Disclaimer: Sekirei and all associated characters and symbols are the exclusive property of Sakurako Gokurakuin and her associates. Fate/stay night and all associated characters and symbols are the exclusive property of Type-Moon and its associates. The story "In Flight" is written by Gabriel Blessing. No financial gain is intended or made by this story.

Saturday morning I was faced with a mystery. Everyone was downstairs, ready for breakfast, except Matsu and Rin. Rin could've very well been asleep in her bed, but Saber was already down here. And Matsu rarely was late for a meal, the setting for so many 'soap opera' moments. Not to mention she enjoyed my food as well.

So where were they?

"Saber, is Rin still asleep?"

Saber paused, chopsticks in hand. "I do not know. She did not come to bed last night."

Okay, that was beyond strange. "I'll be back in a bit." I headed upstairs to Matsu's room. The hacker at least was likely to be there, and she could probably help me find Rin. I paused as I reached the door.

"What I don't understand is if the universe is expanding, what is it expanding into? Shouldn't that be more space?" Rin sounded annoyed.

"Matsu doesn't understand it either. The balloon analogy seems to make sense…"

"Well, do they have an email address? Maybe we can ask them."

Matsu laughed. "See, computers are good for something! Matsu doesn't see one here, but there might be some articles on a database Matsu can get into—"

Expanding universes? Balloons? What in the world were they talking about? I knocked on the door. "It's me."

"Come in, Shirou-tan!"

I opened the door to find the pair sitting there, Matsu in front of her computer, Rin with a notebook in her hands. I nearly laughed at that. Matsu was very firm about keeping a paper-free office, but it seemed Rin had managed to break that rule as well. "Are you coming down for breakfast?"

"Breakfast?" Blinking in confusion, Rin turned to Matsu. "What time is it?"

"Ah — about eight, Rin-tan." Matsu blushed a bit. "It looks like it's morning."

"You two were up all night?" I asked, only now noticing that Rin was wearing the same clothes she'd had on yesterday. "What were you doing?"

"Just… talking," Matsu said sheepishly.

"Talking," I repeated, feeling a little dumbfounded. "About what?"

"Well, we started with parallel dimensions, but then Matsu showed me some interesting articles about this thing called string theory, and we wandered off from there."

I sighed, a smile working its way across my face. I was used to this sort of thing from Rin, who could — and would — stay in the library for hours without food or sleep if she found a series of references she found interesting. It was new behavior for Matsu, however. "Well, breakfast is ready. Why don't you come eat?"

"I need to brush my teeth and change first," Rin said. "I'll be down in a few minutes." She quickly left the room, heading down the hall.

"I'm sorry she kept you up all night," I apologized to Matsu. Rin could be terribly relentless when it came to gathering knowledge, plowing on regardless of any objections.

The Sekirei smiled brightly. "Matsu doesn't mind, Shirou-tan. Matsu didn't want Rin-tan thinking about Kazehana-tan being with Shirou-tan, so she thought it'd be better for Rin-tan to work with Matsu. But it was a lot of fun for Matsu too!"

I blinked. I hadn't considered that Matsu would've found a way to deliberately distract Rin from what had been going on in my room. "So you had fun?"

"Yes, Rin-tan is a lot of fun!" Matsu said excitedly.

"How?" I asked, curious.

"Well…" Matsu looked away, embarrassed. "Rin-tan likes to learn things just because she thinks they're interesting. It's not like Shirou-tan, who has Matsu find out things because we need them for the Sekirei Plan or to help him with his magecraft, though Rin-tan likes that too. It's just… Matsu has never really known anyone else who likes learning because it's fun."

I stared at Matsu for a long moment, and she flushed a bit more, lowering her eyes. I hadn't thought of it that way before. I knew brain type Sekirei were incredibly rare; right now Matsu was the only one still active in the Plan. I also knew Rin often became frustrated with me because I couldn't understand her drive to learn just for learning's sake. I was practical. I focused on gaining new skills or knowledge so I could put them to work in my life, a policy that was reflected heavily in my magecraft. Rin had met other people with a mindset more like hers at the Clock Tower, which had been one of the reasons I hadn't wanted to drag her away when I'd left.

Had Matsu never had someone else to share that with before? Even after the other brain types were adjusted, she more likely than not hadn't encountered them. She was the second Sekirei to be awoken. She'd probably left MBI before any of the others had been released from the labs.

"Rin always says I don't have enough natural curiosity," I said slowly, pondering the idea of a friendship between her and Matsu.

"That's it exactly!" Matsu agreed, then paused, apparently aware that she'd just criticized the person she was supposed to love the most. "Perhaps Shirou-tan just has curiosity about different things?" she offered.

"It's fine, Matsu. I'm used to it from Rin." 'Idiot' was practically a term of affection from her. "I'm just glad the two of you are getting along."

"Matsu likes Rin-tan a lot," the Sekirei assured me, and smiled mischievously. "Maybe if she'd met Rin-tan before Shirou-tan, Matsu would've had Rin-tan for an Ashikabi!"

The statement surprised me, but I couldn't help a smile. If Rin and Matsu had teamed up at the beginning of the Sekirei Plan, they probably would have hidden out in Rin's workshop and gotten so involved in magecraft research that they would've lost track of the Plan completely. "Well, I'm glad you're here, Matsu," I told her. "I don't know how I'd do this without you."

"Matsu is happy to help Shirou-tan."

I paused for a moment, thinking about it. Matsu really had been doing a lot to help with this whole situation. She'd made an effort to help Rin last night, and when we'd had our meeting on Thursday, she'd been the most convincing member of the group to support Rin and Saber staying. I knew she was working on a digital workshop for Rin as well. "I'm glad. Really. I think this would be a lot rougher without your help."

"Matsu knows, Shirou-tan." The Sekirei smiled at me. "Has Matsu maybe earned a reward?"

"If it's something I can do," I promised quickly.

She pinked a little. "Matsu is thinking about putting herself back on the whiteboard."

"Friday's yours," I reminded her. "You can do whatever you want with it."

Matsu cackled. "Shirou-tan should be careful about giving blanket permission like that. He might give Matsu all sorts of ideas. But if Friday is Matsu's… maybe she can get a reward now?" She leaned up and pressed her lips lightly to mine. I reached out, settling one arm around her waist, deepening the kiss, gently sucking on her lower lip. Matsu moaned, pressing closer, her breasts soft against my chest. A moment later we broke apart, a grin on Matsu's face. "Mmm, Shirou-tan is a good kisser." She grabbed my hand. "But now it's time to go to breakfast!"

I let Matsu drag me downstairs, wearing a smile of my own. It looked like today was going to be a good day.

I ended up missing my Sekirei's practice session so I could attend a few repair appointments. I'd urged Akitsu to stay and work with the others, but she had refused. I didn't know how to feel about that. On the one hand, Saber was right that the Sekirei needed to learn how to deal with magi and worse. On the other hand, Akitsu was probably one of the best prepared for the eventual dangers I would face, as her actions in the past had shown. That being said, though, I wanted her to get to practice the others. If this kept being a problem, I'd have to rotate who came with me.

As I returned to Izumo House, I ran into Rin just outside. I raised my eyebrows at the outfit she was wearing. "That's awfully formal."

