Thank God for Spring Break. Finally I can sit down and get this thing written. This chapter went through a number of revisions before I decided to slow things down a bit. What I originally had planned was a bit too rushed as far as events go, so I went with this instead. Hopefully you'll enjoy what I came up with.
You know the drill; I'll see you at the bottom.
As always: read, review, and enjoy
Disclaimer: I do not own Sekirei; if I did, the situation with certain characters would've turned out very differently and we'd have more than two seasons of the anime. It belongs solely to Sakurako Gokurakuin.
"speech"
thought
"phone call"
"Norito"
SOUND EFFECT!
"flashback"
Sweat poured down Uzume's face, beads trickling into her eyes even as she dashed them away with a swipe of her hand. Her breath came out in heavy thick clouds of steam she panted, her face burning bright red, and her heart racing.
"Tamo-chan… I can't…" she breathed, struggling to hang on. She hadn't expected to meet the first major hurdle in their new situation, but she couldn't back down either. After all, what could he throw against her, a Sekirei, after all?
The answer was quite a bit, and it was taking everything she had not to pass out from the sensations he'd given her. She'd not been prepared in the slightest even scoffed at Mitsuha's warnings, though to be fair the blonde knew what to expect, having gone through this before.
Still… she didn't want to let Thirty-eight one up her like this! She had to hold on! She could handle this – handle him! She was #10 damn it! She refused to let someone like Mitsuha get the better of her. She had to hold on, no she would hold on – if not for sake of her pride, then for the boy she just knew was her destined one.
But the feeling that tormented her was proving too great and finally, with a cry of utter despair, she threw in the towel… along with the spoon she'd been using.
"Bwahahaha!" Mitsuha guffawed, doubling over on the sofa nearby.. "You should see yourself Ten! You look like cooked tomatoes!"
"S-shut it… phirty-beight!" the brunette tried to bite back, but her words lost any heat after she keeled over on the table as they came out slurred. "P-py mouth… I can't pheel by tchongue."
Here she had thought that nothing except one of the Single Digits could take her down, yet the culinary prowess of her roommate had done her in.
If the other Sekirei ate this, this whole mess might be over, she thought wryly, panting softly.
A glass of milk was set down next to her, and she nearly cried at the sight of it. "Here, try this. Oba-san told me milk is best for spicy foods."
Swiping the glass, she brought the glass to her lips and tipped it up, downing it in three long swift gulps. "PUAH! …Tamo-chan, I mean this… in the nicest possible way… But you could kill Sekirei with those spices," she said to the young man, trying to ignore how Mitsuha's laughter intensifed.
The young cook stared at her with abandon, sighing. "I'm sorry, but you did say you could handle it. Though given how Mitsuha did when she had it, I wasn't expecting much."
Part of her felt a bit hurt that he hadn't held out much hope to begin with, until she cast a withering glance back at the plate of curry. No, not curry. Fiery death is the only way it could be described. It was hardly edible!
And yet, watching in stunned silence as Tamotsu reached over, took the plate… and started to finish it off.
Uzume stared, eyes wide as she searched his face for any sign of the curry affecting him. But apart from a few moans of delight, he tore into the food as if it wasn't a culinary weapon of mass destruction. "HOW?!" she cried out, slamming her fists onto the table and startling Tamotsu. "Just how?! How can you eat that stuff? How is your mouth not a furnace after even touching it?"
"But I've had worse than this, really."
Uzume blinked. She stared, and stared and stared… He had to be kidding, right? …right?
"He's serious," Mitsuha chimed in, scowling at the plate of what she could only consider as lava by this point. "Sometimes, he'll actually get some more spices and pour them on. He says that it's to bring out the 'kick'," the blonde paused, directing a sour look at her ashikabi as he gleefully devoured what was left of the curry, "while I question when and how badly he messed up his taste buds."
Tamotsu just shrugged, grinning as he scooped out more curry for himself.
Uzume just swiped the empty glass and headed to the fridge, intent on drowning this lingering burn by any means necessary. "You certainly are something else, Tamo-chan," she said slowly, pouring another glass of milk for herself. "That stuff could be weaponized."
"Hey! It's a fam-!" Tamotsu started to protest but cut himself off, falling into a brief silence before he continued softly. "It's a family recipe. My mom taught me when I was younger."
Uzume's eyebrows shot into her hairline, even more so when she heard Mitsuha gasp. "Your mom?"
"Yeah. Don't Sekirei have parents too?" Tamotsu returned, inquisitively.
"Not really, no." She sighed, staring down into her milk for a moment before taking a swig. The burn eased off now, but it had been replaced another more dull ache. "All of us are pretty much just orphans, and MBI took custody of us until we were old enough."
"I… I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up," Tamotsu apologized quickly.
Uzume offered him a reassuring smile. "Relax Tamo-chan. It's nothing to get worked up over."
It was true she'd never known any inkling of parents – what they were like or even if she ever had any. MBI had never gone into detail about the origin of their creation and Miya couldn't remember anything, despite being the oldest.
But if she had to admit it if only to herself, she already had a family. Miya was the closest thing she had to a mother - stern but fair - she laso had an older sister, even if they hadn't spoken in a while. Matsu was more a friend to her than family, but there was something there that she also felt with Miya... maybe an aunt?
"Tamo," Mitsuha murmured, coming to face him across the table. "Can you tell us about her?"
"My mom?" He seemed genuinely taken aback, as if he hadn't expected anyone to broach the topic.
The blonde nodded eagerly. "We don't know much about you and I'm your Sekirei."
"But I told you about school," he hedged.
"School?" Uzume echoed, blinking. "What's this about school?"
Tamotsu shrugged. "There's not much to tell. I was about as average as you could expect but, unlike a few others in my class, I actually paid attention to the lectures. My grades were above average so the instructors let me slack off in class sometimes. I even helped tutor a few people from time to time. That didn't exactly win me many friends, especially when some of them happened to be girls."
It was so petty, but the thought of Tamotsu being close with any girl other than herself had her frowning. It was oddest thing that she had come to accept Mitsuha as her rival, but anyone else didn't have a stake in this game as far as she was concerned.
And one glance at Mitsuha's profile told her the sentiment wasn't exclusive. "I'll bet there were a few beauties thrown in the mix," she grumbled with a slight pout aimed at the boy.
Tamotsu chuckled nervously. "That's true but, looking back on it, they couldn't hold a candle to you two."
BA-DUMP!
Uzume could feel her heart leaping in her chest, her cheeks heating up as well at the indirect praise.
Mitsuha preened naturally, adoration shining in her eyes as Tamotsu glanced to the side, bashful. "And don't you forget it, Master," she stated firmly but sweetly.
His head snapped back to her, his own face coloring a bit as his eyes darted about the room. "R-right. Anyways, a few of their boyfriends weren't happy I was getting 'cozy' with their girls, so they took me aside more than once to 'remind me' of my place." He scoffed, chuckling bitterly. "Like I needed them to tell me."
Beneath the table, Uzume clenched her fists. Her mind snapped back to that moment they first met, how he'd gone up against Kei and his crony to save her.
And he knew how to handle jackasses like them because of what he went through, she realized, irritated by the mere thought of anyone bullying her desired ashikabi. She'd sooner string up anyone that dared tried.
