Birds of a Feather

by breakthrough

No. 04 Karasuba was someone who greatly respected the strong. After all, it was her life's goal to see all of them lie dead at her feet. So how exactly was it that she came to wing Sahashi Minato, of all people, at all?

6. The Madness Unbound

Chapter 6 – The Madness Unbound

---

When the Twins woke up that morning, they never expected their day to turn out the way it had.

It was supposed to have been a typical boring day at work — go in, dress up in ridiculous otaku fetish wear, take some orders, sing and dance, get ogled, silently endure lewd stares, clean up, go home, then eat the café's leftovers in their tiny one bedroom apartment. But everything in their miserable everyday lives turned upside down with the chance meeting of Minato, their fated one, as if straight out of a storybook.

They could hardly believe it happened, even while they walked side-by-side with him.

Even before they met Minato though, their lives shouldn't have been like that at all. Like every other of the Sekirei, they had each been issued an unlimited MBI Black Card before being released into Tokyo. It was intended to give them financial security while they got settled into a new life outside of the labs, so they had never really paid too much attention to the "socialization" classes they were all forced to attend.

Instead, because of some cruel twist of fate, they had never been issued their cards in the hustle and bustle of their initial release. By the time they realized, it had been too late to turn back and try to get what was rightfully theirs, not if unless they wanted to storm the heavily guarded compound by themselves without the benefit of an Ashikabi to unlock their full power. Without the safety nets of the MBI Black Cards, they quickly realized how harsh the outside world could be. The only way to survive was to have money and the only way to get money was to get a job. Unfortunately for them, it was nearly impossible for two girls without documentation or any kind of credentials (even as attractive as they were) to get any of the decent jobs out there. Their last resort had been to work at the café until Minato literally walked into their lives. Or at least when they first realized he walked into their lives.

Still, they were privately very pleased to have an Ashikabi like him wing them. With Minato, at least they had a proper home, comfortable standards of living, and a kind Ashikabi who greatly cared for them. Sure he was on the plain side of looks and sure he looked a little flaky, but they soon found out the depths of his sincerity, even though they spent only a short time talking to him to get to know the man they would be spending the rest of their lives with. Maybe he had some kind of secret, dark and tortured past that made him a lot more than first met the eye?

The walk back to their new home felt incredibly short because of Minato's easy laugh and frank personality. He really was nothing at all like what the rumors said about him. His passion and uniquely easy-going personality readily shown through in his every word and demeanor. You couldn't really fake the enthusiasm he felt for the simple things like finding a good deal on the way back home or verbally sparring with the old housewives at the market for the last sack of rice on sale. By the time they got back to the house, they had forgotten all of their earlier apprehension about sharing an Ashikabi with the infamous Karasuba and Akitsu. After all, if the tales about Minato had been greatly exaggerated, then the ones about his first two Sekirei had to be as well.

"Don't worry a thing about Karasuba and Akitsu," He reassured them as he fiddled with his keys on the doorstep. "They're the sweetest gals in the world, you'll all get along smashingly, trust me."

When he opened the door, not a single light seemed to be on inside. Only an eerie darkness peered back at the trio.

"Um, are you sure they're supposed to be at home right now?" Hikari asked nervously.

Her sister clasped her hand tightly, the both of them hiding behind their Ashikabi. Neither of the Lightning Twins did well with the dark. They would never admit it to anyone, but being around electricity the way they had with their powers made them used to being in well-lit areas. Darkness was unfamiliar to them, and new things especially made them anxious.

"Hello?" They heard Minato call out. "Karasuba? Akitsu? Anyone home?"

No response.

"That's odd. They told me they were going to be staying home the whole time."

As if on cue, a gravelly voice like sandpaper on gravestone rasped out from within the darkness.

"Aaaaaaaaaahh... Minato-sama..."

If the Twins weren't scared before, they were certainly terrified now. Clinging for dear life to Minato's back, they dared not even open their eyes in an almost childish belief that they could just ignore whatever hellish demonspawn lived within the house and it would go away. Their Ashikabi must have felt their trembling, pulling himself together and standing stiffly in harm's way for them.

"W-who's there? A-Akitsu, is that you?"

Faint panting crept into Hikari and Hibiki's ears, filling their thoughts with dread. Minato's house wasn't the safe haven he had made it out to be after all. If strong Sekirei like the Single Digit Karasuba and Akitsu couldn't survive whatever it was that now lurked in the house, what chance did mere Double Digits like them stand?

"Minato..." A new voice replied in the same rasp as the first. "You're finally back…?"

They could very clearly feel Minato trembling as well, maybe even more violently than they were themselves. Hibiki cracked an eye open to peek at him and heard rather than saw him swallow deeply. He reached out a shaky hand to flick the lights on only to scream out loud.

"What the heck?!"

Hibiki snuck another brave peek out from behind her hands and visibly recoiled at the sight of two women dressed in loose white cotton robes, hair folded into white headdresses. Their faces shone with a pale green color that seemed to shimmer in the light. If ever there was a picture of a ghost or demon to be referenced, this would be it.

"GHOST!" she screamed in total panic.

"GHOST? WHAT? WHERE?" Hikari screamed back, whipped into a complete panic by her twin. She had yet to remove her hands from her eyes nor dared sneak a glance out from behind her eyelids. The slightly older of the Twins buried her face into Minato's back and clung onto him for dear life.

"Minato… You've got some explaining to do..." One of them rasped in that same terrible fear-inducing tone.

The other figure passed a glass of water to the first, which she seemed to take gratefully.

"Thanks, Akitsu." she coughed once to clear her throat. "Now where was I? Oh right, getting ready to pound some answers out of you."

"K-K-K-Karasuba?!" Minato sounded completely bewildered at the whole situation.

The figure who passed the glass of water took a sip herself before speaking herself.

"Ah. Minato-sama, who are your guests?"

"Akitsu?! What's going on here? Are you wearing… facial masks?"

The one Minato referred to as Karasuba leveled a death stare that could melt steel beams at Minato.

"Yes. We're wearing facial masks as part of our DIY spa treatment. Now answer the question."

"W-Why were your voices so raspy and spooky?"

"Akitsu wanted to try some spicy chips... and let's just say they were exactly as advertised. Now answer the question."

Minato dropped into a formal seiza position almost instantaneously at the tone in her voice. Of course, Hikari had no way of knowing that, only feeling a rush of displaced air as he slipped out of her grasp. She groped blindly in the air to try to find him, still too petrified to open her eyes.

"M-Minato? Where'd you go? Oh please don't tell me the ghosts got you!" She sounded near hysterical at this point. "Hibiki? Where are you? Did the ghosts get you too?! Hibiki!"

To her credit, Hibiki had recovered from the initial shock by the time the "ghosts" had been identified as Karasuba and Akitsu. But it was one thing to come face to face with a ghost and another entirely to be in the peripheral vision of The Black Sekirei's ire, especially when it sounded like you were the reason for it. She crept her way over to her twin, not daring to make any sudden movements in fear of drawing attention to herself. At the reassuring familiar touch of each other's hands, the twins stayed as quiet as possible and waited for judgment.

"I have no excuse." Minato admitted solemnly. "I know I said I wouldn't bring any more Sekirei home without your express permission, but… It just happened, they were reacting to me."

Karasuba's stormy expression conveyed no other indication of her thoughts. She discreetly glanced over at Akitsu, who nodded imperceptibly, before leveling a stern stare at her Ashikabi. Sighing once, she reached out and karate chopped his head.

"Ow?!"

"Do you remember what I said about Sekirei reactions and the winging process?"

Minato paused in his scalp massaging to look up at her, confusement written all over his face. "Yeah, that Sekirei couldn't really control who they reacted to and that it was a mysterious phenomenon not fully understood yet."

"Ah, Minato-sama. I think Karasuba means to say we are okay with it." Akitsu chimed in.

"Really?"

"Don't put words in my mouth." Karasuba lightly karate chopped the top of Akitsu's head too.

"But that's not a no?" he asked with some small hope of no further admonishment.

She doled out a firmer chop this time.

Hibiki and Hikari had no idea of knowing what the mood had become between the two senior Sekirei and their shared Ashikabi, not having been around any of them long enough to be able to read their tells. As such, even though they were pretty sure things were okay now, they still kept their mouths shut and stared wide-eyed at the whole scene. A slight chill went down their spines and they couldn't hold back an "eep" when Karasuba finally turned her gaze towards them. They froze like deer in the headlights.

"So are you two going to introduce yourselves to your seniors, or are we going to sit here and stare at each other until you remember how to speak?" She deadpanned dryly.

The twins shared a look of unease, gulping nervously before mustering the courage to speak up. The pink twin nudged her elder to go first.

"No. 11, Hikari. P-Pleased to meet you," She stuttered, her voice cracking a little from the nerves. "I'm an element type. Pleased to meet you."

"You said that twice." Karasuba chuckled.

Hikari flushed with embarrassment and stepped back, pushing her twin forward in her place.

"I'm No. 12, Hibiki!" She managed to squeeze out without a hitch, if not more high-pitched than her usual tone. "I'm also an element type!"

The two stood ramrod straight with their heads pointed forward as Karasuba circled them in an impromptu inspection. Clicking her tongue occasionally, they couldn't help but get the distinct impression that they were but chum to a great shark in the ocean or meat on a butcher's display tray.

"Element-types, huh?" The No. 04 Sekirei said finally.

"Y-Yes, ma'am!" They replied in unison, not unlike privates answering their drill sergeant at line-up.

"What kind of element?"

"Lightning, ma'am!"

"Interesting. That'll be useful in a fight, no?"

"Very much, ma'am!"

"Have you been in a fight yet?

"Only a couple skirmishes around the city, ma'am! Nothing serious, but we always won! Ma'am!"

"Hmm." she paused in her circling, coming back to the front and looking them in the eye. The Twins refused to give into temptation and look back at her. They knew better, opting to keep their eyes glued on the wall in front of them. "11 and 12, that's fairly close to the single digits. Are you as strong as your Numbers would indicate?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"I'll have to see for myself later, I suppose. And drop the 'ma'am'-ing, I'm not that old yet."

She turned and patted Minato on the shoulder, who had since gotten up and leaned lightly on Akitsu because of his numb legs.

"You at least know how to pick em, Minato," Karasuba grinned with what looked like approval. "Come on, Akitsu. Let's get cleaned up and dressed."

"Ah, coming."

