Chapter XIV


After breakfast Zeilla dragged Yashima over to the MBI hospital for an x-ray of her arms. Toyotama had hit her hard enough to make an audible crack but fortunately there was only a minor fracture that needed no attention, just time to heal. In order to get the Sekirei back into fighting shape for the trip north Zeilla gave in and let her snatch a quick kiss. Yashima tried to suck her face off, of course, but was dislodged by a threatening growl. In moments, she was healed and energised to point she decided to pick up her Ashikabi as well as her hammer and charge out of the hospital to start the rooftop journey to Izumo.

It didn't escape Zeilla's notice however, that the glowing cyan wings bursting from the Sekirei's back were bigger than she remembered them. The hospital's radiology ward was larger than Yukari's flat and where the wings had fit within the bedroom they now filled at least half the flat.

At their destination Yashima lasted an hour before collapsing in a happy drooling heap, still mumbling about the kiss.

Ruso was a scowling ball of resentment the whole time Zeilla was speaking with Miya about officially moving in as a tenant. Apparently, the ginger had been kept awake all night by Kazehana's drunken rambling and suffered from a hangover after inhaling mere fumes. An excitable Yukari fawning over Shiina - and Kagari for some reason - caused Ruso pain too with her noise.

Ikki and Yuuma didn't seem to mind Yashima at all. If anything, they were glad she had passed out.

The Spartan had Yuuma start teaching both Kagari and Shiina how to box out in the yard. Ikki and Ruso decided to spar outside also after Minato's flock got heavily and emotionally involved in a card game as Matsu had alluded to earlier that morning. When Yukari left to watch Shiina train Zeilla settled down in a corner of the living room to collect her thoughts and make progress on her plans.

Up to now only Yashima and Shiina had any combat training. It was apparent from the encounter that morning experience was a considerable factor in Sekirei battles. However, Toyotama was an early number and so should have greater base power and experience than Yashima. Zeilla couldn't put it all down to the physics of getting crushed under a giant hammer. There was something else at work...

Large organisations develop holes and weaknesses... Higa has many Sekirei and a business to run... Perhaps he cannot spend time with them and so they are weaker for it - even if greater numbers can increase their power. Zeilla frowned at the thought and shook her head. No, there is more. Ichiya mentioned Higa only cared about absorbing MBI into his pharma-empire. If that is true, then according to what Minato and Matsu have told me the Sekirei of the East should be falling behind other Sekirei in terms of power because their Ashikabi doesn't appreciate them - as sentient beings.

"Naho!"

Zeilla broke from her internalising and found the room in uproar. Four Sekirei objected and complained and cards were thrown down. In the middle of it all sat Kusano with a cheeky look on her face.

"This is impossible..."

"Oh?" Kazehana leaned into Tsukiumi's face. "Do you give up?"

The blond pushed back with a scowl. "Never! I will win this round!"

"Musubi will win next!"

Matsu giggled, but it turned into a sigh. "In a game of chance even a genius such as myself has great difficulty." she said as Musubi gathered up the cards and began to shuffle them.

The redheaded Sekirei then looked at Zeilla and adjusted her glasses before crawling over to the Spartan's corner.

"You look like you are thinking hard about something." she said as she settled against the wall beside the Ashikabi of War.

Zeilla nodded. "Yashima fought numbers Sixteen and Eighteen this morning and might have even won if I hadn't stepped in. It's made me think all my training is paying off, but also that Higa's flock may be weaker. He is a busy man who doesn't devote time to them."

"Good insight." Matsu nodded. "Sekirei grow stronger by deepening their bond with their Ashikabi. If Higa doesn't even spend time with them they will get left behind by Mikogami's flock - he actually is attached to them. You have spent a lot of time with Yashima so she has grown much stronger. Activating her Norito is another way to get closer."

"Minato said yesterday that love is important for Sekirei."

Matsu raised her brow. "It is. We love Mina-tan. He loves us all quite a bit, too. Tsukiumi loves him even if she won't plainly show it. Despite being far below single numbers in base power Musubi is probably the strongest of us because she is as pure as Kusano."

"And Kusano herself?" Zeilla asked, eyeing the girl as she reshuffled the cards after Musubi nearly mangled them. "In theory, she is the weakest because she is the last number."

Matsu scratched her jaw. "Kusano and Shiina are... different. Like the Discipline squad their adjustments were different to make them stronger than most. Kusano's were never finished though. I have no idea how powerful she could be... But considering she once - uncontrolled - affected every plant in the botanical garden?"

Zeilla nodded. That question didn't need an answer.