Rin shrugged. "I was at work."

I glanced over the suit. What was she doing that she needed to dress like that? "Doing what?"

"It's not important," she said dismissively.

"Hmm, I don't know about that," I teased. "I mean, I'm not sure how I'd feel if I found out my girlfriend was working as a hostess—"

She glared. "Even if it weren't way too early in the day for it, I'd never take a job like that!"

It was my turn to shrug, casual and exaggerated. "Homura used to do it."

"That's different!" She huffed in annoyance, folding her arms and looking away. "Besides, why would I want a job where all I did was sit around getting drunk and schmoozing a bunch of idiots?"

"Good practice for the Clock Tower?" I suggested.

Rin rolled her eyes. "Don't be stupid, Shirou. Schmoozing them while drunk would…" She trailed off, looking over my shoulder.

"What is it?" I asked, turning to look behind me.

"Oniiiiiichaaaaan!" Yukari's voice rang out as she hit my waist with something that was supposed to be a hug but more closely resembled a tackle. Caught off balance, I barely managed to stay upright as she threw all her weight into me. Yukari righted herself a moment later, pouting at me. "Oniichan, how many times do I have to tell you? You're supposed to fall down!"

"Yukari, what are you doing here?" I hadn't seen my sister since Higa had kidnapped her. I looked over her carefully. She seemed to be doing much better — certainly more confident than she'd been the last time I'd seen her.

"It's Saturday!" Yukari said, as if that was answer enough. "Besides, I heard from Mom that Rin and Saber had shown up." She peered at Rin. "Which one is that?"

"Yukari, this is Rin Tohsaka. Rin, this is my sister Yukari." Catching sight of my sister's Sekirei, I added, "This is her Sekirei, number one hundred and seven, Shiina."

"Nice to meet you." Rin bowed her head a bit. "Shirou hasn't told us much about you."

"He didn't tell us much about you either, until we almost dragged it out of him." Yukari folded her arms, studying Rin. "Hey, Oniichan — is Saber bigger? Because she's really small." Yukari gestured in front of her chest to emphasize her point.

"Wh— why you—!" Rin sputtered, going red.

I gave my sister a steely look. "Speaking about Rin or Saber's figures is strictly prohibited." Yukari yelped as the air around me darkened, my mask appearing. "Furthermore—"

"Shirou! You didn't tell me you could do it too!" Rin interrupted, grabbing my shoulder. "That means you already figured it out!"

The touch interrupted my concentration, causing me to lose the manifestation. I turned my attention back to her. "I promised Homura I wouldn't teach anyone else." Rin gave me a look of annoyance. "Look at it this way. You'll probably figure it out in half the time it took me."

"Not if I can't get any observations in," Rin grumbled. "What if I make comments about Saber's figure?"

"You wouldn't do that."

"You're right," she said immediately. We both knew how sensitive Saber was on that topic and wouldn't want to hurt her. "Well, there have to be other Emiya rules I can break, ne?"

"Don't even think about it," Seo groused as he slowly followed Yukari, undoubtedly seeking the free meals I'd promised him. I quickly introduced him and his Sekirei to Rin; while he'd been around once or twice to give me rides since she'd arrived, they hadn't actually crossed paths.

I turned my head to see that Yukari had fished a volume of manga out of her bag and was studying it intensely before she struck a pose, pointing a finger at Rin. "I demand to know your intentions towards my Oniichan!"

"Intentions?" Rin crossed her arms. "Isn't that something you're supposed to ask the guy in the relationship?"

"I don't care!" Yukari punched the air. "You better never hurt my Oniichan or betray him or cheat on him or—"

"I think I get the idea," Rin said dryly. "I have no intention of hurting Shirou in any way. We've been together for three years." She turned her head, a bit of a blush on her cheeks. "And I intend to keep him a lot longer."

"Oh. Good." Yukari seemed to lose steam, dropping her arm. She flashed me a smile. "Right! So, what's Oniichan like in bed?"

"Yukari!" I yelped as Rin sputtered again.

"Well, you won't show me, Oniichan, so how am I supposed to know?" Yukari asked, one hand on her hip, tapping the volume of manga against her leg.

"You aren't supposed to know at all," I grumbled.

"…Shirou, your sister is insane," Rin muttered, just quiet enough that I could hear her.

No kidding, but I wasn't going to acknowledge that with her right here. "Let's go inside," I said instead, urging everyone towards the door.

Once inside I headed towards the back of the house, Yukari following me with a spring in her step. I stopped on the porch. "Saber? I'd like you to meet Yukari and Seo, and their Sekirei, Shiina, Hikari, and Hibiki."

Saber paused, turning from Kuu, who was eagerly working with her practice sword, to face us. "It is a pleasure to meet you — Shirou's sister especially."

For a moment, Yukari just stared at Saber, her mouth open in shock. I wondered what exactly it was that had surprised her. There were a lot of surprises about Saber, but I had a theory that most Ashikabi were at least a little bit psychic, based on my conversations with Matsu. If that was the case, it was quite possible she was sensing some of Saber's aura.

"Mistress?"

Shiina's voice knocked Yukari out of her daze. She snapped her mouth shut and struck a pose, pointing dramatically at Saber. "I demand to know your intentions towards my Oniichan!"

"Intentions?" Saber asked.

"Yes! What are you going to do with him? Are you serious about him?" Yukari asked, waving her arm in a manner that was probably supposed to be threatening, but just looked silly.

"No yelling at Sa-neechan!" Kuu ran over to Saber's side, standing between her and Yukari, brandishing her practice sword at my sister.

"Kusano, you should never point your sword at someone you do not intend to strike," Saber scolded.

Kuu just growled low in her throat. I had the distinct feeling that she did fully intend to attack Yukari if she kept this up. While Kuu had taken to her the moment they met, once Saber had gotten her a practice sword, she'd become utterly convinced that her idol could do no wrong.

Saber carefully forced Kuu to the side before addressing my sister. "I will fight by Shirou's side, for however long I may. I will be his partner in battle and, if he will have me, in life as well." Her voice was calm despite the delicate blush that crossed her face.

Yukari's hand dropped, and she stared at Saber again for a long moment, before smiling broadly. "That's so romantic!"

"Ah…" Saber blinked, not having expected that reaction.

"I want to hear all about it! How you and Oniichan fell in love, your time in London, what it's like to have sex with two people at the same time—" Yukari babbled, rocking back and forth on her feet.

"Yukari," I said evenly, and the temperature dropped as the shadows deepened around me. Rin leaned forward eagerly as my sister started trembling. "Talking about lewd things in front of Kuu—"

"—is prohibited, I get it, okay, just please stop, Oniichan!" she begged. I nodded shortly and released the manifestation, earning a disappointed sigh from Rin.

Shiina, noticeably pale, cleared his throat. "Ah, excuse me." He turned his attention to Saber before continuing, sounding hesitant but determined at the same time. "Saber-san, why is Kusano using a sword?"

"She is practicing. Kusano has expressed a desire to be a swordswoman," Saber replied. "I think that will be enough for today, though. Put your things away."

"Okay, Sa-neechan," Kuu said, sounding a bit disappointed that her lesson was over.

