Chapter 4: Sickly girl + Vampire

"I don't think she likes me." His brown eyes held mock sorrow as him and his Sekirei made their way through the streets of Shinto Teito. His forehead held a nice long diagonal cut courtesy of a mahogany table. It had long since healed, not that anyone in that inn had to know. The landlady, after laughing herself silly, was "nice" enough to patch him up and wrap his head in these bandages. Tsukune almost rolled his eyes at the word "nice" that rolled through his mind.

Uzume snorted. "I didn't think I could leave you alone for less than five minutes and expect you to hurt yourself."

Tsukune glared accusingly at her. "You abandoned me! You left me to die!"

"Miya never kills." Uzume retorted sagely with a knowing wag of her finger. "Only maims painfully. Oh yeah, plus she goes all demon on you. You should be grateful. She's nowhere near as bad with you as she is with me and Kagari. I still have that bruise on my ass from last week… along with the others," she said muttered under her breath.

"I didn't need to know that." He muttered back, rolling his eyes in exasperation. He was so glad that he had experience with girls like Uzume or she would've reduced him to a stuttering mess by now. He put a hand to his untamable hair and attempted to flatten it only for his efforts to be in vain. The moment he pulled his hand back it stood straight up again. Maybe he should gel his hair for now on. This mess seems easy to grab on to. "Where are we going again, Uzume?"

Her shoulders stiffened, and he found himself venturing into another sore subject that belonged to his Sekirei. "Hiyamakai Hospital," she answered but now tense. "There's something I want to show you." Tsukune noticed her tone was cold with a hint of venom present. But it was easy tell that it wasn't being directed at him. Something about that hospital pissed her off and it was probably something bad if it turned her into an assassin. The way she regarded it with such abhorrence reminded him of the creepy nurse that was a part of Anti-Thesis. He was never able to look at nurses and doctors the same after she tried to have Moka kill him.

She forced a smile to appear. "Do you mind if we talk about something else?" There was hint of a plea in her tone. "Is there anything you want to know about the Sekirei Plan?"

He bit his lip. He had lots of questions, some of them more invading than others. The inn wasn't involved in her actions last night, but that didn't clear it of suspicion. He only knew a little from what Minaka told him. Uzume is a sekirei, and a thief of some sort if he heard correct. Tsukune made a mental note to bring that up one day. Pretty much these Sekirei have to battle one another until there was one last Sekirei standing. That one would hold the honor of staying with her beloved Ashikabi forever. "Do Sekirei have to kill one another?" He asked her first.

His eyes pierced hers and Uzume flinched at this. It brought back her past transgressions, but she's prepared herself for the worse enough to answer. "Yes and no." Her ashikabi lifted his head up in question. She sighed, stuffed her hands in her pockets, and ignored the tight fit. "When two Sekirei fight, it's conventionally supposed to be one on one, and the loser usually has their Sekirei crest removed via Norito."

"Can I get some context? Like, what's a Norito?"

She breathed out. "They're like special words we chant before we can use our major powers. Every Sekirei has a unique prayer or Norito. If you were to kiss me, I'd be able to use my Norito which in turn allows me to use my most powerful techniques. If we get the upper hand on our opponent and lay our hands on the crest of a Sekirei we can deactivate them once we say our Norito. The crest fading away is the indicator."

"Hm." He grunted as his eyes took in Uzume in a new light. "I've never heard of something like that before. You said that these Norito could remove a Sekirei crest." He pointed out, his brown eyes narrowed in something close to realization. "What happens when a Sekirei crest is removed?"

Uzume turned her head away and pulled down the top of her shirt to reveal the Sekirei crest on her back. His eyes narrowed further. The crest resembled a bird or something like that in his mind. "When this crest is removed, the Sekirei essentially dies, Tsukune-kun."

"So, this game…" He paused unable to finish this horrible thought.

"Is basically life or death." She finished for him. Uzume let her shirt go and faced her now distressed ashikabi. "This is why I apologized for making you wing me before. I was being selfish and involved you in a game that could get us both killed." Her voice was laced with regret and from the shaking of her shoulders, her apology was sincere. Uzume waited for her ashikabi to digest her words and which she could tell he didn't take well.

Tsukune clenched his fists. When he agreed to participate, he did think of the worst, but to find out that the game would be so barbaric. That it would involve people of the same race to kill one another. And for what, the amusement of a mad man who wants to usher in an age of gods? Like he feared that meant he and Minato would have to fight in the near future. Either Musubi or Uzume would die.

'No!' He snarled internally. He hated people like Minaka and MBI. It was like Anti-Thesis all over again. Another organization hell bent on ruining the lives of others. He had come to the human world to relax, not fight another organization, not for the mystery of the inn, not to choose between his life or others, and certainly not to hurt his cousin.

'Why does fate play me like this?' He asked himself.

"I'm sorry." Uzume embraced her pained and confusion filled ashikabi. She heard him gasp in shock at this and drew him ever closer to her to calm his heart.

Tsukune blinked, still and froze in place in the arms of a woman he just met. A woman that's connected herself to him in every way possible. A woman that didn't deserve to be tied to someone like him. He thought to himself that maybe he should just leave, but could he really do that to Uzume? Despite only knowing her for such a short time, she had wormed her way into his heart, bond or no bond. If he left now, he would be doing what he did to Moka on his first day at Yokai Academy. He was selfish and feared for his life at a monster school. So selfish that he almost abandoned her to Saizo's mercy. If he left, wouldn't he be leaving Uzume at the mercy of the Sekirei Plan? Curse his gentle nature.

'The bond could kill you as well.' Tsukune heard from a place within. He mused on the meaning behind this until he felt it. Uzume was supporting him with thoughts and feelings of comfort. So much so that it made his hands relax. Blood ran into the roots of his fingers and nipped at the cold. He didn't even realize he was holding them so tightly. He looked into himself and found that warmth, the light, that Uzume is within him. Uzume is part of him, but what if that part was taken away. He feels her pain as well her pleasure. The last thing he needs is the conflicting emotions of another on top of his. It could destroy him and in turn everyone around him. Would he had been better off without? Curse his immoral nature.

Selflessness and Self-preservation. Two sides of the coin. Did Dhampir of the past suffer this as well? This conflict of thoughts, feelings, and emotions? These three could seal his fate depending…

'I just have to make it to the end and exceed it." He declared within himself and returned the warm embrace from his sekirei. She hummed from approval as the warmth grew. His eyes lit up with a resolve. He would stay in the game and find a way the keep himself and his love ones alive. He did it once and can do it again.

He put a hand on her shoulders and pushed her back away, startling her. "I'm fine. C'mon, let's get to the hospital." His smile was warm and reassuring and something stirred in Uzume's heartstrings. "The faster we get to that hospital, the easier it will be for us to find out how we beat this game. I'm not losing you, Uzume. It's only been a couple hours, but I consider you one of my most precious people. We're in this together like you said, now and forever."

Her lips quivered, and she leaned into his touch. She closed her eyes. He was most definitely her Ashikabi. No one but Chiho had ever made her feel this way. "Okay." She agreed, taking hold of his hand. If he was startled by her attentions, he didn't show it. His response was grasping her hand tightly in response. Tsukune smiled and took a moment to enjoy the new sensations that Uzume brought to him. It felt awfully similar to how Moka felt against his arm and how it made him feel, but the vibe he got from Uzume was vastly more different than what he had when he first met the vampire. Uzume and him were in this together. This felt right and as it should've been since the beginning.

