Chapter 16: Searching for an Alibi

In an unremarkable part of Shinto Teito, in an even less remarkable hotel two rather remarkable individuals approached, both extremely tall and beautiful while carrying an unmistakable air of superiority that caused the occasional passerby to give them a wide, staring berth.

"Honestly, of all the possible places he could have stayed at...why this piece of shit?"

"How the Hell should I know? Ambrosio does what Ambrosio does. He's only got a year or so left, maybe he's just trying to be quaint or something?"

Eliana, long raven hair and lithe yet predatory figure accentuated by a crimson pencil dress and sandals of midnight scowled at her companion's words, a man by the name of Barak who wore a leather jacket and tough jeans, blonde hair spiked and treated with product.

"Instead of being quaint I would be doing whatever the Hell I desired. There are Sekirei out there just waiting to be Winged and I, for one, wouldn't mind having a few little birdies to play with~!"

"Nor would I, but ignoring an Elder's summons is never a good idea."

Eliana huffed but let the matter drop as they entered the small building proper, both having to duck slightly so as to avoid hitting their heads on the top of the entryway, the receptionist—a young man of equally young age—staring like a deer in the headlights as the woman sauntered up to him.

"Pardon me, dear, but is there a room of one Ambrosio here? We're to meet with him and would very much like his location."

Voice naught but a purr the young man swayed on his feet, dazedly stating, "I'm...I'm not supposed to give out information like that-"

"Oh yes you are."

Eliana allowed herself to lean forward, exposing a tantalizing hint of her moderately sized bust as she more forcefully added, "You're just a small, working boy while I'm...well, suffice to look at me, little man. Now, Ambrosio's room number?"

Face swimming with lust at the sight of her body and shame at her words the attendant wordlessly looked through his computer, stating, "Room 103, miss."

Leaning back with a satisfied smile the woman tittered, "Thank you very much~!" before she and her companion strolled off.

"You think Urion will already be here?"

Snorting at the male's words Eliana drolly responded, "The establishment isn't on fire, I doubt it."

"Fair point."

Continuing their walk they soon arrived at their destination, knocking on room 103 as lazy footsteps approached before unlocking the door, admitting them into the room as they nodded respectfully to their elder, Ambrosio.

He was a strange mix of young and old, with greying hair and beard while having the face of a young man barely into his thirties. A Siren's 'old age' was often disconcerting to look at.

"You're on time. Good."

The voice was also disconcerting, strong but wizened with overtones of dementia, a conclusion not at all helped by the restrained and channeled madness dancing within ebony eyes.

"Well, Elder? What's the meaning of...this?"

Barak tilted his head at the sight of a man and a woman restrained behind a shimmering wall of what looked to be air, expressions exhausted and bodies nude, the both of them covered with a small collection of bleeding gashes as they hugged each other tightly.

"Didn't know you were into this kinda thing, Elder."

"I'm not, you idiot. That's a Sekirei and her Ashikabi. I've been gathering information for the past day because I knew you young fools wouldn't."

Ambrosio's gaze settled on the uncomfortably shifting pair.

"Or are you going to surprise me and say otherwise?"

"...No, Elder."

"No, of course not. Why would I ever be pleasantly surprised when it comes to your inadequacy..."

Both Barak and Eliana bristled at the gruff comment but held their tongues, the woman instead asking, "Have you heard from Urion yet?"

"Urion is dead."

That unconcerned statement stopped the pair dead.

"...You're sure?"

"I called him to a meeting two days ago, Urion being the youngest and most undisciplined of us all. He never appeared."

Frowns adorned Eliana and Barak's features, both recognizing the simple truth in that statement.

While the Siren's were beholden to very few rules they did follow a hierarchy. If an Elder called a subordinate to meet with them...you damn well met with them. Elders were both the most experienced and powerful of their number and blowing them off was as good as signing your own life away.

"Do we know what killed him? A Sekirei, perhaps?"

"It was one of the Custodes Avem, you fools."

Both immediately tensed at that proclamation, Barak asking, "You're sure? I mean, it's not like-"

"Use your head, fool boy. This is the first chance in centuries if not millennia Sekirei once more walk the Earth and you think the Custodes would not be here in force, expecting us to do the same? And Urion was a headstrong whelp, no doubt he drew attention to himself trying to Wing a Sekirei and got himself killed."

Not willing to push the matter with the clearly irate Elder Barak fell silent, Eliana gesturing to the restrained pair before asking, "So what did those two have to say?"

