Ice Chronicles

Chapter 14: A New Ally Pt. Two

Jason and I managed to elude Sai and Ichiya for the moment. The girl we saved finally regained consciousness, but she was a little terrified. Jason managed to calm her down and help her stand up. She was a fairly short, fair skinned girl with blue eyes and messy chin-length blond hair. She looked fairly petite, wearing a blue long sleeved blouse with a white collar and a matching ruffled skirt, knee high black boots and white stockings that stop just above her knees.

"What's your name?" Jason asked her. She looked very nervous.

"I'm K-Kuno," she introduced. Jason smiled at her.

"Kuno; it's a beautiful name. My name is Jason," he replied.

"I'm Ren," I said looking behind the corner. I didn't see the enemy so now is probably a good chance.

"Guys, let's move now while we have the chance."

"Alright," Jason replied. He looked at Kuno, who still looked scared.

"Don't be scared Kuno; we're here for you. Nothing is gonna happen to you," he reassured her. She blushed and nodded. We ran out of the alleyway and headed towards the inn. We made sure to stay out sight whenever we could. Everything was going alright; until Ichiya came down with a megaton kick and shattered the ground beneath her. We managed to jump out of the way just in time, but Jason and I got separated. Kuno was right beside him, holding on for dear life. Ichiya smiled and laughed.

"I'm amazed you managed to elude us for so long; but now neither of you can run," she stated. Out from behind Jason, I saw Sai's blades fly out.

"Jason, look out behind you!" I shouted. He quickly turned his head and saw the blades coming. He pushed Kuno out of the way right before the blade hit him in the shoulder and side. Blood splattered on the ground as he kneeled in pain. Then, Sai walked out with a wicked smile on her face. She stood in front of Jason.

"Did you really think you could escape from us?" She questioned. Jason managed a small chuckle.

"Actually; I did, but I guess I was wrong. It doesn't matter though," he replied.

"Let's see you think that after you die," she said and stepped back. She threw her weapons at Jason; but suddenly, there was this loud screech that forced everyone to cover their ears. The screech forced Sai to retract the blades before it hit Jason, allowing him to stand up and step back. I looked over at Kuno and saw her breathing heavily with her mouth wide open. She fell back, but Jason caught her just in time. I was about to run to them, but Ichiya stopped me by throwing a high kick. I ducked and went for the leg sweep, but she jumped over it and came back down with another kick. I held my arms together and blocked the attack, making her backflip off it and land back on her feet. She smiled at me.

"Not bad for a human; I'm actually impressed," she said.

"I have a fist type sekirei and watched a few of her moves. I may not have the right experience, but it's good enough," I replied.

"Then let's see how much you know," Ichiya stated. She charged forward, but the speed was much faster than before. I barely managed to get out of the way. She kicked the wall, making a giant hole in it.

"You have some pretty good reflexes; however, I'm afraid you're still too slow."

She dashed again with her speed even faster, I could only see her for a second before I got kicked in the stomach. I endured the pain and caught her leg, but she used her free one to kick me in the back of the head. I instantly let go of her leg and jumped back. I rubbed the back of my head.

"I'll give you guts for trying, but you're a fool if you thought it would work."

"You can't blame me for trying," I replied. I looked back at Jason and Kuno. They were managing themselves, but Jason's injuries were starting to catch up to him. His movements were slowing down and the wound itself was too deep.

"Always keep your eye on your surroundings," Ichiya stated. She threw another high kick, but I could feel where it would land and held up my arm in defense, blocking the attack and surprising me and Ichiya. I ran towards Jason, hoping Ichiya would follow. Sai saw me running towards her and launched her blades. I smiled and jumped to the side, revealing Ichiya, who charged head on into the blades. The two stopped only inches apart, allowing Jason and I to escape with Kuno. There was a building we hid behind.

"Is everyone okay?" I asked.

"I'm fine," Kuno replied, but Jason didn't say anything. I looked at him and saw him sitting on his butt with his back against the wall. There was a puddle of blood near him.

"Jason, are you alright man?" I asked him. He could only nod his head. I ripped off my sleeve and handed it to Kuno.