Suddenly Tsukune had an eerie feeling that the girls wouldn't be very happy that the "harem" expanded.

A blue haired girl in Las Vegas twitched.

The pen snapped in the hands of a suggestively dressed woman in her office.

A yellow tub collapsed on a young witch's parents.

The snow village got much colder than usual.

A vampire aggressively tore open her blood pack.

They all had the urge to pummel the object of their affections and they didn't know why.

Tsukune shivered, a cold chill running down his back. Uzume lifted her head from her Ashikabi's shoulder and gave him a questioning glance. Tsukune waved his arms frantically. "I-it's nothing! It's just really cold outside."

She gave him a flat look. "It's ninety degrees," she said dryly.

"Well it should be warmer." He crossed his arms like a small child, purposely avoiding her suspicious brown eyes. He turned his nose upward, and she felt an unwilling smile creep up on her lips. He raised an eyebrow at the sound of giggling. "What are you laughing about?"

"My Ashikabi is an idiot." She stated bluntly. A dark rain cloud hung over and he bowed his head comically as tears ran down his cheeks. "A cute idiot." She amended.

He rolled his eyes. "Because that makes it all better," he scoffed then shook his head mockingly.

In time he looked up to see the towering building that was Hiyamakai Hospital. He let out a low whistle. The building was ginormous. He'd bet it rivaled even the sizes of MBI's hospitals despite the fact that MBI was the better of the two. His brown eyes took in the complete and utter whiteness of it. From the outside, it reminded him of the hospital wing at the academy. That alone made him frown already. He shook his head. 'I need hobby outside of comparing everything to monster world.'

"Is this it?" He questioned.

Uzume's eyes darkened for a split second. "Yes, Ashikabi-kun." Tsukune picked up on that fast. She's never called him Ashikabi in that manner. She gripped his hand tighter than before on top of this. He winced at the involuntary cracking of his bones from the pressure. He didn't need the bond to see that she's furious about something. Her eyes lost color and her shoulders shook. He felt her rage like it was his own. A red-hot poisonous sensation threatened to consume him as it spread throughout his being. His neck throbbed a bit in response making him wince once more.

"Uzume, I…"

"C'mon, we just have to let the nurses know that we're here." She tugged her ashikabi along unaware of his struggle. His words fell on deaf ears.

Tsukune breathed in and out slowly and even did his exercises to keep this poison in check. He counted the trees in the area and then the leaves the swirled in the air to keep his mind off of it. Suddenly, Uzume froze as someone stepped through the doors before they could pass. That rage before could've been labeled as a candle in comparison to the bonfire that washed over him now. Tsukune looked up to see why and saw a well-endowed green haired woman came out to greet them. In her hands was a red staff wearing a smile that rivaled Kuyō's that made him hate the man.

"Ah," the green haired woman's smug smile grew. "Little number 10. So good to see you." Her voice was laced with heavy sarcasm, openly mocking Uzume. Tsukune found his hand inching toward Belmont at his waist, ready to fight any moment, damn the consequences. 'No, calm down.' He stressed as his hand fell away from his whip. If he takes in even a bit of Yōki from his Belmont he's afraid he'd lose himself.

Uzume sneered, still ignorant of her ashikabi's plight. His fight for control overshadowed by her disgust for the woman before her. "Toyotama." She spat the name like venom.

Tsukune could feel the edges of his fangs starting to peek into his lips. Uzume's rage was forcing it's way to show itself through him it seems. This woman is a Sekirei. Her aura felt very similar to Uzume's, but unlike Uzume, her power is lesser.

"I don't have time to deal with you. I'm here to see Chiho," Uzume spat.

"Oh," the other woman exclaimed mockingly. "Sorry, but Higa-sama wants to see you."

They both stilled when a rumbling sound reverberated from Tsukune's chest. Uzume, finally taking notice of her ashikabi, noticed how he involuntarily growled at Toyotama. His hands were balled into fists once more and his eyes had narrowed to the point the pupils resembled slits. In Tsukune's mind this feeling in his chest was like reliving his battle with Hokuto all over again. Uzume failed to realize just how her anger and hatred were getting to him.

Due their shared anger, he had drawn on his powers without the use of Belmont and didn't even crack one of the links on his lock. He had been severely handicapped and if it wasn't for Moka, he would've died. Tsukune saw himself as a gentle soul and didn't like to hurt people. But the looks this woman was giving Uzume set his blood on fire. The fire he felt though the bond made him desire this Toyotama to try something. He wanted to see her look of shock, like he got from Uzume, that a human of all things beat her into the ground. To leave this woman a deliciously bloody pulp.

The woman's startled expression disappeared, replaced with a sly one. 'Oh, and what do we have here?" She sauntered over toward him, ignoring Uzume's scorching glare. "Little number 10 finally got herself an Ashikabi?" Toyotama let a gloved hand caress his cheek, ignoring his glare and Uzume's hissing. "Very handsome…" she purred. "Almost compares to Higa-sama."

"We're here to see Chiho, not your master!" Uzume snarled, batting aside the offending hand that touched her Ashikabi's face. "So, get out of our way, whore." Uzume stood ready to pounce right then and now. Tsukune rose his hand up in front of his sekirei with his eyes closed. "Tsukune?" Uzume gasped, shocked.

"Who are you?" Tsukune asked. He had a name to the face but knows sekirei have a number as well.

Toyotama smirk at him. "Sekirei number 16 Toyotama at your service, handsome," she greeted. "Higa-sama would love to meet you. Without your whore present of course."

"I would too. Maybe with you there as well," Tsukune noted as delicately as possible. His narrowed his eyes further at the woman as she giggled a bit at his answer. He didn't know what he was saying but it felt necessary to get this out. "But like Uzume said, we're here to see Chiho, not your master." He spoke clear and concisely but with a level of malice that even made Uzume shy back. "So may be pass, please?"

Toyotama eyes widened slightly at the flash of red in the Ashikabi's eyes and stepped back. "Very well. Go see your brat. Just know number 10, Higa-sama will know of this." With that said, Toyotama sauntered off toward the west with an over exaggerated sway to her hips that had Uzume seething.

Tsukune took a breath to calm himself, the poison in his body receding. That rage was quickly replaced by disgust though, and his thoughts went to his contaminated cheek. He took out a wipe to clean his cheek that she had touched. He felt dirty and violated. Uzume snatched the wipe away and cleaned his face for him, a dark scowl on her face. Her anger he felt was similar to his rage at Kuyō's attempt to harm Moka while he was unconscious. That woman sent out most of the wrong vibes and few of the good ones. She reminded him of the spider-bitch that was Kuyō's right hand woman. Like Toyotama, she tried to make him her boy toy. That was the past though. He looked into that woman's eyes and made it impossible for him to hate her like Uzume does. He saw pain in her eyes and it was reminiscent to the sort Uzume help to kill. Like a mask was up to protect herself. He may be wrong, but he'd had attacked for sure if not for that observation.

Tsukune's glare was icy as he watched Toyotama leave. "Uzume… That woman?"

