*Reads through the Reviews of the previous chapter and cue a raised eyebrow*
Man, people sure took a more negative approach this time around...
I don't usually do any Review responses via Chapters, though I couldn't help myself in this one.
Ruberforumfree: Because the Lolz!
DestinyVain: Sooooo, a person with enough morals to decide against killing a kid in his mid-teens (hella annoying one but still a kid) immediately makes him a pussy, eh? Interesting...
Allhailthesith: Yeah, love you too! (Though I tip my hat to you for not hiding behind a Guest like the most tend to do.)
Doctor Doofenshmirtz: Sorry to hear that, though with my stories the slow and steady pacing has always been a thing, which is something that I'm not planning to change anytime soon (that being my writing style and all that). Also the Opening Cinema; that's just what I do out of fun to give some form of anime-like feeling to it, while I'm well aware it's not everyone's cup of tea, though there are plenty of Authors who does same practices regarding the Opening scenes in their Fics.
Specterchilypepper: Heeh, coming up like a hypocrite surely was not my intention there, and I admit that things turned out way more dramatic than first intended, but to me it felt boring to simply have Arata kiss Akitsu and be done with the whole encounter (despite being a logical thing to do). Though as far as toning down the Shounen manga attributes goes; I'll promise to at least try.
raelarial1: There's an easy solution to that if no likey; take yer mouse and scroll down to skip, ta-daah! (In all seriousness those will be more or less one-chapter deals if anything, so no need to go all passive aggressive on my ass about it.)
Enjoy the chapter and please Follow, Favorite and leave a Review or I'll sic Karasuba on yeh! ;)
No seriously; Reviews are the only thing that keeps an Author motivated!
All mindless flames will duly be ignored (like all immature shits (Trolls) of the community should be), but constructive criticism is highly welcomed if it means I could potentially improve the quality of my story.
Special thanks for "DrPhilinSweatpants" for helping with the BETA reading. :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Sekirei franchise it belongs to its respective owners.
I only own the SIOC.
Speech: "Hello"
Telepathic speech: "Hello"
Demonic & LOOOOOOUD NOICES!: "HELLO!"
Abilities and Attack exclamations: "Hello!"
Norito: "Hello!"
MOCKINGBIRD
OPENING SONG:
THE BEGINNING by ONE OK ROCK
{Edited cut version/link in my profile}
=Chapter 3=
=Unmei No Hito (運命の人) / Destined Person=
Part 2: But Not Broken!
-Shin Tokyo Park, nighttime-
-Some time later, after Arata got hit by Mutsu's attack-
"Ngh..." I let out a raspy groan as I was coming to...
T-the hell?
Wha- what happened?
And where was this?
Why were my ears ringing?
Moreover; why did everything hurt? Like every single part of my body?
Did I drop down a flight of stairs or something? Last I checked I was back in my apartment when I— Oh...
Oh, right... Now I remember...
ROB dropped me into the world of Sekirei...
Within 10 minutes of my arrival; I met Akitsu...
We talked, we kissed (best one I've had by the way), which somehow fixed her...
Wild Mikogami appeared...
He chose Mutsu...
Mutsu used Earthquake...
It was super effective!
I fainted!
Despite the ill state of my physical wellbeing; I couldn't help the small chuckle escaping my lungs at my joke, that I soon regretted doing when I fell into a painful coughing fit.
Crap-crap-crap~! It hurts to laugh...
Ever knew the feeling of a landmine blowing up by your feet? No? Good, neither do I... But if there's anything near equivalent to one; this would probably be it, albeit toned down version to merely incapacitate the target instead of maiming if not killing...
Then I felt something trail down my skin on the right side of my face (right beside the eye). I weakly raised a hand over to prod at the said spot with my fingers, before I held the said limb in front of my eyes to inspect the liquid...
Red...?
Ah... I see...
Blood... I was bleeding... pretty badly too by the looks of it... I was feeling a bit lightheaded, though I wasn't sure if it's caused by the blood loss or if it's the telltales of developing concussion speaking...
I dropped the hand on the ground with a defeated sigh.
{{Play OST: Attack On Titan - Call Your Name}}
The hell was I even thinking? Taking on a Sekirei... Me, a lowly human...?
How laughable...
To think I would make a difference...