I smiled. She was really enjoying learning to fight, and I couldn't help but feel a bit of kinship with her on that. "Don't worry, we aren't going to let her fight for a long time," I assured Shiina. "Why don't we all go inside? I'll make some tea."

"I still want all the details!" Yukari insisted.

"Anyway, inside, everyone," I ordered, hoping to change the subject. "I made a fresh batch of cookies before I left for work today."

Saber's and Yukari's eyes lit up. Maybe I could keep them on something relatively innocent while I cooked dinner. Like apartment shopping in London. Or the water park in Fuyuki.

As I ushered the group inside, I remembered what Yukari had said before she'd left Izumo House in the first place. I could only hope she didn't mention it, because if my sister found out I really had been brainwashed I'd never heard the end of it.

Kazehana quietly left the dining room, heading upstairs. Yukari's visit had been a surprise, but a good one. She was always fun to tease, and she was predictable. After all the changes in their routine, it had been nice to have their usual Saturday crew come back. It had been the first time since Yukari's kidnapping, and it had brought back a sense of normalcy.

Even with Rin and Saber there.

Kazehana frowned slightly. She'd been raised hearing about what an Ashikabi would be: their fated one, the one who would love them more than anything else. She had thought she'd found it in Minaka. His rejection had hurt more than anything else she'd experienced, and she'd had to get away. So it was that for a long time, she'd just wandered, often ending up in bars, commiserating with others who had broken hearts.

And there were so many.

Those whose relationships just hadn't worked out, those who had been cheated on, those who had been separated by death, those who had lost their lover to work, who had watched the passion slowly die after years together…

She had drunk with them and listened to their stories, had heard a hundred ways humans fell out of love and lost love, and had wished with all her heart that they could all have a Sekirei. That her sisters and brothers numbered not just over a hundred, but in the millions, billions. That being an Ashikabi wasn't a rare gift, but one all of humanity could share. That no one would ever have to feel heartbreak, because being an Ashikabi, having a Sekirei, that was fate. That was the truest, purest love that could exist between two individuals. And if she could have, she would've given it to every person on Earth.

Kazehana hadn't wanted another Ashikabi except for Minaka. She had hoped that maybe one day he would call for her, ask her to come to his side, and that was why she'd come back to Shin Tokyo time after time. She had watched Minaka throw himself at Takami only to be rebuffed over and over again, and she had grown frustrated. He could've had so much more — she would've been willing to give him so much more.

When the Sekirei Plan had started, she really hadn't cared. If Minaka wouldn't be her Ashikabi, she'd decided, she didn't want one. But then she had met Shirou, who'd had his heart broken by loss, who was so similar to all those poor lonely people she'd met over the years. At first they'd just been drinking buddies, but as she'd gotten to see more of him — his strength, his kindness, his courage — she'd found herself unable to hold back anymore.

Being winged had been something else. Kazehana had never felt so complete in her life. She'd wanted more than anything to share her love with Shirou. She knew she was desirable; appreciative eyes followed her everywhere she went. She had tempted him a few times, but only last night had she finally had the chance to consummate their marriage.

It was everything she could have asked for. He had been passionate but gentle, had wanted her to be as satisfied as he was. There was nothing more a woman could ask for, but there was one problem.

Kazehana had seen appreciation, lust, and pleasure in Shirou's eyes, but she hadn't seen love. That, it seemed, was reserved for when he looked at Saber and Rin. She wondered if he realized how different he was with them. They traded glances, soft smiles, and gentle touches when they thought no one was watching them. Shirou regularly asked for their opinions, from dinner choices to plans for the Jinki. It was discomfiting. Rin and Saber had just forced their way into their lives, and Shirou had allowed it. In fact, he'd agreed with many of the changes they made.

Kazehana knew herself well enough to know that jealousy was part of the reason she resented Rin and Saber. It was hard, almost painful, to watch her Ashikabi, her destined one, love another. She'd been so sure, after all the hours she had watched and listened to the heartbroken, that no human could offer the love that a Sekirei could. That to choose a human over a Sekirei would mean nothing but eventual pain and heartbreak.

But Shirou had. He had chosen two human women, who, despite everything, seemed determined to hold onto him.

Kazehana had seen a lot of types of love in her time: the innocent first love between young humans, the drunken love between acquaintances at bars, the epic love in romance movies. For a long time she had believed, after hours of watching humans drink away heartbreak, that True Love, the kind stories were told about, only existed between a Sekirei and their Ashikabi. That humans wrote stories about a love they dreamed about but could never have.

And yet… and yet the more she watched Rin, Saber, and Shirou together, the more she began to believe — and fear — that what they had was just that.

"Deep thoughts?"

Kazehana turned to see Matsu in the doorway of her room, one hand against the frame. She hesitated for a moment, but… if there was someone she could confide in, Matsu would be the best choice. "Our Ashikabi doesn't love us," she said with a sigh.

"Matsu knows," the hacker said, no sign of surprise on her face. "Shirou-tan cares about us, wants to protect us — even desires us." She smiled sadly. "But he doesn't love us. Not yet."

"And you're okay with it?" Kazehana asked, raising an eyebrow.

Matsu stepped inside her room and beckoned Kazehana to follow her with a wave of her hand. Once she was inside, the hacker shut the door and took a seat before reaching up and deliberately removing her glasses. Kazehana watched her carefully place them on a nearby table. She'd often wondered if Matsu really needed the glasses, though she'd had them even back when they were on the Disciplinary Squad together. Matsu seemed to use them as a device to hide what she was feeling, though recently she'd seen much more of the more serious side of Matsu that she remembered from their earlier days.

It was quite clear Kazehana was dealing with that side right now.

"I've seen how Shirou-san looks at them — how he relies on them. I wouldn't want an Ashikabi who would throw something like that away," Matsu said. Kazehana reluctantly nodded. If Shirou did it with Rin or Saber, what was to stop him from doing the same to them? "I plan to do everything I can to make him — them — want to keep me around. If we don't push them away, we can prove to Rin and Saber that we're more valuable by Shirou-san's side."

"I thought you liked Rin," Kazehana commented. Every time she had seen the two of them together they had been chatting over some theory or another, often bent over paper or Matsu's tablet.

"I do like Rin. Frankly, it's a lot of fun having someone to debate with — but I'm not a fool." Matsu tapped a finger against her desk. "You know I was the first one awake after Miya, who was already an adult and needed minimal adjustments. I was the first Sekirei to go through the adjustment process completely.

"I'm not sure, though, that you realize how expensive bioengineering is. Back then MBI was a young company, barely making its way in the world. Takehito had to go slowly and take his time, and my adjustments nearly bankrupted them. Minaka wasn't terribly concerned; he thought that the medical discoveries they made while altering us, combined with the technology from our ship, would pay for it. Others weren't so certain." Matsu smiled thinly. "The groups that attacked us — those we drove off — they didn't start by attacking. They started by offering astronomical sums for samples. Just one piece. I overheard what was going on and became determined that I would not be that piece.

"So I showed them what I could do, how I could help them — how I could find new equipment for them, monitor their competitors, uncover trade secrets, help them access and understand Sekirei technology. I had to learn quickly, but I made sure I wasn't going to be thrown away."