"Kuno, wrap this around Jason's shoulder. The wound on his side is too deep to heal so we have to get him medical help immediately."

"O-Okay," she replied with a quick nod. While she tended to Jason's shoulder, I peeked around at the corner. I could see Sai and Ichiya looking around the perimeter. They didn't know where we were, which is good; but now we can't get help.

'Man this is a tough situation. I can't call for backup, Jason's injured, and if Kuno tries to fight, she'll only hurt herself. Matsu, I hope you're watching because we really need help.' I said in deep thought. Suddenly, I heard someone crying. I looked at Jason and saw Kuno in tears.

"Kuno, what's the matter?" Jason managed to ask. She wiped her tears, but a never ending stream kept flowing.

"I'm sorry; it's my fault that you two are in this situation. If only you wouldn't have saved me then this wouldn't have ever happened. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Kuno apologetically replied with tears falling out of her eyes. Jason stood up and looked at her. His eyes were different, like there was an intense fire boiling. It's not anger, but more like determination. He grabbed Kuno's hand and pulled her into a tight embrace. He gently rubbed the back of her head.

"Kuno, don't cry; I promised I would protect you and I'll do just that. Don't blame yourself for what's happening; it's not your fault. It's thanks to you that I'm still alive. You saved me. Now it's my turn to save you. I won't let them take you. Not now, not ever," Jason declared. Kuno was speechless. More tears filled her eyes and flowed down.

"Why? Why are you going so far for me? Why are you doing all this?" She interrogated. Jason continued stroking her hair.

"Because we're connected; I saw you in a dream. You were so sad and lonely, and I couldn't just leave you alone like that. I could feel your sadness, your loneliness; and your desire to find your ashikabi," Jason told her. She gasped.

"Well I'm here now, and everything will be alright."

He leaned back and looked Kuno in the eye. He wiped the tears from her face, making her blush brightly.

"Kuno, will you be my sekirei? I want you to be with me."

She looked down again like she was about to cry. She looked back at Jason and finally smiled.

"I want to be with you," she stated. Jason returned her smile, and they kissed each other. Kuno's wings flashed brightly and fluttered. I leaned against the wall with crossed arms. I formed a smile and thought to myself.

'Our position is compromised, but it's for a good reason.'

They broke the kiss and Kuno completed the ceremony.

"Are you guys ready? It's time to move," I said.

"Ready when you are," Jason replied.

"So you guys finally decided not to run anymore," Sai stated dropping down from the sky. Ichiya soon dropped beside her and cracked her knuckles.

"I've had enough of your cowardice. Now it's time to finish business," she said. I could hear Jason whisper something to Kuno. After he got done, they took off running; but Sai saw them and threw her weapons. The string wrapped around Kuno's leg and she fell to the ground. Jason tried to untie her, but it was practically clamped to her leg. Sai threw the remaining blades at Jason and Kuno. I was about to act, but Ichiya caught up to me and threw a punch. I blocked it with my wrist and held our arms up in the air.

"Kuno has already been winged. She's with her ashikabi now so your mission is a failure," I told her. She smiled and laughed, which confused me. That's when I received a kick to the face and crashed into the wall hard. I got hit so hard that I left a mark. The breath got knocked out of me and I fell to the ground. I struggled to get back on my feet, but it was difficult. I stood on my knees and spit a little blood. I looked at Jason and saw him and Kuno pinned down by Sai's blade. She walked over to Jason and stomped on his stomach. He winced at the pain, and she formed a wicked smile because of it. She kept stomping on his stomach until he spit up blood.

"No! Stop! Leave him alone!" Kuno yelled. Sai paid her no mind.

"As much as a fun punching bag you make, I'm starting to get bored. Now I'll finish you," she stated. She raised her hand and a blade went up in the air. I stood up on my feet and charged at her, but Ichiya cut me off.

"Don't forget that I'm your opponent," she said and threw a swift high kick. I managed to duck and sweep her from under. As she fell, she held her hand out and used it to catch herself. I looked back at Jason and Kuno. He was struggling to get free, but Sai kept him in place by stomping on his stomach again.