As the both of them headed up the stairs, the Twins waited until the sound of a door closing indicated they were well out of earshot before weakly dripping to the floor. Their legs felt like jelly and the fatigue of the mental strain was exhausting.

"That went well, wouldn't you say?" Minato smiled thinly, and there was nothing more they wished to do than hit him.

It was a shame their legs weren't working properly or he would have gotten a better reply than an ugly groan.

---

Minato's first two Sekirei took a few moments upstairs before returning to the living room where he and the Twins waited. The latter two had been too exhausted to do much else but slink into the couch and lay in a heap on top of him. They had all been just about to doze off before Karasuba cleared her throat.

"Ahem."

He turned around from where he sat, coming face to face with a smooth navel. With embarrassment, he forced his eyes off the toned expanse and up into the bemused face of his silver-haired Sekirei. Karasuba and Akitsu had cleaned off the facial masks, and their faces looked refreshed and glowing from the treatment. The former was clad in a camisole that showed off a tantalizingly large swathe of her abdomen and a pair of dark grey sweatpants. The latter chose to wear one of his bigger t-shirts and a pair of blue pajama pants.

"Getting comfortable with your new Sekirei while your old ones are away?"

He flushed red at the insinuation, but more out of irritation than embarrassment. He couldn't believe Karasuba would think he would treat his Sekirei in such a scummy way!

"Karasuba, it's not like that at all!"

"Alright, alright," she said placatingly. Her hand ran through his hair and stroked his scalp just so in that particular way of hers that sent tingles down his whole body. "I was only teasing, you know."

At that moment, Minato felt more like a puddle of goo than a real human being at her touch. He only managed to breathe out an "Okay" before she snorted with amusement and stopped her ministrations. Akitsu came down just at that moment, a little confusement in her eyes.

"Ah," she paused at the top of the stairs with a cotton swab in her ear. "Is it time for our show yet?"

Minato checked his watch. It seemed despite the craziness of the whole day, they had been just in time to catch the next episode of Tokyo Noir.

Even with Minaka's insane announcement that night, the group had been able to stay up to date with the latest episode and were eagerly anticipating this week's installation. Kaneshima Minami had made her getaway from the botched stakeout of the Yamori gang's hideout, barely escaping with her life and just managing to get Yamamoto Ken to the hospital in time. Since then, the crime-fighting duo had thrown themselves into tracking down any leads they could find until they finally managed shut down branch after branch of the gang's operations.

Now, only one major stronghold of the organization remained, cornered at their mansion hideout. Just before the full might of the police force was due to storm the building, the two partners shared a tender moment. The last episode ended on somewhat of a cliffhanger where her partner brought her coffee, looking like he had something to say.

Minato looked down, noticing the Twins had made no movement to budge from their places on his lap. They must have fallen asleep without him noticing, so he debated on whether or not to wake them up. Karasuba more or less took the decision out of his hands, however.

She lightly jabbed them in their sides with her finger, startling them awake with a yelp.

"Wha-wha-what?!"

"Wazzamatter...?!"

The Black Sekirei gave them a firm stare, not quite a full glare but just enough to make her displeasure known.

"Tokyo Noir is about to start and you two are in our spots."

Akitsu backed it up with a forceful nod, clutching at a small hug pillow in her quiet way. She pointed to Minato's side where one of the Twins was currently occupying.

"Ah. My spot."

"Did you say Tokyo Noir?" Hibiki mumbled groggily.

"That's our—" Hikari yawned. "—favorite show!"

"Well this is a pleasant surprise," Minato thought to himself.

If the Twins liked the show as much as the rest of he and his Sekirei did, it would go a long way towards making them feel more at home! There was nothing like a couple of shared interests to make fast friends, right?

"That's all well and good, but shoo-shoo. Akitsu and I have dibs."

Karasuba squeezed in between Hikari and Minato like a wedge, driving the two apart and reclaiming her usual spot on his left side. She laid her head down on his lap and made herself comfortable. Akitsu must have been emboldened by Karasuba's example, following her lead and simply squeezing Hibiki out of the way with her body. Clinging on to his right arm, she made no effort (or at least pretended to make no effort) to notice the shocked glances of either twin who now lay flopped on the floor.

"H-hey now, girls... There's no need for rough-housing..." He tried to keep the peace to stop any resentment from taking root.

"W-well fine, I guess." Hikari pouted. "Hibiki and I are fine here anyway!"

After a shared nod between them, the twin sisters each curled up around Minato's legs like a pair of cats. It probably wasn't the same as the intimacy of his side or his lap, but it looked like it suited them just fine all the same. He couldn't help but feel a little bad for them though, but what could he do against Karasuba and Akitsu combined? He might try to bring it up another time, but for now he tried to make himself as comfortable as possible for someone who found himself buried in the fairer sex.

…

After the opening credits played, the camera panned over a long shot of the rooftop of the police headquarters where Kaneshima Minori sat smoking a cigarette. She had always loved coming here to relax and destress, and now, before the eve of the biggest police operation in the past 30 years, was no exception.

She looked up to the sound of the rusty door creaking open, only slightly surprised to see her young protege carrying two cups of some kind of steaming hot beverage.

"Kaneshima-senpai," Ken greeted. "Mind if I join you?"

Minori made a noncommittal grunt of acknowledgment and waved him over. Ken grinned in that easy-going boyish way of his and sat down beside her on the rickety air vent.

"What's that you've got there?" She asked him.

"Coffee. Just the way you like it."

"Straight black?"

"Would it be 'just the way you like it' if it were any other way?" he joked.

"Humph," she pouted as she impatiently held out her hand. "The coffee at the station tastes like shit anyway."

"Actually, I got these at that coffee shop I was telling you about the other day." Ken smiled. "You should give it a try before you pass judgment."

He handed her the coffee, and after a suspicious inspection, she hesitantly took a sip. The only reason why she took her coffee black was because no amount of additional flavoring was going to make that awful mess the station called coffee any more palatable. To her surprise, this was a great brew light-years beyond anything she had ever tasted before.

"Not bad," she said finally. "Not bad…"

The duo sat in a comfortable silence, pausing only to sip on their coffee on occasion. The only sounds surrounding them were the hustle and bustle of the city below them, the whistle of the cold night air as it whipped overhead. She couldn't help but notice her rookie begin to fidget suddenly, his whole posture practically screaming that he wanted to say something. Minori didn't want to force him to respond, so she waited and pretended not to see anything.

"Senpai," Ken started to say after a while, the nerves he felt written all over his face. "How do you feel about this whole thing?"

"This whole what?"

"The operation."

"What about it?"

"It's the largest police operation in over 30 years, or so the other guys have been telling me."

"And what else have they been telling you?" She smirked into her coffee, fixing him with a cocked eyebrow stare.

"That despite our best efforts to keep this under wraps, Yamori's gang are likely to suspect that something's up."

"And?" Minori prodded. She knew there was something more to this line of questioning, her instincts picking up on his body language and evasive answers.

"And that we're probably looking at heavy casualties. They're not going down easy, especially now that we've got them cornered like rats. Yamori's got to have one last ace up his sleeve."

She set her coffee down and looked at him seriously.

"Are you afraid?"

Ken looked taken aback.

"N-No! Of course not! I mean—"

Minori said nothing, only continued to look at him curiously. He took a deep breath and sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

"Okay, yes. I am afraid. Not of dying or anything, but of seeing my comrades get hurt."

"Are you underestimating the men and women of our force?"

"No, of course not! I just—"

"Then why are you assuming that we'll get hurt, or worse, get killed? Don't patronize me with those kinds of thoughts. Have some faith in your comrades and trust that we know what we're doing."

"It's not that, I—"

"'I' what?" She said, more than a little irritated now. She trained him to be better than this!

"I don't want to see you get hurt! Even the thought of it makes me feel ill! You mean too much to me to have some thug gun you down in cold blood or worse!"

It was Minori's turn to be taken aback.

"You're the sharpest member of the force, able to kick my ass three ways to Sunday, drink anyone under the table, and still look look like a million bucks in uniform. You're easily irritated, you take nonsense, but you're still the kind of gal who can't go without your beloved anime collectables. And, Inspector Kaneshima Minori, I'm in love with you."

...

The lights suddenly flickered erratically before going out entirely, shutting down the TV and plunging the room into darkness. Karasuba loudly swore and Akitsu huffed softly from her nose, one of the only telltale signs of her irritation.

"W-what's going on?!" Hikari stuttered nervously. She and her twin clung a little tighter to Minato's legs.

"Wait, didn't something like this happen just before—" Minato started but was interrupted by an abrupt sound of fanfare playing from every electronic screen in the house.

"Why hello there, people of Tokyo!" The familiar face of the white-garbed mastermind appeared in all of his mad eccentricity.

"It's certainly been a while since the last time we spoke! Tell me, how goes your participation in the Sekirei Plan? None of you seem like you're interested in eternal fame, fortune, glory, and power... Or you would have done something to seize it for yourself by now!"

The camera panned out as he swept his hands over the skyline, grinning wildly like he was some kind of ringmaster for a grand circus.

"This entire city is your playground and yet, with the notable exception of the ever lovely Karasuba-chan, none of you have seen fit to play in it!" Minaka shook his head in mock disappointment.

The Twins whipped their heads around in trepidation when they heard the Sekirei in question mutter lowly under her breath from her spot on the couch. Karasuba looked very obviously irritated, no, downright pissed for lack of a better expression. It didn't take a Sekirei bond for him to see that. Minato slid his hand in hers and squeezed lightly, hoping to calm her down a bit. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed them turn back to the TV with some embarrassment, not wanting to intrude on an intimate moment between the two.

"In order to spice things up a bit in an effort to kickstart this little game into action, I've decided to create a special event of sorts for you to take advantage of!"

A large map of Tokyo appeared on screen as Minaka continued, a bright red dot glowing on the center.

"As you may or not have noticed, the lovely arboretum in the central sector of the city has become overgrown with wild growth. At the center of the forest, where a massive tree towers over the rest, you will find the prize! A Sekirei lies in wait for the first brave soul who makes it there in one piece, her powers will be yours for the taking!"

He pointed to the top right corner of the screen just as a picture of a young blonde girl with long shaggy hair popped up next to his finger.

"That bastard!" Minato shouted, leaping to his feet with rage.

The whole room gaped at him, shocked at his uncharacteristic outburst. Hibiki and Hikari may not have known him for as long, but even they could tell Minato wasn't the type to even raise his voice ever, let alone curse. From the looks on Karasuba and Akitsu's face, they weren't reassured by how it seemed neither of them had witnessed something like this before either. The two seniors of the flock laid calming hands on his back in concern.