"A great deal with very little provocation, once I threatened them with harming the other. Winging a Sekirei draws the attention of MBI's CEO, who will then espouse in scant detail what the terms and conditions of this 'Sekirei Plan' are, as well as the prize offered should you win."

An unhinged smile appeared on Ambrosio's features.

"The prize that fool man is offering? None other than a complete set of Jinki, if his words about ascending to godhood and a wish are any indicator."

"Wow, seriously? Does that retard have any idea what those things are capable of?"

"Whether he does or not is irrelevant...what matters is that we have a very tempting and very powerful target as our goal. Here is what we shall do."

Turning to the pair in full confidence that his orders would be followed the oldest Siren began with, "No Winging Sekirei. That will draw both MBI's attention to use and likely the Custodes. Get rid of that disappointment, I'm not finished yet. There are several stages to this plan and by the end of it we'll have everything we could ever desire."

Motioning to the captive Sekirei Ambrosio continued, "Once most of the Sekirei have been Winged a battle royale of sorts will start in which Shinto Teito will be closed off from the outside world. And that's when we'll make our move."

The 'elderly' man grinned, explaining, "We will begin raising havoc among the city using our powers, fooling MBI into believing Sekirei are going out of control, emptying their tower of guards while we infiltrate, either stealing the Jinki within or finding out where they are kept. And once we have those...we can do whatever we wish."

Barak and Eliana grinned at the plan, appreciating its simplicity before the male asked, "And what about those two?"

Ambrosio shrugged, the shimmering veil twisting slightly-

-and the pair didn't even have time to scream as countless blades of wind mulched them into a suspended ball of blood and flesh within a second, the gory mess floating towards the bathroom as the oldest of them commented, "No witnesses. I suggest we leave before MBI arrives to investigate. For now lay low and don't draw attention to yourself, when the city lockdown commences...that's when we shall make our move."

"Understood, Elder."

Without further comment the pair left, Barak sighing as he shook his head.

"Never going to get used to seeing his power at work. Gross."

"No kidding. I think I'm going to avoid wearing red for the foreseeable future."

"...Should we attempt to speak to master about this?"

"Is that a good idea though? He seems...upset, still."

The four sisters had gathered around the dining room table, all of them nervously grasping mugs of tea or other beverages as a noticeably down atmosphere permeated the home, their Ashikabi's terse voice still echoing from one of the adjacent rooms as he made yet another call.

They hadn't shared a bed last night, nor had their chosen really slept all that much, instead communicating with strangers well into the morning, the bond between them constantly ebbing and flowing with varying levels of anger, frustration and irritation.

The four were understandably stressed and feeling more than slightly helpless, never mind somewhat responsible for the crisis that seemed to have consumed their Ashikabi, even if it was through no fault of their own.

"Do we...do we tell him not to worry?"

Victorious's half-hearted solution was met with wry smiles from her sisters, Unicorn quietly stating, "Big brother seems like the type to worry...even when we don't want him to."

"Unicorn is correct. Rather, if we wish to make him see some semblance of reason..."

Illustrious frowned in thought, gravely stating, "Then we have to confront him directly about how we feel on these matters...master Alesandro, for all that we may admire him and appreciate his concern, seems far too hung up on the idea that we are somehow...less, for the tampering that MBI has performed."

Formidable nodded in assent, adding, "It is...pleasant, that he would feel so much indignation on our behalf, but-"

"When that indignation causes him such unease and fury, it in turn causes us to feel poorly and guilty."

Unicorn sadly intoned, "Big brother is so concerned about us he actually went to not being concerned."

A round of morbid chuckles escaped the sisters as Illustrious took a deep breath, announcing, "Then we shall confront him directly...and we shall have to be unyielding in this, sisters. Despite our 'submissive' nature, as it is."

The four agreed upon a plan of action, taking calming breaths before waiting for their Ashikabi to show.

And show he eventually did, collapsing onto the table with a muttered curse as he grumbled under his breath, Illustrious took the lead in asking, "Master Alesandro? Is this a good time for you to listen to a...suggestion, of ours?"

Rubbing his eyes the Ashikabi replied, "Sure, sorry I've been busy for most of the day, figuring out a course of action after yesterday's little revelation took a lot longer than I expected."

His flock nodded in acceptance of that statement, Formidable beginning the talk with, "We have been...rather intensely experiencing your frustration and unease for the past few hours, as well as your agitation over this matter."

Alesandro blinked, comprehending her words...and flinched, guilt surging across the empathetic bond they shared as he said, "I...sorry, I wasn't thinking clearly. I should have kept a better leash on my temper. But after hearing even more about what MBI did to all of you..."