When I realized how I was flung into Sekirei-verse, on the contrary to my earlier thoughts, deep inside (for the first time in a very long time) I felt excitement. The life I spent in my own world, has just gotten... dull as of late... it has been basically the same routine over and over; Go to work, listen to bitching customers, get home, eat, do chores, sleep and the cycle went on... And it had been like this for good 6 years now... I began to feel empty... Most of my friends have already moved on with their lives; busy with their works or with the families of their own, so we barely had any get-togethers nowadays anymore... My love life has been subpar at best, though admittedly that one might be just from the lack of commitment on my part (never just found the spark, ya know)... And while I had a big and loving family; there was only so much they could help with...
I've never really been what one would call an adrenaline junkie, but deep inside; I always prayed for something to happen... Something, anything to bring some color to my overwhelmingly monotonous way of life that was practically all drawn in white and black on a blank canvas!
Imagine my surprise when my prayers got actually answered for once!
Then things happened and I was struck with a cold-hearted truth...
I was utterly powerless... Swat aside like a fly...
And now, here I am... Lying on my back, broken and defeated...
Pathetic...
"Let me go!" The feminine cry to my left, brought me to a startling halt and immediately cutting me off from my self-loathing.
Akitsu...!
With grit teeth I fought against my aching and protesting body, before I finally managed to roll myself over with a quiet thud, so I was lying on my front instead. Gasping for breath, already feeling myself being overcome with exhaustion; I craned my neck slightly up to see what was going on. While the area I lied at was still partly covered in dust (lingering effects, courtesy to Mutsu's iconic attack from before); however I could see through the smoke decently enough.
What I witnessed before me made my soul boil with anger!
Mutsu stood behind Akitsu and had the latter restrained and on her knees by holding her down with a hand firmly wrapped around the back of her neck (though the former of the two seemed rather reluctant in what he was doing if the distasteful frown was anything to go by).
And finally; Mikogami was kneeling in front of (red-faced) Akitsu, his filthy hands cupping her chin, as he forcefully tried to turn her head to face him as the Ice Sekirei kept struggling (albeit very weakly) with everything she got by sucking her lips in and constantly cocking her head away whenever Mikogami tried to pry her to face him. And the glare she had towards Mikogami was so cold it was a sheer wonder Mikogami didn't turn into a block of ice on the spot... But unfortunately it didn't and Mikogami didn't seem at all bothered by the glare, either from the sheer arrogance or he's just that confident in Mutsu's hold on her.
As Akitsu struggled; I noticed that all she could move was her neck... all of her limbs were hanging helplessly by her sides. Did they fucking paralyze her to get their way through!? Or was Mutsu's grip on her neck the main source of her state of paralysis?
Pressure points?
"Why do you resist? I can't Wing you if you keep struggling like that, ya know. You're MY Sekirei after all..." Mikogami's infuriating face twisted into a half-pout of an annoyed child who's being denied his fun. It was at this point I started to deeply regret following my pacifistic morals and not shooting the brat when I got the chance!
I grit my teeth (so hard it was a wonder they didn't break) and I tried to stand up; keyword tried since I simply couldn't muster any strength into my limbs and I felt incredibly nauseous if I even tried to lift my head off the ground!
Fuck... Definitely concussion...
Damn it... Why now of all times!
Here I am... watching helplessly as Akitsu is about to be Winged against her will in front of me... With my ears still ringing (albeit with lesser effect now) and my mind in a concussion induced daze, where it took practically all my willpower only to stay conscious...
Meanwhile (as I narrowed my eyes to focus my sight) Akitsu was glaring at Mikogami in defiance, which Mikogami sighed at in an exasperated manner, before he did something that practically lit my previous anger into unbridled rage!
*SLAP!*
He dared to slap her across the face!?
"Would you knock it off? Playing hard to get was admittedly amusing at first, but now it only irritates me..."
"Was that really necessary Mikogami?" Mutsu inquired disapprovingly, but nonetheless he held Akitsu at bay.
Mikogami merely shrugged. "Just thought some tough love would get my point across."
T-that—!
*Thu-dum!*
That... Vermin!
*Thu-dum!*
She's not a woman a Vermin like you can touch...!
*Thu-dum!*
She didn't return back to normal only for someone like you to come in and defile her!