"Ah, what is the matter, Minato-sama?" Akitsu asked gently.

Minato practically quivered with frustrated anger.

"That's Kuu!" He clenched his fists knuckle-white. "She needed my help, she was alone and scared, and now he wants to make her a prize?!"

"I highly encourage all of you to participate!" Minaka continued unperturbed. "Those of you yet to wing a Sekirei have the opportunity to brave unknown dangers and obstacles to wing a powerful one to get you started, and those of you fortunate enough to have winged Sekirei already get a chance to grow your flock! Everyone has a shot but only one can win!"

The camera zoomed into his face as his glasses reflected the moonlight, casting his face into eerie shadow.

"Now, who will emerge victorious? I look forward to finding out!"

Cackling filled the air from Minaka's gleeful face before the broadcast cut out as abruptly as it had began. A terse silence filled the air with unease. Minato paced the room in a storm of quiet frustration. He could feel the concern of his Sekirei in the back of his head through the bond, but he was too wound up to consciously acknowledge it. The Twins grew dizzy just watching him, and combined with their inexperience with the emotional feedback of the bond, almost became nauseous from all of the wild thoughts whipping through their Ashikabi's head. Finally, after quite some time, he stopped and spoke up.

"I don't think it's right that Kuu is being held hostage and presented as some kind of prize in this sick game," he started passionately. "I want to save her, give her the chance to choose her own destiny rather than have her freedom stolen and her life irrevocably altered."

Karasuba scoffed, drawing scandalized looks from the rest of the Sekirei gathered. She ignored them and stood up, walking over to put herself face-to-face with their Ashikabi.

"Is that what you truly want, Minato?" She asked him, crossing her arms.

Without the slightest hesitation, he nodded his head firmly. "Yes."

"Do you have the strength and conviction to see this through to the end?"

Another emphatic nod. "Yes, absolutely."

The Black Sekirei's lips split into a wry smile, turning and heading for the stairs without another word.

"W-wait, Karasuba?" Hikari sputtered. "Where are you going?"

"Getting dressed more appropriately. Aren't we going to that arboretum?" She cocked her head mid-way up the stairs with a quizzical look on her face.

"Ah..." Akitsu nodded and made her way to the stairs as well.

"H-Huh?" Hibiki was thoroughly confused, a look and feeling mirrored perfectly in her twin's face.

"As much as I hate volunteer work, especially babysitting and rescue of the weak, I have no choice if my Ashikabi wills it."

"Karasuba, I..."

"No, Minato." She silenced him with a firm hand raised. "Once you've made a decision, commit to it. Use that conviction of yours to see things through until the end. Isn't that why you've chosen to wing all of these Sekirei?"

The No. 04 Sekirei paused on the way up the stairs, turning around to address the Twins who still looked shell shocked from the events rapidly unfolding before them.

"Come on, you two should get ready as well. Akitsu will show you to your new room."

They nodded numbly and trailed after her like ducklings to their mother. If the mood wasn't so serious, Minato might have laughed aloud at the sight of it.

Instead, all he could think of was the countdown that had begun with Minaka's announcement. The bastard had no doubt specifically picked the exact moment when the most viewers in Tokyo were tuned into their televisions for the night. Who knows how many had seen it or had been forced to see it when he took over the airwaves? One thing was for sure, there were an untold amount of people, Ashikabi or otherwise, who wouldn't hesitate to take advantage of a young girl like Kuu. They needed to move quickly or they would be too late to reach her before anyone else could.

He was going to save her, if it was the last thing he did.

---

Despite her words to the contrary to Minato earlier, Karasuba was rather conflicted on how she felt about the new additions to his flock.

On a more pragmatic objective level, she could see the value of having more combat strength in numbers. The fact that they were so highly numbered was only icing on the cake. Did she have some reservations about their being element users? Maybe. Even though most of the first 10 (and generally the strongest 10) were element users, she still couldn't help but think the feeling of cold steel was a better way to fight than their usual patterns. Still, it was concrete proof that her Ashikabi was both strong enough to support all of his Sekirei and strong enough to attract them in the first place.

On the other hand, she hated having to share Minao between yet more Sekirei. It was somewhat manageable with one other since she knew Akitsu, and their personalities at least got along well. But these new girls were yet more wild cards for her to learn to deal with, and splitting his attention 4 ways was not something she looked forward to. She laid claim to him first, damn it! At the rate he was going, there would be a whole houseful of other Sekirei for her to compete with!

Especially since they were now set to go rescue another one from the overgrown arboretum. Minato was being exceptionally naive if he thought he could just waltz in and rescue this Kuu girl so she could wing whoever she wanted. From the way he described it, the girl was reacting to him already! Yet another Sekirei to join the flock and she was personally making sure it happened. His bleeding heart idealist's mentality was starting to rub off on her if she was willing to along with this nonsense.

But then again, a small part of her couldn't help but remind her it was that same bleeding heart that led him to her in the first place. Without him, she didn't know what she would do with her life. It was alarming how dependent she had become on him, no matter how many times she thought about it. She had to wonder though — was it her specifically that he cared about and reached out to or did he just do that for anyone? As much as she wanted to know for certain, the answer to that question scared her almost as much as the thought of losing him did. Would it upset the delicate status quo she had carved out of her past failures?

"He doesn't see you any differently than those other whores he's brought home," the murmurs breathed into the dark crevasses of her mind. "Take your destiny back into your own hands before you grow soft and weak..."

Karasuba had been remarkably clear-headed and free of the nightmares and thoughts in her head for the past few weeks, the first time in what felt like forever that she could say that. It wasn't until the encounter with Miya that reopened old wounds did she start to get them again. The arrival of the Twins did not make things any easier. She itched for a fight, anything to clear her head and work the rising bloodrage out of her system before she turned it towards someone she didn't mean to.

"Don't lie to yourself and pass the blame... You would have done it sooner or later, this merely facilitates the process..."

Maybe she would get that fight sooner than later, especially if the massed crowds around the arboretum were anything to go by. It seemed as if Minaka's second announcement was enough to finally galvanize the populace into action. A huge mob of people swarmed the makeshift cordon that MBI erected around the perimeter, no doubt to keep most of the riffraff at bay and allow only the strong through. As they grew closer to the crush of people, they could hear the angry buzzing at the indignity of it all.

"Let us through!"

"What kind of an open game is this?!"

"Fuck MBI!"

The entitlement of the bottom-feeder weaklings of the city sickened her to be honest. It was less because of the fact that they were demanding access to go hunt down a little girl and more because they were demanding someone answer for their own shortcomings. If they had been smarter, more powerful, more cunning, they could have figured out a way to get past the cordon. Instead, they chose to beg for handouts.

"What the hell is this?" Minato swore.

She raised an eyebrow at his uncharacteristically foul tongue. The whole idea of curse words coming from Minato's mouth was equal parts intriguing and thrilling to her. Her normally mild-mannered Ashikabi rarely lost his temper, so seeing him so fired up honestly excited her. Maybe she could convince him to bring this passion to... more aspects of his life later?

"How are we going to get past this MBI blockade and all of these people?" He asked.

"We should keep biding our time and wait for a good opportunity to slip through!" One of the Twins, the purple-clad one whose name she couldn't quite tell apart from the other (Hi- something?), suggested helpfully.

A sound suggestion, she supposed, if not a boringly safe one. She was hoping someone would just want to charge straight through, the far more appealing and interesting option in her opinion. Why waste time milling about when they could just skip right to the action and get something done?

As if answering her prayers, a loud explosion rocked the area and sent a pillar of smoke into the air.

"What the...?!" She heard Minato mutter in shock.

A large group of what could only be Sekirei made their presence known on the far side of the cordon. At this distance, it was difficult to make out just who it was that had the metaphorical brass balls to go toe to toe with MBI. One of them must have been using a megaphone or something because her voice was amplified enough to ring out clearly over the commotion.

"Clear the way, peasants! That Sekirei is the rightful property of our master, Higa Izumi! To stand in our way is a declaration of war on the East!"

What in the world were they going on about? Karasuba was more confused by the whole spectacle than anything. Who was this Higa person? He had to be some kind of powerful person to have winged several Sekirei. Ashikabi like Minato were the exception, not the rule — most only winged one at best. If he were a strong enough Ashikabi to have pulled so many to his side, surely he was a worthy enough foe for her Minato? "Opposing" him, or whatever those idiots were rambling about would be right up her alley and Minato wouldn't even disagree. She loved it when life had a way of working things out in win-win scenarios for her.

No sooner had she thought that did another explosion rocked the area, sending the mob into a panicked frenzy. It looked like some those Higa-affiliated Sekirei had burst through the blockade, sending a small but steady trickle of people into the forest at will. Whatever they had done to cause the commotion, it was spreading the MBI forces thin. Men were pulling away from the area nearest to Team Minato, attempting to reinforce the far side and restore order. If they wanted to get into that forest, now was the time to act.

"Minato," she started, putting a hand on his shoulder to grab his attention. He pulled the rest of his Sekirei into an impromptu group huddle before letting her continue. "Those Sekirei over there have made a big enough distraction that the cordon on our side has thinned out considerably. If we wanted to get through, this is as good a time as any."

"Isn't it still a little risky? There's still a lot of guards there, I don't want to run the risk of anyone getting hurt."

Karasuba couldn't help but smile wryly at that. There he went again with that naive line of thinking again.

"Don't be silly. The moment we left the house, we knew we were running that risk anyway. Besides, don't you have faith in our ability?"

"Ah. We are strong." Akitsu spoke up calmly. A certain fire smouldered in her eyes as Karasuba nodded approvingly.

"You might not know it yet, but we're pretty tough too!" The pink clad twin (Hibaki?) chimed in, her sister echoing the sentiment.

Minato looked sheepishly flustered at his Sekirei's responses.

"I didn't mean to doubt you or anything!" He defended himself. "I just don't like the idea of you all getting hurt because of me."

"Minato, we all chose to be here. We'll be fine." Hikaru (?) chimed in reassuringly.

She honestly should have expected this kind of response from him, but it still caught her a bit off guard over how protective he was being. Stupid bleeding heart.

"Why don't you make that expression a reality? You know you want to, just indulge already..."

She grasped her hair by the roots, pretending to just casually run her hand through it. No matter, this actually worked out to her advantage...