Victorious quickly placed a hand over her Ashikabi's, politely but firmly stating, "Alesandro, on that topic...we wish to speak with you about the very same subject."

His confused gaze met her own as Unicorn spoke up with, "Big brother, Unicorn and her sisters don't like how you get so upset and angry about what happened to them."

The male blinked at their words, tone confused as he asked, "I don't follow."

The pale-haired Sekirei took up the thread of conversation, calmly explaining, "Master Alesandro...we understand and are greatly touched by your anger at how we were kept from experiencing the full breadth of a Sekirei's power and base state, as well as many other alterations. But we ourselves are not furious or feel denied about that, for we have you."

Formidable swiftly set a hand on the man's shoulder, halting his words as she added, "We're well aware that such emotions are largely due to the alterations that have given you such righteous fury, that we may not exactly feel such a way had our nature not been tampered with."

"And yet we do not mind anyway. For the happiness we have tasted with you over just a few days is so wonderful that whatever downsides there are seem laughably small and inconsequential in nature."

Features twisting at Victorious's assured comment Alesandro felt his gaze travel once again to Unicorn, the smallest of his flock nodding along with her toy as she finished with, "If big brother is angry for himself, that's fine...but Unicorn and her sisters don't want him to be angry over them. They would be happier if he was happy, not upset and furious..."

The four gazes proved to be too much for the male, gaze averting as he heavily sighed.

"...I've been a poor Ashikabi, haven't I?"

He could see the sisters about to disabuse him of the motion before it was his turn to raise a hand, stating, "No, it's the truth. We just talked about this the other day, how I was trying to attribute characteristics and behaviors to you four when that isn't even close to the current situation we're undergoing. And here I am again, causing you agitation over a matter that, once more, had nothing to do with you."

The sisters felt an instinctive compulsion to comfort their Ashikabi but reigned in the impulse, knowing that it was probably for the best that this scenario ran its course.

Eventually Alesandro let loose a long and drawn-out sigh, meeting his Sekirei's gazes before announcing, "I'm not changing my thoughts on Minaka and MBI, or what they've done to you. But, well..."

A wave of compassion and promise flowed across the bond.

"I'll do that because it's what I want to do, not because I feel anger on your behalf. Is that fair?"

The women smiled, accepting the compromise as it was only fair. They had no desire to give their Ashikabi undue stress due to their own circumstances...but were perfectly happy to aid him in his own endeavors and crusades, even if the relationship between those motivations experienced a great deal of overlap.

Clapping his hands to dispel the last remnants of somber emotions hovering about Alesandro stated, "With that settled...anyone feel like takeout as opposed to cooking? There's still not much that can be done in the city proper and we can watch a movie or something. Consider it my treat since I've been an irritable asshole the past hours."

The four were all too happy to agree to such a deal, their Ashikabi walking off to order chinese...and the quartet were quick to put their heads together.

"I assume we wish to create a sleeping schedule with our Ashikabi? Having five in a single bed can be somewhat cramped..."

Illustrious's words caused the other three to nod, Victorious asking the most pertinent question of, "So...who shall be with him tonight? Formidable and I would be quite happy to share for all of our nights together."

The pale-haired Sekirei and Unicorn exchanged glances, nodding to each other as the bustier of the pair added, "Dear Unicorn and I are also amenable to sharing, we may alternate nights. But as for first pick?"

The blonde quickly grabbed a coin from the front door dresser, stating, "A simple coin flip will suffice. I will flick it, one of you decide."

A smirk crossed Victorious's expression.

"As a Goddess of Victory we cannot lose, obviously~!"

A sharp snap of her thumb sent the metal disc spinning madly through the air, eventually landing on her palm before a hand smacked closed over it, keeping the result hidden from view.

"Well, dear sisters? Your guess?"

Illustrious turned to Unicorn, the lithe girl staring intensely at her blonde sister's closed hand.

"Heads."

Victorious grandly revealed the result-

-and huffed out a disappointed sigh.

"It seems even the Goddess bows to our youngest sister's charms."

Illustrious grabbed the purple-haired girl into a gleeful hug, smugly yet gracefully stating, "It seems Unicorn and I shall be the ones to alleviate our Ashikabi's...stress~."

Victorious and Formidable pouted in thwarted disappointment even as the four blushed in wild thoughts of what kind of 'stress relief' the man would inflict upon them.

Formidable turned to Victorious, quietly stating, "Well...perhaps he may still be upset the night after?"

"We can only hope, sister. We can only hope."

Not much going on in Covid-themed Easter, have a chapter to commemorate the holiday :D