"What about your mom?" Mitsuha prodded, not letting him get away from the matter easily.
Tamotsu gave a heavy sigh, his shoulders slumping a bit. "She… she was great. I felt safe with her, cared for." Uzume's heart nearly broke when she saw him smile sadly, staring down into his food. "We both liked the rain so whenever it stormed, we'd sit out on the porch and listen. Some of my best memories of her were the two of us just sitting quietly, letting me use her lap as a pillow. When she was around, everything made sense back then." He took another bite of his curry, savoring the burn. "Sure it might be weird, but eating stuff like this makes me feel a little closer to her."
The longing in his voice was painful to hear, and it took all she had not to shed tears because of it. Here was a young man who put on a smile for the world, all to hide how lonely he really felt inside.
"She sounds like a beautiful person," Uzume remarked with a watery smile. This woman he spoke of… She wanted so badly to meet her, to meet the person that brought him into this world – to thank her.
"...she was."
At that, Uzume felt something hollow land in her stomach. Something in Tamotsu's voice changed just then, and dread slowly filled her being. He couldn't mean… "Tamo-chan… what do you mean by that?"
Tamotsu's lips parted as though to say something, but then an unexplainable expression flashed across his face. One heartbeat later and that smile she'd become so used to seeing was back firmly in place. "It's in the past. I live for the present these days, and there's a lot to look forward to."
Uzume resisted the urge to scowl. There was no way there wasn't anything more to that, but she also knew it wasn't her place to pry. And, from the annoyed look on Mitsuha's face, she knew it wasn't hers either. Tamotsu had his secrets and, like it or not, that's what they would stay – secrets.
For now, that was enough.
Clearing her throat, she glanced between her two roommates. "Um, so… what's the plan for today? We've kinda been stuck inside so it'd be nice to stretch my legs a bit."
"Err…" Tamotsu groaned, narrowing his eyes a bit in thought. He looked at a loss of how to answer while Mitsuha didn't have the same issue.
"Oi, Ten. How long are you going to wear that shirt? You've been in it for days now."
"What, does it smell?" Uzume lifted her arm and got a quick whiff. "Seems fine to me."
"It's got nothing to do with the smell. Don't you have anything else to wear?"
Anything else? But this shirt was her favorite! It was comfy, stylish and brought all the best parts of her figure if Tamotsu's flitted glances were anything to go by. "Do I need anything else?"
She didn't know it then, but she'd just stepped on a landmine.
"Oh no," Tamotsu muttered gravely, as if impending doom was coming.
In a way, it did.
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" the twin-tailed girl screeched, nearly bowling Uzume over from the volume. "You mean to tell me you have nothing else but that?!"
"W-well I have a few spares-!"
BANG!
Mitsuha slammed her hand down on the table, as if she were a judge with a gavel. And given the look she gave her afterwards, she fit the role. "Ten. You. Me. Department store. NOW. It's bad enough I have to share our home with someone like you-"
"Hey hold on a sec-!" Uzume tried to protest, offended by that wisecrack.
"-but to live with someone who doesn't understand the essence of what it means to accessorize is unacceptable!" Mitsuha stormed over, gripped the arms of Uzume's chair and leaned in with a gleam in her eyes. "You wanted to stretch your legs? Don't worry, we're going to stretch them real good. In fact, you won't even feel them when we're done."
The blonde was honestly terrifying when she wanted to be and while nowhere near the level of someone like Miya, Uzume still felt unnerved by the intensity of her fellow Sekirei. "Tamo-chan! Help!"
Her sole line of salvation however merely leaned back in his seat and shrugged. "Sorry Uzume-san. Even she won't listen to me when she gets like this."
"You traitor-!"
Seeing as how Uzume was undergoing a fashion inquisition of sorts, Tamotsu had opted to talk a walk around nearby. The city was busy as it ever was, cars speeding by with a honks here and there; people didn't give him a second glance either. Before he might've found it a bit lonely or in some ways irritating but now it was liberating.
Much as he had come to appreciate the chaos of his newfound circumstances, there had been little to no chances for him to go out on his own. Mitsuha had him under almost constant surveillance even before that mess with Junichi, so this was a breath of fresh air.
Walking with his hands behind his head, he chuckled as he thought of the brunette and the blonde. Setting aside the fact that one of them was technically his "wife". Both were quite special to him in their own way, and each held a grip on his heart that neither wished to release. And though they seemed to delight in one-upping each other, Tamotsu could see that it was only a harmless (mostly) rivalry that he usually was an unwitting prize of.
Not that he was complaining of course, even if he'd never admit aloud to them. They'd – mostly Mitsuha – would never let him hear the end of it.
Mitsuha would tear my head of probably, and Uzume-san…
His thoughts paused as the smiling face of the brunette flashed in his mind.
It was still hard to believe he'd taken someone like her in, especially given their history. It still stung something fierce that she had turned him down so quickly, but it was manageable. She was still important to him and helping her just felt like the right thing to do.
Of course, she had her own baggage to deal with. Until today he hadn't known that she and the other Sekirei all came from troubled circumstances, and that was a bitter pill to swallow. Given how proud and confident they all appeared, he never would've imagined it.
Even Mitsuha had been a bit iffy on her past with MBI. The most he'd gotten out of her was what her education had been like – strict and barebones, basically – as well as the fact she'd developed a love of fashion from one of her earlier Tuners. He wasn't sure if she had any family but given what he'd heard today, it was unlikely.
These were wonderful girls and he knew next to nothing about them. He wanted to know more just as they wanted to know more about him, and it pained him on both accounts he couldn't tell them anything. Years later and the wound was still fresh.
He shook his head wildly, drawing a few leers from the bystanders passing him.
Focus! This isn't about just me, damn it!
Meeting Minato had been just as important as facing Junichi. Both were reminders that the Sekirei Plan was very much real and not going away. He could either keep going as he was or adapt just like he had before.
But where to start? The simplest might've been to get a hold of Minato again, but he hadn't had a chance to exchange contact information with the guy. Not to mention he had a sinking feeling that wherever he went, his brat of a sister was sure to follow.
He grimaced at that thought of having to deal with that hellion again.
Yeah, I'll avoid that headache for now...
That left only two others he knew of: Seo and Sanada, the former of which he'd rather not deal with as well. That little slip he'd made before aside, given how his Sekirei – particularly Hikari – had acted towards him, he probably wasn't the best example of an ashikabi.
That left him with only Sanada to turn to, but he hadn't seen or spoken to the man since he'd met Mitsuha. Although he had his number, he couldn't work up the courage to call the man out of the blue. Sanada had his own problems to deal with the Plan after all.
Like it or not however, they would have to face each other again at some point… and hopefully not as enemies like Seo said.
Tamotsu sighed. "I'm getting nowhere like this," he grumbled. "All this is going to drive me insane if I keep brooding of it… Hmm?" Glancing up, he realized where he was… and a grin split his face in two.
It was a store but it wasn't just any store. This one was filled to the brim with the kind of stuff that would draw in otakus by the droves. Anime, manga, memorabilia; the last vestiges that made Akihabara what it was... and it was right in front of him.
He damn near collided with a few patrons as he burst into the shop, unable to stop himself from grinning like a madman. A few others gave him odd looks but he didn't notice; all he cared about was finding the manga section and letting his mind rest from all this Sekirei stuff.