"How about this, Minato. I will stay behind and cause a separate distraction by attacking the barricade. While the guards are... occupied, use the opportunity to slip in unharmed and undetected."

It was a perfect plan: he could ensure the safety of the majority of his Sekirei and she could get her much needed "work out" without him seeing it. Win-win for everyone.

"No, I—"

Karasuba silenced his protests with a raised hand.

"There's no time to waste. The longer you dilly dally here, the bigger head start those Higa Sekirei and all the other trash that slipped through the cordon get on you."

Minato still looked conflicted, but the cold logic she presented couldn't be denied. Maybe it was a little manipulative of her, but she had his best interest in mind. Mostly.

"Alright, Karasuba. I want you to promise me you'll stay safe and won't do anything reckless, alright? We're all coming home together and I'll make you all your favorite curry."

A small smile, genuine and pleased, sprang unbidden to her lips.

"I'm the strongest there is, remember?"

Almost as an afterthought, she smirked and quickly grabbed him by the back of the head. They touched foreheads briefly before she stole a searing kiss from him. Massive wings of jet black light burst from her back with a mighty flap. Unlike the previous kisses they had shared, the wings didn't immediately disappear. She had wanted to try activating her Norito to be honest, but he didn't need to know that.

A surge of energy filled her every vein, giving her a heady rush of adrenaline throughout her system. Her vision sharpened and brought even the finest details into sharp focus. Every one of her senses felt magnified and heightened beyond anything she had experienced before. A wild grin sprang to her lips. This must have been what she meant by the power only the bond between Ashikabi and Sekirei could bring. It was glorious.

"A kiss for good luck," she breathed into his ear before running headlong into the crowd.

Karasuba leapt into the thick of it, landing with a flourish of her trusty nodachi. It still remained sheathed — she had told Minato she wouldn't kill. In a flurry of strikes, she beat her way through the mass of people and left a swathe of broken limbs and screams of panicked pain in her wake. Her objective was still to cause as much noise and draw as much attention as possible, who really cared how she went about doing it? At least it was working — a large chunk of the guards tried to make their way to her and stop the frenzy. As if mere humans could stop her rampage. Their departure left a decent-sized hole in the line but she hardly spared a thought to it, more caught up in the moment of her favorite past-time.

"And you thought you could turn over a new leaf and pretend to be someone you weren't. This is the true you. The sooner you decide to stop fighting it, the happier you'll be."

Out of the corner of her eye, she barely noted the 4 figures of Minato and his remaining Sekirei overwhelming the remaining guards and bursting through into the forest. On some conscious level, she acknowledged that she had done her job and got them through according to plan, but that was becoming increasingly difficult to bring to mind. A sense of almost drunken disorientation began to come over her and yet she never felt more alive. Her senses felt sharper than ever, her reaction speeds lighting-fast. She was in peak condition, running high on the intoxicating fumes of blood and fear.

"You're wasting your time on these cockroaches. You need worthy opponents..."

Almost off of pure instinct, she turned her wild gaze to the cluster of Sekirei on the opposite side of the field from her. Karasuba licked her lips eagerly at the thought of engaging them in battle. It was all for Minato, wasn't it? The less Sekirei able to enter the forest, the less opposition he had to face in there. The less Sekirei he had to face in the future, the safer he would be and the more time she could spend with him.

She wanted more, no, needed more.

"By the blade of my pledge, I will exterminate the sworn enemies of my Askikabi."

---

Akitsu may not have been the most socially capable person, nor could she claim to be a particularly attuned person, but even she could tell there was something off about Karasuba.

It wasn't that the No. 04 Sekirei was overtly different, or that she was behaving out of character. It was more of a feeling that Karasuba was more… on edge lately. She had always kept her blade nearby, but recently she had been keeping it even closer to her and never out of reach. Of course, these were all anecdotal evidence and nothing concrete. Any number of things could explain her odd behavior and mood, so Akitsu didn't want to bring anything up. It wouldn't do to alarm Minato-sama or needlessly antagonize Karasuba.

Still, leaving the infamous Black Sekirei behind to hold the line didn't quite sit right with Akitsu. She was just a little too eager to volunteer herself into the most dangerous role, and one guaranteed to see action at that. Akitsu didn't want to think ill of her Sister Bonded, but she suspected Karasuba had ulterior motives. She just couldn't think of what those might be.

Her introspective mood must have bled through the bond because the Twins seemed uneasy and nervous themselves as they all trekked deeper into the forest. The Ice Sekirei didn't know what to say to alleviate the mood. Usual social protocol would suggest she try a joke or a lighthearted story, but she didn't know any good ones to tell. Karasuba had laughed at rather than with her the last time she tried and told her never to tell those again.

"Hey," Minato-sama spoke up suddenly. "I know you're all probably nervous about Karasuba, but I know she'll be okay. She's the strongest there is, you know!"

"..."

"..."

"..."

None of the three remaining Sekirei really had anything to say to that. Of course they all knew how strong the infamous Black Sekirei was. The stories of her exploits and power preceded her by a long shot. It was just something about the way they parted that put them off. Akitsu didn't know if anyone else noticed, but there was an almost… feral grin on Karasuba's lips as she turned to jump into the mob. It gave her the chills to see at the time, and even now remembering it brought goosebumps rising all along her arms.

"Besides, if there's anything I know about Karasuba, and I know a lot about her, it's that she can't resist my home cooking! She wouldn't let herself miss curry night for anything, I guarantee it."

Akitsu wasn't so sure anymore. She felt like she had to say something at this point, no matter what the consequences. Minato-sama had to know about —

*BOOM*

Any thoughts she had strung together were dispelled by a massive explosion behind them. Hibiki (or was it Hikari?) screamed aloud in shock, jumping onto Minato-sama in panic. There was no fire, no smoke, only the sudden displacement of air and a rapid sense of impending danger. She knew this sensation, she had felt it once before when they had run into the No. 01 Sekirei… This was the feeling of Karasuba's massive killing intent. For it to be so potent and tangibly present did not bode well for her suspicions regarding her most senior Sekirei.

"W-what was that?" Hikari (or was it Hibiki?) shouted. "That sounded like it came from where we just came from!"

The three Sekirei felt the surge of panic through the bond from Minato-sama as he came to the same conclusion as well.

"That's gotta be Karasuba! Something's wrong, we have to go back and help her!"

Minato-sama turned to run back in the direction of the explosion, but she stood in his path with arms spread wide.

"Akitsu?!" he shouted, bewildered. "What are you doing, we've got to help Karasuba!"

"Ah, Minato-sama! You cannot!" she shouted back. "Karasuba stayed behind for your sake! Do not let her efforts go in vain!"

He grimaced with indecision, balling up his fists tightly. She could feel the frustration and anxiety roll off him in waves through the bond, but she had to stand strong. Karasuba wouldn't have wanted them to turn around.

"Minato-sama," she spoke more softly this time, grabbing him by the hands and trying to unclench his fists. "We must make haste. There are other Sekirei and Ashikabi in the forest with us, and they are not as well-intentioned as you."

He gripped her hands tightly, not enough to be painful but firmer than he would normally hold her hands with. Minato-sama sighed once, and nodded his head.

"You're right, Akitsu. I'm sorry. We should keep going."

To his credit, he only looked back once before squaring his shoulders and continuing forward. He walked a little ways ahead of his Sekirei, apparently alarming the Twins. They looked nervously between each other, turning to Akitsu for her lead. Hibiki and Hikari both nodded once in Minato-sama's direction, no doubt just as worried about him as she was. However, all she could offer was to discretely shake her head to dissuade them from approaching him yet. He needed some time to clear his head and regain his focus. Minato-sama would come back to them when he was good and ready, as he always did.

It honestly took her a little off guard to have someone (or someones) ask her for help or advice. Not to say that it was unwelcome, only that it was more unfamiliar than anything. Still, there wasn't much she could do or say in this particular situation. The best thing for now was to press forward and hope for the best.

However, they had gotten not much farther when a voice suddenly rang out over from the forest canopy.

"You there! Turn around this instant and go back where you came from!"

Akitsu, Hibiki, and Hikari instantly took up a defensive perimeter around Minato-sama, their heads on a swivel to look for the source of the voice. Akitsu took point while the Twins took flanking position on either side of him. From the overhead tree branches, a pair of Sekirei dropped down and stood imperiously before them to block the path forward. One was a tall woman with long dark green hair and blue eyes. She wore a blue and white tight belly-top that revealed quite some cleavage, the Sekirei Crest displayed on her left breast, dark long gloves, stockings hold by a garter over her bloomers, and thigh length boots. Over her shoulders rested a long metal staff, casually held in place by her slung over arms.

The other was just as tall with dark brown hair less than an inch long, framing her skull closely. She wore a purple, yellow, and black outfit that wrapped around her and held together by a small metal ring right below her breasts. Portions of her midriff, her sides, her arms, even the outer portions of her thighs were exposed, while the rest was checkered back and forth with purple and yellow. She too wore long black thigh high boots and short black gloves, but seemed to carry no other weapon.

"Who are you?!" Minato-sama shouted at them.

"Hmph! I am No. 16, Toyotama!" The green-haired one snorted pompously.

"And I am No. 18, Ichiya!" The short-haired one said with a stomp of her boot. "We serve Higa-sama, of the East. We won't repeat ourselves again — turn back now and no one will have to get hurt."

Minato-sama stepped out from behind Akitsu, squaring his shoulders in defiance.

"I can't do that. You're here for Kuu, aren't you?"

"Kuu? You mean No. 108? She is the property of Higa-sama, and we are tasked with bringing her back to him." Toyotama declared.

That was all Akitsu needed to hear. She discreetly signaled behind her back with a flick of her wrist to alert Hibiki and Hikari to her plan. There was no real time to explain more elaborately. Time was of the essence and surprise was her most important weapon at the moment. She quickly spun in place, sweeping Minato-sama behind her back and blasting a wave of ice shards with two rapid thrusts of her hands towards the enemy Sekirei.

"Icicle Storm!"

Toyotama and Ichiya barely had time to react to the sudden attack, dodging with the merest slivers of room to spare.

"How dare you attack—!" Ichiya started before she was forced to shut up and dodge a bolt of lightning, narrowly missing her head.

"How did you like our Flash of the Thunder God?" Hikari (or was it?) cackled gleefully.

Akitsu, Hibiki, and Hikari quickly split up Higa's two Sekirei, the former taking Toyotama and the latter two taking Ichiya. In an effort to try to keep them separated, Akitsu created an ice wall between the two that seemed to work well enough for now.