"Once I kill you, the sekirei you've winged will also be terminated," she said and lowered her fingers. The blade dove straight down. It was about to hit; until a fireball suddenly hit the blade and deflected it. Then, the blade's strings surrounding Kuno and Jason unexpectedly split, allowing them to move again; however, Jason was too wounded to stand. Then, these prickly thorns flew out of nowhere and soared at Ichiya and Sai. The two dodged, but didn't see the fireball coming at them. They got hit and hit the wall.

I was surprised and relieved at the same time. That's when I saw three people appear. One was a man with short, messy silver hair. He was wearing a long black coat with a mask covering the bottom half of his face. The other two happened to be Ikki and Kusano, who was carrying a small potted plant. The man summoned another fireball and shot it at Ichiya. She jumped to the side out of its path. Ku and Ikki saw Jason on the ground and immediately ran to him.

"Jason, Jason are you okay?" Ikki asked.

"Big brother please be alright," Kusano stated. He managed a small chuckle and smiled.

"I'm okay girls. I'm okay," he whispered loudly. "I'm really glad to see you girls."

They smiled wide and hugged him tightly.

"Girls, please not so hard."

They eased up, and Ikki helped him stand up. They saw Kuno walking towards them.

"Jason, who is this?" Ikki questioned.

"This is sekirei no. 95, Kuno; she's part of the family now," Jason replied.

"H-Hello, I'm Kuno," she said nervously.

I looked at the man fighting Sai and Ichiya. I feel as though we've met before. I don't know why but I want to say it's Kagari. The hair and eyes are exactly like Kagari's. Even the voices match. He jumped back and landed beside me.

"You okay?" the guy asked.

"Yeah, thanks for saving us," I replied. "Who are you?"

"The name's Homura. I'm a guardian of sekirei; it's my job to protect the weak ones until they find their ashikabi," he replied.

"Homura; I really appreciate the help. Honestly, I thought it was gonna be the end for us," I said.

"You can relax now. I can handle this myself. You need to get Jason out of here," Homura stated.

'If he knows Jason's name, then he must be Kagari; however, he did hear Ikki and Kusano say it so that could be the reason.' I said in my head.

"If you say so," I replied and walked over to Jason's group.

"We need to get Jason back home. You guys hurry on ahead, and I'll see you when I get there."

"We're on it," Ikki replied. She hefted Jason onto her back.

"Ren, thanks for the help man," Jason stated smiling.

"Anytime Jason; I'm already here to help," I replied. I felt someone tug on my arm and saw it was Kuno.

"Um, thanks for saving me," she said.

"My pleasure Kuno," I responded. "Now get going."

They nodded and left after Jason and I fist bumped. I ran back to where Jason and I left the groceries but they were already gone. I was hoping someone didn't steal them and they were with Jason. I just shrugged my shoulders and walked back to the inn. I stepped into the walkway and heard someone shout,

"Ren!"

On instinct, I looked up and saw Tskumi falling down. It was too late to react so she crashed into me and we fell to the ground. I rubbed my head and opened my eyes to find Tskumi hovering above me. I cupped both her cheeks, but she didn't blush.

"Tskumi; I'm so glad to see you," I told her. She touched the scar on my cheek. It stung a little, but her touch weakened the feeling.

"Ren, I was so worried about you. I'm glad you're safe. If something happened to you, I would've died," she replied. I stroked her hair gently.

"It's okay Tskumi; I'm alright. For now, let's forget about it," I told her. She nodded and helped me stand up. We walked inside, where I was suddenly hugged by a worried Kazehana. I returned her hug.

"I missed you too Kazehana. I missed you too."

"Are you okay? You're not hurt are you?" Kazehana asked.

"I'm fine; it's a few scrapes, but I'm fine," I reassured her. The three of us walked into the living room. Miya and Takehito were in here, but Seo and the lightning twins were gone.

"Ren, there you are. You and Jason had us all worried," Miya stated.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that, but I'm sure you could tell what happened," I replied. I sat down and relaxed. Tskumi and Kazehana sat down too and rested their heads on my shoulders. Miya couldn't help but giggle.

