Ice Chronicles
Chapter 24: Final Entities Finale
Jason and I were out on a little walk. I was hoping to cheer him up after hearing his story, but it didn't work. I was about to try something else, until it started. I looked towards a building and saw four jumping across the rooftop. I check to be sure and exactly counted four; it was time to act. I saw their heads turn our way and it felt like time stopped when her eyes met mine. I looked back at Jason and told him two choices.
"Jason; I want you listen to me; at this very moment, our dream about the sekirei running across the rooftops is happening. You have to make a choice right now. You can stay here and watch your sekirei get hurt; or you can help me save them. If you don't want to be useless, this is your chance to prove it. But if you decide not to, then you'll be betraying your sekirei, my sekirei, yourself; and even Sabrina," I told him. He gasped and became wide-eyed. Jason tightened his fist and looked at the ground.
"It's your choice; I can't persuade you on this. Only you can decide how you act. Now what's your choice; and time is of the essence."
"I…I," he began. I took out my phone and turned my back to him. I quickly dialed Matsu and waited for her to pick up.
"Hello Ren," she greeted.
"Matsu; it's time," I stated. "I'm ready to act."
"I see. So what's the plan?" She asked. I started walking to a building that would meet up with the sekirei.
"For now, keep a watch on Jason and me. I want you to have the laser constantly ready to fire on my command," I explained.
"Okay, I gotcha; but there will be a two minute interval between charging," she pointed out.
"That's okay; we have two sekirei ready to help. If things get too tough, I'll call for you to send the others to our position," I replied.
"Okay, what about commands?" Matsu questioned. I continued walking, looking back to see if Jason is following; but he stayed in the same place.
"I'll text my initials. That will be the signal to fire the laser," I answered.
"Understood; I already have it ready," she replied. I smiled at her statement.
"Thanks Matsu; I want you to standby for any new orders," I told her.
"I got it. Be careful out there Ren," she warned. I couldn't help but chuckle.
"You should know me well enough Matsu. I don't find trouble; trouble finds me," I stated and hung up the phone. I showed a serious expression and picked up the pace. That's when I heard someone tailing behind me. I didn't bother turning around and kept forward.
"So you've finally decided?" I asked. Jason appeared beside me with the same serious expression.
"I couldn't help Sabrina; but I can help my sekirei. I won't sit back and watch her suffer," he stated. "Sabrina would never forgive me if I just sat around and didn't do anything. So that's why I won't back down."
That was the sentence I wanted to hear. I smiled and started chanting.
"The lightning flashed and the thunder crashed; make my speed reach a pinnacle that cannot be surpassed. Lightning and thunder fuse inside this being. Make my speed increase further. Grant me the power, of Zonin Thunder."
The blue aura appeared around me. I bent down as if I was about to take off, allowing Jason to get on my back.
"Hold on tight," I told him. Jason nodded his head and tightened his grip. I took off like lightning and ran to where the girls would land. Jason got off my back, and we waited.
"How do you know they'll land here?" He asked. I pointed in front of us. There was no buildings close enough for them to jump to, so this is practically a dead end.
"Unless they can jump an eighty foot gap, then I don't see anywhere else for them to go," I told him. I looked up at the roof and saw a piece fall towards us, letting me know that they've arrive. I saw one stick their heads out to look below, and I waved my arms in the air. The other peeked over too, and they jumped down in front of us. Now we get a clear look at the girls. One had long black hair with a bow and brown eyes. She is wearing a Yukata with a tied bow around her waist. Her weapon is a naginata, a long pole with a curved blade on the end.
The other was a tall woman close to my height with long dark green hair and blue eyes. She is wearing a blue and white tight belly-top, which reveals a lot of cleavage and the sekirei crest on her left breast. She wore dark long gloves, stockings held by a garter over her bloomers, and thigh length boots to compliment her appearance. Her weapon was a black staff. The two smiled at us, and I returned it.
"So we finally meet; I've been looking forward to meeting you," I told the tall one. She nodded her head and continued to smile.
"I've been waiting also," she replied. Jason walked to the other girl.
"It's nice to finally meet you," he stated. She nodded her head.
"I've wanted to meet you for a long time," she said.
"Well your wait is finally over," I told them. I looked back at the tall one.
"My name is Ren Zonin."
"I'm Jason Dax," Jason introduced.