Kazehana stared at Matsu in shock. "I never knew."

"I was the only one who did, as far as I can tell." Matsu shrugged. "In any case, by the time you, Karasuba, and Mutsu were finished, those competitors had moved past bribery and on to force." Her lips quirked. "Takami was the one who predicted they'd switch to more violent tactics; she suggested running the adjustments for all three of you at the same time so we'd have a defense force. I think she's more like her son than she'd admit."

"Maybe she is." Kazehana had mixed feelings about Takami, though it had become much easier to think of her once Shirou had winged her. Minaka just hadn't been as important anymore. "So, you'll be useful to Shirou, then," she finally said after a few moments of silence.

Matsu nodded. "And I'm smart enough to recognize the influence Rin's and Saber's opinions have on him. I intend to be valuable enough that they'll want to keep me around, and give Shirou-san the time he needs to come to love me the way he does them."

"And if he never does?" Kazehana asked, because she'd seen it happen before, had been there herself. She could remember every day that Minaka had stared after Takami, never noticing her own feelings, could remember the feeling of being rejected when she'd finally made her move.

"I'm sure he will," Matsu said decisively. "It's been even easier to see since Rin and Saber came, but Shirou-san really does have a big heart. I'm glad we've been getting to know him better. It's nice." She smiled, a bit wishful. "He is our Ashikabi, after all. I do believe he'll love us someday, but even if he never did… Well, Uzume used to say it was enough for her to know she was living under the same sky as her Ashikabi. I think being by Shirou-san's side, helping him in every way I could — I could make that enough for me."

Kazehana shook her head. "I don't know how that could be enough."

"Would you rather he pushed us away and went out doing stupid, dangerous things on his own?"

"Of course not!"

"Then do what Saber suggested. Be his fighting companion. You, Homura, Akitsu — you're all strong enough, fast enough, and smart enough to keep him safe." Matsu reached for her glasses, fiddling with the frame. "Besides, from what I've been able to figure out, Saber and Rin were Shirou-san's battle partners before they became lovers. Fighting by his side might be the best way to help him come to love us."

"Maybe," Kazehana agreed. The last few days they'd gotten many glimpses into the three's relationship. Rin guarded their history jealously, but was willing to share bits of Shirou's background when asked. Saber was slightly more open, though mostly with past battles they'd been involved in. One thing was absolutely clear, though: they were a team. They had a closeness that Shirou lacked with his Sekirei, something that went beyond psychic bonds.

Kazehana wanted that closeness.

"Good." Matsu slipped back on her glasses. "But Matsu suggests Kazehana-tan go and get ready for bed. After all, it is Kazehana-tan's night!"

"It is indeed." Kazehana smiled to herself. Thanks to Matsu's generosity, she'd get to enjoy time alone with Shirou two nights in a row, something she was quite grateful for. She rose from her seat and headed out the door. "Matsu?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks."

"Any time, Kazehana-tan."

How much could change in just seven days?

It was Monday night, one week since Rin and Saber reappeared in my life. That evening had been marked with stress and discord. Tonight…

"There's a restaurant a few blocks from here that's really good," Kazehana confided to Saber. "I first visited it a few years ago. I spent a lot of time touring Japan during that time, sampling the food."

"Truly?" Saber asked, looking interested. "It sounds as if it would be an interesting venture, if costly."

"Yeah, but I was using the company's money to pay for it!" Kazehana grinned. "Before the Sekirei Plan started, MBI cards were really handy. It's a pity Lover-kun doesn't want us to use them, otherwise we could all go out to eat!"

The two continued to discuss various restaurants in the city. Kazehana had been making an effort to open up to Saber, though things remained somewhat strained between her and Rin. She'd asked Saber a lot of questions today, mostly about me, but also about fighting. She was taking her new position as my second-in-command very seriously. I had attended the Sekirei training session today and was amazed at how much progress they'd made after only two days. Kazehana definitely had a natural talent for command. They might be ready for battle sooner than I'd thought.

"Fuu-neechan, Sa-neechan, play with Kuu!" my youngest Sekirei demanded, carrying several of her stuffed animals in her arms. She shoved one into Kazehana's hands before doing the same to Saber, who stared at the toy in bemusement.

Kuu seemed determined to keep the peace within Izumo House. Her plan seemed to mostly consist of everyone becoming friends by playing with her stuffed cats. If she managed to pull it off, I was going to buy her a mountain of toys, regardless of Saber's opinion on bribing her.

I fought a smile as I looked at Saber, still looking at the plush in her hand with confusion. Akitsu moved from her position beside me, took the stuffed dog Kuu had brought for her, and joined the group, demonstrating what was expected. Saber watched for a minute or two before tentatively joining in, Kuu ordering Saber's cat here or there in the drama they were acting out.

Rin and Saber's arrival hadn't changed Akitsu's life much, though she was even more vigilant about remaining at my side. The biggest change was her daily visits to Matsu to report her observations of my behavior. It was a little unnerving, but I tried to ignore it.

"Here I come, Landlady-san!" Musubi's voice echoed through the open door to the porch. I turned my head a bit to catch a glance of her launching herself at Miya in the yard. Like Akitsu, Musubi hadn't changed much in the last week. The only noticeable thing was she'd become even more dedicated to her training, not only working with Miya but also begging for tips from Saber as well. I had no doubt that Saber would soon be working with Musubi on a regular basis.

As for the rest of my flock…

My eyes flickered over to the kitchen, where Rin, Homura, and Tsukiumi were working. Homura, like Kazehana, had embraced the idea of fighting by my side. She spent more time with Saber than any of my other Sekirei, asking questions about both combat and magecraft. She was determined to be ready the next time I was attacked. Her earlier wariness of Rin had vanished; occasionally, however, she gave the magus a complicated look I couldn't quite decipher, though it seemed oddly hopeful.

Tsukiumi was probably the biggest surprise in the group. She had asked Rin for cooking lessons.

I'd immediately offered to teach her myself, of course. I knew that Sakura had enjoyed learning from me, and to be honest, I thought I made a good teacher. Another set of hands helping with meals would've been welcome. Right now Miya, Rin, and I were the only ones regularly cooking, so if we had another cook, we could all work in pairs. Tsukiumi had outright refused my offer, however, stuttering the entire time. Rin had just laughed and told me she'd take care of it.

The pair seemed to be getting along well right now, Tsukiumi paying close attention to Rin's demonstration of how to cut vegetables for stir fry. For a while I'd worried that Tsukiumi wouldn't be able to accept Rin and Saber, but it looked like I'd been wrong.

Rin and Saber, for their part, were both much more relaxed than they had a week ago. Rin seemed to be content with her job, whatever it was — she still hadn't told me — and was spending more time with most of my Sekirei, interested in figuring out the extent of their abilities and how they worked — and they were happy to demonstrate. And besides her dedication to training my flock in combat, Saber seemed to be developing a close friendship with Miya. I'd found them sitting on the porch together amicably drinking tea early Sunday morning when I'd come down to make breakfast.

"Shirou-tan is supposed to be meditating!" Matsu walked over to me, handing me my phone and a pair of headphones. "Matsu made a playlist of relaxing music. It should help Shirou-tan concentrate."

