Chapter 18: First Day on the Job

"...I may need to start investing in new bedsheets."

A giggle left Illustrious as she wrapped her legs around her Ashikabi's with possessive motions, tone amused as she stated, "You would object to doing laundry every morning?"

"After a while that would just get ridiculous. And laundry detergent is a scam unless you make your own."

Unicorn shifted from where she was nestled into the male's neck, arms resting on his broad chest as she lightly kissed the collarbone with sleepy motions, complaining, "Big brother and big sister Illustrious talk too much about silly things...let Unicorn sleep..."

A playful bop on the head from the pale-haired Sekirei prompted a mewl of displeasure from Unicorn as she attempted to burrow deeper into her Ashikabi, sulking with tired displeasure as he instead rose to his feet, stretching out a few kinks as Illustrious also began to do the same, rising to her knees and stretching her arms overhead...an action that caused Alesandro to feel a bit dry in the mouth, how her magnificent chest and smooth skin flexed and shifted, caressed by snowy strands of hair-

"And that's my cue to leave before I fall to temptation and start fucking her brains out again."

Shaking his head at how easily his Sekirei could turn him on the male quickly left the room, headed to the showers before another round of debauchery could be commenced.

"...We probably weren't that quiet last night, were we?"

"Not even close, Alesandro."

Sheepishly running a hand through his still damp hair the Ashikabi met Formidable and Victorious's pouting stares, even as the grey-haired woman began preparations for breakfast.

"Sorry, maybe I should look into soundproofing? Also let me help with that."

Quickly moving to assist with the eggs, rice and fruits Formidable was working with the Sekirei seemed slightly mollified by the action, Victorious sighing as she said, "Do not bother, dearest Ashikabi. It would take too much time and the bond still transfers emotions. Besides, tonight is our turn and we shall be sure to cause just as much a commotion~!"

Chuckling at the blonde's proclamation he swiftly began to wash the rice as Formidable leaned her head against his side even as she expertly cracked and whisked a collection of eggs, small smile adorning her flawless lips.

"Oh my, do mine ears deceive me or is there a conspiracy to ensure dearest little sister and I spend a sleepless night consumed with jealousy?"

Illustrious strode down the stairs with infinitely graceful motions, Unicorn quietly following in her wake with an adorable yawn, Victorious smirking as she retorted, "You performed one of these aforementioned conspiracies last night, sister. Turnabout is only fair play, is it not?"

"Hmm, I suppose it is. Master Alesandro, is there an itinerary for today that we should be aware of?"

"Yeah, for today we're going to walk around the city and do whatever catches our fancy, see if any Sekirei, Ashikabi or Sirens try to pull something. Not to mention MBI might find it suspicious if we basically hunker down and do nothing at all for several days in a row, best pop up on the proverbial radar every now and again. And I want to make another call to the Pillar, see if she's found out anything useful."

"Very well, we shall prepare for departure after this morning's meal."

Nodding to himself Alesandro stepped aside as Illustrious politely but firmly nudged him away from the kitchen, sitting aside Unicorn and Victorious as he went through a mental list of all of the things that needed to be followed up and checked on.

"Gonna be a busy day, that's for sure."

[Master Alesandro, I thought you had us purchase more normal outfits specifically for the purpose of being able to walk through crowds with little need for hiding…]

Chuckling at Illustrious's mildly peeved tone through his headpiece as she and Victorious leapt from rooftop to rooftop the Ashikabi replied, "And we did, but it also pays for there to be a pair of eyes—two of them actually—to keep an eye on things from an elevated position. Not to mention it's much easier for MBI to spot you that way and become assured that I'm not squirreling away any kind of dark secret or something along those lines."

A disappointed sigh left Victorious, the blonde grumbling, [Not enough that I have to go the night without my Ashikabi indulging in my body, now I cannot even walk by his side.]

"Don't worry, Victorious. We can return by ground level on our way back. And I'll be sure to pay extra attention to you tonight in return, fair?"

[And just like that my exuberance is refreshed~! I shall be extra vigilant in my scans, Alesandro. None have sharper eyes than the Sekirei of Victory!]

The male caught Formidable lightly smile at her sister's proclamation, Unicorn walking hand-in-hand with her sister as she curiously gazed at the wide variety of shops available to passerby.

"See anything you like, Unicorn?"

"There's a lot to see, big brother...Unicorn and her sisters have only seen pictures and videos before..."