"Sekirei no. 16, Toyotama," she introduced.
"And I'm sekirei no. 87, Kaho," she announced.
"Number 87? Then are you the friend my Musubi has been talking about?" I asked her. Kaho turned her focus to me.
"You're Musubi's ashikabi?" She asked back. I nodded yes.
"She told me one day that her friend was in trouble. Now I know that you're her friend," I replied. That's when Toyotama touched my broken arm.
"What happened to you?" She asked. I scratched the back of my head.
"This is what happens when you block Benitsubasa of the Disciplinary Squad's Pulverizer and crash into a light post back first," I explained. The girls looked at me flabbergasted.
"Did you say Disciplinary Squad?" Toyotama interrogated. I blinked and nodded yes.
"That's the duo who's been chasing us," Kaho stated.
"What?" Jason and I said in unison. Toyotama groaned.
"Yes, they were chasing us because we haven't won a single victory yet; and it's because of you two," she told us.
"Us?" Jason asked pointing to himself. "How is it our fault?"
"Because whenever we get close enough, their hearts race and it causes them to react while fighting," I explained. Toyotama giggled at me.
"You are correct; but now I can fight to my full potential now that we found you," she stated. I looked back up at the rooftop, thinking of a plan. After coming up with one, I smiled.
"Then you'll get the chance to fight again. I have a plan," I stated. "The squad doesn't know you're down here, so they should still be up at the rooftop. I will distract them, and you two will take the opportunity to attack."
Toyotama smiled at me.
"I love it; let's do it," she stated.
"Wait; you can't do this. You're not in any condition to fight," Jason stated. "And that broken arm of yours proves it."
That's another sentence I wanted to hear. I gripped the veils and ripped them off. I then pounded my knuckles together.
"But your arm," Jason pointed out.
"Isn't broken; my arm is healed. It's just not at a hundred percent. And who said I would be the one fighting?" I questioned. I grabbed the ladder and started climbing up.
"You three go around and hide in the alleyway. Wait for the right moment and strike; I'll be back shortly."
I continued climbing the ladder, making sure not to put too much pressure on the arm. When I reached the top, I could see the squad closing in. I leaned against the wall and waited. Once they dropped down, I smiled and waved.
"Well if it isn't the Disciplinary Squad again. And to what do I owe this honor?" I asked. Benitsubasa pointed her finger at me surprised.
"You! What the hell are you doing here? Why are you meeting us again?" She interrogated. I put my finger under my chin.
"Well, I was just out on another walk. Then I saw you two and thought I should say hi," I told him.
"Cut the crap and tell us why you're really here," Benitsubasa ordered. I sighed and rubbed my neck.
"Still as short-tempered as ever I see," I said. I looked at Haihane and waved at her.
"Hi Haihane."
She smiled and returned my greeting.
"Hello," she said waving. Benitsubasa gritted her teeth and turned to look at Haihane.
"Don't wave at him you idiot. Can't you see he's up to something?" She interrogated. As she continued to yell at Haihane, I slowly took out my phone and started texting my initials. Benitsubasa turned back to me.
"I bet you're distracting us to let those sekirei escape. Well that's not going to happen. Those two refuse to fight, so we are ordered to terminate them. I promised Natsuo that I wouldn't hurt our adjuster's nephew; but that doesn't mean we will just stand by and let those two escape," she stated. I saw them take a step forward and sent the text. The two ran at me trying to pass, but a red laser came down and hit the space between us, causing the squad to stop in their tracks. They looked at me as I smiled and held up my phone.
"I have a brain type sekirei who really knows her stuff. So I have a laser ready to fire at the push of a button," I told them. Benitsubasa glared daggers at me.
"Those two sekirei belong to a friend and me. And I won't allow you or anyone to lay a finger on them; I don't care who you are. Things may have turned out bad for me last time, but I'm not the type of person who stays down."
I kept stalling so the laser would be ready to fire. When I heard the text receive chime, I smiled and quickly activated it again. While they were distracted, I climbed down the ladder the fast way; but when I got to ground floor, I saw Toyotama leaning against the wall.
"What are you still doing here?" I asked her. She leaned off the wall and proceeded towards me then cupped both my cheeks. She brought her face closer and kissed me on the lips, eliciting her wings to flash and flutter. She broke the kiss and smiled at me.