"That's Toyotama, one of Higa Izumi's Sekirei. He owns this hospital." She replied glaring in the direction Toyotama had gone as well. She was seething with white hot fury. That conniving slut dared to touch her Ashikabi like he was some pet to her! As if she owned him! She almost started a Sekirei battle in the front of a hospital of all places and she doubted Higa would've appreciated it all. Though the calm and cool savagery behind her Ashikabi's words somehow heeled her and Toyotama both. It was shocking to think he had such a side to him. Then again does she truly know her ashikabi like she should? The answer is no.

Tsukune's jaw clenched. "I usually don't dislike people the first time I meet them," he admitted. "But I think I found another exception." And two names to the list. He took the wipe back and placed it back in his pocket before beginning to walk to the hospital doors. "She seemed to know you pretty well. And apparently this Higa does as well." There was no suspicion or accusation, simply acceptance.

"We can't talk about that here." At his disbelieving look, she shook her head. "Look, I need to tell you the situation I was in before, but not here. This place is run by Higa and his Sekirei are crawling everywhere. Any wrong move and he'll take offense."

"Fine." So, he made the right call to talk things out. He was relieved with this. He took Uzume's hand once again to have her lead him in. His eyes flickered to the hallways and stairs of the hospital the minute they stepped inside. He took in every access way and piece together his mental map of the hospital. He took note as well of what he felt down those ways. He didn't understand why his Yōki detector was working so well, but it was proving to be quite the boon. Any presence that felt similar to Uzume's was detected by him. As of now, he could feel the presence of eight Sekirei in the building, not including Uzume. All them are lesser than Uzume but together they would overwhelm them both. Uzume was right to not to make a scene. He watched as his Sekirei approached the sign in desk and wrote down his name and her own.

The woman at the front gave her a stiff nod before her eyes nestled on him. Her eyes seemed to measure him from top to bottom like a new organism categorize for later. He frowned. The woman had short grey hair and red half-moon glasses. Her purple outfit was similar to a corset and like the other Sekirei he had met so far. Her measurements were well over average but nothing compared to Uzume. She gave him an appraising glance and nodded approvingly before sending him and Uzume off into the E wing of the Hospital. Before he could question her on it Uzume pulled him along. The glasses wearing sekirei's eyes followed him until he past the corner. Her look was strange and left him perturbed. He recognized it well like a reporter finding the next big scoop.

Tsukune wasn't comfortable in the slightest even with Uzume next to him. He could feel the stares of multiple Sekirei all around him. From how tense Uzume was, she could feel the Higa's dogs as well.

"We're being watched from all sides, Uzume." He whispered to her.

"Ignore them." She whispered back. "Higa already knows you're here from the looks of things. I don't want things to get out of hand."

"Right." He nodded in return and they continued their walk. Before they knew it, they had arrived at the room Uzume was looking for.

Room E-201.

She knocked on the door gently. There was no response, and she sighed in relief. She turned to her Ashikabi. "Please be quiet. Someone very important to me is on the other side, and she's really sick." Her eyes had turned sad at the mention of his. Before he could respond, she opened the door and stepped inside. The hospital room was fairly decorated, if a little Spartan for his tastes. It had more color than what he was used to. The walls were tan in color and large windows made the outside easily visible from inside the hospital room. His eyes caught sight of Uzume's quick movement and he found his Sekirei standing over the prone form of a very small dirty blond-haired girl.

The girl was awake. "Uzume-chan." She greeted weakly, wrapping her tired arms around the taller girl's waist. Tsukune felt his heart clench at the scene. The girl had lots of medical equipment attached to her and her skin was so very pale. She was weak and fragile. Her scent as well was wrong. It's like she's moments from becoming a corpse. Anything tied to death he has become almost in tune to it. A sad "gift" to have if anyone asked him. In this girl's eyes he saw something that surprised him. They were filled with life and love for his Sekirei who clung her.

He sank into the chair next to the bed, taking in the girl's features. She looked way younger than he was, but that was probably because she was so small. If anything, she could be his age or older. She looked sleep deprived and it seemed whatever medicine they had her on wasn't working in the slightest. After several minutes, the girl finally noticed him. "Uzume-chan?" She removed her face from his sekirie's generous bosom. "You brought a friend?" Tsukune felt a small sense of amusement as her eyes wandered over his form, analyzing him like some science project. After a minute or two, she smiled.

Uzume gave the girl a grin. "I did, Chiho-chan. Meet Tsukune-kun, my Ashikabi." The words echoed in the hospital room and the room fell silent. No emotion shone in Chiho's eyes and Uzume's shoulder had squared up. Tsukune didn't say anything, his eyes shifted from one girl to the next.

'Oh, I get it.' He felt slightly guilty and ashamed for some reason but said nothing, opting for just watching for the young girl's reaction.

Chiho smiled before weakly offering her hand. "I'm sorry if I'm being a terrible host. I'm Hidaka Chiho." Tsukune leaned forward and shook her hand gently, not wanting to hurt her any more than he could feel already. "It's nice to meet you. I was wondering when Uzume would finally find herself an Ashikabi."

He tilted his head at this. He decided to test the waters to see if his suspicion is correct. "So, you know about the Sekirei Plan? I thought only Ashikabi and the Sekirei were supposed to know about it, but I guess you and her…?" He assumed but didn't finish.

A pinch of amusement was evident in Chiho's eyes and gave Uzume a knowing look. "I was supposed to be Uzume's Ashikabi, yes." Silence once more rung in the room and Chiho gave Uzume a pleading look. "Can I talk to your Ashikabi?" Uzume nodded and Chiho sighed. "Alone please?"

Uzume turned to Tsukune, her expression oddly serious. He nodded in return and the woman gave a grudging nod of acceptance. "Be quick though. I want to talk to my best friend." She stomped away like an angry child and the Ashikabi and sickly girl found themselves chuckling at her antics.

"Like I said before, it's nice to meet you." Chiho said. Tsukune turned around to see Chiho smiling at him. "Uzume's been alone for a while now, and I'm happy that she found someone to take care of her." Her tone was filled with hurt and he soon realized that all wasn't because of him and Uzume.

Tsukune rubbed his forehead. "It's… very nice to meet you as well. Am I correct in assuming that you've known Uzume for a long time now?" He strained to ask.

"Yes, Tsukune-san," she confirmed very formally. "I've known Uzume-chan since I first came to the hospital when I was sixteen years old. She was one of the first people I met when I arrived in Shinto Teito. She always came to visit me and make me smile with her costumes."

"I see," he nodded. Uzume is very kind like he thought to do this for her. "Why are you in the hospital, Chiho-san?" He asked gently and as formally as her.

She closed her eyes. "Ever since I was a small child, I've had an incurable disease that's been eating away at my heart and muscles." She answered to his horror. "I've been transferred from hospital to hospital until I finally arrived here, and my parents gave up on me."

"That's terrible."

She shook her head. "Not really. With all that's happened to me, I've come to appreciate the love and bonds I have now and cherish them to the fullest. It makes me happy that I have some precious people that still care for me. What about you, Tsukune-san. Do you have any precious people?"