The layout of the store was similar to the one he'd been to in Hikone, just as clustered too. That made it easy for him to find what he was looking for and dive in head first. A lot of the series he'd been out of touch with recently had been updated which gave him veritable pile to browse through.
But the one he'd been looking for wasn't here.
Damn! They've got everything else except Lunar Sentinel! How could any store not have it!? It's been a best-seller for the last five years!
With a grumpy huff, he set down the manga he'd been reading and scoured the rows one last time for his objective. About to give in, he glanced to the left and noticed a girl with long pink hair standing a few feet from him. Her face was obscured by the manga she was reading but for once, he had next to no interest in her and instead the book she was holding.
The manga's cover was of a mahou shojou-themed group of girls fighting against a horde of hellish monsters, but one of them was highlighted as the main heroine. Her blonde flowing hair was impossible to mistake for anyone else nor was her ever-present charm. And sprawled across cover were the words: Enchanting Protector Lunar Sentinel.
It was all he could do not to surge over and swipe the manga from the girl.
Calm down, calm down. Manners first.
He approached the girl, trying to be as respectful as possible and wait for the right moment to get her attention. Though he'd likely have to wait a bit given how engrossed she seemed in the manga. It wasn't until she flipped another page that he finally took his shot.
"Um, excuse me-?"
"HYWAA!?" The girl squealed/shrieked, fumbling with the manga before she managed to catch it, clutching it to her face like a mask.
Tamotsu winced. Not a good start but backing off now wasn't an option. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. It's just… is that the new edition of Lunar Sentinel?"
"H-h-h-hai," the girl stammered, trembling. "I'm… still reading it."
"Could I see it when you're done? I've been waiting for what comes next."
But girl didn't reply, so he took it as his cue to drop the conversation. Withholding a sigh, he went back to the other rows scouring for another copy.
Well, that went well, he thought with a groan. I'm not going to bother her anymore if I can avoid it.
Giving in, he walked up to the counter and asked if they had any copies in the back, but the clerk shook his head.
"Sorry, those editions have been flying off the shelves. You wouldn't believe just how packed this place was day one."
Tamotsu sighed. "I can imagine… So, what's over there is all you've got left?"
"Pretty much. So you're a fan of the series too?"
"Yeah."
To his irritation, the clerk smiled smugly at him, chuckling. "Didn't picture you for a shoujo fan."
Tamotsu narrowed his eyes at that remark. "Is that a problem?" It hadn't been the first time he'd been told that, but he didn't want to jump to conclusions just yet.
But the clerk just shrugged again. "Nah. To each their own. Just don't think you'll get any luck with the ladies reading crap like that though."
"OI!" Tamotsu snapped, startling the man but he didn't care. His fuse had been lit. "Lunar Sentinel is anything but! It's a beautiful love story set in a universe that has yet to be replicated by anyone else! The characters are all relatable and have their own trials that they overcome by just being there for each other, and the same goes for their respective love interests! It's a cut above the rest of the other crap that consider themselves of the same genre! Don't even spout that kind of bullshit to me, got it!?"
Dead silence reigned in the store and Tamotsu could feel several glares piercing his back, but he didn't care. "Can't believe I have to listen to this even here," he grumbled, storming off back to the rows where he snatched up an older edition of Lunar Sentinel.
After that outburst, the other customers avoided him like the plague and he swore he heard a few talking about him under their breaths. It was all he could do not to crumple the issue and storm out of the store itself.
Just ignore it, he told himself, trying to lose himself in the stylish and elegant sketches of the mangaka.
"Um…"
His eyes darted to the side, landing on a girl who held out something to him. "...what? Want to say something too?" At her flinch, he gave himself a mental slap and sighed. "I'm sorry about that. I just… Nevermind. Did you need something?"
"The latest issue," the girl murmured again, and this time he caught the meaning.
"You mean-?"
She nodded quickly, still avoiding his gaze.
Tamotsu calmly took the issue and started to read it, his eyes widening as he found the first page. "Oh man this is about to be messy," he muttered to himself with a widening grin. Looks like things were going to pick up right where the previous issue left off...
"S-so, you're a f-f-fan of L-Lunar Sentinel, too?"
His eyes widening, landing on the girl he thought had left. She was standing a respectful distance away but close enough that they could still talk. And now that he could see her, he was stunned.
She was pretty and nobody could say otherwise, though her appearance did strike him as a bit odd. What struck out at him first was her hair; it was pink, the kind you'd only see from idols wearing wigs and adorned with black ribbons on each side. Her attire wasn't too out of place consisting of a white sleeveless polo with white thigh-high socks and short black boots. A relatively unassuming outfit overall, but the thing that set her apart was the long white gloves, a brown belt with a black star on the left and right segments with even more black ribbons rounding off the ends of her gloves, socks and one at the base of her neck.
For some odd reason, he was reminded of the main characters from Lunar Sentinel based on her appearance. Perhaps it was her attempt at cosplay.
He derailed that train of thought before it could leave the station, trying to focus on what he heard before. "I'm sorry, I got distracted a sec. You asked if I was a fan, right?"
Another vigorous nod.
Taking a deep breath, he set aside the manga for a sec and turned to her. "'I will correct all mistakes and conquer all that is wicked – and that's you!" he quoted, doing a few dramatic poses as he did so.
Again, he felt glares landing on him for the disturbance but all he cared about was the girl's reaction…
He wasn't disappointed.
Her eyes – the same hue as her hair, he noted idly – shone like stars. "T-that's Lunar Sentinel's famous speech! She does it before every battle!"
"Yeah, and some of the baddies don't even have the decency to let her finish at times," he chuckled, feeling more at ease with a fellow fan.
"Yes! It's so rude of them! And they end up paying for it in the end!"
"Stylishly I might add."
"Mhm! Lunar Sentinel is so graceful and pretty, like a fairy! I want to be just like her when I-!" Suddenly she came to a halt and flushed bright red, her eyes shutting tight as though ashamed. "I-I'm sorry, I got a little carried away."
"We both did." Her head shot up to meet his gaze, eyes wide with surprise. "But I'm not complaining. It feels good to talk about this with someone else, doesn't it?"
The girl seemed to hesitate at first, as thought trying to force herself to reply. "Y-yes… I'm sorry, I'm not good with people… especially boys."
That explains why she's so skittish, he mused.
"Well young maiden," he began, missing how the girl's cheeks flushed at the moniker, "take heart in the fact you are among cultured individuals such as myself. I shan't disgrace your love of something when I haven't the heart to myself."
He honestly felt like a dork for speaking this way, but it seemed to make her feel better as she offered giggled softly.
He glanced down at the manga in his hand then back to her and smirked. "Do you want to read it together?"
"E-eh?" she stammered, blinking a few times.
"You weren't able to read it all the way through, were you?" Her flush served as his answer. "One condition though: no spoilers."
The pinkette actually pouted at him, crying out: "Like I would!"
From within a dressing room stall, Uzume let out an explosive sigh as tossed aside another dress. "I honestly can't tell if she's trying to kill me anymore. Seriously, who needs that many pairs of shoes?"