*Thu-dum!*
To take her away form ME!
I made another attempt to push myself up.
I had to help her... I had to—!
"GHH!?" All of sudden, stabbing pain hit my brain, causing me to fall on my face again, before darkness began to fill my vision from the corners of my sight...
No... I... I needed to stay conscious... I need to... A-Akitsu... Help... h-her...
A... kit.. su...
...
...
...
...
"NOOO! I WANT TO BE ARATA'S! ARATA-SAMA'S ALONE~~!"
*THU-DUM!*
My eyes snapped open as unknown energy began to fill my whole being, numbing my pain, revitalizing my strength.
*THU-DUM!*
Akitsu!
(I couldn't see it but my irises were glowing with power in bright neon green colors. And for a brief moment a yin-yang symbol flashed inside of my pupils.)
I forced myself to lift my head up (struggling through the pain) to look ahead of me... And my eyes immediately locked onto the infuriating brat; just about to force himself on Akitsu through the kiss!
*THU-DUM!*
Let her go...!
The temperature around me started to drop at an alarmingly drastic rate, freezing the very air around me, turning my breath into vapors with each exhale. This sudden change in the atmosphere seemed to have taken Mutsu's attention as his head snapped towards me with an alarmed expression.
I slowly raised my right arm with my palm aimed towards Mikogami... My intent fully clear!
"LET HER GOOOOOO!"
Ice of her pledge, Shatter my enemies!
*BOOOOOOOM*
As if triggered by a vocal command, a huge wave of ice suddenly emerged from the ground in front of me, which headed right towards Mikogami in a straight line at high speeds.
Mutsu was the first to react; his eyes widening in almost comical degrees when a tidal wave of ice (full of 6 feet long razor sharp needles) was suddenly heading their direction. "MIKOGAMI!" He called out in warning and in a flash rushed to his Ashikabi's side, who had the deer in headlights kind of expression at the sudden commotion. Mutsu threw him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, before leaping away in haste, just barely avoiding from being turned into a bloody paste.
Though unluckily for the brat's Sekirei...
"Tch!" One of the needles managed to nick on the side of his left calve, causing a small trail of blood come out.
As for Akitsu; the ice wave simply shattered when it came three feet away from making physical contact with her as if it collided against an invisible wall. The ice then spread and formed a ring around Akitsu, before dozens of razor sharp spikes jutted outwards all around her in a circle, both creating a defensive parameter around the woman while also inadvertently trapping her inside. And without her powers, she was unable to pull it down...
All this had occurred in a span of half-a-minute. This made me look down at my hand in shock and awe... D-did I do that? Bu- But how—?
*Thu-dum!*
All of sudden something seemingly rid myself of my awed stupor. My (glowing) eyes were glazing over and it felt as if my mind was going into trance...
Akitsu...
*Thu-dum!*
I had to reach her...
As if possessed; I placed my hands on the ground and began pushing myself off the ground, completely ignoring the pain I felt from my aching bones, wounds, strained muscles and even the stabbing headache (though it felt as if all the pain were starting to dull out with each second)... And once I've finally rose up to my feet (like a zombie really); I nearly lost my balance due to sharp pain in my left ankle (must've sprained it from before), but fortunately I managed to regain my balance and the second I did; I made a beeline for Akitsu, albeit in slow pace with me limping in my steps.
However due to my tunnel visioning mindset, I nearly forgot about one major factor...
"Another Sekirei!? Go get em Mutsu! Subdue the blondie! Gotta catch em all!"
The bastards were still alive... And apparently he thinks I'm a Sekirei now... Though something tells me that that is not the case here... And wait, did the little fucker just pull a Pokemon reference at the said race?
Anyway at Mikogami's order; From the corner of my eye on my right, I spotted Mutsu was making a beeline straight at me with his scabbard brandished in a reverse-grip, fully intent on knocking my lights out with it in the next move...
I couldn't have that, now could I?
Acting quickly; I raised my right arm in front of me to intervene the incoming strike, before I shifted the positioning of my feet; pulling my left leg slightly to the side for support (ignoring the stabbing pain fucking up my ankle). Normally, especially for human, any guarding attempt would mean jack shit against a Sekirei... However something deep inside of my subconscious was guiding my movements, giving me the instinctual knowledge how to utilize the alien energy inside of me... I split it in two and directed the energy towards my extended arm and leg, then braced myself as I willed the energy to burst out...