"Before I get back to the competition..." Matsu began slowly, removing her glasses and fixing the Spartan with a serious expression somewhat out of character. "There has been a development in the Sekirei Plan. Before you returned I was telling Mina-tan everything I know about the game, when Minaka sent out a message to the cell phones of every Ashikabi. In short... He is going to cull the number of players. In two weeks, any Ashikabi who has not defeated another's Sekirei will have their own terminated."

"Shit. That's going to turn the city into a mess." Zeilla growled. "I've deliberately avoided killing Sekirei if I can, but now he is going to kill dosens of them?"

"Higa, Mina-tan and Yukari have all got at least one victory." Matsu stated. "Mikogami has lost two but killed several who attacked his Sekirei. He might get aggressive if targeted again. All the Ashikabi of single Sekirei who have been inactive so far are going to be forced to fight each other. They can't compete with the East or South. The West and us keep to ourselves enough we should be safe. However... You have no wins of your own."

Zeilla growled again. "Fucking brilliant. Matsu, Higa gave me a phone I want you to check out. I also want you to get the numbers of every Ashikabi who was ever in the game and add them as contacts in the phone Kagari got me yesterday." she rattled off quickly and rose to her feet. "I have work to do."

"No problem. I can do that in a few moments with my power." Matsu agreed. "Take both with you, and at least two of your Sekirei. Its dangerous out there now."

"Matsu! Are you playing or not?"

"Coming, Tsukiumi!" #2 called and scuttled back to the card game.

Zeilla marched outside where her Sekirei were training together. The landlady Miya was running circles around Ruso and Ikki. Yuuma was instructing Kagari and Shiina as the two faced off with only their fists and their wits. Yukari was drooling from the sidelines, occasionally flinching whenever Kagari got a good hit in.

"Yuuma, Kagari, I need you to accompany me." she called out to them. "Yukari and Shiina, we could use your help if you don't mind travel by rooftop."

The Demon Ashikabi and Sekirei of Death shared a glance and nodded their agreement.

"What about Ikki, Yashima and Ruso." Yuuma asked.

Zeilla watched for a moment as Miya made fools out of two of her weapon users. "Yashima is resting after using Norito energy to return here after a fight this morning. Ikki and Ruso could benefit from the training they are getting now. Leave them be."

Kagari shook out his arms. "Give us a moment to dry out our clothes and we will meet you on the roof." he said.

Zeilla nodded and the three male Sekirei dashed inside to deal with the sweat they worked up during boxing lessons, likely taking advantage of #6's flames. The Spartan then took Yukari by the hand and swung her screaming onto the roof of Izumo Inn before hopping up onto a spot she knew was right above a pillar. She led the girl along the support beam up to the peak of the roof to wait.

"So... What's up?" Yukari asked, getting used to the height.

Zeilla checked her phones and found messages from Matsu on both regarding the completion of her tasks. "You got a message from MBI this morning?"

Yukari paled. "You... Haven't won a fight yet?"

"Fight? Yes. Terminated a Sekirei? Absolutely not." she declared angrily. "In my eyes Sekirei are victims of Minaka Hiroto, a terrorist in control of a powerful organisation. My mission is to break this game and end the threat to civilian-life that MBI poses."

"Are you going to attack MBI?"

"Eventually, but right now we have an urgent symptom of that problem. The termination deadline. Sekirei and Ashikabi will be out there fighting sooner or later - if not already."

Yukari sighed. "I feel guilty now. When I read that mail, and remembered the girl with the whip, I felt so relieved."

There was a rush of air and three male Sekirei landed around them on the roof.

"Right, people, we are going to find a large space in the middle of the city that we can use as a rendezvous." Zeilla announced, putting one phone away and scrolling through a menu now that Matsu had kindly changed the interface to use English. "Shiina, are you able to carry Yukari over the rooftops?"

"Uh... I can try." he mumbled.

"Kagari?"

"No problem." he replied confidently.

Zeilla began typing. "You carry her and the two of you go on ahead to find a good place safe from certain prying eyes. If nothing looks viable we can default to the MBI hospital initially and ask Matsu to find an empty warehouse or something."

Yuuma stuffed his hands in his hoodie's mono-pocket. "And me?"

"You will stay with me until I've sent this message out, then help me track them down with your greater awareness of our bonds." she explained. "Let's try not to fight anyone, alright? Identify yourself as the Demon Ashikabi if attacked, Yukari, and ask them to follow you - before you ask, the message I'm about to send will explain."

The teenager nodded. "Leave it to me."

"Good. Get moving you three."

Yukari yelped a bit as Kagari scooped her up into his arms but she soon appeared to be quite comfortable with her own arms around his neck. The black robed Sekirei Guardian then crouched low and launched himself high into the air with Shiina on his tail.