"Attacking us is a declaration of war against the East!" Toyotama snarled in anger. "We'll wipe you out here and still get that miserable brat for our master!"

"Ah. We shall see." Akitsu replied simply.

With a loud battle cry, Toyotama leapt into the air for an overhead strike with her staff.

"Titan's Impact!"

Akitsu leapt to the side to dodge, retaliating with a quick blast of frozen air. Toyotama crashed into the forest floor unperturbed with a boom, leaving a large impact crater in her wake. Akitsu raised a brow in mild concern as she continued kiting the staff-wielder around the trees. The terrain was definitely to her advantage, preventing the staff-wielding Sekirei from leveraging her speed and power in the straightforward blows her staff favored. She was free to sling ice blast after ice blast whenever Toyotama managed to find a clear path at her. As strong as the No. 07 was, her forte was more medium- to long-range fighting. Although the dense tree cover didn't make things particularly difficult one way or the other, it was still a great deal easier than fighting in an open clearing. She didn't want to take any of those high-powered blows head-on if she could help it.

That being said, Akitsu wasn't exactly hard-pressed to keep her at bay as she initially thought she would be. Compared to Karasuba's hellish training regimen and relentless sparring sessions, the staff-wielder was wholly outclassed by the Black Sekirei's speed and power. It almost felt like Toyotama was moving through molasses rather than the speed she was used to. There was no doubt in her mind that without Karasuba's influence, she would have been overwhelmed by Toyotama's attacks. Still, she couldn't keep this pace up forever. It became clear to her that she needed to end her here as soon as possible before Toyotama wore her down and closed the gap.

A cloud of frosty air condensed between her palms as she concentrated her powers. It was more difficult than it usually would be because she had to do so while running and dodging Toyotama's relentless assault. Thankfully Karasuba had beat the importance of being able to multi-task and defend while preparing for an opportunity to strike, something she mentally added to the list of things to be grateful to her for.

"Stand and fight me, you coward!" Toyotama shouted with frustration. "Stop running like a scared rat!"

Akitsu couldn't help but scoff a bit under her breath. No one was stupid enough to go blow for blow with someone when they were clearly disadvantaged to do so. No matter, she would end this soon enough. Once she had accumulated the necessary energy, she leapt backwards as far as she could to buy time. Toyotama didn't seem to pursue immediately as Akitsu had expected, something that only worked to her advantage. The Ice Sekirei then clapped her hands together and separated them. As her hands pulled away from each other, an array of long, jagged spears of ice spread around her body in a ring facing outwards. With a single mental command, the ring began to spin, slowly at first and accelerating rapidly until it seemed to blur into a solid circle.

It was finally time to launch a proper counter-attack of her own.

"Frost Lance!"

Toyotama's eyes widened as she belatedly realized the danger she was in, trying to now rapidly close the gap before Akitsu could do anything.

"Shit!"

Spear after spear launched at the enemy, arcing in random parabolas to keep her guessing. Toyotama stopped in her tracks to defend. She managed to block or dodge a few at first but the sheer amount and velocity of the ones brought to bear against her were too much for her to handle. Several large gashes ripped through her upper arms and legs, and a particularly lucky shot left a spear embedded in her thigh.

With a roar of pain and fury, Toyotama ripped it out and crushed it in her hand. Bloody chunks of ice fell to the ground where she stomped them into the forest floor.

"You'll pay for that, bitch!" She snarled, spinning her staff with a flourish. Charging head-on again, she executed a spinning blow that threw her whole body into the rotation. "Titan's Storm!"

Akitsu nearly let an expletive of her own at the sight of a whirling maelstrom of sure death bear down on her at rapid speed. She wasn't sure if she could dodge properly, so the only defensive option left to her was to take it head on. Hastily gathering as much energy as possible, she summoned a triple layer of icy walls at least 2 meters thick and 4 meters high.

"Ice Rampart!"

They didn't come up a moment too soon — Toyotama came crashing into them almost as they finished forming. The force of the blow sent a loud crack through the air, but the walls just barely stood strong. The end of the staff ripped through most of the ice layers and lay embedded in it still. She tried to wrest her weapon free of its icy sheath to no immediate avail.

If the walls hadn't been quite as thick or quite as high, Toyotama would have bashed her head in with her attack. Akitsu's heart thudded painfully from the rush of adrenaline at the realization. The deep wound in her thigh must have slowed her down or otherwise prevented her from using enough force to make it a lethal strike. Still, she wasn't about to let such a golden opportunity pass her by. This played right into the Ice Sekirei's plans.

"This is over! Ice Prison!"

Akitsu clapped both hands together, channeling her powers to snare Toyotama in place as she stille tried to dislodge her weapon from the frozen rampart. The staff-wielder's feet froze to the ground as ice began to creep its way up her legs and from the wall around her to encase her fully in a frozen pillar. Toyotama screamed in panic, finally managing to rip her staff free, but by that point it was far too late. She beat futilely at the crystals to try and stop their relentless encroachment until her movement was completely stopped. Nothing but a twisted grimace of terror and rage stared back at the No. 07 Sekirei.

Opponent now dispatched, she spared a quick glance over to where Hibiki and Hikari were both maneuvering Ichiya around the forest and simultaneously keeping trying Minato-sama safe. It seemed like they were as good as they had bragged earlier, managing to keep Ichiya on the back foot with near-constant barrages of electricity bolts. She turned to run over and assist them. Hopefully they could keep up this momentum and disable the No. 18 Sekirei before Minato-sama got—

"You can't afford to look away in a fight with me!"

"How did she break free?!"

A massive blow nearly caved her head in before Akitsu leapt backwards just in time to dodge, her heart pounding with the adrenaline of a close shave. She thought Toyotama was trapped and unable to get out of her prison! Akitsu threw a wild glance at the place she had locked the No. 16 down. Nothing but frozen rubble remained of it. She must have brute forced her way out somehow! Karasuba was going to eviscerate her if she found out Akitsu didn't take the time to properly finish off an opponent and make sure she was down permanently before taking her eyes off her.

Toyotama was right, she was far too strong of an opponent to take lightly. If this was anything to go by, they wouldn't be able to defeat Higa's Sekirei easily. Every moment they spent trying to do so was too much time wasted here, and she doubted they would be able to do so without taking drastic measures. Any number of unknown enemies would make it to Kuu before they did. There was only one option left to them now for the best chance of success.

She slowly backed up, keeping her eyes squarely on Toyotama, until she bumped straight into Minato-sama who gently caught her with his arms around her middle. Flushing because of the intimate contact, she spun around and grabbed him as she jumped over to where the Twins stood their ground.

"Ah, Minato-sama," She said, reaching for his hand once they landed. She threw out a lance of ice that crashed into Toyotama's guard with the other. "You must go on without me. I will remain here to hold them off. There is no time left to waste here!"

Her Ashikabi widened his eyes in shock, squeezing her hand with a surge of urgency and horror she felt through the bond like a sledgehammer to her gut. Her frosty resolve cracked and she nearly changed her mind because of it. But she knew there was no other way, not if she wanted to make sure Minato-sama would be able to fulfill his objectives.

"No, I can't do that! First Karasuba, and now you? What's gotten into you all?"

Hibiki and Hikari took up an awkward position in front of the two of them, bodily positioning themselves between Toyotama and Ichiya. Higa's Sekirei had regrouped and took cover behind a couple of trees, presumably to plan their next move. The Lightning Twins grasped each other's hands tightly, using their free ones to toss out lightning bolts to zone the enemy's' heads down and firmly under cover.

"Did you just volunteer to stay behind to hold these crazy Sekirei off by yourself?" Hikari (she was sure that was the purple one's name) shouted incredulously. "That's a suicide mission!"

"I agree! I'm not saying Karasuba was any less off her rocker when she volunteered, but at least she's the damn Black Sekirei!" Hibiki (by process of elimination, the pink one had to be her) yelled. "No offense, but can you handle these two by yourself?"

"There is no other option left to us!" Akitsu insisted with urgency in her voice. "You two have to be together to get the most out of your powers, no?"

"Well, yes, but—!"

"No buts! We are wasting time. Minato-sama is safer with the two of you anyway, the numbers advantage you give him should dissuade most attackers, and together you make a strong enough duo to protect him if need be!"

"Akitsu, I can't let you do this! I don't want to lose you any more than I want to lose Karasuba! The two of you are insane!"

She smiled bravely, placing one of his hands on her cheek and leaning into it. The Ice Sekirei briefly indulged in the moment before she looked him dead in the eyes and asked him a simple question.

"Minato-sama, do you trust me?"

He swallowed audibly but nodded firmly.

"Yes, I do."

"Then let me do this," she leaned in closer, resting her forehead against his. "Besides, tonight you promised to make curry, did you not?"

Minato-sama's eyes watered up with unshed tears of frustration and fear, but he refused to cry. She didn't know what she would have done if he did.

"Yeah," he managed to say. "Your favorites, yours and Karasuba's too. Both of you have to come home, I'm not wasting any perfectly good food, okay?"

"Then give me your blessing and I will defeat your enemies."

Akitsu gave him a chaste kiss, pouring her love and trust for him into it. Bright ice blue wings burst from her back and flapped in a shower of snowflake-like sparkles. Power invigorated her body, filling her with conviction and confidence. She felt empowered by the amount of love and faith her Ashikabi felt for her in return. For the first blessed moment since being winged, Akitsu was at peace with her place by Minato-sama's side.

"Go, Minato-sama. By the ice of my pledge, I will shatter the misfortune of my Ashikabi."

Hikari looked like she had something to say but her twin pulled both her and Minato-sama away with her. At least one of them had a cool enough head under pressure, something that took quite a bit of worry off her shoulders.

"Well, well. Did your master abandon you to save his own skin?" Toyotama taunted as she and Ichiya stepped out into the open again.

She said nothing in reply, only a mask of serene calm on her face. Let them think what they wanted, they wouldn't be getting past her anyway. Not while she still drew breath.

"Still, 2 versus 1? I'll take those odds any day," Ichiya sneered. "You're finished, girl."

A massive gout of flame interrupted their rapid charge forward. All three combatants looked startled until a masked figure in black dropped into the scene by Akitsu's side. She whirled around with a jagged icicle formed in her hand, ready to spear who she thought was yet another foe before he raised his own gloved hands in a placating gesture.