"Do you honestly think I would leave my ashikabi after waiting so long? I like your style; you normally play around, but you can be a total badass when it calls for it," she stated. Toyotama put her hands down and crossed them.
"Plus if I left those other two alone, then Kaho can be winged by her ashikabi."
"Well, I guess I can't argue with that one," I replied. "Let's catch up to them then."
She nodded in agreement. I picked her up bridal style, causing her squeal in surprise.
"It'll be faster this way," I told her. I moved my foot and could still feel the lightning. I took off running to where Jason and Kaho are waiting. Upon arrival, I created a wind stream and appeared in front of them. Kaho was surprised to see me, and Toyotama was surprised at how fast we arrived. I let her down, and they continued to stare at me.
"What?" I asked.
"You're so fast," Toyotama stated. I scratched my cheek.
"That's my ashikabi ability. I can move as fast as lightning and see things in slower motions," I explained. "But that's not important right now."
I peeked around the corner, but didn't see the Disciplinary Squad anywhere.
"Huh? Where did they go?"
All of a sudden,
"Claws of Execution!" Someone shouted. We all looked up and saw Haihane coming straight down with an indigo energy. We were about to move, but Jason got within the line of fire and blocked the attack with his arms, causing a powerful gale to kick up and blow random objects out of the alleyway.
"Whoa! That was so awesome. You stopped my claws cold; I'm now intrigued."
Jason held his arm vertically.
"Diamond Dax; unless you can break diamond, then you can't hurt me. This is my ashikabi ability," he replied. Kaho smiled at her ashikabi, and we moved out of the alleyway. The moment we did, Benitsubasa charged at us; but Toyotama grabbed her staff and met the attack, causing the two smiled at each other.
"Now I can finally fight without anything distracting me," Toyotama stated. She quickly backed off Haihane and skillfully started twirling the staff around. While she dealt with Benitsubasa and Kaho dealing with Haihane, Jason and I watched from the sidelines.
"So this is the Disciplinary Squad. Is this how they fought you?" Jason asked.
"It was actually two against one. If I didn't unlock my ability when I did, then I would've died for sure," I answered.
"Then shouldn't we be helping our sekirei?" Jason questioned. I smiled at his question.
"We are. Listen, you will help Kaho, and I will assist Toyotama. When I fought them, I could figure their weaknesses," I replied.
"Huh? Really? That's awesome; but how?" Jason asked.
"Benitsubasa is a fist-type like my Musubi. Whereas Haihane is like my Yomi; or in this case, your Ikki and Nanami," I explained. Jason looked confused.
"I still don't get it. The Benitsubasa thing yes, but how is Haihane similar to Ikki and Nanami?" he questioned.
"Look at Haihane and then imagine Ikki or Nanami. There's something similar about the three that will help Kaho win. You just have to figure it out," I told him. I held up my hand.
"Toyotama, the moment Benitsubasa starts pulling her arm back, get out of the way and counter."
"Gotcha," she replied. Toyotama did as I said and moved when Benitsubasa cocked her arm back. Toyotama then swung her staff, but Benitsubasa ducked to avoid it. I saw her about to follow up with a kick.
"Toyotama, her legs aren't as strong as her fists so the strongest force wins," I told her. She nodded and met the attack head on. The forces were equal and canceled each other out, causing both to slide back. Benitsubasa gritted her teeth while Toyotama just smiled at her.
"My ashikabi is a smart one isn't he?" She asked. "Thanks to his advice, I can match you blow for blow."
"We'll see about that," Benitsubasa stated. She rushed Toyotama, causing her to attack with her superior reach; however, Benitsubasa jumped over it and spun sideways. She had her arms out as she continued to spin. I knew what she was about to do and immediately informed Toyotama.
"Toyotama, don't even try blocking that. Get out of the way quickly," I commanded. Benitsubasa used the momentum from her spin to power up her attack.
"Extreme! Quake!" She yelled and punched the ground with tremendous force. Instead of a single line, the quake affected an approximate twenty-meter radius. The impact caused the earth to shatter beneath her and shake the area with the radius. Everyone basically lost their balance and tried to regain it. Some debris fell towards Jason and me, and I used my ability to get us out of the way before we ended up crushed.
"Hey watch where you're aiming!" Haihane yelled at Benitsubasa.