Matsu was taking the information she'd learned from Rin and Saber about what Odell had done to me seriously. She made sure that I meditated daily, and I knew she was researching anti-brainwashing techniques. None of us were sure that they'd help with what Odell had done, since she'd used magecraft, but Matsu kept on anyway.

At least Matsu seemed to be completely okay with Rin and Saber. Actually, given what I'd seen on Saturday, she and Rin were well on their way to becoming good friends.

The hacker showed me how to access the music she'd loaded on my phone before being dragged into playing with Kuu's stuffed toys. Watching the group of women humor my youngest Sekirei, a wave of contentment swept over me. I'd wanted to leave Shin Tokyo as soon as possible, but maybe it was more important to let everyone adjust to Rin and Saber in familiar surroundings than to worry about MBI's next move. Moments like this made me think that maybe my dream of having everyone I cared for in my life wasn't impossible after all.

A shrill sound cut through the music I'd just turned on, making me wince. I fumbled for my phone, looking at the screen.

Minaka's face grinned up at me. "Everyone! It is time for the fourth match to begin!"

"Turn on the TV!" I ordered, even as I scrambled to do it.

Kuu and her playmates all looked up in surprise. "What is it?" Kazehana asked.

"Minaka," I said tersely, taking the headphones off. "It's the fourth match."

Kuu immediately ran outside, fetching Miya and Musubi. The trio in the kitchen stopped their work to turn their attention towards the dining room and the television I'd just turned on.

"Our fourth match is going to be like nothing you've ever seen before," Minaka declared, gesturing grandly. "First, I shall introduce the contestants!"

"Shirou-tan, should we be getting ready to leave?" Matsu asked, tense.

I hesitated. It had been my plan to leave during the fourth match, taking the Jinki we had and running, but—

"Today we have five pairs! Each Ashikabi was allowed to bring only one Sekirei, if they'd been lucky enough to wing more than one." Pictures of the participants appeared onscreen one by one. "Reiji Koya and Yahan, number fifty-seven. Hayato Mikogami and Mutsu, number five. Yashiro Itsuki and Amebane, number thirteen. Oosumi Orihiko and Kaho, number eighty-seven. Yukari Sahashi and Shiina, number one hundred and seven!"

My sister was in the fourth match. I swallowed hard. She was up against some difficult opponents, too. Orihiko was the third possible candidate to take over as the Ashikabi of the East, after Seo and Yukari herself. Mikogami was still the Ashikabi of the South, and he had a single digit with him. I couldn't remember Yahan or Amebane off the top of my head.

"It's Kaho!" Musubi exclaimed as she caught sight of the TV.

"You know her?" I asked.

"Yes!" She hurried over to sit where she could see. "We have a promise to fight next time we meet." Musubi bounced in her seat. "We both promised Yume-san that we'd be winged by someone we loved, and then we'll fight and fight and fight until the end, when one of us will win and free all the Sekirei who've lost their wings!"

I looked at Musubi in surprise. She had mentioned her wish to free the other Sekirei before, but this was the first time I'd heard that that included those who had already lost. I made a note to talk to her about it when I got a chance.

"Now, the fourth match will take place in this special MBI facility!" A new image replaced the portraits of Ashikabi and Sekirei on the screen, showing a figure with concentric circles. "There are two levels. In the outer ring, contestants will have to solve puzzles and riddles to gain playing pieces. There are nine challenges in total, but you can only attempt each once. Sekirei are not allowed to fight in the outer level until all of the puzzles have been solved. Once that has happened, pairs can attack one another to collect pieces."

"So this is Minaka," Saber mused, studying him carefully.

"The one in charge of the Sekirei Plan," Homura confirmed, glaring at him.

"You need three pieces to open one of the doors." Three sections of the second circle began glowing blue. "Once you manage that, the first to get to the Jinki wins!" Minaka reappeared. "Sekirei may fight Sekirei at any time once all nine of the puzzles are solved or once they get to the inner ring."

"This seems a lot more complicated than the other matches," Kazehana mused. Homura nodded and fished out her phone, fiddling with it.

"But it would be far too boring if it took a long time to solve all the puzzles so the Sekirei can fight and fight!" Minaka vanished again, replaced with the images of the five Ashikabi. Instead of their Sekirei, however, a phone number was displayed with each. "MBI has provided each Ashikabi a phone specifically for this match. Those of you watching can call in to help — or hinder! — each of them, but they'll only work in the outer ring."

"He's turning this into a game show." Matsu stared at the screen in shock.

I was too busy dialing the number under my sister's picture to comment, relieved when I managed to get through. "Yukari?"

"Oniichan!"

"No matter what, don't hang up on me. Keep this line open," I ordered, and glanced at Matsu. "Can you get your tablet?" She nodded and quickly left the room.

"Okay, Oniichan." My sister didn't sound concerned in the least. If anything, she sounded chipper. "I'm going to get the Jinki, just you watch!"

"I'm sure you will." I closed my eyes, forcing down my emotions with a will. Worrying about Yukari wouldn't help her win. I had to stay clear-headed.

"We'll be moving between Sekirei as they attempt to clear the challenges. Let us see who will be the first to get to the Jinki!"

"I don't think this could be more different from the match you were in," Rin said, frowning thoughtfully. "I wonder what kind of puzzles they'll be doing."

"No matter which kind they are, we'll all be ready to help Yukari-san!" Musubi said, pumping a fist in the air. Besides her, Kuu did the same.

"This is indeed most unexpected," Miya commented. "I take it, Emiya-san, that you are going to remain for a bit longer, then?" I nodded. I couldn't leave my sister behind while she was involved in this insanity.

Homura checked her phone. "Takami says she'd been trying to convince Minaka to do something different after what happened during the third match." Everyone in the room looked at me for a moment. "Something that required some brains. Minaka apparently decided to allow observers to contribute on his own."

"Probably trying to drum up interest," I mused. From what I'd seen on the forums, there were a number of Ashikabi who were regretting getting involved in the Sekirei Plan. While MBI could — and probably would — detain and trap those who tried to get out of it, it'd be easier if they could focus their efforts on the matches themselves.

"What, Oniichan?"

I'd forgotten I was on the phone. "Where are you, Yukari? You're not on the TV yet."

"We're almost at the closest challenge!" Yukari said. As if to mirror her words, the image on our screen changed from Yashiro and Amebane to show us Yukari and Shiina, approaching a table with a figure on it of a winged woman who was a lion from the waist down.

"A sphinx," Rin observed.

"Human," Homura groaned. "Don't tell me he picked all easy riddles like that."

"You didn't even hear the question," Miya chided.

"That's always the answer for a sphinx's riddle."

As Yukari approached the statue, it began to speak. "What walks on four legs in the morning, two at midday and three at sunset?"

I glanced at Homura. He nodded. "Crawling when you're a baby, walking when you're an adult, and using a cane when you're older. It's one of the oldest riddles."

I passed the answer on to Yukari, who gleefully grabbed the wing that fell off, apparently the puzzle piece. She took off, and the TV switched to Orihiko and Kaho.

"Matsu, do you have the profiles handy?" I asked, and she nodded. "Check on Yahan and Amebane."