She glared down at the pile of clothes Mitsuha had shoved onto her, most of them far too extravagant for her tastes. The others that she had liked had prices that made her feel like fainting, and some were just for shoes!
The brunette crossed her arms and stood there for a second before looking herself in the mirror. Her lips pursed slightly before glancing back down at the pile, studying it.
Maybe… maybe if I doll myself up a bit, he might notice, she mused as she plucked another blouse from the pile to slip on.
The top hugged her in all the right places, accentuating her figure and bringing out the innate charm all Sekirei were born with. It wasn't what she'd prefer to wear, but she'd come to learn that it wasn't always about what she wanted. To attract the right eyes, she needed to appeal to what others wanted.
She sighed.
This is why I don't bother with this stuff.
She was never one to preen when it came to her appearance; she knew she looked good and that's all that mattered. Even Tamotsu had been enthralled by her natural charm.
But that had been when she was the only girl in his life; now she had Mitsuha to compete with... and she had no intentions of rolling over just to let the blonde have him all to herself.
Suddenly, the door to her stall opened but she paid it no mind. Mitsuha was probably back with yet another batch for her to try on. "Look, just drop them in the corner and I'll-"
Suddenly, as though she'd been dipped in cold water, she felt a chill run up her spine. Then, she felt a single finger be pressed to the nape of her neck – where her Sekirei crest was.
Shit! I can't-!
"Now that I have your attention," Mitsuha's voice floated back to her, stern and cold, "let's talk."
"Thirty-eight, what are you-?"
"I'm the one asking the questions Ten," Mitsuha cut her off. "And there's only one thing I want to know from all this. Tamo wouldn't like it, but this was the only way I could make sure he wouldn't get in the way."
So, that's how it was. Mitsuha had been keeping an eye on her ever since they met but to think she'd go this far, just to get them alone… It was well-played on her part and Uzume fell right for it.
"...what then?"
"How do you know my master?"
"I already told you-!"
"-that he saved you and you want to make things right with him – yada, yada, yada," Mitsuha cut her off once more, aloof. "That's all fine and dandy, but why? What makes him so special?"
Uzume tried to think of something to say, something that would be as close to the truth but not quite. Nothing came to mind and given the situation she was in, lying could very well endanger her. She sighed and bit the bullet. "Because I reacted to him." Mitsuha's shock to that was felt rather than seen but she didn't care. The truth was out.
"…then why haven't you had him wing you yet?"
"Because you might kill me?" Uzume tried to joke.
"We both know that's bullshit Ten. Setting aside the fact that Tamo cares a lot about you, you'd put up a good fight if we went at it. Don't dodge the question either."
Uzume wanted to ask why she was so sure of that tidbit, but decided to keep it to herself for now. Mitsuha was already on a hair trigger after all. "I have my reasons."
"Given how much you like to eye-fuck him, you might want clear that up."
"Then let me ask you something."
"I'm the one asking the questions, Ten," Mitsuha reminded her as she pressed her finger into the brunette's mark.
"Just one, ok?" Mitsuha just growled in response, but Uzume took it as her sign to go ahead. "Does it look like Tamo-chan is ready to have another Sekirei to you?"
Because he was struggling with Mitsuha as it was. Sure he did his best for her but he wasn't going any further than he believed he should. Sekirei were sentimental creatures by design and wanted the kind of affection married couples showed to each other. And while Tamotsu wasn't aloof, he was also distant when it came to anything between them. If Uzume tried to wing herself and squeeze between that…
"So if that's the case, why are you even here?"
"To protect him."
"I can do that-!"
"NO, YOU CAN'T!" Uzume shouted, cursing herself afterwards for the outburst. "Not alone anyways. Plus Tamo-chan isn't the kind of person that will let others protect him if he can fight. You saw that with that asshole from before."
"And you think you can do better than I can?"
I've done it already, she sneered but dared not voice it. Mitsuha wouldn't let her go if she knew or worse, she might hunt down the ones responsible.
"I'm saying that two heads are better than one. You can't be in two places at once; that's where I come in. It never hurts to have friends, Bee."
"I don't need friends," Mitsuha answered coldly. "I have my master; that's all I need."
"Then what about allies?" Uzume pressed. "Because even you can't deny going it alone is suicide."
Mitsuha went quiet for a few moments, but Uzume didn't dare try to get out of her hold. It would make this encounter turn lethal. And as much as she might envy Mitsuha, she didn't want to have to terminate the blonde if she could help it.
Finally, the touch on her neck vanished, followed by Mitsuha opening the stall door again. "I'll say this: if you ever put Tamotsu in jeopardy, I'll deal with you myself his feelings be damned," the blonde declared, keeping her back to the brunette.
"If I do, I'll let you. Because I'd rather die than let anyone touch him again."
Mitsuha seemed to accept this and walked out of the booth without another word, leaving Uzume to her thoughts.
Unbidden, the scenes from that night she'd found him on the brink came back to her and she shoved them away with a scowl.
I'll never let that happen to you again, Tamo-chan. If they come back, I'll bury them.
He was different from the others.
That was the first thought Kujou had when she met Tamotsu who she initially planned to run from like she'd done before. Others had approached her with the intent of making her "theirs" and forced her to flee. Men had done little but ogle her and the women all turned their noses up at her, as if she had done something to offend them somehow.
It had been that way ever since she left MBI Tower and none of the other Sekirei would dare to lift a finger for her. The only one who had was that masked Sekirei that she had used her power on in a panic, and she hadn't encountered him since.
But others either wanted her dead outright, like those thunder twins that hounded her for a while; or something else… The look on that scythe wielder's face played a starring role in her nightmares. She'd been on the run ever since, never staying in one place too long all the while she continued to search for her ashikabi.
Oddly enough, that's why she had ended up meeting Tamotsu. For the first time she had felt a strange flutter in her chest, unexplainable and only getting stronger as she deeper into the city. After days of searching, she finally decided a break was needed and ended up here.
If there was one thing that cheered her up it was diving back into a good manga, particularly the one starring a certain blonde-haired heroine. Even now she couldn't forget the day she found it.
When she was still under the care of MBI, the Tuners would let her have some free time as a break from the constant streams of info dumped onto the rest of the Sekirei. During those free periods where others would practice their abilities or fight each other even, she would find a television and watch some of the various anime airing at the time. Most were nice but they were essentially the same: good guys fight the bad guys, and so on; and it was almost always targeting a male audience.
But then, one day she turned on the tv and caught the tail-end of a series that left her spellbound. Beautiful girls in gorgeous outfits were fighting alongside gallant men adorned in armor against evil. It was such a simple concept but #49, it was paradise. From that day on she dreamed of becoming those girls, fighting against wickedness alongside a handsome prince.
Her Tuners had humored her fascination later turned obsession, getting her various manga and seasons of the series for her to peruse – mostly as bribes to not complain during the sessions.
Years went by and her wonder never faded; if anything, it intensified as she came into her powers. Even her outfit was heavily inspired by the dresses the main heroines would wear.
But above all else, what she desired most was to have someone to share that love with. None of the Sekirei did and even the one girl she knew that liked those kinds of things wasn't interested with, in her own words, "frilly girly shit".
In truth, she had about given up on finding a kindred soul… until she met Tamotsu.