"Don't blame me; it's your fault for being within range," she retorted. While they argued, Kaho and Toyotama stayed by our side.
"Man this is great," Toyotama stated smiling happily. She looked at me.
"Ren, do you have any more advice for me?"
I thought about it for a while, but couldn't come up with anything that hasn't been stated.
"I've got nothing. The rest is all up to you," I told her. She nodded and then kissed me.
"Just in case," she replied. Kaho looked at Jason.
"Do you also have advice for me?" She asked him. I still refused to tell Jason a weakness, but I think he found out.
"Okay, try to lure Haihane into a wall so that when she attacks, her gauntlets will sink into the wall and she'll be stuck," he explained. I smiled and continued to look out of the corner of my eye.
"Hmhmhm, excellent tactic Jason; how did you know that's what she needed to do?" I questioned.
"You said her, Nanami, and Ikki are similar. The only thing I could think of is their weapons. If they can't move their weapons to attack, then their defenses will be lowered," Jason stated. I laughed harder this time.
"Jason; you just made me proud," I replied and texted Matsu again to fire the laser.
"What are you doing?" Jason asked.
"You'll see soon enough. Don't forget that I have a very special item at my disposal," I told him. The laser fired in between the squad and us. While the dust was up,
"Now, while they can't see."
Kaho and Toyotama jumped through the dust cloud to the other side. The next thing I hear is metal clashing. The dust disappeared, and we saw Kaho and Haihane deadlocked, trying to push the other. Haihane won the battle and charged head on. Kaho used the blade end to block the attack then added more force to push Haihane back. Kaho thrust the naginata repeatedly at rapid speed. Haihane did the same as Kaho and matched her speed. There were sparks flying everywhere. The girls were at a standstill. When one pushed the other, the other would regain composure and fight back.
Kaho was backed into a wall. Haihane rushed at her smiling devilishly.
"This is where you die!" She exclaimed. Kaho waited for the right moment and sidestepped out of the way then smack Haihane with the shaft of the naginata. Haihane went forward with her claws still out and crashed into the wall. Now once again, her claws were stuck in the wall.
"Ugh, damn it not again; why do I always fall for that?" She asked aloud. Haihane struggled to pull her gauntlets out, but had no luck what so ever. Kaho took the opportunity and attack. With a few twirls of her weapon, Kaho used the momentum gain and vertically slashed her naginata; however, before she landed her attack, something crashed down in between Kaho and Haihane. Everyone's focus turned towards the crash.
"What was that?" Jason asked.
"I don't know; it just came out of nowhere," I replied. Suddenly, something came out and charged at me. I quickly moved behind them and saw them stop in their tracks. The person kicked behind them, but I blocked it with my wrist. The person started to come clear to me, making my eyes widen as a result.
"Hmhmhmhm, still as good as ever; it was a good idea to come to this area," the person stated. I gritted my teeth.
"So you came after me again didn't you; Ichiya?" I interrogated. She smiled and back away.
"I enjoyed our last encounter so I wanted to fight you again. I see that you have improved; that'll make it all the more interesting," she replied. "You may have winged the last sekirei, but the announcement still hasn't been made. So my master wishes to put an end to your reign. Taking out your new sekirei will be enough, but I want something more."
I listened to her words carefully.
'So this is everyone's last resort. But where's Sai? Usually these two are inseparable.' I said in thought.
"Tell me, what is your master's name," I requested. Ichiya started chuckling.
"Sure I'll you, but it comes at a price," she replied and took a stance. I had no choice but to fight.
"Ren, look out!" Jason exclaimed. I quickly turned around and saw blades flying my way. Jason quickly got in the way and allowed the blades to hit him; but they bounced off with him not even having a single. That's when Sai walked out with a pissed grin on her face.
"Why are you always getting in my way?" She interrogated. "This has nothing to do with you so why do you keep interfering?"
"I don't have to answer that," I replied.
"Phew, thanks Jason; I owe you one," I stated.
"Don't turn your back on me!" Ichiya shouted and rushed me. I quickly turned back and moved my foot. I could still feel the thunder activated, but it's not as powerful as it was. That means my ability will wear off soon. I quickly shifted my foot to the right and ran in that direction, kicking up a stream of wind as I ended up behind her.
"What the; how did you?" she began. I was about to strike; but something tied around my arm and rendered them useless. It soon started cutting into my wrists, stinging me and causing my skin to peel. My legs soon were caught and stung in the same way.