Eight people filled his thoughts. "I do." He confirmed. "It's nice to know that there are still people out there that recognize that bonds are important. Tell me about yourself, Chiho-san. Uzume brought me here to answer a question, and I guess she wanted us to meet to find the answer."

She smiled. "There isn't that much to tell." She avoided his question with ease and countered with her own. "Can you tell me about Uzume's Ashikabi? About you?" Tsukune felt a bit disappointed at her avoidance but did as she wished regardless. He told her of his average and dull life. How he failed the entrance exams to attend high school. He told her that by some lucky break his father came across a flyer that ended up granting him access to a private school. In time she began to open up as well. She in turn told him about her early life in an honest attempt to get to know him. The two discussed everything from family to politics, sometimes engaging in easy banter over things they agreed to disagree over.

It's interesting how this was one of those times that Tsukune found himself not stuttering over a girl. Chiho was kind, but didn't give off any romantic vibes, making it much easier to talk to her than he would one of the girls back at Yokai. She was the sweetest girl ever who obviously appreciated all the good things in her life and accepted all the bad things that came her way. Her physical state as well left him feeling a bit sorrowful for her as well. He could see why Uzume liked her so much. She was a saint in her eyes. Compared to him, she's pure of the violence and horrors that surrounded the world in a vice grip. At most she's a conduit of it if he's reading this right, but he's leaving his assumptions as that until Uzume clarifies.

Chiho laughed at a joke they shared before her eyes turned serious. "Do you mind telling me how you winged Uzume, or why for that matter?" His laughter ceased at her borderline hostile tone. He gave her an understanding look. Her tone reminded him of his cousin and how protective she was of him. "You didn't wing her because of her looks, did you? I know she's a very attractive woman." She slapped her hand to her mouth, her pale face a tomato red from he admission.

"I'll be honest, I never intended to wing Uzume. It kind of happened." He chuckled weakly at her suspicious glare. "She ended up hurt in the streets so I picked her up in an attempt to rush her to the hospital. Imagine my surprise and when she kisses me and light sprouts from her back." It wasn't really lying, but there was a lot that was voided out. If Chiho picked up on it, she didn't anything about it. "So, you said you were supposed to be Uzume's Ashikabi, right?" He questioned right back.

She nodded. "I was. If you're wondering why I never winged her…" The room was suddenly uncomfortable and he could feel sadness radiating off the girl in waves. "I'm dying."

Tsukune's eyes widened. He was afraid of this despite having the suspicion. That didn't stop his shocking shout from coming out. "What!?"

"The doctors said there wasn't a cure to my disease and all the medicine does is prolong the inevitable." She admitted softly. "I didn't wing Uzume because she said that when the Ashikabi dies, so does the Sekirei. I didn't want Uzume to die with me. Everyone believed she was like she wanted, I think. She'd even waster her time entertaining me every day when she should have found someone to love her that could. I'm glad that she found you."

Tsukune frowned softly. The dark thoughts of mistrust flowed through him same with a pity he struggled to bury. "Chiho I don't think…"

"Don't tell her, Tsukune-kun." He noticed the different suffix immediately. His words sucked down his throat in moments. The look in her eyes was desperate. "Don't tell her that I'm dying. I didn't tell her because she would've wasted herself away trying to find a cure faster. Something tells me that even with an Ashikabi of her own, she still would've tried."

His desire to tell her that maybe he's not the right fit for Uzume faded away. 'It not fair,' Tsukune concluded. There're so many selfish and cruel people in the world who live to this day, Tsukune could list dozens, and this pure girl would die soon. She'd die alone because her parents gave up on her. She thought of Uzume's wellbeing before her own. Such selflessness… He's a black spot in comparison to this girl.

"Promise me." Chiho nearly pleaded.

He bit his lip. "I promise that I won't tell her." He agreed hesitantly. "But…"

She shook her head. "There's no buts. When I'm gone, just make sure she isn't a wreck, okay?" She gave him her last request, and he couldn't deny her it. He agreed without reluctance. "Sorry it felt like I interrogated you earlier. I just wanted to see if you were a good person or not. I can tell that you are. You're something Uzume needs."

Tsukune shook his head. "I'm not sure if I can agree with you," he let his chin drop. "I've only known her for such a short time, and I'm… I'm not as good as you think." He protested weakly. His tone emptied of all emotion.

"Bad people never question if virtue." Tsukune's eyes widened at her words before coming up to meet her gave. Chiho smiled brightly at him in a way that left him breathless. "And she loves you all the same just like she does me. Sekirei are different than you and I, Tsukune-kun. They love more strongly than us and when they lose who they love, it hurts more. The doctors say I have two months at the most and I know how Uzume is already hurting without knowing. Can you feel it?" He could only nod his head. He felt it the moment they entered this hospital and grew ever closer to this room. "Then you know if you aren't there to help her, she'll lose herself."

'And I'd lose myself as well,' Tsukune concluded.

Fate is truly is a cruel mistress. She had already made that clear when she turned him into a monster' Human but barely holding on. Now she allows someone so beautifully pure to die in a hospital. A girl, such a pure girl, was making a last request to a person she barely knew because someone she loved needed him. With the way the monster world and the human world was, he never would've imagined meeting such a person. Someone so selfless came only once in a lifetime and this one would die before her time.

His eyes hardened. "I promise that I'll always be there for her, no matter what I have to do." It was more than a promise or simple vow. It was oath that couldn't be broken by even the gods. He'd die before such a promise could be broken.

Her smile turned warm. "Good. Now let's talk about happier things. Do you have family?"

Uzume gave her ashikabi a look of confusion as he wordlessly walked past her with a tired look on his face. There was a weight on his shoulders that wasn't there before they arrive, and his eyes held a burning resolve they lacked at the Inn. What had happened in there to make him so confident? The way he carried himself was different than before. But there was also sadness in heart as well. She acted in kind to it. Tsukune tensed for an instant when she hugged him from behind. The stiffness in his shoulders left him in an instant and he relaxed in her grip. "Did something happen?" She asked a little worried. Had there been an argument between her two precious people? She couldn't stand the thought of the possibility that they didn't like each other. She didn't want to choose between them.

Tsukune felt Uzume's concern so turned around and hugged her in return, reassuring her that her train of thought was most definitely not what happened. He smiled softly. "Chiho is a very good personm and I'm glad you introduced me to her." Uzume's expression brightened and she hugged him tightly. "Go on, she wants to talk to you some more." He gently led her to the door and she gave him a worried glance.

"What about you?"

He pulled out his cellphone. "I have to make a call. I'll be there in a little bit." She grinned in return and went inside the hospital room, leaving him alone in the hallway. He swiftly went to his contacts list on his phone. His current phone was an upgrade to the flip phone he had before he attended the academy. He smirked. He wasn't surprised in the slightest that the chairman was on his contacts. What he wanted to know was just how he did it. As far as Tsukune was concerned, his phone was always in his pocket.

He hit the talk button and waited. It wasn't long before someone answered the phone. "Moshi— Moshi. This is Tōjō Ruby speaking."

"Hey Ruby," he greeted in surprise.

"Tsukune-kun!?" He winced at her loud shriek. "How do you have this number? And why is the chairman making me send you early schoolwork to your email address? Did something happen that you won't return in time for the new term?"