That strange fluttering sensation in her chest became impossible to ignore, even if he'd ended up scaring her at first. But the second he'd left her be, she'd felt herself drawn to him, trailing after him discretely. When she'd heard him proclaim his love for her favorite series, she nearly dropped the manga she'd been holding out of shock. The flutter only grew stronger, becoming almost tangible and forcing her to confront him.
For one horrifying second, she thought he'd laugh at her like all the others. But he'd not only proven her wrong, but his passion for it seemed to match her own.
There was just one problem.
"-Martian can't be called anything but a powerhouse on that team, and usually ends up being the one to save Lunar!"
…he was a Martian Sentinel fanboy.
"She's mean," #49 muttered sourly. "All she ever does is pick on Lunar!"
"Yeah, but doesn't she deserve it most of the time?" Tamotsu pointed out with a deadpanned expression.
Kujou flushed at that. "T-that's not the point!"
"I think someone's in denial~"
"I am not!"
"-says the one clearly in denial."
#49 pouted. Was this what it was like to have a "difference of opinion"? If so, she wasn't a fan of the idea. "Well, Martian isn't perfect either. She's loud, boy crazy and just comes off as a total snob to the others."
That actually made her new friend flinch which left her to smirk triumphantly. "Fair enough. But Red Knight is still a lucky bastard to be with her."
"I'd say that she's the one who should be lucky," Kujou muttered under her breath. "She could learn a thing from Lunar on how to treat others."
"I think you're a bit biased," Tamotsu remarked with amusement, staring at her from across the table in the restaurant they were in. "By the way… how are you not full yet?"
Kujou blinked, glancing down at her food and flushed. "It's been a bit since I ate," she muttered sheepishly.
"How long exactly?"
She paused. There was no way she could tell him the truth, but she also couldn't dodge the question without him getting suspicious. "Um… since last night."
"What?!"
"EEEP!" she shrieked, almost summoning her powers again on reflex.
"Wait, no, hold on! Sorry I just didn't expect that. Didn't mean to scare you, Kujou-chan."
Whenever she got scared, her first instinct was to fall back on her powers and retreat. It had proven to be her saving grace many times since she left MBI. But for some reason when it came to Tamotsu, she wasn't driven to it. Sure, he still scared her, but he wasn't a threat like the others.
…and she still couldn't figure out why. But one thing she did know was that she liked him saying her name.
"It-it's ok," she stammered, trying to calm down. "I'm just not used to other people shouting at me."
He was much more understanding of her than others as well, which only served to make her relax around him. It was odd. She'd only known him for a few hours or so but he already treated her with more kindness than most other humans AND Sekirei she'd encountered.
"Um," she started to say but thought better of it.
"If you got anything else to say about my Martian Sentinel, let's hear it. I never get tired of talking about her," Tamotsu said with a grin.
"N-no, that's not… um… Can I ask you something?"
"You just did."
"I mean-!" she tried to shout, before she saw his grin widening. Her cheeks puffed up indignantly and she folded her arms, turning away from him. "Stop teasing me."
"Alright, alright," he said but the grin didn't go away.
What was with this guy?! How was it so easy for him to get under her skin?
Taking a deep breath, she summoned all her courage to look him in the face… and was startled by how attractive he looked. It may've been a trick of the light, but she swore his eyes seemed to glimmer as looked at her with a warm smile.
The fluttering feeling returned full force, her face heating up as her heart pounded painfully in her chest.
"Kujou-chan?"
"I… I'll be right back!" the Sekirei blurted out, rushing up to head to the bathroom.
This feeling… why now? She thought in a panic, bursting into the women's room and rushing to the sink. She whipped off her gloves, switched on the faucet and gathered a pool of water to splash in her face. Is this… because of him? Why? He can't be my destined one, can he? I just met him!
Splashing some more water on her face, she glanced up at herself in the mirror, glaring the self that looked back with flushed cheeks. "Snap out of it! He's just a boy."
A boy who's a damn sight better than the rest of the cretins in this city, a part of her remarked that she shoved away.
After taking a couple deep breaths, she slipped back on her gloves and headed back out to their table.
"Hey there cutie, why don't you hang out with me for a bit?"
Kujou froze, staring up at a young man with slicked back hair and dark eyes that gave her a once over. "I… I'm with someone," she blurted out, trying to get past.
The pervert blocked her way with an arm, leaning in towards her face. "Hey now, don't be like that. Come on, I got a booth nearby. Let's chat for a bit."
"I said no-!" Whatever she'd been planning to say was cut off as he gripped her by the arm, yanking her close to him. His breath smelled awful...
"Listen here you little bitch," the man's demeanor changed in a flash, going from smarmy and suave to pushy. "I got turned down by enough chicks today and you ain't gonna make that list, got it? So shut your mouth and-"
"-do what, exactly?"
Kujou's eyes widened at the voice, finding her prince standing there with a scowl and his lavender eyes locked onto the pervert's back. "T-Tamotsu-san!" she cried, trying to get to him only for the guy to grip her by her shirt and shove her back, ending up on the floor in a heap.
Her heart thundered in her ears as similar instances of the past played out in her mind, driving her into a mild panic attack.
"Piss off you little shit, we're busy can't ya see?" the thug barked, although she was barely listening at this point.
"And all I see is someone getting fresh when they're clearly out of season."
"YOU LITTLE FU-GUHK!"
THUD!
The grunt brought her back to reality, gazing up to find a hand being held out to her. The prone form of that cretin lay behind him but Tamotsu was all she could see in that moment. "You ok?"
She didn't hesitate. Latching onto the hand like she was drowning in the ocean, she pulled herself up and into Tamotsu's arms, clinging to him.
"Hey, it's alright," his voice soothed, making her cling to him harder.
"Is there a problem here?" someone asked, but she didn't tear her face from Tamotsu's chest.
"A dickless wonder tried taking a shot – it didn't work out," Tamotsu replied calmly, as if he hadn't just knocked someone's lights out.
"Again? That's the third time this week. Listen, whatever you ordered is on the house. I'll have a few of my boys take out the trash."
"Thanks Boss. Kujou-chan?"
"T-t-t-t-thank you," she stammered out a reply, trembling in his arms.
Never letting go, she let him walk them back over to their table but she refused to let go of him. He felt safe – she felt safe with him.
"Hey, hey, it's alright," she murmured to her once more, stroking her back in slow circles. "I won't let anything bad happen to you."
"I hate this!" she hissed. "I hate feeling so f-f-frightened and w-weak."
"Courage takes strength and time," Tamotsu told her gently. "Don't rush it."
"But you're so strong," she remarked, feeling her cheeks warm at the thought of him coming to her rescue… like a prince. "Yet you're only a human."
Tamotsu stilled. "…I knew it."
Worry shot through her like a bolt of lightning, prompting her to lean back to look at him. "Knew what?"
"You're a Sekirei, aren't you Kujou-chan?"
Primal fear filled her being for a split second before his words finally caught up with her brain. "You… you still talked to me, even though you knew what I am?"
Tamotsu just looked at her puzzled, cocking his head a bit to the side. "Should I not have?"
"But… but I'm a Sekirei!"
"And?"
She stared at him, her mind drawing a blank on what to say to that. It had been all anyone had ever cared about with approaching her or using her. Because she was a Sekirei… But this boy didn't care?