"Whoa, easy!" He shouted, a little panicked by her rapid response. "I mean no harm! To you at least, I'm on your side!"

Akitsu cocked her head in confusion.

"Ah. Who are you?"

He slapped his forehead in what seemed like... frustration? Embarrassment? She had never seen or met anyone like him before. He did look sort of like Homura, or whoever it was that brought Minato-sama home and dropped out of the tree at Miya's house. That person didn't wear facemasks like this one did though, so it couldn't be him.

"Ugh, the nerve of that man and his Sekirei..." He muttered under his breath. He turned back to Akitsu. "Call me Kagari. You looked like you needed some help, and I owe a certain Min- er, Sahashi a favor. Or rather he owes me a favor, so I'm making sure to rack these up so he can pay me back big time later. Speaking of whom, where is he anyway?"

Kagari made a big show of peering around. Fortunately for them, Higa's Sekirei were too wary of the newcomer to make any moves for now.

"You just missed him, he went on ahead to save the girl at the center of the forest." Akitsu told him.

"Seriously?!" Kagari shouted. "Argh, whatever. I came here to help her out anyway. How about we team up, take care of these two, and catch up to Sahashi?"

Akitsu nodded her head slowly, still a little hesitant to accept this man's words at face-value. Especially since he seemed to have conflicting reasons for helping her. But if he knew Minato-sama, he couldn't be all bad, right? She took his proffered hand in a slightly hesitant handshake.

"Well now that that's settled, 2 on 2 seems like a lot better odds now, doesn't it?"

Norito or no, 2 highly skilled opponents like Toyotama and Ichiya weren't exactly the kind of people she wanted to face by herself at the same time. Kagari's help was most certainly welcomed.

She turned to face Higa's Sekirei with a much more relaxed smile on her face.

"Ah. Come."

---

"Minato, how are you doing?" Hikari asked their Ashikabi.

Since parting ways with Akitsu earlier, Minato had advanced forward into the forest without a single bit of rest or hesitation. Hikari and Hibiki were both getting worried about him. They knew for a fact he was incredibly worried and anxious about the fates of his 2 Sekirei that volunteered to buy him the time he needed to get this far. The three of them walked in silence the whole time, a sense of urgency creating a tense atmosphere no one wanted to break until now.

"Yeah, do you want to take a little break? You'll be no good to anyone if you drop dead from exhaustion by the time we get there. Wherever there is, anyway."

He finally stopped, turning to them with a slightly strained smile.

"Thanks, but I'll be fine. Do you two need to stop for a break? I've been terribly selfish and not thought of your needs this whole time."

Hibiki and Hikari shared a glance and shook their heads. As much as they really wanted to, it didn't feel right to be slacking off while their Sister Bonded were fighting for their lives out there. They wanted to push themselves, not only for their Ashikabi's sake, but to also prove themselves to Karasuba and Akitsu. Regardless of their shared Ashikabi, a great deal of trust was being placed in two virtual strangers who had literally just walked into their lives before they were all thrust into this mission together.

"We'll be fine, Minato! The power coursing through my veins empowers me beyond mere mortal limits!" Hikari grinned and put on a brave face. "Whenever you're ready!"

He turned and walked over to them, wrapping the both of them up in a warm hug.

"Thank you, Hikari, Hibiki," he said while squeezing the respective twin each time. "I'll make it up to you two when we all get back. Do you want to go shopping or eat or something with me?"

The Twins couldn't help but blush even in this tense situation. Of course they wanted to spend exclusive time alone with their Ashikabi!

"Alright, it's settled then. We'll go at the very first opportunity we get, I promise."

Spirits re-energized by the thought of a future date, Hikari and Hibiki marched onward with Minato deeper into the forest. By this point, the trees seemed ancient. They towered overhead with massive boughs and their thick roots sprawled haphazardly underfoot. This part of the arboretum looked nothing like it did before, undoubtedly changed by the influence of the Sekirei at the heart of it. An ominous feeling settled over the minds of all who approached. There was something about the air here that unsettled everyone to their cores.

"I think we're getting close," Minato spoke up eventually.. "I... recognize this area..."

"How?" Hikari asked. "Have you been here before, or seen it with some precognitive ability in your right eye?"

Minato frowned, his brow furrowed in thought. "Yes and no. Technically speaking, this is my first time ever in the arboretum. But I feel like I've seen these trees before, walked this path already..."

As they continued deeper, the surrounding trees seemed to loom closer and closer together. A very real sense of claustrophobia emanated from the tightly packed foliage. To make things worse, the air felt tangibly thicker and harder to breathe in. It smelled of rot and cloyingly stagnant, with little to no circulation of the air. The feeling of unease grew worse and worse as they went deeper but Hikari and Hibiki dared not say a word. They only grasped the hands of their Ashikabi tightly and walked in terse silence.

After what felt like ages of aimless travel, the party finally burst into a small clearing. At the center stood an absolutely massive sentinel of a tree. Thick gnarled roots spread a thick network through the ground, feeding into a trunk almost 30 meters wide. Compared to the rest of the surrounding forest, the tree here cast an almost regal shadow like a sovereign surveying their domain. The earlier sense of unease and cloying air was no longer present, replaced by a crisp and fresh scent of nature. There was no doubt that this was the heart of the arboretum.

"Kuu! Where are you?" Minato shouted, walking slowly into the clearing.

As the group approached the center, they felt dwarfed by the tree. Only now were they truly able to get a sense of scale for it. A faint sound of sobbing and sniffling began to grow in volume, filling Minato with a renewed urgency.

"Kuu! Is that you?"

Hibiki and Hikari scrambled to follow after him as he took off at a dead run, scaling the roots like a man possessed.

"O-onii-chan… Where are you?"

The owner of the voice couldn't have been any older than 12, the sound of her sobs seemed like they came from a very young girl who found herself very lost and very alone. By all intents and purposes, she practically was. In a hollow at the base of the tree where massive trunk met sprawling root, a small figure sat huddled inside.

"Kuu!"

"Onii-chan?!"

She looked up with a start, recognition blooming over her face. She hurriedly leapt up and took off at a run to meet Minato half-way. In her haste, she tripped over one of the knots in the root and almost fell face first if not for the timely intervention of a certain Sahashi. He swept her up into his arms just in time and she buried her face in his shoulder.

"Onii-chan, you came!" She sobbed, tears of joy and relief pouring down her face this time. "You really came for Kuu!"

Hikari wasn't normally one for sappy displays, but even she had to admit how heart-warming the scene was. She turned to comment to her twin, but Hibiki was opening shedding sympathetic tears of joy for them as well.

"Hibiki?!" She whispered sharply and dug an elbow into her twin's side to get her attention.

"W-what?" Hibiki sniffed. "It's an emotional reunion!"

Hikari could do nothing but sigh and shake her head. At least they were able to make it to the girl first before anyone else could. Karasuba and Akitsu could rest easy knowing the mission was accomplished…

"Wait." she thought suddenly. "KARASUBA AND AKITSU!"

They had wasted enough time lollygagging around here. It was time to get going, they needed to go back for Karasuba and Akitsu now! Who knows how they were doing, if they won their fights, if they were even still… No. She couldn't think like that. Those two were strong, there was no doubt about that.

"Minato," She walked over and laid a hand on his shoulder. "We need to get back to the others."

He nodded solemnly, not letting go of Kuu for an instant. From the looks of it, he probably couldn't have even if he wanted to. Kuu had latched onto the front of his shirt, physically and emotionally exhausted from her ordeal. Hibiki and Hikari had no idea how long she was in this forest for, all alone without a single person to help her. She had dozed off on his shoulder and no one had the heart to wake her up. They made their way down as fast as possible without disturbing Kuu, managing to shift her from the front of Minato's shirt to riding piggyback instead. Just as they hit the edge of the clearing, a strange whirling noise seemed to grow louder and louder as it headed towards them.

Hikari's eyes widened with the sudden realization that it wasn't just a random occurrence.

"GET DOWN!" She shouted, pulling Minato along with her as she hit the deck along with her sister.

It wasn't a moment too soon — a massive scythe ripped through the air in a boomeranging arc just overhead. The Twins' hearts were pounding with adrenaline, that had been way too close for comfort. But where the hell did that attack come from?

"Damn, I missed?" A voice sneered and answered their question.

Casually walking into sight, a young woman hefted the massive scythe from earlier over her shoulder. She had brown hair and eyes, wearing a black and white gown with red highlights. A pair of matching gloves and stockings rounded out the outfit. Around her neck, she tied a red ribbon in a simple knot. The owner of the scythe swung it in a lazy circle before pointing the tip straight at Minato.

"You have something that belongs to my master, Mikogami Hayato of the South. Hand her over, and you won't be hurt. Much."

What was with people and making awful threats even a vaudevillian antagonist would be embarrassed to say aloud? Hikari tried and failed to suppress a snigger that turned into full blown laughter. Clutching her sides, she pointed right back at the new interloper.

"Bwahahaha!" she cackled. "Was that supposed to be intimidating?"

Her laughter was cut short by the alarmed shout of her twin who pulled her out of the way just in time before she was bisected by a swing of the scythe. Minato ran as far as he could to give his Sekirei as much room to maneuver as possible so they wouldn't have to worry about protecting him at the same time as their battle. Hibiki gave him a quick nod of thanks before turning to face the enemy with her twin.

"Oi oi! Are you insane?!" Hikari yelled indignantly. "You almost killed me!"

Now it was the stranger's turn to fix her with a dumbfounded look and barely suppressed laughter.

"Are you serious?" She choked out. "This is a Sekirei fight, of course I'm trying to kill you. Didn't you get the point earlier?"

"Hmph," the brash Electric Twin snorted. "Everyone gets lucky once in awhile. Now that I'm paying attention, you'll not get the drop on me twice."

The enemy Sekirei clutched her face as a deranged smile peeked out between her fingers. She slowly began to walk towards them with her other hand loosely dragging the point of her scythe along the ground. An unsettling grinding noise filled the air and the Twins couldn't help but wince at the awful sound.

"Cocky, cocky! I like that, it makes your screams of pain all the sweeter when I feed your blood to Precious. I'm No. 43, Yomi. Do try to give me a bit of a workout before it all ends."

"Hibiki, let's go!"

Clasping hands with her twin, the No. 11 Sekirei charged their outstretched palms with crackling sparks of energy. Before the now-named Yomi could accelerate towards them, they blasted her with a massive bolt of lightning.

"Flash of the Thunder God!"