*Clang!*
My right arm (up to my elbow) was now completely covered in a thick layer of ice with five stubby (but sharp) claw-like protrusions at the front (right where my fingers would be) with blood red tips (courtesy of frozen blood) and to finish the look; a foot long spike sticking out from the back of the elbow. All-in-all this ice-made construct, encasing my whole forearm, looked like some morbid bear's paw albeit one packed with a thumb. Though funnily, other than the slight feeling of numbness; I didn't feel the sort of discomfort a normal person would experience when in a prolonged skin contact with an ice-cold object... Nor did I feel any muscle strain from being overburdened, because let me tell you; this thing didn't exactly look light from my perspective...
Although...
*Crack!*
Parts of the icy armor shattered around the strike zone, then I cringed and grit my teeth when a sharp pain shot through my arm...
This bulky and crude-looking block of ice, may have had protected me from being taken out of from the count outright; however if I were to judge from the sickening crack I heard and most certainly felt around the bone, then the type of pain (while dulled by the ice in most part) that followed immediately after...
He broke my arm...
The bastard actually hit me hard enough to break the bone beneath the makeshift armor! Hell, Mutsu's scabbard was literally lodged into the ice encasing my arm!
This was NOT the amount of power for Sekirei to use to knock a human out safely...
This was the power output meant to subdue a fellow Sekirei...
If I didn't conjure the ice in time; he would've smashed right through the arm like a cardboard and probably spilled my brains all over the park...
And the reason I wasn't flung back from the impact was due to the small pillar of ice (around a meter in diameter and 2 in length) I managed to conjure behind me that partly encased my left leg; rooting me in place (supporting my damaged ankle) and preventing me from being sent airborne for the second time today.
"You..." Mutsu suddenly started, narrowing his eyes down at me in deep suspicion while he kept his sheathed sword pressed against my makeshift shield, both of us struggling to keep the other in bay (me way more so). Though at the state I was now; I was only half-paying the attention on his words. "What are you? I know for a fact you are no Sekirei... And you sure as hell are no human. So I ask again; WHAT are you..."
Believe me, I wish I knew that myself... However, instead of a vocal response; I exhaled deeply, my breath coming out in a thick cloud of vapor, (No doubt a side effect from my dangerously low body temperatures) before I re-directed the energy, my inner frost, away from my now literally frozen limbs and down towards the narrow space between Mutsu and I, forming particles of ice at the said spot right by our feet as the energy began to build up.
Mutsu's took a notice of this (possibly sensing the gathering power); and his eyes widened in alarm before he clicked his tongue, when he saw the odd concentration of sparkling particles of frost forming by our feet.
And it was only his battle experience and superior reaction time, that he survived from being skewered right there on the spot as he immediately drew back his weapon and retreated a good distance away with a single leap backwards, because not a second later; from what previously seemed like harmless frost cloud; came out three large spikes of ice, that now stood there stationary like a miniature iceberg.
Now with the eyesore pushed back; I willed the ice trapping my left leg to disperse, though I left small bits of it to support the fucked up ankle (acting like a makeshift cast). My ice encased arm on the other hand has lost all the feeling and was now hanging limply (well definitely more rigid at the obvious spots) by my side. I tried to disperse the frost trapping the said limb, but that turned out in failure... As if the loss of sense in the flesh also cuts off my control over the ice at the benumbed areas...
However I duly proceeded to ignore it... My face practically devoid of all emotion; I faced forward and took another step onward to reach MY Sekirei's side, stumbling and nearly loosing my balance in almost every three steps, due to my messed up leg, bruised ribs and the literal dead-weight that is my right arm trapped in a large block of ice.
For extra measure, to keep that Ninja-reject of a mutt away from me... Like how Akitsu did in the show; I conjured a bunch of icicle spears (each over 4 feet in length and as thick as my arm) mid-air around me and with a mental command; I began firing them at Mikogami's direction instead of his Sekirei one by one (or multiple at once). And this time... I did NOT hesitate...