"You think they can handle anything they might find?" Yuuma asked.

Zeilla nodded and continued typing with the unfamiliar keys. "Kagari has a lot of combat experience as the Sekirei Guardian and Shiina is very powerful. Add to that the reputation Yukari has built and I think most will hesitate upon meeting them."

"And us?"

"I'm sure you can hold off a Sekirei or two long enough for me to disable them." she replied. "I'm a very good shot."

Yuuma grunted. "Yeah well... I can turn into a statue. I've been working hard to focus my ability where I want it and made progress but... It's not very useful."

"Not true. I can think of several ways to use your power that could give Ikki or Yashima trouble. Speaking of which, that reminds me..."

Zeilla finished her message and sent it, then closed and pocketed the phone. "I have something for you. I think you might like it if you take the time to practice using it."

The male Sekirei rose a brow. "I don't get it... but if its an idea of yours, it will probably turn out to be interesting."


"Zeilla... Why are we following Minato-san?"

The Spartan huffed. "I never thought Minato would be stupid enough to go out alone, but to only take Kusano with him? No others even shadowing them? I can't let him get attacked by a desperate Ashikabi or Sekirei."

Yuuma shrugged as they leapt to another building. "I guess Yukari can manage sending the others to the hideout with Kagari and Shiina at her back."

Suddenly they realised Minato was alone on the street he had been walking along.

"Uh ho." Yuuma sighed.

Zeilla looked about and spotted a trail of blond hair flutter behind a hedge. While Minato appeared confused, she had a hunch that the child couldn't have moved very fast.

"Stay up on Minato's tail and keep him safe. If he is attacked, you grab him and run to Izumo as fast as you can." she ordered.

She didn't give Yuuma time to reply, instead she leaped across the street and followed the hedge. She searched and raced after another glimpse of blond hair several times. The Spartan was about to call Matsu when she literally jumped over the girl's head. Quickly she got Kusano back in sight, only to find her sudden departure from Minato's side was to chase a small animal.

Zeilla frowned, but kept following Kusano from the rooftops. The animal was able to stay just far enough ahead by changing direction that Kusano couldn't quite reach out to grab its tail. Eventually both came to a stop before a young female in a wheelchair.

It was a good thing too. Zeilla had run out of rooftops. The area the animal had run into was largely gardens with a single large building in the middle.

A private hospital. The Spartan had made sure to learn a few important words.

Zeilla kept half an eye on them and fished out her phone. After a fair bit of searching she found a city map and a basic location tracking function called GPS that told her where they had ended up. She immediately scanned the surrounding area while keeping an eye on Kusano, stuffing her phone away. The map told her they had stumbled into the eastern outskirts of the city. The hospital - if her assumption was correct - was likely owned by the pharma-empire Higa was heir to and currently running in Tokyo.

Pending talks with the Ashikabi of the East aside, there was nothing good about being in that young man's territory.

Fortunately, she didn't have to wait long. Minato came calling out to his Sekirei and the girl ran to the sound of his voice shortly afterwards. There was a brief encounter with a pair of figures leaving the hospital but nothing came of it. Minato and Kusano set off for Izumo in the north.

Yuuma landed next to her with his arms crossed. "That was a Sekirei and Ashikabi just then." he murmured. "I don't like the feel of her much. She seems... Torn."

Zeilla perked up. "You have insight into other Sekirei besides the bonds I have?"

He shrugged. "I've spent a lot of time among Humans - and fight training with them - so I suppose I might just be good at reading people."

They hopped across a few buildings to get closer to Minato and Kusano. Several blocks away a large cloud rose up from the ground toward the north, putting both Yuuma and Zeilla on edge.

"Check it out?" Yuuma suggested.

Zeilla nodded. "Scout ahead, but don't get in the way."

The Sekirei surged ahead faster than she could hope to match, but she had to keep watching over Minato. He would be almost defenseless until Kusano could reach out to some decorative plant they might stumble upon.

If an Ashikabi's death would terminate his or her Sekirei then it was no wonder all the major players kept themselves holed up where it was safe: Higa in his head office, Mikogami in his parent's mansion and Natsuo in the MBI tower. Only Sanada was confident enough to freely roam his western portion of the city, apparently. After what Zeilla had seen it seemed Minato was oblivious to danger or was simply stupid. Only the storied Demon of the North kept Izumo safe from his potential enemies. Perhaps a bit of both as surely Matsu had warned the sheltered boy.

Zeilla snorted. "It might be good for him if somebody ambushed... I might just do that."

Kusano looked up just in time to squawk as nearly seven feet of muscle landed in front of her. She immediately clung to Minato's leg and fell with him as the surprise sent him reeling.