"Crap, so she's here too," I stated. Right on cue, Mitsuki dropped down and her wires cut deeper into my skin. She had a pleased smile on her face.
"Now I found you. You've been a thorn in my master's backside for a while now; and now it's time to take you out," she stated. "With you out of the way, my master will have this game in the bag."
I smiled and chuckled at her statement, causing everyone to look at me crazy.
"Do you really think you should be laughing in this situation?"
"The better question is; do you really think your master is a threat to me?" I asked back.
"What?" Sai said.
"Your master is afraid of me. Why else would he send three of his sekirei just to fight me? He knows how powerful I've become and he's trying to get rid of me to have a better chance at winning," I stated. Mitsuki responded to that by tightening the wires around my limbs, telling me that she's now angry. I had to endure the pain long enough for them to pinpoint the wires location. If I fired the laser, it will only deepen the distance between Mitsuki and me and make the wires cut deeper.
"What's the matter Mitsuki? Did I say something to make you mad?"
"I won't allow anyone to talk bad about the master. He's not scared of you. He can kick your ass anytime," she replied angrily. I heard Ichiya charging at me; but Kaho managed to find the wire and cut me free and Toyotama came to my aid.
"Thanks girls; I owe you," I stated. I looked at my arms. They weren't bloody, but the skin is staring to peel.
"And you call my master scared, but you are always hiding behind your sekirei," Sai stated.
"Then your master and I are a lot alike," I stated.
"My master is nothing like you!" Sai yelled in anger
"You know you're right; he's nothing like me. I am a million times better than he'll ever be," I stated. I could see the anger spike in the three.
"You better watch what you say about my master you bastard," Mitsuki stated.
"I'll say whatever I want about him. He always watch from the sidelines, have his minions do his dirty work, and gets rid of anyone he thinks is useless. And the worst part is; he doesn't even love any of you. He only views you as tools," I said. I took out my phone and quickly fired the laser.
"Now I'm gonna show you the difference between your master and me."
The laser fired and hit the ground. Jason, Kaho, Toyotama, and I backed up back to back.
"Are you ready?" I asked.
"Whenever you are," Toyotama replied.
"Alright, three of them are close range attackers while the other two are long range. Haihane, Benitsubasa, and Ichiya are the close rangers. Sai and Mitsuki are the long range. With the close range, remember to act when they pull back. Long range people can't attack if their weapons are useless," I explained. Toyotama started laughing.
"This is gonna be so much fun," she said. Sai went first
"Toyotama; I'm letting you know that my ability has worn off," I warned her.
"As have mine Kaho," Jason said.
"It's okay; just leave it to us. We can hold them off until the others arrive," Toyotama stated.
"Right; we can handle this," Kaho announced.
"You two are gonna take on the five of us by yourselves? Talk about foolish," Benitsubasa stated. Sai was the first to act and launched her blades. The four of us moved out the way. I encountered Ichiya again and met her kick.
"I see that your speed has diminished. That's too bad; I was hoping I could get more out of you. Oh well," she said. Ichiya threw kick after kick, trying to land an attack. My ability hasn't completely worn off. I can't move as fast, but I can still see the attacks in slower motions. She threw one more kick, and I blocked it with my wrist.
"Hmhmhm, now this is what I'm talking about. You're a strange human aren't you? How are you able to match a sekirei? I have to know; who are you exactly?"
I stayed silent for a moment.
"I'm Ren Zonin; and I'm just your average human," I stated.
"That's a lie. No average human can match a sekirei in a fight; there has to be something about you," Ichiya stated. I shook my head no.
"There's nothing off about me. I do though have an ability that people rarely develop," I revealed. Her eyes started to widen.
"Is that so? Then show me!" Ichiya exclaimed and charged forward. She switched up styles and threw punches along with her kicks. I couldn't see their speed anymore, but I managed to block a few and then dodge the rest. With that little assault, I was able to analyze her attack patterns.
"Is this your ability to run like a coward?" She taunted.
"Bring it," I stated. Ichiya smiled and ran at me. She was about to step left, so I stepped right. She pulled her arm back, so I threw a kick to block. Ichiya jumped up and came down with a megaton kick, so I jumped back and threw another kick while her guard was down. She was surprised at how I could guess her movements.