Formidable nodded along at her sister's words, further adding, "Being able to walk through the city like this quite the novel experience, master. Thank you for allowing us the chance to indulge in something we were unsure we would ever be able to participate in."

"Aw geez, it's just walking through the city, Formidable."

The ashen-haired Sekirei merely smiled, lacing her hand through his as Illustrious commented, [Not just any walk. A walk with our Ashikabi.]

"And now you're just trying to make me blush."

The four shared a brief moment of levity-

-and Alesandro blinked, looking back over his shoulder only to find Unicorn staring at an advertisement on a street corner, packed with different shop brands and marketing tricks as they continued on.

"See something that's got your interest on it, Unicorn?"

Instead of replying the smallest Sekirei merely snapped a photo of the ad with her phone before running to catch up to them, smiling contritely as she kept her silence.

"...Should I be worried?"

"Don't worry, big brother. Unicorn knows you'll like the shop when we get to it. Her sisters will too, even if they complain at first."

Formidable and Alesandro traded glances that held more than a few raised eyebrows, an action they knew Illustrious and Victorious would be reciprocating higher up on the buildings.

They were relatively certain her choice of travel destination would be controversial one way or another.

"So you're source still hasn't found anything?"

[None yet, unfortunately. Thus far only vague allusions to the Jinki, no actual locations or hints to where they are being stored. Rest assured, should I become aware of their resting location I will inform you.]

"Alright, I'll hold you to that."

[Indeed. And do bear in mind, Alesandro, that I share the same wish as you to free the Sekirei from their fate. You needn't worry whether I will betray or withhold information from you.]

"I never held such uncouth thoughts at all."

A wry chuckle could be heard over the phone's speaker.

[You attempted to hide it...but your distaste for my past decisions and current actions was clear enough to see, for one who knows how to look.]

"...Very well, you have the benefit of the doubt, Miss Asama. I look forward to any further information you'll be able to bring me."

The line hung up and Alesandro sighed, his flock glancing at him as he remarked, "Still no word on that front. We'll just swing by that shop you spotted earlier, Unicorn. Call it a day after that."

The smaller Sekirei nodded happily at his words, the setting sun casting them into a warm glow as they allowed Unicorn to lead the way, coming up to a large, several-story building...that caused the other four to stop in their tracks.

"...Unicorn?"

"Yes, big brother?"

"Is this an adult store?"

"It is, big brother. Unicorn wants to buy a few things..."

The Sekirei blushed prettily, gazing up at her Ashikabi with upturned eyes as the male could only stare at her with a bewildered expression, the girl's older sisters seemingly unable to decide whether to laugh, cry or flush heavily.

"Unicorn, where did you learn about this place?! Was it that advertisement you saw earlier?!"

Victorious's scandalized tone was met with an innocent—or perhaps not so innocent—nod from the purple-haired Sekirei, words shy as she stated, "Unicorn saw things on discount, she thought big brother would appreciate using them on Unicorn and her big sisters."

"...You know what, I'm totally okay with this."

Illustrious released a resigned sigh, placing an affectionate hand on her younger sister's scalp as she remarked, "If our Ashikabi says he has no objections then I suppose we do not either. Come, Unicorn. Show us what, erm...toys you have set your gaze upon."

The four Sekirei made to walk inside the shop, Alesandro in tow-

-and Unicorn tenderly placed a hand on his abdomen, meeting his eyes as she stated, "Will big brother wait outside? Unicorn wants she and her sister's purchases to be a surprise..."

Raising an eyebrow at the offer the Ashikabi eventually shrugged—trying to ignore the stirring in his loins—as he stated, "If that's what you want then I don't mind. I'll be right outside on that bench, call if you need anything."

"Of course, master Alesandro."

The four Sekirei strode inside the adult shop—more than a few eyes from the occasional passerby focused on them as they did so—as the Ashikabi carefully sat, ensuring that his budding erection was well hidden as a few minutes passed, the male trying not to let his thoughts linger overmuch on just what, exactly, his Sekirei would be buying.

"Those four are going to be the death of me, I can already tell."

"Oh~? And not by blade, gun or sickness?"

The man stiffened for a moment before relaxing, letting his muscles fall slack and lazily stating, "I would certainly hope that not to be the case. Those sound rather painful."

"Depends on what kind of aforementioned debilitation you suffer. Some are quite excruciating while others are, shall we say..."

Alesandro felt a soft but unyielding finger trace the curve of his neck.

"Quick. Wouldn't you agree, Alesandro Rastus?"

