 3 when they'd realized just how tired they actually were and wanted a comfy bed.

So when two people suddenly appeared out of nowhere, they'd brought their weapons to bear. Only Gabby hitting them both with an immobulus stopped their weapons from connecting. Seeing the recognition in their eyes, she released them, and they immediately turned and gawked at her momentarily at realizing she could do the same thing Black had to them the night before.

It was only Ichiya's roaming eyes that caught hold of Chiho, and smacked her partner on the shoulder. That they recognized her shouldn't have surprised Harry, yet it did. It had added yet another puzzle piece to that which was Higa. After some vague trade-offs, he'd taken the leap and explained some of how he knew Uzume was a Sekirei, and the girl her Ashikabi.

At that, they'd in-turn explained that Higa had planned to use her Ashikabi's condition to coerce Uzume into working for him. They went on to admit they wouldn't even have known that at all had Kocho not filled them in on it. Since Kocho wasn't Higa's direct Sekirei, she didn't answer to him, and his orders to keep it quiet didn't apply to her, as Kakizaki didn't deign to repeat them. A clever loophole, Harry had to admit, and his opinion of the stoic-Sekirei went up a bit.

After the trio left, Harry had let Chiho rest for a few hours, as Apparation in her weakened condition was a very bad idea, and probably set her back all of the progress she'd made. Uzume had arrived about an hour after their escape, high on adrenaline. Apparently two of Higa's Sekirei had joined the assault on Chiho's room, and the race had been on once it was opened. It'd taken her almost 45 minutes to lose them, taking them far into the south of the city before they'd encountered someone she called Sanada Nishi and his Sekirei. In the ensuing chaos, she slipped away to a train and disappeared.

She had been eager to work some of the energy off, but Harry had dissuaded her, pointing out Chiho needed her more. She'd pouted, and Harry decided to tease her a bit. He couldn't help but bite her lip, her breath catching as her eyes clouded over, her mind entering a lusty haze. He added onto it, rubbing her center over her clothing a bit to the point where she was panting, before simply turning and walking out the door.

He hadn't returned until nearly half an hour earlier with the Divo to bring Chiho over to Izumo the long way, sparing her even more setbacks. Uzume had harrumphed at him when asked if she'd ride with them, not forgiving him for leaving her on edge like that, and took off in her Sekirei outfit.

"Talk to Gabby if you want some more details, Asama-dono." Miya lifted an eyebrow at the honorific, but smirked at the offer with a shake of her head.

"Which room is Uzume's? Chiho here needs some more rest, and it'd be best she does so where people can constantly check in on her. At least for the next couple days." Miya nodded, indicating to follow her into the house.

"So this is Uzume's Ashikabi, then? She's quite the frail little thing, isn't she?"

"Yeah, combination of over two years of the disease, along with my apparating us out of the hospital room. Unfortunately, it set her back a lot of the progress she's made the past week. But, it was necessary, I'm afraid." He glanced at the young woman. "Plus, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Higa and company may have been dosing her on the sly with something. I'll have to keep an eye on that.

"Another long story, EJ-san?" It wasn't so much a question as a statement of the obvious, but Harry nodded the affirmative nonetheless as Miya opened Uzume's door. Apparently, the flirtatious brunette had not yet returned.

"Yeah. Kagari's statement this morning slotted a bunch of puzzle pieces into place, and I didn't like the picture. Higa was very determined to keep her there. Why, I'm not entirely certain, but I wouldn't hesitate to say it involves controlling Uzume." He laid Chiho down on the bed mat, before pulling out his wand and waving it over her. The mat raised about a foot, and with another wave, a pseudo-boxspring appeared underneath it.

Holstering his wand, he turned to a questioning look by Miya. "She's not strong enough to stand up from the floor just yet. The bottom is temporary until she is. Though, Uzume may roll off the bed a few times until she gets used to it."

"You're assuming they'll be sharing the bed, EJ?" The demon-lady was coming out, as if she highly doubted Uzume would break her rules. While the brunette was certainly afraid of the woman, Harry wasn't foolish to believe it enough to stop her.

"You're assuming they won't? This is her Ashikabi, you're talking about. Her Ashikabi who is too ill to do much without help. And today's events have set her back a week or so. Now, I still don't entirely understand the relationship between the two entities, but Uzume is devoted to Chiho. Short of me tying her down and locking her in my room, you won't keep Uzume from Chiho's side."