Yomi's eyes widened with glee at the sight of it. She stopped dead in her tracks and right as the attack was about to hit, she slammed the pommel of her scythe into the ground and raised a chunk of rock into the air in a defensive rampart. The Lightning Twins' blast crashed into it with a bang that sent a cloud of dust and debris into the air.

"Well, that was easy!" Hikari bragged. She jumped around and grinned at their Ashikabi. "Minato, did you see us kick her—"

"Vacuum Cutter!"

Hibiki had to save her twin's life for the third time in a row as she tackled her out of the way of an near-invisible blade of wind sliced into the ground where they just stood. She punched her twin in the arm where she lay in the dirt, still a little stunned by having the air knocked out of her by the sudden intervention.

"Pay attention!" She scolded heatedly. "You're going to get yourself killed out there!"

"Vacuum Cutter!" Yomi cried again, smelling metaphorical blood in the water.

This time, Hikari grabbed her twin and rolled the both of them out of the way of yet another slicing blade of wind. The continuous barrage of close shaves was getting far too close for comfort. Hikari had definitely underestimated their opponent, thinking nothing of a single Sekirei who challenged a band of other Sekirei whilst outnumbered and lacking intel. She should have known better than to have assume it was out of foolhardiness rather than a confidence borne out of strength.

"The two of you certainly are fairly good at dodging, if nothing else," Yomi taunted. "But are you going to roll around down there all day or are you going to actually try to fight back?"

"You'll pay for that!" Hikari yelled as she scrambled to her feet. "Hibiki, let's go!"

"Got it, Hikari!" the other twin shouted back.

Both of them charged their energies, fists glowing with the gathered electricity arcing all over their hands. With an identical smirk mirrored on their faces, they charged at Yomi with fists cocked. She grinned in anticipation as she beckoned to them with a crooked finger.

"Yes, that's the way!"

Hibiki ducked under Yomi's initial swing and unleashed a flurry of kicks at her midsection. Yomi was forced to quickly throw up a hasty guard, the look of mild surprise on her face indicating how she was taken a little off-guard by the speed and power of the blows.

A typical Element-Type Sekirei was more focused on mid- to long-range fighting due to the nature of their powers. If an opponent was fast enough or skilled enough to close the gap on one, there was little the Element-Type would be able to do against the raw physical power of a Fist-Type or Weapon-Type. Few realized how one-dimensional that particular style was and fewer still took moves to correct that glaring weakness. The Twins might not have done it themselves until a chance encounter with a certain black-garbed flame-wielding Sekirei in an impromptu sparring session showed them the importance of incorporating more physicality in their fighting style.

Yomi certainly was no slouch in that department either, the rigors of her weapon demanding an equal strength and endurance to wield. A wild grin cut across the corners of her lips as she licked her lips with glee.

"Good, good! You're better than I expected!"

"I'll show you 'better than I expected,' you psycho! Rolling Thunder!"

Hibiki charged her feet with electricity and executed a spinning somersault heel drop that Yomi barely threw her guard up in time for, eyes widening in full blown surprise this time. Her foot slammed into the shaft of the scythe, the impact of the blow cracking the earth beneath their feet. Hibiki planted her feet into the block and kicked off with a backflip to create space again.

"No time to catch your breath! Lightning Rush!"

While Yomi was still reeling from Hibiki's attack, Hikari slid next to her and unleashed a flurry of punches of her own. Yomi's rhythm was thoroughly disrupted and she could do little but temporarily ball up and shelter her head from Hikari's storm of blows. Finally fed up with it it all, she snarled and swung her scythe in a reckless arc as soon as it felt like Hikari was slowing down to try to get her away.

"WHIRLWIND VACUUM SLASH!"

Hikari's eyes widened at the sudden shift in tempo and jumped back before her arms got lopped off. A small cut sliced through her upper arm anyway, taking her entirely by surprise. She thought she had gotten clean away, how had the blade even touched her? She didn't even feel the cut until a split second or two later when it burned from contact with the air.

"Surprised, you annoying little bitch?" Yomi growled, wiping her lip of blood from one of Hibiki or Hikari's strikes. Her body smoked slightly from all the electricity sent into her body, and her muscles spasmed uncontrollably in places. "My Vacuum Cutter isn't just a ranged attack, it extends the reach of my scythe and you can't even see it!"

"Well that sure is annoying…" Hikari thought to herself.

As if she heard her twin's thoughts, Hibiki landed next to her and laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Hikari, what's the plan?" she asked, a look of mild concern on her face.

"Same as it always is, kick her ass!"

"Easier said than done, bitch!" Yomi spat a globule of blood on the ground. "Vacuum Cutter!"

Hibiki and Hikari didn't know if they were slowly able to read her tells or if Yomi was slowing down, but it seemed like they could just barely make out the faint outline of the Vacuum Cutters flying at them. It was still difficult, but if they focused, they could see it. Both Twins jumped to the side out of the way of the slicing wind blades, a deep gash ripping through the forest ground and toppling trees all around them. With a nod to each other, they began their true plan.

Hibiki began to charge energy to her palms, and as soon as they crackled with sparks, discharged it in a barrage of lightning blasts.

"Take this! Rage of the Thunder God!"

"Oh come on, not this shit again!" Yomi screeched through her guard. "Come at me and FIGHT!"

She dove to the side and fired off several Vacuum Cutters of her own in retaliation. The difference between Hibiki's barrage and Yomi's was the fact that the former lacked some kind of weapon or defensive tool to hide behind. As such, Hibiki was forced to evade quickly or be sliced into pieces.

"Fine, if it's a brawl she wants, it's a brawl she'll get." she thought fiercely and charged straight at her.

While her twin was occupying the majority of Yomi's attention, Hikari circled around to the scythe-wielder's blind side. She knew the scythe's reach and destructive power was overwhelmingly strong, especially since Yomi was able to compensate for her lack of long-range attacks with those Vacuum Cutters of hers, but the scythe itself operated only within a specific range. If she could slip in between that range, there was nothing Yomi could do against her. With that in mind, Hikari unleashed a powerful straight punch into Yomi's unprotected ribs. She timed her blow with a single glance at her twin as Hikari quickly closed the gap and threw a blow of her own directly at their enemy.

"Fist of the Thunder God!"

The simultaneous shout was all the warning Yomi got before two electrified fists slipped through her guard and slammed into her body with a force wholly unexpected from a pair of Element-Types. Yomi's body flew back, spinning with the force of the strikes, and crashed into a nearby tree trunk. She slid to the ground with a thud and lay still.

Minato shouted with excitement at his Sekirei's apparent victory.

"You did it! That was amazing!" he whooped.

"Woooooooow…" Little Kuu said in awe, her eyes glittering with adoration from her spot by Minato's side. Apparently she had woken up some time during the fight and now clutched one of Minato's hands tightly in hers. "You onee-chan are so cool…"

Hibiki and Hikari couldn't help but giggle bashfully and flush with pride. They didn't think simple praise would feel so good, but if it was coming from their Ashikabi, it felt like the best thing in the world. It was then that they knew they would do just about anything to see that smile again, to hear him praise them for a job well done.

"Aw, well…" Hikari trailed off bashfully. "The power burning in my fists needed an outlet, and she just happened to be it.'

"It was nothing!" Hibiki chimed in.

"You did did awesome." Minato laughed heartily at the looks of embarrassment and quiet glee on their faces. "Let's get back now, I'm sure Karasuba and Akitsu are waiting for us—"

He suddenly trailed off with a look of alarm in his eyes. Hikari and Hibiki reached out to him, concern written all over their faces.

"Minato, what's wrong? You look—" Hibiki began before Minato surged forward and threw all three Sekirei to the side.

Hikari, Hibiki, and Kuu all tumbled to the ground in surprise. The twins quickly rolled upright and sprang to their feet, Hibiki carrying Kuu in her arms. Before they could even turn and ask him what the big deal was, the question shriveled up and disappeared in their throats. The sight of their Ashikabi impaled on the shaft of Yomi's scythe turned the blood in their veins to ice water. They couldn't believe their eyes, they didn't want to believe that what they were seeing was true.

Neither of the Twins could even bring themselves to react. Both stood numbly as their eyes stared without seeing. The two of them were already emotionally attuned to each other by way of their uniquełl bond as twins. Since winging themselves to Minato, that bond had only strengthened and reinforced itself with the presence of three other people all interconnected through it. Their unfamiliarity with the sensation sent all of their tumultuous emotions pouring through the bond, magnifying and amplifying it in a horrific feedback loop. The more anguish, grief, guilt, and terror that they felt, the more those emotions whipped themselves into a greater frenzy.

"O-Onii-chan?" Kuu said softly, tears pouring down her face. "Onii-chan, are you okay?"

She made to reach out for him, but Hikari and Hibiki mindlessly held her back. Tears pouring down their own faces, they all could only watch in mute horror as Minato gasped for breath. He coughed out a wad of blood onto himself, choking on it. Yomi grinned viciously and ripped her scythe from his breast, blood spurting from his wound onto her face.

"Oops," she giggled in some twisted approximation of glee. "I was aiming for you two but I guess your Ashikabi pushed you out of the way just in time. A pity!"

She lightly laid the pommel of her weapon on his chest and pushed him over. Minato toppled to the floor in a steadily growing pool of his own lifeforce.

An eerie hush fell over the forest, a deathly silence that smothered all conscious thought. It was like a white noise that filled their ears with nothing but the pounding of their hearts and the rush of blood through their bodies that they could have sworn had stopped. The icy cold terror and pain they had felt freeze their blood turned to a white hot throbbing. Their minds emptied of all thought except the fury and the fear, the anguish and the panic. A terrible cry ripped its way out of their throats, a vocalization of emotion that echoed through the forest.

---

"Frost Lance!"

Akitsu sent a near-torrential stream of ice lancing through the trees that Ichiya and Toyotama were desperately taking cover behind. The surge of power she felt from the Norito gave her strength beyond her usual limits, and she could feel no end to her potential. It made her heart pound with excitement and a heady thrill, yet she couldn't help but feel a growing sense of unease. Not because of the power or some kind of berserker-like rush, but more because of an instinctual sense.

"Isn't that a little excessive?" Kagari deadpanned dryly. "We're fighting a pair of Sekirei, not trying to turn this forest into a frozen tundra."

She jolted out of whatever trance she was in with a start.

"Ah," she said sheepishly. "I am sorry."

"Shall we wrap this up? We should catch up with Sahashi and the others as soon as we can."