Though unfortunately (for me) Mutsu has yet again proven himself as a very competent guard dog, since the second the first icicle was shot; Mutsu had already closed the gap between himself and his Ashikabi in a blink of an eye, basically turning himself into a unbreakable fortress before the brat; swatting the incoming icicles one after another with abandon (his sword practically a blur for how fast he moved), his intense steel grey eyes shifting back and forth in utmost concentration to see that none came through.
However with this Mutsu was now at least busy protecting his Ashikabi; so I could finally proceed with my destination (constantly conjuring new icicles to reload so to speak), but then I began to notice changes occurring in my body (mainly the visible ones)... the more I used this power, the more I utilized the Inner Frost; small patches of frost started to form at random spots all over my body (over the clothing) and the ice encasing my right forearm has also begun to slowly spread up along my arm (already reaching the mid-bicep area). Even my face wasn't spared from the outward changes if the same numbing sensation running across my right brow and along the cheekbone below the right eye was any indication (luckily the eyeball itself was left untouched), though it seemed the blood there acted as the medium for the frost (fortunately plugging the bleeding wound in the process at least). Heh, if I had a mirror right now I'd bet I'd look like some Arrancar ripoff with this pseudo-mask of ice that is about to cover half of my face.
My innards meanwhile felt as if someone had poured a whole gallon worth of liquid nitrogen inside my gullet! Hell, my piss alone would probably be enough to freeze a T-1000 Terminator at this point!
The power... Akitsu's power I realized (how I was mimicking her abilities is beyond me), was beginning to consume me... My body simply not adapted to handle her power without some repercussions...
But I didn't care... All I cared about now; was to reach Akitsu's side right now...
"Mutsu~ What are you doing!? Go get em!" Mikogami whined at the background.
"Busy protecting YOU!" Despite my numbed facial muscles; corner of my lips quirked up a bit in amusement.
Judging by his aggravated tone; it appears even the ever so composed, Mutsu-dono has his limits dealing with Mikogami's attitude, before snapping.
But then at long last; I finally reached her... Or more specifically the porcupine dome of ice, that both protected and held Akitsu captive...
"A...kitsu..." Even speech was becoming hard to do with how constricted my throat felt...
I extended my sole functioning arm and rested the palm against the frozen surface; the ice immediately disintegrated on the spot when my hand came into direct contact with the protective barrier, giving me a proper entrance inside the dome.
And right behind the wall, stood startled, tearful, but very happy Akitsu... "A-ah..! A-Arata-sama!" She didn't hesitate as she immediately jumped into my arms (well an arm, really considering my main arm is pretty much out of commission right now), sobbing as she did, neither did I hesitate to return the embrace by wrapping my arm around her waist.
But this was not the time for emotional reunion, not just yet.
I had to act quickly while I still could.
"Aki... tsu..." I rasped out, pushing us slightly apart from each other. Akitsu seemed confused at first, but then her eyes widened in extreme alarm and concern, seemingly only now registering the state I was in... all battered up, ice covering nearly half of my body, right arm encased in ice completely and frozen blood smearing the right side of my face.
"A-A-Arata!?" She was so panicked she even dropped the suffix entirely. "Y-you're—!"
"P-pardon..." I apologized in advance, before I brought functioning my arm up and wrapped it behind her shoulders.
"Eh..? What are— Mmphh!?" And practically slammed our lips together in an intense kiss with me pushing forward in the manner Akitsu's spine actually end up bent back at the waist by nearly 40 degrees. At first Akitsu practically froze (pun not intended) in place, seemingly in too much shock to react, but her eyes soon begun to flutter close as she finally relaxed in my one-armed embrace, slowly wrapping her arms around my neck, pressing her body snugly against my own and returned the kiss full force.
Unlike last time, where our kiss seemingly only reset her Tama and removed her corrupt Crest... This time however... Her wings had finally came forth... And they were glorious...
The dome we were in the middle of had outright blown off outwards, to reveal a pair of crystallized wings that emerged from Akitsu's back...
They were immense in size in icy blue color; their brilliant glow illuminated the entire park. Akitsu's wings looked as if they were made of living crystallized ice, considering how they slowly curved around us in a protective embrace, like a mother bird with her young... Or an angel...
I don't know how long Akitsu and I kept our liplock, but eventually we finally parted from the kiss (her wings dissipating soon after), but we never let go of each other as we gazed upon each other's eyes.