The confusion she was feeling must've shown on her face as he gently pushed her off of him but kept her close to him, his hand landing on her shoulder. "Sekirei, human, otaku – doesn't make a difference to me. People are people. Just because you're an alien beauty and I'm a grubby human doesn't mean we can't get along."
It took the willpower she had left not to blush from being called a "beauty", but she still frowned at his remark about himself. "You're not grubby," she corrected with a small pout.
Tamotsu smirked. "Who says?"
"I do," she said firmly, and it surprised both him and her.
Why was this human able to make her insecurities nonexistent even for but a moment? The more time she spent around him, the more he confused her… and made her feel things she never had before.
"Well, then I guess the verdict is in," Tamotsu chuckled, breaking her out of her musings. "But seriously, you are who you are and that's enough for me."
It was so hard not to lose herself in that smile of his. Just why had it taken her so long to meet him? If this boy could be her ashikabi, she'd never wish for anything else other than to be by his side. But she didn't know what would tell her if he was.
It didn't matter though. Being here with him was enough for her; she just wished they could stay like this forever…
PII PII PII! PII PII PII!
Kujou's ears perked up at the sound as Tamotsu reached into his pocket, pulling out a cell phone. He grimaced as he looked at it, "Oh boy…"
"What's wrong?"
He didn't answer her, only accepting the call and preparing to speak-
"-TAMO WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!"
Kujou jumped, not expecting to get blasted by a voice with the vocal equivalent of an air horn.
But Tamotsu, either used to it or part deaf – she wasn't sure at this point – just took it in stride. "Mitsuha, hey! I just stepped out for bit that's all. Did you guys have fun earlier?"
The volume of the speaker toned itself down until Kujou could barely hear, but she hadn't missed the glaring fact that made itself known.
A woman had called Tamotsu – another woman.
For the first time, Kujou felt a tightness in her chest that felt as though someone had reached to squeeze her heart. She tried to ignore it, but the pain only worsened as Tamotsu spoke.
"Uh huh… No, I didn't get into any trouble… What's that supposed to mean? I'm perfectly capable of innocence, you know! …one time, ok, one time!" He went silent for a moment to let this "Mitsuha" woman speak before giving a sigh. "Alright, alright I'll be home soon. No need to beat me over the head about it…" He put away his phone and turned to her with an apologetic smile. "Sorry Kujou-chan, but I need to head out."
Kujou's eyes widened. He… he was leaving? But he couldn't! "Do you have to…?"
"Afraid so. Mitsuha can get a little crazy if I'm not where she wants me to be."
Kujou tried to keep her irritation from showing, but it was difficult. It hurt to hear him talk so fondly of another woman… someone other than her. Was this what they called jealousy?
I hate this feeling, she decided and wanted nothing more than to make it go away.
As he tried to maneuver around her to get free, she wracked her brain for something, anything to make him stay by her side a little longer. "W-wait-! I'm… I'm… afraid of the dark!"
Tamotsu froze. In fact, everyone nearby did, stopping what they were doing to stare at her with wide questioning looks. Feeling their gazes landing on her, she felt as though her face might combust from all the heat going to it.
But she couldn't back out now. Even Tamotsu was staring at her with his own questioning gaze, but at least she had his attention. Now it was time to follow through.
"T-that's right! I don't usually go out at night so I always stay inside whenever it gets like this. But I was having so much fun with you that I just lost track of time, and I didn't want to end and-!"
"Kujou-chan," Tamotsu addressed her, causing her to go silent. He studied her with a thoughtful look before he sighed. "You're going to end up getting me killed, but I can't just leave you by yourself after all that. My pride as a man is on the line now."
She blinked at his choice of words, wondering just what the "pride of a man" had anything to do with this. But he seemed to buy her excuse, so she didn't press him any further on it.
Anything to be with him longer.
"I'll walk you back but you're navigating. Deal?"
Kujou didn't need to be told twice; she seized his arm for herself and tried so hard to keep from giggling. "Deal!"
"Aw, they're so cute!" one of the patrons cooed.
"Get a room you two!" another crowed.
Similar comments floated up aimed at them with Kujou doing her best not to spontaneously combust from all the teasing.
Tamotsu for his part mostly ignored them though there was a bit of red on his cheeks as well. Still, he led them out of the restaurant, pushing open the door, exposing them to the city beyond.
A swift breeze glided across the young girl's cheeks as they stepped out making her hug Tamotsu closer to her.
"So, where to?" her escort asked as a few car horns sounded in the distance.
Where indeed… Did it matter? If she could spend just a bit more time with him, then she could come up with a few things.
"Um, back down the street. I'll let you know when we're getting close."
Truthfully, she didn't have anywhere to stay for the night, but her impromptu guardian didn't need to know that. He'd come a little too close to the truth earlier when she admitted she hadn't eaten since the night before. What she'd eaten at the restaurant was meant to make up for a whole day's worth of meals and then some, coupled with her raging doubts on where her ashikabi could be.
As they walked in relative silence, she once more glanced up at Tamotsu, studying him intently while he kept his guard up in case of trouble. Once more that tightness from before came back but it was different, gentler and warm. And all she had to do was look into his eyes…
That fluttering feeling only intensified each time and feeling his arms around her before nearly made her faint from the bliss his embrace gave her.
Was it possible? Could he be her destined one? Could anyone hope to match her attraction to this boy? She'd only just met him today but she already felt she could spend her life with him and want for nothing else.
What was it? What did they tell us back then? She groused, trying to remember all the instructions she'd been given before being released. Something about… a kiss?
She clenched his arm tighter, ignoring how he asked if she was alright.
Before he got wise, she had to find a way to confirm it. She had to.
Her sanity wouldn't last otherwise.
But it seemed Fate had its own plan in store for her.
"There you are, shrimp."
And just like that, Kujou's heart sank into her stomach.
That voice… oh that voice…
No… no, no, no…!
Whipping around with Tamotsu letting out a gasp, her gaze came to rest on a single figure behind them, the neon lights of a few buildings casting the demon in a hellish light.
Because that's exactly what she was – a demon.
It vexed Mitsuki to think of how difficult it'd been to find one stupid girl, one so annoyingly weak as #49. But what really annoyed her was how someone could turn down her beloved master's offer to bring them into his family.
Yomi had written her off as a lost cause, believing there were plenty of others more worthwhile than her. But that wasn't enough for the blonde.
Tracking down and disciplining #49 had become close to an obsession, especially since the fiasco had resulted in the loss of one of her favorite dresses. Now Mitsuki planned to take out her grief on the slippery Sekirei plus interest.
"I've been looking all over for you… Do you have any idea how much goddamn effort I've had to put in to track you down? Believe me when I say that-!"
"Oh, you came!" Tamotsu exclaimed happily, as though he knew her.
Now she was forced to acknowledge the human that was with her target, eyeing him with thinly-veiled disdain. He was wimpy looking, hardly worth a second glance and not all worth her time so she dismissed him. Though the fact he seemed to recognize didn't dismiss her irritation.
"You… know her?" #49 asked, incredulous.
"Yeah, but I thought she was still at the apartment," the kid replied, breaking free of her hold to walk towards the blonde.
"W-wait, Tamotsu-san-!"