Miya stood there pensive for a few moments, both of them staring at the sleeping auburn young woman. "Very well." Harry turned to face the other. "Until Chiho is strong enough to move about on her own, I will permit her staying with Uzume. However…" She stepped closer to Harry, her countenance darkening and Harry got a glimpse of Number 1, former leader of the Discipline Squad. Not that he knew any of that, but he couldn't deny whatever he was seeing what turning him on. "I expect you to be completely honest with me about her progress."

"So long as you do not expect to hear details, and Chiho permits my advising you of such, then I will." Miya kept staring him down, and he met her glare. "You know as well as I do, Doctor Asama, that patient confidentiality does not extend to you, despite putting her up for the night. I will tell you as much as I can if and when it does not violate that, but no more unless Chiho specifically says otherwise. She is still my patient, and I will not violate her trust, even if I did practically kidnap her from the hospital" he added morosely with a humorless chuckle.

While not overly thrilled by his response, Miya could not deny he was right, despite the circumstances, and acquiesced. "As you wish, Doctor Black." With that settled, they both glanced at the sleeping girl once more, then left her to her slumber.


At the same time, Higa's office

.

With a slight sigh of exhaustion, Higa, absent the dignity he normally composed himself with, collapsed into his office chair, rubbing his left shoulder. Toyotoma and Ichiya were both sporting several cuts and bruises on their faces, let alone the rest of their bodies, and were on their hands and knees, blood dripping onto the polished floor. Watching these events were nearly three dozen people gathered in his large office, most of whom were Sekirei, yet not a one moved to aid the two women.

A piece of the puzzle that EJ hadn't yet figured out, but one the gathered group was all-too-familiar with, was that becoming an Ashikabi had a significant impact on the person's body. Why the kissing? While the reason for that particular act still befuddled the mind - as opposed to, and exclusion of, any other number of possible physical interactions - the act itself was more than a stimulant for the Sekirei: for Ashikabis, it was akin to installing new software to a hard drive, that simultaneously managed to upgrade the hard drive itself.

While the analogy was highly understated - not to mention confusing - it wasn't entirely wrong, as Higa just proved by beating two Sekirei into near-unconsciousness. Two Sekirei that, by all accounts, would and should have normally been more than capable of receiving every ounce of punishment the delicate man was capable of dishing out with nary a mark. Especially as one was a melee fighter.

But that wasn't the case.

Oh no. While Higa was a bishōnen through-and-through, he easily had the strength of five men due to his Sekirei status. That physical strength was further multiplied doubly: first, due to the quantity of Sekirei he had as well, a fact he was not afraid to make use of, as the two Sekirei were experiencing as they used all their strength to just push themselves to their knees. Secondly, because he was an Ashikabi, and had a natural "buff", if you will, against Sekirei.

"So" he began, still rotating the aching shoulder, "not only did you NOT recapture Number 40, but you let her escape with, of all people, Dr Black. AND THEN, subsequently failed to keep track of them or their destination."

"It wasn't tha-"

"SILENCE!" he snarled, that disgustingly handsome face somehow not losing its attractiveness, as Ichiya's mouth closed with an audible *snap* and a groan, the ordered response antagonizing her near-broken jaw. "Further, you let the Guardian deactivate Number 79, then failed to capture him as well. All of this occurring in the span of a few minutes. Do you have any other failures to report?"

Both girls managed to shake their heads, the green-haired one slowly, due to her neck injuries from the beatings. While they would heal over the next couple days, at the moment they were fresh and quite painful.

And for good reason. Higa had, to date, winged the largest number of any Ashikabi, even surpassing Mikogami. The number gathered in the large office was deceptive: Higa may control nearly twenty-five Sekirei, but only fifteen were actually winged by him. Still, every Sekirei winged increased his physical durability and strength, and with fifteen under his belt, he was more than a match for most Sekirei, physically-speaking that is. As he hadn't any single-digits to test his merit against, he could not be certain of just how strong he truly was in comparison. But it was more than enough against Number 16 and 18, both of whom were fighting back their groans of pain.

"It just so happens, your failure provided some interesting insight into new developments occurring in the North" he began, resting his elbows on his desk, leaning forward. "Elsewhere, not long before your failed encounter, the Guardian and another man, one resembling Dr Black, were seen working together at the Botanical Garden."