"This is the ice of my pledge. Shatter the misfortunes of my Ashikabi..." Akitsu intoned her prayer with a blissful smile on her face and her eyes... Full of life, an absolutely gorgeous contrast to how they were when I first met her...
Despite my numbed-up facial muscles; I somehow managed to return the smile with one of my own and couldn't help but give her small peck in the middle of her forehead, (right where her Crest had been previously located) before I pulled her in once more, gently placing her head on my shoulder with my head resting atop of hers. I closed my eyes and deeply breathed in her scent. Ironically her scent kinda reminded me of summer air or a flowery garden unlike what her powers suggested...
A weak chuckle escaped my throat when I heard her purring like a house cat when I began caressing her hair affectionately.
"W-with this... y-you're mine... Akitsu..."
"Ah... Yes, I'm yours... forever yours, Ashikabi-sama..." She happily whispered into my ear, her fingers tightening their hold on my chest, as if afraid that I'd suddenly disappear the moment she lets go...
I smiled albeit weakly. "P-please call me... by name... l-like before... I... P-prefer it that way..."
"Understood, Arata-sama..." She replied with a nod, as she sighed and pressed her face further against my shoulder.
Well the overly grand honorific was still there, but we can work on that later.
What matters now; is that with this Akitsu was finally mine... Though it was kinda ironic. Despite my high morals, my first Sekirei had technically turned out to be a case of forced Winging. But hopefully it'll also remain as the very last one...
I tiredly looked around, though everything was getting kinda blurry now.
I duly let out a low (barely audible) whistle, feeling rather impressed at the change of scenery around us.
Her emerging was so strong, it turned the entire park a land of winter...
{{End Song}}
-With Mikogami & Mutsu-
-3rd person POV-
"EH!? THE BLONDIE WINGED LUCKY NUMBER!? B-BUT WASN'T BLONDIE A—!? GRRR! MUTSU! YOU NEED TO PUNISH THAT THIEVING CHEAT!" Mikogami screamed in fury like an autistic child, who was denied his new toy. Stomping the frozen ground for extra measure, though—
"Uwah~!" As if in a fit of Karma; he end up slipping on his feet, before he landed on his back and hit the back of his head. "Owowowow!"
Mutsu rolled his eyes at his Ashikabi's antics, before he walked up to Mikogami, reached down to his fallen form and proceeded to pull him up with a single arm and lifted his Ashikabi over his shoulder like bag of potatoes (getting a startled yelp from the kid).
He then shook his head in negative to Mikogami's previous order. "No, we'll withdraw for today." The male Sekirei said and started walking towards the exit of the park, while carrying his Ashikabi with him, since he knew that Mikogami would only land either on his ass or face again if he let the boy walk out on his own... the said boy then stared at his Sekirei with an aghast expression.
"Huh!? Why!? You totally had him!"
Mutsu sighed in mild exasperation. "Number Seven has already been winged, so our presence here is literally meaningless now. Any longer we loiter around here is but a waste of time." He then turned around and narrowed his eyes at the blond haired... Human? Sekirei? MBI experiment of sorts? He knew not, but he was planning to find out in the future. Ashikabi with Sekirei powers was literally unheard of until now, needless to say he was interested how one came to being... "And right now; I'd rather not to take on the freshly Winged Number Seven and this... Ashikabi of hers at the same time, with the risk of one of them going after you while I'm busy with the another. This is exactly why I told you we should've bring at least one of the others along for extra protection if things went south."
Mikogami pouted from Mutsu's lecture. "But you're my favorite one and I didn't feel like grinding with the low level party members yet..."
Mutsu again rolled his eyes at his Mikogami's typical reply, but there was an amused upturn on his lips. Mutsu then quietly turned to look ahead and calmly proceeded to walk away with his now more than slightly vexed-looking (pouting like a chipmunk) Ashikabi over his shoulder.
-Back with Akitsu and Arata-
-Arata POV-
"M-m-m-man! I-it s-s-sure has g-got-t-ten c-cold out h-here, eh?" My voice trembled like mad. I tried to sound like I was joking, but with the body literally at the brink of shutting down; needless to say that was a rather challenging thing to do. At this point I had no more strength to even twitch a muscle, much less stand up on my own and if it wasn't for Akitsu embracing me tightly; I would've fallen on my face long ago.