"First off, slow down, Ruby. I'm doing just fine." The young man hummed in amusement. "Secondly, the chairman has me doing some work for him and gave me this number, so I could contact him." He heard her sigh in relief before the wave of suspicion aimed at him came through the phone like a train.

"Just what are you doing, Tsukune?" The young man gulped at the dangerous tone he nearly tasted behind the line. "I've a feeling that you… Chairman-sama!"

Tsukune let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. 'Why does it feel like I just dodged a bullet?' He wondered. He raised an eyebrow at the sound of breaking glass before a deeper voice replaced Ruby's.

"Ahh, Aono-kun, so nice of you to call." Tsukune shivered at the Chairman's croaky voice. He took back his earlier statement. He'd take an annoyed Ruby over a calm Chairman any day. The Chairman was worse than even the MBI chairman. "Is there a reason you've decided to disturb me from my paperwork?"

"As a matter of fact, there is." He answered calmly. "I need to tell someone about the monster world, and I figured I needed your permission first."

The chairman hummed on the other line. "This person you want to inform about our world wouldn't happen to be a Sekirei, would it?"

Tsukune froze. He could feel the Chairman's knowing grin upon him, silently laughing at him like the pawn he was. "Of course, you knew…" he breathed.

"Indeed. If you are in fact referring to the Sekirei Plan, then yes, I knew about it." He admitted shamelessly. "But did I know that you would get yourself involved? The answer is no. Did I suspect it? Most definitely yes," he openly laughed at Tsukune's tense silence. "Now Aono-kun, I want you to listen to me closely, understand?" Tsukune felt a well concealed but equally potent venom in his words. "I want weekly reports on your training. I am already aware that you have tapped into your Yōki, so I want you to alert me of any more progress. As for permission, do as you wish. You can tell your landlady, her fellow tenants, all of your sekirei, and you could even tell your dear ol' cousin, Minato. I do not care as long as they tell no one of it. If they do you have to clean up the mess or I will." Tsukune shivered at this promise and nodded his head profusely. "Good, now if you do not have anything else to say, which I hope you do not, goodbye."

The Chairman hung up without letting the young man get his bearings, leaving him in silence.

Tsukune's hands shook as that rage as his hand dropped to its side. The burning rage greater than anything Uzume could've felt returned. So much so that the red turned black. "He knew all this time..." Tsukune growled, the taste of blood in his mouth. His fangs broke skin and his vision turning red. "He knew of them all and the game?" The words like acid as they left his lips.

He punched the wall to the left making it crack and the holy locket rattling on his wriest. "Son of a bitch!" He roared.

'No! Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.' He repeated this with his eyes closed. The pain on his bite mark started to become noticeable. He can't let it get the best of him. Not now. Anger will kill him and Uzume. He made an oath and will see it fulfilled.

Tsukune needed answers and soon. All of this started to make the nap of his neck itch. The Chairman, The Game Master, the Sekirei Plan, the Inn, his transformation, and this pool of ignorance he's drowning in. He's had enough! "I've had enough of not knowing anything," he hit the wall again.

Tsukune leaned on the wall next to the door and with eyes closed to think. He breathed and looked up to the ceiling to count. "One light, two light, three light, and four." He counted until black became red and for the red to fade. In time the pain did subside. His Gedo, his medication-esque exercises, spread out the pain allowing the pressure on his neck and mind to lighten. He let out one last breath before he allowed his eyes to fall down to see someone before him. "What!" He jumped and hit the wall he had his back against.

"Interesting." The woman before him muttered as grey, cool eyes pierced into his brown ones. Those same eyes flowed from him to a spot on the wall as well. 'Such strength is almost inhuman for a boy of his stature,' the woman surmised before glaring a hole into this strange boy's core.

Tsukune was left speechless for moment before his eyes shot to the wall. 'Oh no,' he cursed once he spotted a large crack and impact mark on the wall next to him. One that he made with his fist in the midst of his rage. He turned his eyes back to the inquisitive ones this woman, this sekirei, held behind her glasses. This was the woman from the front desk that gave him those looks from before and now they're worse. It's like she's the eager detective facing one of the greatest mysteries in her life. One that's she greatly wishes to solve. "I… Hold long have you been there?" He asked weakly.

"Since you started counting the lights above, then the cracks, and then the crevices." The sekirei answered bluntly, her stare holding its intensity.

So, after he punch the wall or maybe even before that for all he knew. Tsukune bit his teeth at this, unsure of just how much she had truly seen.

The sekirei rose her hands to her glasses and they glared in the ambient light from above and the windows her back was against. She had simply been following the young man for a time to examined him. His mental breakdown from before was been recorded by her mind and burned into her memories. His words as well, it's apparent this boy is unraveling at the seams if display fits of brute strength and self-harm. He took note of the blood on his lips from possibly biting him in his struggle for control. The catalyst is ignorance, unknowing or the lack of knowledge. Becoming the sekirei to Number 10 without knowing the situation served at part of this. Same with whomever he was talking to on the phone he held. She saw it still bright with the number of whomever it was he talked to shown in his weak grip.

Tsukune pocketed his phone once he noticed it. "Who are you?" He asked the sekirei. He stood ready with his hand slipping toward Belmont.

"Not a fighter for one." She answered his question. It was a dry and toneless answer that almost made Tsukune shiver.

'Does she feel nothing,' he wondered. 'Her stare could probably freeze Mizore.'

"I'm Sekirei Number 22 Kochō," she introduced herself equably. "You have nothing to fear from me," she affirmed but still the boy was tense. "You're drowning, aren't you?" Tsukune tensed all the most. He didn't like how knowing she sounded. Like she held all the answers and knew it. It was a reaction she took note of and smiled faintly. "What would you like to know to help alleviate your state of obliviousness," she spoke boldly and without mercy. She didn't know any other way outside of direct and to the point.

Tsukune narrowed his eyes at this sekirei. He wasn't sure what this Sekirei wanted but knew from experience that everything has a price. Even information. If she's not a fighter, which he could see just from her stance, she should be hesitating to conflict with him. Yet she's as still as stone and her gaze mirrors it. She's asking him what he wants to know and these much he'd like to know. But how can he trust anyone in this hospital outside of the two in the room next to him? "What do want in return?" Tsukune asked, still mistrustful of Kochō and her angle.

"To find an answer."

Tsukune blinked. "What? What do you mean?"

"Heads or tails." Kochō left it at that leaving Tsukune all the more confused. "Ask and I'll answer," she said before he could speak, leaving no room to question her meaning.

Tsukune sighed, 'All women around me are impossible.' He relented to let it go and nodded. He looked at her. "Who's your ashikabi?"

"I have none currently."

Tsukune blinked at that answer. "W-why not?"

"Because I, like two others here, were brought here and so currently reside here until given wings by either Higa Izumi or one his associates."

Tsukune clenched his fists as this. "So, you're trapped here until he comes here?"

"Or until one of his associates do in his stead, yes."

This didn't sit well with him. "I don't like that," he said. "You deserve to be free to find your ashikabi not trapped like a caged bird." That's wrong and another reason that didn't like this Higa man. It almost sounds as if he's corralling sekirei here whether they're reacting to him or not. That can't be right. "You said you're not a fighter. What sort of sekirei are you?"