"How'd they get across town that fast?" more than a few persons muttered.

"If he really does have a Bugatti Divo, it wouldn't surprise me" one of the males gathered iterated. "Them puppies are FAST!"

"Indeed" Higa concurred, drawing the attention back to him. "If he does, in fact, have such a vehicle, then it would lend weight to the argument of how he managed to move from one side of Tokyo to the other in such a minute timeframe. With M.B.I. having purchased the vast majority of Tokyo and turned it into private property, the likelihood of him being stopped by the authorities for excessive speeding is highly diminished, as they have little to no jurisdiction on privately owned lands for civil offenses."

Despite being in great pain, both girls couldn't help but wonder if that was intentionally part of Black's cover story, or a happy circumstance that favored him. Either way, they weren't going to complain if it saved them some additional punishment.

"With this piece of information, and the confirmation that the Guardian was most certainly in both locations, we can safely presume that the Guardian and Dr Black are, at the least, in cohesion, as the Guardian would not have had enough time to race from one location to the other.

"Further is the event that occurred earlier today," he went on, indicating his assistant, Kakizaki, who stood there with an apparatus on his face to correct his nose and jaw, both of which had been broken by Doctor Black's elbow to the face, "we can also safely presume that Dr Black is, too, an Ashikabi." Both girls flinched unbidden at that, but fortunately, only one of the gathered numbers noticed, and her only response was to push up her glasses as she filed that reaction away for later. "While his physical prowess is visible to all, had he been a normal human, he may still have successfully assaulted Kakizaki-san, but would not have caused nearly as much damage: to either him or the building."

Shaking his head, he spun in his chair and leaned back, staring out the window, gazing over the city. "No. Despite your failures, his newly discovered status, as well as his new acquisition, have provided the both of you with sufficient reasoning to avoid further punishment." Both sagged visibly, but he wasn't finished. "For now."

He turned back to them, eyes glaring daggers into them. "The both of you are going to find Dr Black. Neither of you will confront him, as he is an Ashikabi with an unknown number of Sekirei. However…" a shine of sadism crossed his face, as a smirk slowly crept up, "he has a girlfriend that goes with him everywhere." He raised his right hand to shoulder height, and it was instantly filled by a folder provided by Kochou, who was standing behind him. She pushed up her glasses again, then returned to her stoic visage.

Higa plopped the folder on the desk, then slid it in the two girls' direction, both of whom were paling at what they knew was coming. "Her name is Gabrielle Delacour. Her history before the age of 18 is unknown: whether it's successfully been occluded, or her name is an alias, is, aforementioned, unknown. Regardless, the past three years in particular, she is well-documented, and never far from Dr Black." He tapped the folder with his index finger. "You will find her, you will capture her, and you will bring her to me.

"He has insulted me numerous times. He has stolen control of both Number 10 and Number 40 from me. It is time to begin repaying the favor. He will lead us to both Numbers 10 and the Guardian, along with his own Sekirei. With these new additions, we will have reached a sufficient plateau to challenge Number 1 and add her to the collective. At which point, I will take control of this 'Game', and wrench M.B.I. from Minaka's grasp." No one said anything as the monologue continued. This wasn't a new development of any kind, but it was the first that suggested achievement was actually within reach. While Higa respected both the Guardian for his dedication to his duty, and Number 1 for her strength, that didn't mean he didn't covet the both of them.

Standing, he turned back to the window, hands in his pockets. "You will work with Number 13." Inhales and flinches were heard and seen all around, as both women on the floor went white as sheets. "She will be the one to confront Dr Black while the two of you complete your assignment.

"You will not fail me again."

No one said anything as the duo fought against the order. While many saw the shakes and shudders, very few recognized the motions for what they were, and multiple reactions occurred. Reactions that included one who merely pushed her glasses up once more in thought. 'Who is this EJ Black, and what connection have they made with him? Something to keep an eye on: whether as blackmail or my own escape, to be determined.'

The main man was ignorant of all of this, as he stared out the window deep in his own thoughts. 'On a professional level, I would have granted you a reprieve, Dr Black, for your actions against me regarding Miss Hidaka. At least, until the Sekirei Game had concluded. But now… not only are you a participant, but you've made it personal. And as such, I cannot let such actions stand.

'You will learn your place, learn when to respect your superiors, or see yourself removed. Permanently.'