"Ah..! Y-you're hurt! W-we need to get you to the hospital—!" Akitsu cried out in deep worry as she held onto my powerless, ice covered form.
"NO Akitsu! N-no hospital... A-associated with MBI or... H-Higa... Y-you saw what I did... T-they can't be trusted... with my body... Can't... risk it..."
Fuck... My sentences were turning out more broken by a second... I'm losing my consciousness... And it seems Akitsu noticed this too.
"Ah! A-Arata-sama!?"
There was only one person who could be trusted in this city...
"No time... H-head to... North... Search for... I-Izumo... The landlady... she will... w-will..." Sorry Akitsu... I...
"Arata-sama! Please, stay with me!"
I can only hope she finds some help to save my bacon in time...
I mean can you imagine how much it would suck if I went through all that effort to Wing Akitsu, only to for her to be terminated because I died from (ironically) hypothermia and take her with me due to the literal lifebond Ashikabi and Sekirei shares?
It was with such thoughts that darkness overtook me.
Akitsu's frantic cries being the last thing I hear before I fell into the realm of Morpheus...
.
TBC
AN - Man, when I initially started with this fic; I originally had meant to turn Mockingbird into a light hearted Crack-fic, but as I kept writing; it turned more and more dramatic and intense, with Akitsu's situation. Her literally now being the only Sekirei, who (in major fit of irony) rejected the Ashikabi she was reacting towards (Even Tsukiumi relented in the end)... Only to be with the very person who brought her out from her own personal hell and fulfilled her wish to become normal Sekirei in the first place.
In a way this makes Akitsu way more... human, compared to your typical Sekirei who would likely make a beeline towards a person she or he felt the strongest reaction for in a heartbeat. This is considering how she instead made her own decision instead of following what her bodily instincts were telling her.
Hope you liked the action scenes though, I believe it has actually been a couple of years since I last wrote any of those... As you've probably noticed; the chapters that usually had more seriousness than goofiness had taken longer for me to publish, simply for thinking too much on them...
I also now noticed I have an odd habit of pulling this cliche "Oh shit! Shit's going down! *Thu-dum* *Thu-dum* WAAAH I got the powaaar~!" awakening scene in most of my stories... (-_- ')
.
I was going to end the Author's Notes here; but as I'm taking another look at the sheer negativity in the last chapter (more than I ever had in a single day for freshly published chapter)...
Do I seriously have to scrap this fic already and make a rewrite for it by going with the path seen in OMAKE 1 in previous chapter instead, like many suggested? Who knows, it may depend on the feedback I get for this one.
Arata's Flock Status:
#07 - Akitsu
#? - OC Brain Type (Poll ongoing!)
#Unknown
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MC's Powers
[Updated!]
S-Mimic
Arata has the power to mimic the main ability of any Sekirei he gets into lip lock with.
When Arata kisses a Sekirei he's able to copy their power for his own use and is able to utilize the copied ability indefinitely until he swaps saliva with different (Sekirei) individual and that's where the mimicked power Arata possesses at the time gets overwritten and changed to match the ability of the Sekirei Arata had kissed with most recently.
Simply put, Arata can only mimic one Sekirei ability at a time. However if Arata were to kiss a normal human with no special powers; The current mimicked ability won't be removed in process.
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Purify
When Arata exchanges saliva with a Sekirei; this action will purify the said Sekirei's Crest from its impurities, restoring it back to normal. All [̴D̶a̶t̶a̸ ̴c̷o̶r̵r̸u̷p̶t̵i̴o̸n̶ ̸d̷e̴t̵e̵c̴t̵e̷d̴;̷ ̸I̶n̵s̷u̶f̵f̸i̶c̵i̴e̶n̵t̷ ̵d̶a̵t̴a̴ ̶a̴v̴a̷i̶l̷a̷b̷l̸e̷]̶
This action however will not bond the Sekirei to Arata right after the initial kiss, since Purify will merely return the Sekirei's Crest back to its neutral state. But if Arata were to kiss the same Sekirei the second time in row (after the "rehabilitation" period of half-a-minute); then the bonding will emerge between Arata and the Sekirei in question.