"You could say I'm a Brain Sekirei," she answered. She took note of his statement and it made her feel something. Support almost. She saw this as strange but something to accept.

"Like, you use your brain to fight?" He asked abruptly and felt silly afterwards. Kochō's even emptier glare didn't help him either.

"It means I know things even your sekirei doesn't. I know more about you're sekirei then you do and much, much more."

"Oh." It meant she's very knowledgeable. Most so than him. Tsukune felt like an idiot just like Uzume said before at his slip. "Uh, but why are you telling any of this?" Tsukune relaxed against the wall.

"You'll know soon enough." Kochō answered just as vaguely as before.

"W-wait what?" Tsukune reached out but stopped himself at the last moment. There's no point to trying to pry. "Okay," he relented. Kochō approved of this show restraint and waited for Tsukune to answer his next question. "The bond between Ashikabi and Sekirei, what do you know of it and how does it work?" Kochō let another faint smile bless her lips. Tsukune felt that she looks better with a smile than the faint poised face she had before. He thought the same about Mizore as well whenever she rarely smiled. He must've asked the right question.

"I know much from its physical significances and the mental indoctrination induced on both ashikabi and sekirei." Kochō knew she truly had his attention know at her careful wording. "Would you like to know more?" She challenged and without fall, he nodded. Kochō had a question only she truly knew the answer now unbeknownst to the boy before her. One that she added to her calculations for the coming conclusion. She only had two days left to decide and the clock was ticking. "First off I'll start with the emotional vicissitudes…" She fixed her glass evenly.

Tsukune waited patiently for Uzume for a couple hours now. After his talk? Can what he had between Kochō and himself be constituted as a talk? At the end it became a lecture that opened his eyes. He's unsure if it was for the best or what she got out of telling him anything. She left not to long ago after with a goodbye that didn't feel like one. He found out a bit about her being that she liked to teach or at least inform something of something they don't know. She prefers to have her glasses to sit high on her nose and would only fix them if he annoyed her with untimely interruptions or asked something she'd take pleasure in answering. She talked so much and he found himself listening intently, taking in every word. Her voice wasn't as dull and lifeless as he first thought. Still she's a mystery in his mind and doesn't know what to make of her. On top of this, he had never felt more anxious now than ever before. It seemed like only yesterday when he could walk into a hospital, any hospital, and not feel paranoid enough to look over his shoulder. A place that had once been comfortable had become as dangerous as his high school. It was only tolerable because he could feel Uzume's presence from the other side of the door. He didn't know how it started, but at some point, he had begun associating Uzume's distinctive energy with the love she felt for him.

The many different ways to describe that special word is endless, but love only had one meaning to him. His heart skipped beats the more he let his mind sit in her presence, drawing upon it for some comfort. It was ironic in a sense. The human who hadn't believed in the supernatural had fallen for a woman of different and supernatural species who wouldn't return it. Then a woman how isn't human had fallen for him but he having a hard time returning her feelings. He could blame how close he's gotten already on the bond and say Moka was the only one he could ever let into his heart like that, but then he'd be essentially calling himself a liar. His first day at the academy, he fell in love with a pink haired vampire with an inner side that puts him in his place every time she's released. His second night in Shinto Teito, a veiled alien falls in love with him, and bound herself to him for eternity.

He's returned her affections without missing a beat, but could he give more? Should he give more than that with what he knows and feels? Kochō had told him that his innermost thoughts and feels are his, for now. The emotions on the surface are easily traded between Ashikabi and Sekirei until the bond deepens through time and action. Tsukune flushed at a couple of the actions Kochō mentioned that could deepen the bond. He gulped to moisten his throat the shook his head furiously to clear it. 'No! Bad thoughts go away!' For this limitation though he's thankful. If he lets her touch his heart it could hurt her. He didn't wish Uzume harm so maybe that's enough.

The bond between Ashikabi and Sekirei does more than simply bind them together forever. It is a link between the two that transcends the cliché case of a soul bond. Uzume can understand him probably better than Moka ever could because of it. It will, according to Kochō, give any sekirei connect to him access to his thoughts and possibly even his memories. He shivered at the thought of Uzume seeing his past. The more Kochō explained to him the more unsure of grew of his position. The bond is more against him than anything unless he controls it. Kocho must've studied everything pertaining to the bond to be that knowledge. It took a weight off his shoulders that's for sure. While a part of him told him to be wary of deceits he's experienced the majority of what she mentioned already.

Chiho wasn't wrong about sekirei and her words backed up by Kochō's. Uzume loves him so much it hurts, he can feel it. He can feel her love for him, and the agony she feels knowing that she's going to have to explain to him how she knows Higa? She'll have to break down why she hates him with a passion. What drove her to killing her kind that's connects both this Higa and Chiho somehow. He can imagine, having seen this sort of situation once before, but jumping to conclusions like that mean nothing without substance to back it up. He could've asked Kochō as well but respected Uzume too much. He'd rather hear it from her than another.

"Ah, Uzume." If one word could describe them both Tsukune wouldn't call it love. From Kochō's words it could only described as eternity. You don't need to love to be together forever, but it wasn't in his personality to deny her this. Eventually, it'll become inevitable he'd fall in love with her. He couldn't return her love right now though. He doesn't this knowing it'll cause her pain, but in his mind, this was the right thing to do for now. Now he knows more about the bond and how it will change him he can learn to mitigate it to protect her and himself. He owed Kochō for this. He just wished he knew what she wanted answered to pay her back. He was willing to answer he any question for everything she provided him.

Tsukune scratched his chest and sighed. He could feel that kick to the chest now. He feared Inner Moka's wrath at the thought of trying to explain this, that's in the future if he survives this game. He could only hope he had a good grasp on his powers beforehand to stop that kick she'll have waiting for him. It's going to hurt a lot worse than it should, but if what he's feeling is right Uzume would jump to his defense if attacked without him defending himself.

He heard once that a person's fate was predetermined and that nothing could change it. If that was the case, he was never meant to go to a monster academy or meet a busty alien. It was also said that everyone has the ability to change their own fate. In a way, he had done that. He went to most dangerous academy in the world with a weak and frail human body. Then he stayed knowing full well that he could possibly die any day one of his peers had a temper tantrum. Because of his decision, there was a consequence that came with it. The monster world had cursed him with a fate worse than death. In exchange for survival and strength, he had become a monster himself; a monster that walked the line between the powerful and the weak. He had all the powers of a vampire and none of their weaknesses. If he's a Dhampir then he's the ultimate killer, but every powerhouse had a weakness. Tsukune was no exception. In the book all that might a Dhampir has could lead them to losing their sanity. They'll become a ghoul with the single purpose of draining everyone near him dry till their carcasses held no blood.

Even those consequences were not enough in Fate's opinion to balance out his karma. She felt cheated that an average human had changed his own tarot cards and decided to add ones of his own. It was malevolence masked by an appearance of kindness when she gave him friends that forged a bond with him thicker than blood. Ones he was forced to abandon to come here. There wasn't anyone out here he could trust with his life besides Uzume so far. An average boy was gifted with friends that had to power to protect him and wanted to be with him forever. It was any young man's dream. But that was all it was, a simple dream.