"No, it's ok, she-!"
It honestly didn't matter what he thought; he was an obstacle and she was really good at getting rid of those. As he got close, she gripped him by the shoulder and tossed him aside with all the ease of a litterer discarding refuse. "Beat it, trash. You're in my way."
With him out of the way, she made her way over to the now frightened pinkette, relishing in her apparent fear of the blonde. Bringing forth her trusty wires, Mitsuki smirked as the other Sekirei tripped over herself and landed on her rear with a small whine.
"W-wait, please! My ashikabi, I want to find him-!"
"I don't give a damn what you want!" the blonde snapped, her eyes burning with suppressed rage as she pulled her wires taut. "Now you are gonna zip it and come with me to Master, or I can take you back in pieces; either or is fine with me."
Personally she wouldn't mind dicing up the little bitch, if only so she wouldn't have to lug her carcass all across the city back home. But before she could ensnare the little weasel, the idiot Kujou called Tamotsu who was with her got in her way - again.
Mitsuki gave him a flat stare. "What the hell are you doing? Get lost before I string you up like the meat that you are."
"Are you seriously going to act like you don't know me? Right now? Really?"
Mitsuki gave him a brief once over and scoffed. "I don't know who the hell you think I am, but I wouldn't waste my time with garbage like you."
Her master was far more appealing to the eyes than this pile of shit for a human. However, it seemed that little #49 didn't take that well and actually glared at her. Mitsuki's eyes narrowed to slits as her grin grew ever so slightly. "Oh, that look isn't allowed squirt. I'm going to enjoy wringing your neck like a towel before-"
"GODDAMN IT MITSUHA IT'S ME! STOP ACTING LIKE I'M A STRANGER AND TALK TO ME!"
Mitsuki froze, her train of thoughts derailing in climactic fashion.
Mitsuha... That name... How did this bastard know that name?
He dared... he dared to speak her name in vain, to confuse her with that of the one she was trying to find? How dare he!
Her sights shifted from #49 to this guy in a heartbeat, ensnaring him instead and making it so he couldn't escape easily.
"RGH! You… what are you-?!"
"Shut your fucking mouth!" Mitsuki hissed, glaring daggers at Tamotsu. "Bad enough you have to get in my way, but you dare to speak of Nee-sama?!"
Tamotsu fell silent, ceasing his resistance for a moment before he spoke quietly. "…you're not Mitsuha. Shit."
With a growl, Mitsuki yanked hard on the wires, causing him to let out a scream as the wires dug into his arms.
"S-stop it! Don't hurt him!" #49 screamed, but her pleas fell on deaf ears. Now of all times Mitsuki wasn't the slightest bit interested in her, but rather in her would-be protector.
"Talk or I'll bleed you dry! Where is Nee-sama?! TELL ME!"
She didn't care how tight she had to grip his body. Blood or bone didn't matter at this point. All that mattered was finding out where she was.
Mitsuha... Her Nee-sama... She was so close! All she had to do was make this little piggy squeal and then they could-!
"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HIM YOU BITCH!"
Mitsuki's eyes suddenly went wide, leaping out of the way narrowly avoiding the lash of a whip that would've pulverized her. The wires went slack due to her fleeing, releasing Tamotsu as he fell to his knees with a moan.
"Tamo!"
"Tamo-chan!"
Mitsuki's heart nearly stopped as she laid eyes on another blonde accompanied by an unfamiliar brunette, watching as they both rushed to Tamotsu. The two dropped to their knees next to him, fussing over him even as he hissed in pain from the numerous lacerations on his arms. His clothes were ruined, and bloody swathes marred his form.
"Mitsuha…?"
"You idiot! I told you to come home!" her sister scolded; her eyes glassy as they roamed his body for any more injuries.
Mitsuki tuned the other two out, only focusing on her lookalike. Her breath quickened as her heart raced, trying to convince herself that what she was seeing wasn't a dream. "N-Nee-sama?" she called out tentatively, causing the other blonde to freeze. "Is it... is it really you?"
"Nee-sama…?" the brunette uttered with a hard look aimed at the one in question.
"...Mitsuki. Why are you here?"
Mitsuki's heart leapt into her throat, a glowing smile coming over her face. "It is you! I've been looking for you for weeks, Nee-sama! I didn't think we'd meet like this. I was on my master's orders to track down that shrimp," she explained, hissing out the last word in regards to the younger Sekirei who flinched. "She gave me the slip the other day and I've been searching for her ever since. I almost couldn't believe my luck when I found her hanging off the arm of that weakling over there."
The brunette snapped a sharp look in her direction, her face contorted into a vision of fury but Mitsuki ignored her. She cared far more about Mitsuha and was trying to work out how to convince her to come with her.
"So, those marks on his body… that your doing?" Mitsuha asked softly, keeping her expression hidden as she stood up.
Mitsuki smirked proudly and put her hands on her hips. "Pretty neat, huh? I've been practicing with my wires and now, nothing gets away from me without coming back bloody and-!"
THWACK! CRASH!
The long leather tongue of the whip smashed into the ground beside Mitsuha as she cracked it, leaving a deep gouge there. "Neat, is it? You think bloodying my ashikabi is neat, huh? That leaving him potentially scarred and traumatized by all this is neat, do you? I'll show you what else is neat."
An... ashikabi? No, no that cant be! We swore we would-!
But when her sister knelt down, took hold of Tamotsu's face and captured his lips - bringing forth a bright golden light Mitsuha's back - she wasn't able to live in denial any longer.
Even more unsettling was how Mitsuha's amethyst eyes which differed from Mitsuki's gray ones blazed with rage aimed solely at her.
It was a struggle to keep her temper in check at most times, but being faced with this? She couldn't hold it back. "You… that trash is your ashikabi?! But we-!"
"Shut the hell up," Mitsuha snapped, silencing her instantly. She'd never heard her Nee-sama speak to her like this. "I'm about two seconds away from whipping you into a bloody pulp, termination be damned. But that trash you referred to is my husband, someone who really is a bleeding heart when it comes to things like this. So I'll let you go run back to your bastard of a master," Mitsuha spat, and this time Mitsuki's haunches rose in outrage, "before I seriously lose it."
Mitsuki stared helplessly at her "sister" for a few seconds before she returned her attention to Kujou. At least there was one thing she could salvage out of all this, and her master shouldn't worry much about #49's condition if she got battered a bit. "Then she's coming with me. She's master's property after all."
"I don't give a damn, just piss-!"
"NO-!" the ashikabi cried suddenly, coughing a bit as the brunette held him up. "You can't! She's been hunting for Kujou-chan, and if I hadn't stepped in she was going to hurt her too!"
"And that's how you got hurt, isn't it?" Mitsuha drawled, her gaze still locked on the other blonde. Tamotsu's silence was good enough for an answer. "Honestly," she sighed.
Mitsuki licked her lips, trying to somehow convince her sister to let her get what she came for if nothing else. "Nee-sama, I want to make my ashikabi happy!" Mitsuki declared passionately, hoping to appeal to her own wishes. "He wants that shrimp over there like the others, and while I'm not thrilled about it-"
"Others?" the brunette suddenly interjected sharply. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Mitsuki didn't even bother hiding her contempt for the brunette. "Master wants a big family and so he sends us out to find others we can bring back. They all put up a fight but once Master gets them alone, they all fall in love with him… just like I did," she finished with a heat in her cheeks before her gaze shot back over to Kujou, her eyes cold. "You should feel honored that Mikogami-sama wants you so bad, now quit being a spoiled brat and get over here!"