"Your sekirei were extremely worried when you were gone for so long. What happened really?" she asked.

"Well, right after Jason and I got the items you wanted, he told me he heard a cry for help. We went after the crying and saw this sekirei, whom you've just met, being attacked by another pair of sekirei. We managed to escape with her a few times, but we kept getting cornered. We were almost finished until Jason's sekirei and this guy named Homura showed up and saved us.

"Homura? He was there as well?" Tskumi asked.

"You know him Tskumi?" I asked back.

"Yes! He's my all-time rival. I must remember to thank him the next time I see him," she replied.

"Thanks to him and Jason's girls, we managed to get back here safely. Though I have no idea where the items you requested went to. When I went back to get them, they were already gone," I stated.

"Well you're in luck; Jason and the others grabbed them before arriving," Takehito said to my relief.

"Speaking of which, where is Jason?" I asked.

"He's upstairs in his room recuperating. After what happened, it was highly necessary," Miya spoke up.

"I'm glad," I replied. "I better head home too. I could use a little rest myself."

"Thanks for coming Ren; I hope you come back to visit," Miya said. I nodded and stood up. I was a little weak, but I managed.

"Oh Ren, before you go,"

Suddenly, Takehito and Miya joined forces and summoned their demonic auras at the same time. I just looked unaffected, but really I passed out from the combination. I could hear one phrase from each.

"Kazehana, remember to control your drinking around Ren; he's still too young to pick up your bad habits," Miya scolded.

"And Ren, remember what I told you about taking care of your sekirei," Takehito told me. That's when my being returned and I regained consciousness. Common sense told me not to ask what happened, so I just nodded yes. After that, we left the inn and walked hand in hand back home. On the way there, I finally heard something; it sounded like heavy breathing. I tried to pinpoint its location, but I couldn't.

"Ren, is something wrong?" Tskumi asked breaking me out of my thoughts.

"I thought I just heard something; it's gone now," I answered.

"You really need to lie down. You've been through a lot," Kazehana said. We finally arrived back home at around two in the afternoon. When I opened the door, my eyes widened. I was greeted by Akitsu, and she was wearing a white maid's outfit. She had her hands in front of her and bowed.

'I hope she doesn't say that phrase. This whole thing fits her perfectly and I mean PERFECTLY.' I thought.

"Welcome home master," Akitsu greeted.

"Hey Akitsu, I'm home," I replied.

'Please don't say that line. Please don't say that line.' I repeated in thought. We walked inside after Akitsu held her hand out telling us to walk in.

"Akitsu, why are you wearing a maid outfit? I'm not saying I don't like it; you look really cute in it. Though why are you wearing it and where did you get it from?" I asked.

"Uzume gave this to wear whenever I help around the house. She also said you would like it," she told me. "Thank you for the compliment master."

"Where are the others?" Tskumi asked.

"They're in Matsu's room. Uzume has also returned. Shall I go get them?" Akitsu asked.

"No that's okay; I'll go," I replied. I went upstairs and slowly opened the door to Matsu and Yomi's room. Upon entry, the rest of my girls were also wearing maid outfits. Musubi in a pink one, Yomi in a black one, Matsu in an orange one, and Uzume in a lighter pink one; they saw me and bowed.

"Welcome home master," they said at the exact same time. I heard Tskumi, Kazehana, and Akitsu walk up from behind.

"What do you think you're doing?" Tskumi interrogated. Yomi reacted by linking her arm around mine. Matsu did the same.

"We're serving our master," they replied. Then Musubi, Akitsu, and Uzume all held onto me with a warm smile.

'What have I gotten myself into now?' I pondered.

A/N: Here's the end of this chapter. I hope it's too your liking. I also hope you're happy with my choice for Jason and the buildup between him and Kuno. I also apologize if I got Kuno's personality wrong in any way. I appreciate the reviews from you guys and hope you continue to grace me with them. I have thought of other sekirei for Jason I just have to think of a way to reveal them. I also really need help with ideas because I am running out and I've been using the ones people have been messaging me. Well with something to think about, this has been MalevolentDarkness16 wishing you a great one.