Fate was cruel, and the majority of his friends were those of the opposite sex. For any male, that would be considered a good thing; but for Tsukune, it was downright horrible. These girls claimed to love him and wanted to be with him. The relationships he had with them could only be described by each girl's personality.

Shy and stalker-like Mizore wanted to bear his children and have him move to their village where they could build a family together.

Kurumu proclaimed that he was her mate of fate and that if he picked her, she'd allow him to do anything with her. He had yet to see any proof her claim being true, but it was not right to ask for it.

Ruby, a stunning and beautiful witch with a masochist personality, wanted to be his slave of all things. She was content with him having other lovers. All she wanted was to be with him. The sad thing was that she was three, nearly two years his senior and could get a much better guy than him.

Yukari, a perverted little witch wanted him. Sadly, for her, it was never going to happen. He wasn't a pedophile and he wouldn't become one because she wanted him to.

Then there was Moka. She's a woman that was simply divine in either of her personas. She was exceptionally smart and had grades that were only outshined by the residential genius witch, and even then the margin wasn't much. Her looks gained the envy of other woman and both sides of her, either outer or inner, were desired by many of both genders. She had the looks and the fame and when he first met her, she was utterly miserable. She was the pinnacle of her race. What every vampire aspired to be. She was an S-Class Super Monster that held no equal and because of that, she had no friends.

It was at that moment, when he had been human, that a small spark burned within him. It was then that he felt resentment toward his own race and became a proactive supporter of coexistence between monster and human. There shouldn't have been a world where someone as beautiful and kind as her was demoralized and teased because of her slight oddities and difference in looks when compared to others. He considered himself privileged to even be in her presence, yet this astounding woman cared for him first, when no one else had before. The pink haired vampire was a part of his everything. He couldn't imagine a lifetime where he couldn't see her emerald eyes and her cute smile. He couldn't imagine a life where she isn't latched on his neck, gently sucking his blood. She was part of a woman that made his heart burn with passion.

The woman he loved had another side to her as well, one he found just as irresistible. The pink haired side was the one he saw most and usually found the most endearing. The other, a silver haired goddess whose beauty ascended past her frontal exterior, haunted his dreams, whispering sweet nothings in his ears to soothe him. The more he dreamt of her, the less the nightmares came. This goddess on earth, this other side of the woman he loved, was his protector and guardian. Her vampire blood ran in his veins until it became his and purged whatever remained of her within him. He was to blame for the ghoul, but she was the one that first gave him the power to protect his friends. She was cold and arrogant, a contrast to sweet and emotional side she has outside of the rosary. His very existence still continued because of her. Without her, he wouldn't be alive today.

It seemed like only yesterday that he met her. She was the perfect picture of deadly and sexy. She was the femme fatale every man wanted in his life. A place that had once terrified him became bearable because she was always by his side, sealed or not. It was the pink haired girl he had associated with what a crush felt like at first. It was the silver haired woman that had first shared what love was. The most important thing a vampire could give to someone was their precious blood. If that didn't prove that she cared about him, he didn't know what did. She was misunderstood. She was treated like a monster, even by her friends, because of the mass power she had and the coldness of her personality. Everyone treated her like something to be wary of. He never did. He was affected by the Yōki within her like everyone else. But her beauty and grace destroyed any fear of her that he had. He didn't treat her like a monster. He treated her like a friend should.

It did make his heart ache. He could've honestly said that he loved her, cared for ever since they first met. It caused him pain that he couldn't give her all the love in his heart.

…Of course, this was all in the past tense.

He sighed. He thought back to the book about the Charm of a Vampire and secondly how it could almost relate to the Charm he felt from Uzume. He thought of the bonds and the so called indoctrination that Kocho had explained to him and how similar they are to one another. The irony of his situation shined on him once more. He thought back to the feeling in his heart of balancing his side that he gave to Moka and the side that Uzume claimed for herself. Both sides are tugging at him and beating him down telling him to choose on. Somehow, that veiled Sekirei managed to worm in so fast it gave him whiplash. Before he knew it, she had secured her place in his heart forever. The love that was beginning for Uzume felt exactly as it did with him.

This experience from both sides helps him understand what love was a little clearer. Sure, both women's love felt a little different, but the emotion was the same. The effect they are having on him is the same. The way they impose themselves upon him are the same.

"Moka-san… you couldn't, wouldn't love me like I you?" Sometimes he cursed his big heart and gullible nature. No one should be able to love like he did. It only caused pain to those on the receiving end of that love. It was unhealthy and damns both parties. Such unconditional love. "And that person is Uzume." He can't love her and Moka couldn't love him. Maybe he shouldn't fall for anything and just let it all go. But why can't he love Uzume the first day if he fell for Moka the first day? How can that be possible? The answer rests within his very veins and in words in his book.

'That can't be it!' A part Tsukune denied it. 'That can't be. It was my choice not because of some vampire charm…' Charm that can only be down via a bite and she bit him seconds after meeting him and repeatedly after that.

'No!' Tsukune shook his head. The voice in his head wouldn't shut up! Moka wasn't using him like that. She'd never. 'Not intentionally, but the same is said about those other vampire abilities she used instinctively.' The voice returned. The voice of reason some would call it or maybe the bond trying to turn him away from his love for Moka. 'Let her in for your sake.' He wants to. God knows he wants to, but it's not that easy!

The holy lock jingled, and brown eyes scanned over the links, taking in their shine. So far, none had cracked. From what little knowledge of the lock he held, they would break if he ever let his anger get the better of him without Belmont preventing him from breaking it. For every lock that broke he's granted more power than before. That power though eroded the defenses of his mind. every time the links broke, he had a high chance of losing himself for good. He wouldn't be able to express how grateful he was to the chairman or how much resentment he held as well. Had he not brought Belmont when he met Uzume he probably would've ended up killing her. If not, he'd only be a liability due to the dangers of using his powers. It'd be like the academy where everyone had to protect him. But then there's the fact that he was sent here without any information on what's going on. Had he known this city was full of soul bonding aliens he'd ask to live somewhere else. Maybe America. He did pretty average in English.

The sound of the door opening pulled him out of his musings and a frowning Uzume stepped out.

He would've up to hug her had he not seen such a serious look on his usually very flirty girl. "Uzume-chan, what's the matter? Did something happen with Chiho?" His question went unanswered and the voluptuous young woman wrapped her arms around him for comfort. Her shoulders shook, and he already knew that she was crying. He slowly returned hug.

"She isn't getting better. I can tell that all she feels right now is pain." The Veil Sekirei whispered, her face buried in his blazer, soaking it with her tears. A sad smile graced his lips. Chiho was her first love and to see her like this was unbearable. Chiho deserved more and this. He had seen the wires and tubes in her small and frail body. It was a fate he didn't wish on anyone. To live such a life, always in pain, but kind enough to offer a smile, even if you weren't feeling it. In a way, she reminded him of well… him. While his soul was nowhere near as pure as herser demeanor and outlook on life was an exact replica of his earlier persona. Now his soul was tainted by thoughts of violence and war. His mind has been punished and morphed. His innocence a fraction of what it was previously. He hoped that Chiho would never change all the way to the end.

He gently stroked her hair. "She's happy for you."

"But why?" Uzume pulled away from him. "Why isn't she sad? When I told her you were my Ashikabi, she didn't react at all. How can someone be so happy knowing that they're alone?"