The Ice Sekirei nodded and began to gather the energy she would need for one final attack before a sudden wave of emotion poured into the bond. A sharp lance of raw pain stabbed into her breast and she nearly choked on how it ripped all of the air out of her lungs. She staggered and collapsed to her knees, hoarsely gasping for breath. Her hand clutched at her chest to try and desperately regain control of her body but the pain was overwhelming.

Kagari was by her side trying to figure out what was going on. He shouted at her, asking if she was okay and to pull herself together. Akitsu could hear nothing but a hollow ringing in her ears.

"Minato-sama..."

Something was wrong, terribly wrong. Where was he, what had happened to him and the Twins? She needed to find him, needed to get to his side and—

Fresh waves of pain slammed into her with all the force of a sledgehammer, this time laced with a new mixture of rage, fear, and guilt. She didn't know what to think, how to feel. The emotions from the bond, from what felt like the Twins, overrode her own sense of self and rational thought. Her own confusion and anxiety fed into the bond and fueled the spiralling maelstrom.

"Akitsu! What's happening?" Kagari shouted, trying to keep both of Higa's Sekirei at bay and cover the now comatose No. 07.

He threw up a pillar of flame to try to create space, no longer being careful of the surrounding forest. He didn't care if the whole damn arboretum burned to the ground, he just needed to get out of here with Sahashi and his Sekirei. Whatever had come over Akitsu was beginning to affect him too, a thoroughly ominous cloud of unease settling over his breast.

Suddenly, a scream of anguished pain tore itself from Akitsu's chest. She couldn't feel Minato-sama's presence in the bond anymore! He watched numbly as she staggered her way to her feet, her eyes staring blankly at him as tears streamed down her cheeks. He touched his own cheeks without thinking and found his fingertips wet with tears as well.

"You're finished now!" Toyotama shouted as she and Ichiya saw an opening to turn the tables.

The two of them leapt at Akitsu and Kagari, not hesitating for an instant to take advantage of their bizarre behavior. They saw Akitsu collapse and Kagari panic, not knowing what was happening, but they weren't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

The Ice Sekirei looked at them with a hollow stare that seemed to pierce right through as if they weren't even there. Without even blinking, she moved her lips as if to say something and the surrounding area disappeared into a sea of white. Toyotama and Ichiya were encased in solid ice, their poses and expressions flash frozen as if they were photographed. Only Kagari was left untouched in the small clearing that was formed by the sudden attack.

Without another word, Akitsu took off at a dead run further into the forest, leaving a dumbstruck Sekirei staring after her. He took a second to try and shake off what had come over him before he charged after her. Somehow, he just knew she was running towards Sahashi and he wasn't about to be left behind.

---

Karasuba ducked beneath the wild swing of a baseball bat, of all things, before slamming the business end of her nodachi into some random thug's gut. She spared only the barest attention to make sure he stayed down in the pool of his own vomit before she turned around to parry a kick thrown at her by one of Higa's Sekirei.

Oh how she had missed this! The chaos of an all-out brawl, the din of a pitched battle, the stink of fear in the air — her blood sang with rapture. Karasuba's heart pounded with the thrill and adrenaline she had so desperately sought after. With a manic grin of glee on her lips, she pushed off the block and fired a roundhouse kick of her own that sent the girl flying back.

"She's invincible!"

"What the hell is she?!"

"Stand your ground! We have to keep trying!"

A small part of herself didn't think didn't there was any logical reason for all of these people — random civilian mobs, MBI guards, and Sekirei — to be throwing themselves at her, but that was mostly overridden by the dark voice that cackled in her brain.

"Just enjoy it while it lasts," it told her. "Why question what a great thing you have going here?"

The one fact she was still able to cling to was that her blade remained undrawn. Despite the whispers' best efforts, her blade had yet to taste flesh and blood. Though her enemies had racked up a number of other painful injuries like broken bones or concussions, Minato's promise remained intact and no one had actually died.

"Yet."

After slamming her sheathed nodachi into the back of a guard's helmet and smashing him into the floor, she found herself in the center of a wide circle of mostly Sekirei. Several bodies writhed in pain at her feet, but no one made any move to attack. She frowned, not liking this lull in the fun.

"What's the matter, 7 to 1 odds not good enough for you?" She taunted, hoping to get a rise out of them and goad them into action. "Maybe if you all attacked at once, you could make me break a sweat!"

It almost worked too. One of the younger-looking Sekirei started forward with a snarl before she was held back by her comrades. Karasuba almost laughed aloud at the expression on her face.

"Aw, is mama too scared to let baby out to play? I'm a little disappointed, I got all excited for noth—"

Karasuba trailed off in the middle of her sentence because she gradually became aware of something absolutely wrong with her perception of the world. The familiar presence of her Ashikabi had always seemed to be just out of reach but there when she needed it, and she never truly realized it until now. The sudden disappearance of Minato's essence from the Sekirei bond they shared left an absence so profound it physically staggered her.

"Karasuba!" His voice sounded in her head, full of the warmth and kindness she knew he reserved for her.

A lance of pain slammed into her heart and it tore the air from her lungs. Burning tendrils of fire wound around her chest and her vision whited out from shock. Karasuba fell to her knees, clutching her hand to her chest in a futile attempt to stem the agony. With ragged breaths, she gasped for breath and fought to regain her composure. In her mind's eye, she saw with astonishing clarity the sight of her Ashikabi standing in a forest clearing with a young girl resting in his arms.

"You're the most important person to me..." He whispered, holding her tightly in his arms.

It was odd how she seemed to be watching the scene with a distinct sense of detachment, as if she were a third-party observer viewing from high. Her breast throbbed painfully again, and the scene changed to him embracing the Twins in joy. The sight of his smile almost brought an unconscious one of her own to her face if not for another painful clenching that changed the image once again, this time to reveal his pained face... He was... impaled through the chest in the same area where her pains seemed to originate from…! She watched with horror as he slid off some kind of scythe and bonelessly slumped to the ground.

"I will never leave your side, Karasuba…" His voice intertwined with hers, his face bleeding into and morphing into hers.

No words could describe the mix of emotions she felt at that moment. The pain subsided from a burning agony to a dull roar that chilled her body and choked the breath out of her. He had promised her he would never leave her, he had promised her he would never leave just like she did. A scream of betrayal, anguish, pain, despair, and sorrow tore its way out of her mouth. It was an inhuman sound, more feral than anything, and it left her vocal cords in shreds. Icy fingers clawed at the ground, grasping the dirt at her feet in an attempt to gather herself.

The Sekirei surrounding Karasuba took a wary step back, deeply unsettled by her scream. They wanted nothing more than to run, run far away from this demon they inadvertently disturbed. Only the command of their master still kept them here, but even the fear of his ire was beginning to pale in comparison to the one before them now.

A sudden commotion behind them made them all flinch until it was obvious it was only a squad of MBI troops. It seemed like they had finally managed to regroup and had begun dispersing the crowd. One large detachment was sent to deal with the cluster of Sekirei nearest to the barricade.

"Oi," the captain shouted, leading the way as he and his men shoved their way into the circle. "You lot had better clear on out of here or else urgk—"

He froze in mid step, clutching his throat before his eyes rolled into the back of his head, and it slid clean off his neck to bounce with the sound of a watermelon hitting the ground. A geyser of blood sprayed from the stump of his neck in time with the last pulsations of his heart. One of the Sekirei shrieked in terror as some of her weaker-stomached comrades promptly threw up at the sight of the captain's body slump limply to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut next to his head, a grimace of terror and pain frozen on his face. No one had seen Karasuba move, but her blade was drawn and it dripped with freshly-shed blood.

"Run! RUN!" One of the Sekirei screamed over her shoulder, not pausing to see the fate of her fellows or if they even followed.

The rest of Higa's Sekirei broke, their wills shattered by fear and panic as they fled as fast as their legs could carry them. The rest of the men in the MBI squad were more disciplined than the Sekirei, the sight only putting a momentary hesitance into their reactions. No sooner did they consciously register the death of their captain did the second-in-command bark rapid orders to draw their weapons.

"Shoot her!" He bellowed, swinging his rifle around at the same time to fire.

The man was too was too late to do anything but peer up at his own legs, his torso separated from the rest of his body by a swift slash of Karasuba's nodachi. He watched with an odd sense of disorientation as the rest of his squad were butchered like cattle, most not even able to see their deaths coming before they were dispatched. A savage ferocity powered her strikes and she left nothing in her wake but corpses and pieces of corpses.

"She's too fast!"

"Can anyone even see her?!"

Bursts of gunfire rang out through the field until one by one, they were silenced with a scream or sickeningly wet splat. His life drained away with every second that ticked by until the last man toppled over, bisected down the middle. With his dying breath, he rolled over and stared up at the Sekirei who hadn't so much as blinked at such slaughter.

"M-monster…!" He coughed out, a bubble of blood bursting over his mouth.

Karasuba looked back at him as if an insect or other lesser creature lay at her feet, and her gaze seemed to look right through him without seeing anything. The blank expression on her face as a rivulet of gore not her own ran down the side of her cheek filled him with a primal terror. Her chest heaved, not with exertion but with a barely restrained rage against the world. The tip of her blade flickered, vibrating quickly to rid its surface of the blood on it. She raised her arm and the last thing he saw was the flash of the nodachi plunging down towards his face.

The Black Sekirei ripped her blade from the ruins of the once-human face and screamed again, pouring her sorrow and fury into a single piercing cry. It was the howl of a beast on the hunt, the only warning her prey would get before she tracked it down and exacted her revenge. There would be no stopping her, none could stand in her way. And when she was through… She would be with him again.

---

AN: Sorry that took longer than expected to release! I was finally hired by a great company, so things have been crazy for me as I've settled into my new job. As I've promised, this chapter is jam-packed full of action. It's only taken 6 chapters to get to this point, but I hope you enjoy the ride.

Some of you have expressed concerns that adding the Twins might be a little too much too fast, or even unnecessary, but I hope this chapter goes a long way towards reassuring you I can juggle a full cast of characters. I've done my best to ensure Hikari and Hibiki are as uniquely portrayed as possible. If that means they express a little of their chuuni sides and embrace a flair for the dramatic, so be it!

As always, I want to thank all of the readers who've stuck with me this long and left thoughtful reviews and PMs for the story. I highly welcome anyone and everyone to do so, there's no such thing as a dumb review. I also would love to see some of my anonymous reviewers register an account so I can personally reply to you!