But #49 wanted to keep being a child and started to tremble violently, pupils dilating as she whimpered, "N-no, I can't go to him, he's not, I'm not-!"
"Oh will you SHUT IT?!" Mitsuki snapped, whipping out her wires once more. "Bad enough I have to get told off by Nee-sama, but I'm not going back without something to show for all this! So shut your fucking mouth you little bitch and let's go!" She whipped her wires out towards Kujou who shrieked, shutting her eyes in fright.
"NO PLEASE-!"
Just before her wires could wrap around the Sekirei, however, a flash of white cut them at the fro, the bits falling to the ground lifelessly. Mitsuki squawked indignantly, glaring at the brunette that decided to quit playing nurse. Immediately her eyes were drawn to the line of cloth that seemed to slither out of the Sekirei's sleeve like a snake.
"Yeah, no. She's staying right here. Don't like it? We can go a few rounds if you want, but unlike your sis over there," the brunette said, her voice lowering to almost a snarl, "I don't have any problems beating the snot out of you. So please, give me a reason. And if we're going to do this, then you should know: I'm Number Ten – Uzume."
Mitsuki balked at that revelation, taking a step back in shock. #10?! What the hell was she doing here?! And why was she stepping in to protect someone as weak as #49?
Damn it! Damn it, damn it, damn it!
#10 was considered one of the most powerful Sekirei in existence, just below that of the Single Digits. Mitsuki had a lot of confidence in her abilities but even with the rest of the flock on her side, it would be difficult to take on the brunette and they wouldn't all come out unscathed.
But alone? She might as well terminate herself.
"…tch! Fine, she can stay. But the second she's out in the open again, she's free game. And don't think they're any different from me, Forty-nine. We're all in this to win, after all, and one day you'll be on the winning side whether you like it or not." And with a final glare to Kujou and a lingering look aimed at Mitsuha, Mitsuki beat a hasty retreat, leaping to the rooftops.
As she ran, she tried to keep her frustrations from getting to her but it was so hard. Mitsuha's rejection of her stung far more than she wanted to admit, much more than anything Yomi would do to her after she learned what happened.
And her master wouldn't be pleased either.
Damn that bitch! Damn them all! That bastard especially!
Biting her lip hard enough to draw blood, she glared ahead of her and contented herself with the mental image of her slowly squeezing the life out of that fool.
The second she was out of sight, Kujou felt the tension in her body leave her at once. She felt as though a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, allowing her a brief moment to catch her breath. It didn't last.
"Are you alright?" Kujou glanced up to find the brunette – Uzume, she recalled – kneeling down before her with a kind smile. Despite her being considered an "enemy", the younger Sekirei couldn't see the woman as such and nodded meekly. "Don't worry, everything's going to be fine."
Kujou swallowed a bit, finding her attention drawn to where a heavily bandaged Tamotsu was offering her a tired but relieved expression while Mitsuha fussed over him. Her lips wobbled as the realization hit her like a ton of bricks.
If she hadn't gotten close to him, he would've been fine. And now he'd gotten hurt because he tried to protect her.
"Hey," the woman called out sternly, tipping her chin up to meet her brown eyes. "I know that look. You think it's your fault Tamo-chan ended up like this, right?" Kujou nodded sadly, to which Uzume sighed. "Figures. You know you're not the first person he's done this for, right? He'd do this for anyone because that's the kind of idiot he is."
"But… what if Mitsuki comes back-?"
"Then we'll show her the true strength of the bond between ashikabi and Sekirei," Uzume said firmly. "And kick her ass while we're at it."
That elicited a small giggle out of Kujou, the first anyone had brought out of her other than Tamotsu. But the brunette's words did sour her mood a little. "So he already has Sekirei of his own..." she mumbled disheartened.
"Yeah, but I'm not one of them."
Kujou's head shot up to meet Uzume's gaze, blinking rapidly. "He isn't?! T-then why did you protect him?"
"Right back at ya," Uzume returned dryly with a small smirk that had her flushing. "Guess we both have our reasons, huh Kujou-chan?"
"If you two are finished gabbing over there, we need to get out of here. Who knows if any others are waiting nearby and I don't want to fight off an entire flock tonight," Mitsuha called out sharply, as she helped Tamotsu to his feet.
"We can't... leave Kujou-chan behind," Tamotsu reminded them, his face twisted into a grimace.
"You'd better have a damned good explanation for that, Tamo," Mitsuha chastised.
"Speaking of which, you're still not going to say something about all that before, Nee-sama?" Uzume teased.
"Don't you dare call me that!" Mitsuha yelled, the vitriol in her voice surprising the other two Sekirei including her ashikabi. "Look… I'll explain when we're safe. Now let's go."
Uzume turned to Kujou once more and gave a shrug before ushering her along, keeping a steady hand on her in an effort to calm her. The younger Sekirei could do little but fall in line, but she couldn't stop herself from wondering: what was the connection between Mitsuha and Mitsuki?
Glossary:
Mahou-shojou (the genre term for magical girl series like Sailor Moon, Precure and Mermaid Melody)
And done. Gotta say, this one went through a few drafts before I decided on this one being worth it.
Initially, this chapter was set up to follow up the whole angle with Kei and his gang learning Tamotsu was alive. But that particular sequence is meant to end a certain way, and I decided to scrap it since it felt way too rushed. This iteration begins a new arc where Kujou is fully introduced but she's not part of Tamotsu's flock yet. Why? Because she's not entirely sure if Tamotsu is her ashikabi plus she doesn't know if he even likes her that way. So I'm going to have her stew for a bit while she gets to know the others, though she won't let them monopolize Tamotsu.
And yes, Kujou. I've been thinking about how to use her for weeks now even before the story started proper. There's next to nothing on her since she was only introduced and then terminated immediately after so she's a blank late, like I mentioned back in the first chapter. On one hand that gives me next to no material to work with but on the other it gives me everything to play with. And in the end, I made her into a sort of otaku like Tamotsu and yes I gave her an interest in magical girl series. I wanted to give her relationship with Tamotsu more substantial than just "love at first sight" like Mitsuha and Uzume; though those two aren't entirely in Tamotsu's camp either. Uzume has her reasons and Mitsuha... well, I'm keeping that to myself ;)
Lastly, the introduction of Mitsuki proper. Sakurako never defines the reason behind the similarities of her and Mitsuha so I'm going to take the whole twins angle and run with it. Rest assured she will play a significant part in Mitsuha's development and by extension her relationship with Tamotsu - Mitsuha's I mean. Mitsuki is firmly in Mikogami's camp.
There will be a fallout from this so expect things to come to a head before long.
Next chapter we're going to shift gears a bit and visit a certain Sekirei I've been dying to get to. But first, I need to do some research. If I fuck up her speech patterns, I just know a certain Witch Doctor will never let me hear the end of it. :P
Also, Lunar Sentinel is my own creation; if you can guess what I based it on you get an internet cookie ;)
Till then,
Take care.