"Right, Shirou-tan."

Yukari's voice broke me out of my thoughts. She sounded a little breathless — she must have run to it. "We're at the second puzzle. We have to pick out which cup has the puzzle piece."

I glanced at the TV, which was still showing Orihiko and Kaho, engaged in some sort of kanji puzzle. Then the screen split in half, showing Yukari and Shiina on the left. The table in front of them held six cups, each a different color: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple.

Yukari walked over to the table. "There's a poem, and we need to figure out which one is the right one."

"Read it to us."

"Put her on speaker, Lover-kun," Kazehana suggested. I gave her my phone, and she did something with it. Akitsu reached over and turned down the volume on the TV so we could hear better.

"'The one that you seek always has friends, neither the one at the beginning, nor the one at the end. Seen more in the warmth than in the cold, becomes brown and withered when grown old. If you're not looking down, it's most likely held up by brown.'"

"That is horrible poetry," Tsukiumi declared, looking revolted.

I blinked at her. "You like poetry?"

"S-so what if I do?" Tsukiumi crossed her arms.

"It's fine, I just didn't know," I hastened to assure her.

"Not the first or the last one," Rin mused aloud.

"Yes, but the rest isn't making a lot of sense." Matsu frowned.

"Green!" Musubi shouted suddenly. "It's green, Yukari-san!"

"Okay!" Yukari said. She smacked the button in front of the green cup. "Got it! I'm on to the next one. This will be the last one I need!"

"How did you know?" Rin asked Musubi.

"Takami-san used to get green flowers sometimes! It's her favorite color," Musubi explained.

So it had just been a lucky guess, then… though I had to wonder who was sending my mother flowers. "How do you get green flowers?" I wondered aloud, though nobody answered.

"But what did the rest of the poem mean?" Kazehana asked.

"Grass!" Kuu said, excited. "Grass goes brown in the cold."

"And leaves fall from trees — oh, the brown holding up the leaves." Kazehana sighed. "Leaves on trees."

"That was a stupid riddle," Rin grumbled. "I think it'd be better if he stuck to classics."

"Kuu liked it." My littlest Sekirei sulked.

"Shirou-tan wanted the profiles, didn't he?" Matsu put in, and I nodded. "Amebane is a hand-to-hand fighter. MBI indicates that he's one of the top ten Sekirei in strength, and one of the top twenty in speed." Matsu grimaced. "His relationship with his Ashikabi is… complicated."

"Abusive?" I asked.

"Not on the Ashikabi's side," Matsu said reluctantly.

Everyone stared at her. "Something must have gone wrong in his adjustments," Miya murmured, sounding shocked.

"As for Yahan—" Matsu began.

My phone made a strange noise, and then the line went dead. We turned our attention back to the TV, which showed Yahan, a dark-skinned Sekirei wearing a black cape and sarong, standing a short distance away from Shiina and Yukari. Before my eyes she vanished, only to reappear behind Yukari, a knife going for her back.

"Mistress!" Shiina yelled, spotting the threat. Yukari dodged right, allowing Shiina to launch an attack of his own at Yahan. She evaded it and vanished again.

"Yahan has power over shadows and can use it to perform stealth attacks," Matsu finished, her eyes glued to the screen.

"If Shiina can't hit her—" Homura's eyes widened slowly.

"Shii-niichan!" Kuu cried, and climbed into Saber's lap, clinging to her as she watched nervously.

My hand clenched helplessly around my phone. "Get out of there, Yukari."

Yukari ran down the hall, glancing side to side as they left their second challenge behind. The tables were well lit, but the places in between them weren't. It was eerie, running in the dim light. Also ridiculous. Yukari knew what type of money MBI had. There was no reason for this stupid lighting, unless Minaka was trying to be dramatic.

She never had been able to understand what her mother had seen in the guy.

She wasn't quite sure what it was that got her attention, but something made her turn, a strange shiver running up her spine. Her eyes widened as a woman appeared behind Shiina, knife in hand. She thrust, heading for the crest on his back. Yukari didn't even think, throwing the phone in her hand as hard as she could. "Shiina!"

The woman vanished before the phone could connect, letting it hit the wall with a crunch that didn't bode well for its continued functioning. Shiina's eyes widened in surprise as Yukari ran up to him and grabbed his hand. They looked around warily, and Yukari's eyes widened as she caught sight of the woman reappearing out of the darkness, her eyes on the pair. She blinked, recognizing her: Yahan, one of the other Sekirei in the match. The woman faded once again into the shadows lining the hall, and Yukari went tense, trying to listen for her next attack. It looked like she had some sort of teleportation power, which probably meant she'd be trying to confuse them—

"Mistress!"

Shiina's warning was all she needed. They'd fought together enough that she knew exactly what to do. She threw herself to the side, allowing Shiina to launch his power at where she'd just been standing, but Yahan only vanished again. Yukari moved closer to Shiina again, standing back to back with him. This was bad. The corridors for the outer ring were fairly narrow. Could Shiina use his stronger attacks? They might make a wall or the ceiling come down — that had happened once or twice before while they were patrolling, but they'd always been outside, where such a collapse wouldn't matter…

"What's going on here? Is someone not playing by the rules?"

Yukari turned her head to see Hayato Mikogami and Mutsu approaching them from behind. Mikogami had his phone in hand, pointing at the screen. "There are still three more tasks to complete, and no one is supposed to fight until that happens. I do so hate it when people don't play by the rules." The Ashikabi's gaze settled off to the side. Yukari frowned and followed it, squinting a bit. She could just make out Yahan, standing deep in the shadows.

"We were just heading to the next table," Shiina said, trying to keep a wary eye on both Mutsu and Yahan.

"You're doing really well!" Mikogami said approvingly. "Why don't you just go on ahead? If someone doesn't want to play by the rules, we'll take care of it. There's no point in playing a game if all you're going to do is hack the system." Beside him, Mutsu sighed a bit, looking towards Yahan as he loosened his sword in its scabbard.

It could've been a trap, but Yukari wasn't going to let such an opportunity pass. "Thanks, we will!" she said quickly, and grabbed Shiina's hand and ran, heading back around the circle. They only needed one more piece to get to the inner ring. Hopefully Mikogami was telling the truth.

The sound of their footsteps echoed down the hallway as they finally arrived at the next table.

"Okay, let's see here." She quickly read the instructions taped to the table. "Get the ball out of the flask without turning it over or breaking the flask — Sekirei can't use their powers. The ball is the key you need from this puzzle." Yukari tried to pick up the small glass bottle, but it was fastened to the table. She dropped to her knees to look at better. It had a very narrow top, making it impossible to fit a finger inside, much less a hand. It looked like something right out of one of her science classes.

"Do you have any ideas, Mistress?" Shiina asked.

"None yet. Let's see what we have to work with." Yukari got back to her feet and looked over the table. There were some styrofoam cups, popsicle sticks, and what looked like a cooler. Yukari picked up a stick and slid it into the neck of the flask. She could move the ball around, but there was no way to pick it up. "Shiina, what's in the cooler?"

Shiina opened it. "Looks like bottles of water."