"Z-Zeil-ra-san?"

"If I was a Sekirei attacker you could be dead already." the Spartan snapped. "What would you have done? And least bring a plant for Kusano or have one of the others follow you."

"No! Ku's date!" #108 exclaimed, still clutching her Ashikabi's leg.

Zeilla frowned. "Either one of them joins you two or a rival Sekirei does when you least expect it. If one of Higa's patrols spots you they'll surely attack, thinking Kusano is an easy target."

Kusano began to hum with indignation.

"Come on, get on your feet and hurry back to Izumo."

A rush of air and a thud announced the arrival of a Sekirei.

"Minato!" yelled the blond woman. "Thou are late!"

The boy jolted. "Tsukiumi, sorry! Ku-chan chased a cat..."

#9's jealous glare turned on the child who hissed and tightened her grip on Minato's leg. Suddenly Kusano sat upright and looked around with eyes wide.

"Ku-chan?"

"Ku's bear!" she gasped. "I left it behind!"

Zeilla pinched the bridge of her nose. "You have got to be kidding me... After all this time."

Minato sighed. "If we hurry it might still be there. Tsukiumi, would you come with us and protect us from other Sekirei?"

Zeilla froze.

"Of course." Tsukiumi declared confidently. "Did you think I would leave you alone with that brat after you were out so late together? Not a thing shall get past me!"

The Ashikabi picked himself and Kusano up off the road and the three of them jogged off, back to the private hospital. As they left her standing there Zeilla lowered her hand to her chin and eyed Minato's departing back.

"He adapted rather quickly..." she murmured.

Raised voices in the distance drew her attention northward so she turned and walked quickly towards them. As she got closer a painful grinding sound began to grow louder and louder. It would pause every so often, though the chattering only grew more upset. It was not unlike the sound of armour plating being scraped along concrete... Or a hardened weapons crate being dragged.

She rounded a corner and raised a brow at what she saw.

"Hi, Zeilla. I found another Sekirei and her Ashikabi trying to take down Tsukiumi-san. She wouldn't listen to me so... I thought I'd bring them to you."

#50 Yuuma's torso was almost entirely encased in a dull gray substance. His head and right forearm remained free, as did his right leg and most of the left. Grasped in his covered left hand was the ankle of a female who was in a similar state with only her head exposed. She was blue in the face, clearly furious and from the position of her body was about to slash at Yuuma's arm with her bladed polearm. A step behind followed her Ashikabi, keeping her long black hair and bow tails from trailing along the road.

"Tell your Sekirei to release me." the indignant alien gritted out.

"Kaho, save your breath or you'll pass out." said the young man dressed in dark grays with messy black hair.

Yuuma sighed. "If I did that you would hack my arm off. I prefer it attached. Also, your nice yukata might get torn when I'd try to dodge without letting you go."

"Fight me properly, coward!" the female Sekirei wheezed back.

Zeilla strode over and in one quick motion pulled her pistol out and leveled it at the Ashikabi's head. "Are we going to resist, now?" she asked the Sekirei.

"Kaho, let's back off." the hostage suggested calmly. "If they don't want to fight, maybe we can find another to challenge."

Kaho narrowed her eyes at Yuuma who responded with the universal 'peace' hand signal and a grimace. "Very well. Release me and I will not continue my strike."

Yuuma looked to Zeilla for permission, then dismissed the material with his power and quickly retracted his arm. Kaho held her weapon back, true to her word, and waited for him to retreat out of range before slowly getting her feet under her. Once she did so the Sekirei launched herself in between Zeilla and her Ashikabi.

"Touch him and my last act will see my naginata through your heart, coward." Kaho said as the blood flowed properly from her face. "A warrior should never threaten the weak."

Zeilla held her gaze and flipped her pistol broadside, then pulled it back to her shoulder. "Didn't you get the message? There is a meeting about to happen. It could alter this abhorrent situation."

"There is no need to talk. We must fight. It could be a trap."

"Trap or not, we will go and find out." the Human added. "Unless we can defeat a Sekirei on the way."

Zeilla blinked, then pushed back her hood. "Someone calls out under a banner of peace. Does a warrior answer with her weapon drawn for battle?"

"Not every warrior is honourable." Kaho countered.

"But you are, aren't you? Come with us. Hear out the proposal. The message said violence is forbidden there. I know that the Sekirei Guardian, Demon Ashikabi and the Sekirei of Death are enforcing that much." Zeilla argued, making sure to hold eye contact with the alien.

Both were silent as they considered her words. Eventually the Ashikabi spoke first, stepping around his Sekirei.

"Alright. Let's go together"