Finally deigning to turn his attention to the feminine voice invading his personal space the Ashikabi rotated his head, raising an eyebrow as a set of features quite fetching met his gaze.

Grey hair a shade duller than Formidable's, uneven and unkempt while the longer strands were lazily thrown into a ponytail framing a sharp and predatory face that held a great deal of cutting edge beauty, steel eyes undercut by heavy bags and a playful smile as she laid across the bench Alesandro was occupying.

Her attire was obviously some kind of MBI uniform, a grey overcoat and black dress that left her legging-clad legs on display, incredibly long nodachi sword lazily slung at her side with a body that was neither overly busty nor needlessly slim.

...He would call her beautiful beyond belief were it not for the aura of bloodlust she carried around like a second skin.

"Well, still beautiful. Just a bit of a dangerous beauty."

"My apologies, I don't believe I've heard your name yet?"

Easily vaulting over the bench to sit astride him what the male assumed to be a Sekirei—if the reaction to her presence aside from the aura of danger was any indication—offered a bewitching smile, eyes closed as she stated, "Hmm...I don't know if I feel like giving it out~. Isn't it one of a woman's strongest selling points to be mysterious?"

The male settled for a shrug, responding, "That it is. But to preserve that mystery you'll have to settle for me calling you 'stranger'. Hardly an endearing term, if you were to ask me."

"Oh, I've been called worse."

The mystery Sekirei settled in, basking in the afternoon sun like a contented wolf after a kill, Alesandro finding his curiosity more and more piqued by the strange alien, at the contradictory scent of blood and downright pleasant demeanor she sported.

"Why is that? Thus far you don't seem to give off the vibe of an unhinged or rude individual. A little bold and overly friendly, sure, but that's hardly enough for most to label one as a degenerate."

One eye lazily cracked open, the Sekirei casually stating, "You don't need to play dumb, Rastus. Minaka and the rest wouldn't be able to tell but I can. You've seen blood and battle, I could tell before I even came close."

The duo glanced at each other from the corner of their respective fields of view, neither so much as twitching-

-and Alesandro shrugged, not bothering to deny the statement as he replied, "Calling it 'battle' would be a bit of an exaggeration. More like small skirmishes. And it's my uncle who knows the true face of open warfare, not me."

Seemingly unconcerned with his admission the woman responded, "Blood is blood. Sure, there's the matter of scale but the taking of life is a large milestone all on its own. I think you and I can understand each other rather well just fine."

This time Alesandro turned in his seat to give the Sekirei his full attention, the female reciprocating the action slightly as she crossed one athletic leg over the other, turning her head slightly so both eyes could meet his.

"So should I be worried about my ruse being discovered or MBI kicking down my door? Last I checked they thought I was a bit of a braggart and harmless dolt."

"Hmm...no, I think it would be far more entertaining if only I knew that. A bit of insurance to hold over you, as it were."

Raising an eyebrow at the Sekirei's amused words the Ashikabi replied, "Well I suppose I should thank you for not saying anything just yet although I confess to being rather apprehensive about what you would want from me. I hope it's not money, my Sekirei are the ones with the black MBI cards, not me."

Chuckling good-naturedly at the quip the woman crinkled her eyes once more, stating, "Oh, nothing too significant...it's just that I found something rather peculiar not long ago on a routine investigation into some happenings MBI was suspicious of. A Sekirei and an Ashikabi were essentially erased from existence with no trace of them ever having been there in the first place. No core, no corpse."

Alesandro felt a bit of a clench in his gut at that news, the Sekirei idly commenting, "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you? Being something of a killer yourself."

Meeting the woman's gaze the male idly responded, "I have an alibi, if that's what you're curious about. And actions like that aren't my style."

The predatory woman once more locked eyes with him...and clicked her tongue, expression instantly turning mildly peeved.

"Well damn, it seems I believe you. Although...hmm, I think I'm going to exercise some of my authority over you now, Rastus."

Hiding his distaste and annoyance at that proclamation he motioned for the Sekirei to continue, the woman smiling wolfishly as she asked, "You wouldn't happen to have any sort of suspicions about this recent event, would you? Call it a hunch, me being suspicious of you..."

Meeting the woman's stare without so much as a blink of surprise Alesandro considered his options...and decided that sending her off with a bit of forewarning wasn't a bad idea. Sure, it rankled him that she had leverage but overall having what he was fairly certain was a member of the Disciplinary Squad on his 'side' would be a boon rather than hindrance.

And if his suspicion was right and it was the Sirens behind this...better safe than sorry.