"Bottles of water?" Yukari stared at the flask. That wouldn't help, would it? The ball wouldn't— "That's it! Shiina, give me one." She unscrewed the cap and poured it into the flask, grinning as the ball rose to the top. It must've been hollow or something. She snatched it and grabbed Shiina's hand. "Let's go!"

They ran. Without the phone MBI had given them they didn't have a map, but she figured the nearest door wouldn't be far…

Sure enough, it wasn't long till they arrived at one and handed over the three pieces they had gotten, where an MBI soldier checked off the objects on a clipboard. "All right, you're clear."

Thanking him, they passed through the door into a large room, completely barren except for a set of steps leading up to a platform in the center, where a Jinki sat on a pedestal. They quickly headed towards it.

"At least you're good for something." Yukari turned her head. Amebane and Yashiro Itsuki had also just entered the room from a different door. "Now we can fight properly."

"I want a Jinki!" Yashiro protested. "This is a contest. I'm good at them."

"Shut up, you stupid girl!" Amebane snapped.

"Hey, don't talk to her that way!" Yukari yelled.

"Ohhh. Yukari Sahashi and Shiina, number one hundred and seven." Amebane smiled bloodthirstily. "This'll be fun. Aren't you two the Demon Ashikabi and the Death God Sekirei?"

"Yeah, we are," Yukari said proudly.

"Yukari, get the Jinki," Shiina said, keeping a wary eye on the pair. He stepped in front of Yukari. "That'll end the match."

"Don't be stupid. Why don't we have some fun first?" Amebane threw his cape off, revealing a lean body clearly accustomed to combat. "Let's see what you can do, Death God!" He ran forward, throwing a punch.

Shiina jumped back, dodging the attack that left a crater on the floor. He threw his hand out, releasing his own power, halting Amebane's charge, but the other Sekirei jumped upward, avoiding the attack. Yukari clenched her hand, staring at the pair. Shiina was still weak against martial artists despite the experience they'd gained. His own abilities took too long to recover to consistently defend himself against a series of swift attacks.

Movement to the side drew Yukari's attention. Yashiro was heading up the steps, clearly planning on getting the Jinki. Yukari hesitated for a moment, then sprinted after her, turning her back on the fight.

Her legs flashed as she flew up the stairs, hours of patrolling after dark giving her the strength and endurance to catch up and pass Yashiro, getting her to the podium first. Her hand grasped the Jinki, and Yukari whirled, turning to look back at the combatants behind her. Shiina was still between Amebane and the stairs, but he was limping slightly, his outstretched hand shaking.

"Hey!" Yukari yelled. "The match is over!"

"Like I care about that. I'm having fun!" Amebane snapped. He rushed forward.

"Death Flower!" Shiina shouted, power flashing from his fingers.

Amebane dodged the attack with an ease that made it almost insulting, bringing his right fist up in a punch that smashed into Shiina's temple. A moment later his left hand landed a blow to Shiina's chest, causing a sickening crack that warned of broken ribs. Shiina staggered back, leaving himself open for a follow-up attack that landed with enough force to launch him into the air, sending him crashing into the steps a few feet from Yukari.

Yukari grasped the Jinki tighter, avoiding Yashiro's attempts at grabbing it, feeling helpless. She wished she was like her brother; Shirou had fought Sekirei on his own. If only she had that training she could have helped Shiina, but most Ashikabi were useless in a fight except for…

Her eyes narrowed, and she glared at Yashiro. "Want this? Go get it!" She turned and threw the Jinki as hard as she could, in the opposite direction of the fight.

"My Jinki!" Yashiro wailed, and charged after it, down the stairs on the far side of the podium.

Yukari ignored her, running down the stairs to kneel by Shiina's side. He was struggling to push himself to his feet, but was having trouble breathing.

"Some Death God. More like dead meat." Amebane slowly crossed the floor and began to climb the stairs with an arrogant swagger. Yukari turned her attention back to Shiina, pressing her lips to hers, feeling electricity flash between them. Amebane laughed. "You think his Norito is going to save him? He can't even stand up."

"I believe in him," Yukari said. She rose and stood between Shiina and Amebane, her back straight, shoulders unbowed as she looked at him like she wasn't half as scared of him as she felt. "And you're going to lose!"

"Like you can stop me," Amebane sneered. "You want to see a Norito? I'll show you one. Get over here, girl!"

But Yashiro was on the other side of the room, scooping up the Jinki. Yukari smirked as she felt Shiina's hand take hers, a chant starting softly behind her as he slowly pulled himself up. His arm settled around her waist, holding on tightly.

"Damned useless thing!" Amebane snarled, and jumped forward, fist held high, aiming for Yukari's head. "I'll take you both out myself!"

"Death Wings!" Shiina shouted. Transparent wings, veined and sickly looking, swept out around Yukari to grasp Amebane. "The wings of the angel of death embrace you — and induce eternal slumber!" Shiina hissed, his words tumbling quickly from his mouth. The wings wrapped around Amebane, melting his clothes and his flesh, almost as if he were a toy doll that had been thrust into a fire.

Yukari swallowed hard as she watched Shiina's power fade and Amebane's body fall unmoving to the ground, a grotesque warped thing. Shiina leaned against her, breathing hard. She turned from the scene to look at him. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be all right." Shiina gave the defeated Sekirei a dark look. "Never threaten my Ashikabi again."

Yukari thought that was a bit redundant, since Amebane clearly couldn't move. In fact, she was pretty sure he was dead. "Let's get out of here." She glanced over at Yashiro, who was staring in shock at Amebane's body, the Jinki held in a weak grip. For a moment Yukari considered going and retrieving her prize, but then decided not to bother. Shiina's health was more important.

The pair crossed the arena and headed out the door, eventually finding the door they had used to enter the outer ring in the first place. "We need to get you to a hospital," Yukari said, one hand around Shiina's shoulders as they walked slowly. He was clearly in pain, favoring one leg while wrapping one arm carefully around his midsection.

"We'll take care of it, Yukari."

"Mom!" Yukari shouted as Takami came forward and led them to a waiting crew of MBI scientists, who promptly swarmed Shiina.

"Here. You left this." Takami passed her the Jinki, and Yukari blinked at it. "Itsuki's out of the Plan since her Sekirei was terminated. You reached it first, so it's yours."

"Thanks." Her hand curled around the prize. She wasn't sure it was worth it, considering the shape Shiina was in.

"And you'll need this. I imagine Shirou's panicking," Takami said dryly as she handed over Yukari's phone.

"Serves him right, after what he pulled during the Third Match," Yukari grumbled.

Takami smiled, a smirk passing over her face. "Indeed. Still, it wouldn't be a bad idea to call him. I've made sure you can stay with Shiina until they release him. If you need my help, just call."

"I will," Yukari promised. She watched her mother walk away, exhaustion hitting her like a hammer as the adrenaline finally gave out.

"Congratulations!" Yukari turned to see Hayato Mikogami walking towards her, his Sekirei at his side.

"Thanks for your help earlier," Yukari said. She hesitated for a moment, then added, "though I'm not quite sure why you did it."

Mikogami waved his hand. "It's clear they're using the matches to weed out the competition. I wouldn't have minded getting another Jinki, but making sure you have good opponents is important too. You played fair, and your Sekirei is clearly skilled. What's the point of getting to the final round if the competition isn't interesting?" He grinned. "I expect soon enough we'll be down to just those who have a Jinki. We'll fight it out for real then."