He shook his head. "Chiho, she cared about you. She worries for you." He pressed his lips to her forehead, surprising himself with the gesture of affection. "She's someone that I strove to be. She isn't alone because you're always with her. She's happy because you are."

"It's not fair to her."

"I know." He agreed. "Life isn't fair, the wheel of balance consumes us all, and fate ruins the lives of very good people. I think Chiho is happy, regardless of how her life turned out." Brown eyes met his in confusion. "Chiho told me that she was happy that you found someone. Uzume, you made life the best for her. Chiho's content with life because there are people that care for her. She isn't alone. She has you."

Uzume gave him a pointed look. "And you too." He smiled gently, and the woman let him go, opting for holding his hand instead of hugging him. "I just wish I could do something! This isn't fair. She deserves so much more."

"If you want to do something," Tsukune began, the smile never leaving his lips. "Then visit her and be with her till the end. Keep on making her smile. I'll be right there with you." He never knew this side of himself. He never thought him the person to ever be good at comforting someone. The girls never needed anyone to comfort them. They were always so strong and hiding everything from him, no matter how much he pressed. It was a nice change. It made him smile that the Veiled Sekirei loved him enough to allow him to comfort her. Her face was stoic, but her eyes shined with a new resolve the more she looked at that door. When she cast her gaze on her beloved Ashikabi, she knew he agreed.

She closed her eyes. "Let's go home. I'll explain everything you need to know. After seeing Toyotama today, I can't risk anything."

He frowned. "You don't have to tell me, Uzume-chan." If anything, he complied it all together. A sekirei almost seems like the reflection of their ashikabi. The green haired bitch didn't bode well for her ashikabi's disposition. He own's this hospital that's keeping Chiho alive with a sekirei that loves her. If the sekirei loves their ashikabi to even die for them it's not too difficult to put the pieces together. Uzume was right; it was easier to show him. But that left things unbalanced. "There are things about myself that I haven't told you." In reality, he was planning on telling her tonight what he really was. He feared what her reaction but felt it would be okay. They're together forever and tied together. Like with him and Moka hating each other just seems impossible. Him being a walking monster waiting to lose control, surpasses what he's seen so far.

"No." she shook her head. "You need to know everything." Her demeanor had turned dark in a manner of seconds and he already missed her flirty nature. "The sooner you know about it, the faster you decide what you want to do with me."

Tsukune rose an eyebrow. "Okay," he nodded. He's positive that he wouldn't reject Uzume no matter what she tells him, but the same can't be said for those that caused the unrest she's suffering even now. The thoughts and assumptions he's complied made a part of him he's sickened by eager to make them suffer.

They will pay in blood.

Scene Change

The Black Sekirei. That title alone could spawn amusement from the black pit that is her mind. She's the 4th sekirei to be awoken and one of the strongest if not the strongest before the number 1. She'd be the first to admit that her life at this point was worthless and boring. This dust ball called Earth held no appeal to her in the slightest. She was a warrior first before anything else and the desire to find a worthy adversary always churned in her being, swelling at the continuous denials of such a wish. She wished she could say that she was the greatest warrior amongst her sisters. She knew for a fact that wasn't true in the slightest. Truth be told, there were two that were stronger than her. One was dead, leaving behind her legacy for Karasuba to contend with, and the other had put away her sword for good. To be perfectly frank, there was absolutely nothing for her to contend with.

The two blundering idiots that had been assigned to her as the newest members of the Discipline Squad held qualities that weren't useful or amusing. Had they been amusing, she might have tolerated them a bit more. The only reason she hadn't gutted or disemboweled them was because Minaka had told her no. He said it'd be too boring and there would be no point in wasting her time. To her amusement, he had actually tried to convince her to take on Natsuo as an Ashikabi. She had laughed in his face. Sure, Natsuo wanted to see the world burn just as much as she did, but he didn't have the drive or the power to do it. Besides, she'd never allow such a weak-willed ape claim her as his mate. She wouldn't follow his orders or bear his children. He was gay, so the last part didn't really matter. All it did was make him more useless.

'The world would burn.' This is the inevitable truth if that man became her Ashikabi. For a while she believed that this was all there is. Unless something else came up, her mindset wouldn't change.

She had remembered the nonsense that Yume had spilled from her lips. Love was a weakness and a fool's game. She had no reason to love and Yume was more the fool for trying to convince her otherwise. "See where that love of yours got you, Yume?" She muttered, shining her precious blade. "You became scrapped. It got you six feet under with no Ashikabi for you to claim. Your love for Mu-chan got you killed. Your power was wasted."

Oh, that day had infuriated her greatly. The only person she considered worthy of fighting against her and alongside her had sacrificed herself for a sniveling brat that looked exactly like her. Yume couldn't keep her promise to her. It was just another reason to burn this world. The apes were something that weren't needed in the universe. They had inadvertently caused the death of her rival. It was her right to kill Yume and they took that way from her. That was all the reason she needed to slaughter them till nothing was left.

Her phone rang off to her side and a displeased frown crossed her lips. She placed her blade down on it's pillow and reached for the phone to look at the screen. Him. She answered it. "What do you want, Natsuo?" Her tone was cold yet polite and sent shivers of fear down the usually calm man's spine. There weren't many things that could make him lose his composure but Karasuba was one of them.

"Minaka-sama just called." He informed her pleasantly. He gave no indication that he was perturbed by the Black Sekirei in the slightest. "He believes he found the origin of where that strange spike of unknown energy occurred. He wants the Discipline Squad to investigate. Said it was of the upmost importance for find the source."

She smirked at this. 'Finally,' she thought. Oh, she knew about the energy probably before last anyone knew it existed. Once it reared its ugly head it was like a demon had invaded the game and resorting the piece to their whim. "I'll be there. Send me the coordinates and we'll rendezvous there in an hour." She dropped and call and tossed the phone away across the floor of her bed room. She sighed pleasantly as her head fell back against the side of her bed, her ōdachi forgotten. Her chest rose and fell with every breath as a grin of dangerous excitement spread across her lips. "Demon hunting," she chuckled diabolically. This mission was different and filled her with a sense of glee she almost forgotten. No, she could even say this was new. That energy from last night made her shiver and blast with warm anticipation. She had sensed it a few more times today as well in different places in the city.

Karasuba, the Black Dog of MBI, picked up her sword once more. She'd have to shine it extra nice for the coming crimson shower. This mission felt like a special occasion.

One that will be painted red.

A/N: Finally the end of the chapter. God this took a minute. Love the current responses for whomever Tsukune should wing. I can hear the arguments of "But wouldn't Higa wing them immediately" and all that but mind you the CEO is a busy man and could have sekirei captured and corralled in certain places for him to come and sort through for later. Especially if he has some weight over their own will. Kocho for some reason has always been a fave for me so I included her having a part as more than a smile cameo in the original story. I like the idea of using very common Sekirei that most don't see Yahan or Natsuha. This early in the story nothing is concrete though despite signs you'll see in the chapters. It's not true until the deed is done.

As for the monster girls... when I watched the Anime I loved Kurumu and Mizore to death. They tried the hardest, and I'm doing my upmost not commit favoritism for any character.