"You don't think this was the act of a competitor, do you?"

"Nope. Minaka and the others think so but they don't have the capability or competence to leave a completely clean scene of the crime like this. So? Your compliance, Rastus~?"

Rolling his eyes at the Sekirei's dangerously playful words he eventually settled for explaining, "The ones behind it are likely people similar to me. They're not ones to underestimate."

Smiling dangerously at that bit of information the woman purred, "Well isn't that a fascinating little tidbit...I think you've got my fancy, Rastus."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

The male raised an eyebrow as the female's fingers that seemed more like talons than they did Human digits stroked his chin, cheeks slightly flushed as she lazily stated, "Oh, definitely a bad thing...that aura you carry, that desirability as an Ashikabi...it really annoys me, that I feel this way. I have no need for love."

Frowning to himself Alesandro inquired, "Firstly, I was under the impression that all of the Disciplinary Squad members had been Winged. Secondly...you don't seem to prescribe to the usual Sekirei ideology that finding love and affection is the greatest pursuit there is."

A scoff left the woman, a far more sullen expression adorning her sharp features as she said, "Well, as you'll no doubt hear from a great many people, I'm just a little bit crazy and demented. And I'm plenty strong enough to go without an Ashikabi. Not like MBI could force me to get one even if they wanted to."

Alesandro was about to ask what she meant by that-

-and was interrupted as a small form leapt down from one of the nearby buildings, approaching the woman with a smooth pace as she quietly stated, "Nothing new to report, Miss Karasuba."

The Ashikabi tilted his head at the new arrival, a girl roughly Unicorn's height but with a much different ensemble and demeanor. A coat of similar design to the taller Sekirei adorned her bare shoulders, albeit white with blue trim while a modified sailor uniform that left much of her navel bare covered small breasts, a mini-skirt barely concealing slim hips while lithe legs were adorned with white stockings, red boots covered in crimson metal and sharp edges protecting dainty feet.

Her hair was an interesting shade of flaxen-blonde, flowing lightly in the wind and adorned in a ponytail similar to her compatriots, bright amber eyes meeting the other Sekirei's gaze without much in the way of expression.

...In fact she seemed pretty listless and composed to almost emotionless degrees, the grey-haired Sekirei apparently not minding the fact that her companion was easily carrying a huge blade of white and red metal that looked as if it could rip a truck in two as she smiled, ruffling her hair and cooing, "Good work, little Ayanami. Now say hello to our friend here."

Tilting his head in surprise at the sudden turnaround from dour and deadly to fun and relaxed Alesandro nonetheless met the smaller Sekirei's curious head-tilt, tone quiet and composed as she greeted, "Sekirei #36, Ayanami. Miss Karasuba, who is this? I think I'm reacting to him and so are you."

Not missing the look of displeasure on the predatory woman's features the Ashikabi was admittedly surprised at the blush that also covered the other girl's attractive body...but more pertinently he decided to state, "So you're the infamous Karasuba my flock was warning me about. Gotta say, you're not what I was expecting. In a good way."

Raising a skeptical eyebrow at his comment the Black Sekirei dubiously responded, "I blackmail you and press you for information and you think that's a good thing? I hate to think what your initial image of me must have been."

Smiling at her wry words Alesandro stated, "Nothing like that...but much like how you were able to get a measure of myself at a glance I can do the same. You're not quite the monster you paint yourself to be. And as a bit of a fighter myself...I'd like to see what you can do at some point during this mess, Karasuba. Just for fun, naturally."

For a split-second complete astonishment dominated Karasuba's expression, Ayanami also blinking up at her companion's disbelief...and a hungry, wolfish grin split the Sekirei's lips.

"I'll hold you to that, Rastus...and I don't hold back when someone so boldly challenges me. Don't think I won't kill you if you can't match up."

"I never doubted your resolve for a second. Until then, Karasub-"

"Master Alesandro, get back!"

With a shout of alarm the Ashikabi's flock sprinted out of the store, laden with small bags of questionable merchandise and forming up in front of him, staring down the Black Sekirei with nervous but resolute expressions...until they laid eyes on Ayanami, who was also staring back them with a mildly puzzled expression.

"...Sister Ayanami?"

Unicorn's bewildered tone was answered with an equally unsure response of, "...The Royal sisters? You found an Ashikabi?"

Alesandro watched this newest development with a thoughtful tap of his lip, wryly grinning at the scenario developing before him.

"Well, I hoped for events to start happening. They're happening."