"I guess so," Yukari said, trying to be nonchalant. Inside she was pushing down panic. As much as she might joke about defeating her brother in battle to force him to return to the side of good, she didn't want to fight Shirou. Not only because she loved him, but because he had already shown he was deadly by himself. She didn't think he'd hurt her…

But she'd never thought he'd threaten to kill all the Sekirei or invade MBI either.

Mikogami nodded to her and then left. Yukari found herself a place to sit where she could still see Shiina and dialed her brother's number.

"Hey, Yukari."

Shirou's warm voice made her smile. "Did you see me, Oniichan?" she asked. Despite her exhaustion, she couldn't keep her pride out of her voice. "I won!"

"I did. Do you want to come over? We'll throw you a party."

Yukari hesitated. On the one hand, she would really enjoy seeing her bother again, and being around Shirou's Sekirei made her feel safe. Not only were there a lot of them, and they were very strong, but Miya's house felt more secure than practically anywhere else she'd been during the Plan. On the other, though, Shiina was clearly not feeling well and probably wouldn't be up to a party. "Tomorrow, maybe? Now that it's all over, I'm a little tired."

"Tomorrow. We'll do a late lunch," Shirou promised. "I'll even make a special dessert. What do you want?"

"Ice cream sandwiches with homemade cookies!" Yukari declared after a moment of thought. She'd loved the desserts Shirou had sent, and ice cream sandwiches were a favorite of hers. "And tempura for lunch, all kinds!"

"No problem," Shirou said. He hesitated a moment, and then added, "I'm proud of you."

Her breath caught in surprise. "Oniichan…" Yukari beamed, cradling her phone. She had missed having a brother for a long time. Now that Shirou was back she wasn't always quite sure what to expect — but it felt wonderful to hear his confidence. "Well, I couldn't let you down, could I?"

"I never expected you to."

Yukari paused, weighing her next question in her mind. On one hand, she doubted her brother would like it. On the other, she really thought that she needed this. "Hey, Oniichan? Can Shiina and I come to your practice? I think it would be good for him to work with Musubi."

"Sure," Shirou said, sounding surprised.

Yukari nodded to herself, glad he hadn't fought her on it. She had heard about the daily practice sessions from Musubi on Saturday, and after today, she fully intended to get in as much training as she could. Not just for Shiina, but for herself as well. Shirou fought beside his Sekirei; she might not be able to use a sword, but she bet her brother could teach her how to be a better partner for Shiina. Yukari glanced at one of the scientists, waving to get her attention. "I have to go for now, but I'll see you tomorrow, Oniichan."

"Yeah. See you tomorrow."

Yukari hung up and headed over to listen to the man explain Shiina's injuries, her mind already planning for tomorrow.

I stood in the kitchen, various ingredients before me as I worked quickly, preparing for Yukari's party. My mind wasn't on what I was doing, however. It was stuck reviewing the match from yesterday, which had revealed quite a few things about the participants.

I'd known that Mikogami had a preference for games, but had been unaware that he took rules so seriously. It was a good thing to know for dealing with him in the future. He'd managed to beat two puzzles before running into Yukari, but had taken it into his own hands to enforce the rules rather than focus on proceeding. I had to wonder about that. Given how much time MBI spent investigating the Ashikabi, it was quite possible they had predicted that and Mikogami might've been included not as a participant but primarily as a referee.

Orihiko had proven an interesting case. From what I remembered of his file, he was fairly intelligent, but it appeared that most of the puzzles had frustrated him. He and Kaho had only managed to win one of the key pieces. I couldn't blame him, since from what I had seen, a number of the challenges were… well, strange. Thankfully, Mutsu's fight with Yahan had kept him busy long enough that he didn't have time to confront Orihiko before the match was over. I didn't want to think about Musubi having to watch a friend of hers be terminated. Still, seeing Kaho had pushed Musubi's enthusiasm to even higher than it had been before, something I hadn't thought possible.

I was glad that both Amebane and Yahan had been terminated — Amebane mostly because of how he interacted with his Ashikabi, which had caused no small amount of distress among my Sekirei as they'd watched the match. As for Yahan, I'd severely underestimated her potential. She'd managed to keep up with a single digit without using her Norito. It was possible that she'd have won if she hadn't left her Ashikabi elsewhere for his own protection.

Clearly there were some Sekirei who knew how to use stealth to their advantage. I'd had Matsu double check, but all the Sekirei who had any abilities that would lend themselves well to underhanded tactics were already terminated, which was a relief.

The last pair of the match had surprised me more than I thought they would. Shiina had clearly shown his weakness in countering rapid attacks, but Yukari had been the one to make my heart stop, standing between Amebane and his target without a trace of fear. Shiina's Norito had also shocked me. I knew that he and Kuu, the last two Sekirei, hadn't had their adjustments quite finished, and that Shiina's powers of decay were nothing to dismiss. I hadn't, though, expected something like that, pretty much a one-hit kill. It had surprised us all.

Well, all of us except for Miya, who had only smiled, saying that the true power of a Sekirei came from the heart. Shiina cared for my sister; when Yukari was in danger, he was a force that wouldn't easily be stopped.

Thinking about the fourth match in general, I wasn't really sure what Minaka's purpose had been. The outer ring had clearly been more focused on mental ability, letting the Ashikabi take center stage. Or at least, it had been designed that way, but letting others help had been a major blow to the validity of it. The inner arena, however, had been fitted with dozens of cameras. The wide open space had allowed MBI to catch the fight from multiple angles, showing it in all of its viciousness.

Takami might have wanted to encourage Ashikabi by showing their intelligence was as valuable as their Sekirei's abilities, but I suspected that Minaka's execution of her idea meant no one would take it that way.

I'd been working for a while when the sound of Miya's phone broke my concentration. I frowned as I looked at the clock. Yukari should've been here by now.

"Yes? Ah, Takami-san. No, he's here. How long? He's been in the kitchen for at least two hours — yes, I'll get him." Miya turned towards me. "Emiya-san, your mother wishes to speak to you."

Strange. Why hadn't she just called me directly? I wiped off my hands and went over to the phone. "Hello?"

"Shirou." Takami's voice was cold and tense. I frowned. Something was wrong. "I need you to come over to Yukari's apartment right away. She's been attacked."

Notes:

On the fourth match: The challenge with vial and the ball comes from Cardcaptor Sakura. Could also be used elsewhere, but that's where we pulled the idea.

Yahan and Reiji Koya are from the Sekirei PS2 game. We were thinking about making up a Sekirei with similar abilities, but then we checked the wiki and found out there was one already in existence, so we decided to use her instead. Since we haven't played the game, it's certainly possible we may have described her abilities incorrectly. If anyone can give specific areas there to improve on, let us know and we'll try to tweak it a bit.

The Amebane vs. Shiina fight is very similar to the one in the manga. We wanted to use Sekirei that were not used in IF and were fairly certain he hadn't been defeated yet. We tried to change it up a bit, but it is pretty similar. A big thank you goes out to FernandelDeLaFrance; without his help, it would have been even worse.

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