"I see that you're surprised. I can understand why," I stated. I smiled at Ichiya, who in return gritted her teeth.
Suddenly, a blade came and flew right in front of me. I quickly moved back and saw more flying towards me. I couldn't get out of the way without a stray hitting me. That's when Toyotama came and blocked the blades with her staff.
"You okay?" She asked.
"Yeah, thanks to you," I replied. We stood back to back. Ichiya was facing me and Sai was facing Toyotama. Soon, Jason and Kaho joined us and now we're back to being surrounded.
"This is getting us nowhere. We may need to call for backup," Jason stated. I nodded in agreement.
"He's right; let's call the others," I said. This time, I moved faster to avoid getting my phone destroyed and fired the laser. It multi-fired and pelted the ground, giving us the perfect cover. Jason and I quickly dialed someone.
"Matsu," I stated.
"Homura," Jason called out.
"It's time," we said in unison.
The five rushed full speed at us; however, a certain someone has already arrived. A big twister formed around us, causing me to smile and chuckle.
"She really knows how to make an entrance," I stated. The others were looking around amazed.
"Now the gang's all here."
The twister dispersed and now many new presences arrived. Surrounding the enemy were my sekirei, excluding Matsu, and Jason's sekirei, excluding Kusano and Kuno.
"What? Where did they come from?" Ichiya questioned. Benitsubasa gritted her teeth while Haihane smiled happily.
"So we meet again you big breasted freaks!" Benitsubasa shouted. Kazehana was the first to laugh.
"Our dear ashikabi called for help, and we would never abandon our ashikabi," she stated.
"You see? You always hide behind your sekirei," Mitsuki stated.
"I said I would show you the difference between your master and me. Unlike your master, I actually care about my sekirei. I love my sekirei, which is why they can continue to grow stronger. And right now, none of you can defeat my sekirei. Plus you're all surrounded, so I suggest you retreat," I stated.
"I am seriously loving you more and more," Toyotama stated with a happy smile. The enemy gritted their teeth.
"Don't think this is over; we'll meet again," Benitsubasa stated. All five of them jumped off and retreated. I sighed in relief and turned to my sekirei, whom jumped me when they noticed the veils were off my arm. Jason's just gathered around him and embraced him.
"Sigh, I guess it was inevitable," I said. I wrapped my arms around my girls' waist.
"I'm glad to see everyone as well. You sure got here fast though."
"We were waiting for you to call," Yomi said. They got off me and helped me stand. Then they saw Toyotama, causing Tskumi to get angry. She grabbed me by the collar and started shaking me.
"Ren! Who is this woman? Explain yourself; I thought you were in danger and here you are with another woman. What do you have to say about yourself?!" She interrogated. Tskumi stopped shaking me, but I was dizzy as hell.
"She is sekirei no. 16, Toyotama," I introduced looking at the sky dizzily. "She is my newest and last sekirei."
"Nice to meet you all," Toyotama greeted. I managed to calm Tskumi down, but I had to hold her from behind to do it. I saw Musubi and Kaho walk towards each other.
"Kaho, it's nice to see you," Musubi greeted.
"The same to you Musubi," Kaho replied. "I never expected to see you so soon."
"Neither did I," Musubi said. "But I'm glad you finally chose your ashikabi."
Kaho smiled and nodded in agreement.
"I'm happy for you as well. But I say my ashikabi is better than yours," Kaho boasted. Musubi puffed her cheeks out.
"No way, Ren is the best ashikabi in the world," Musubi declared. Kaho then puffed her cheeks out.
"Jason is the best in the whole universe," she stated. The two went back and forth fighting over who's better. Jason and I soon had to break it up. They linked their ours with their respective ashikabi.
That's when my phone went off, and I saw it was Matsu.
"Ren, you guys did it. The last two sekirei have been winged. Takehito wants you guys back at the inn," she stated.
"Alright, we're on our way," I replied. I hung up the phone and replayed Matsu's message. We were about to move; however, Tskumi demanded I walk with her. I even heard Yomi laughing, which made me nervous. Tskumi and I watched the others leave and headed towards the inn ourselves.
"Tskumi are you still angry at me?" I asked her.
"Of course!" She immediately replied. "You said you were going to cheer up Jason, and I find you winging another woman."
I scratched the side of my face.
"Yeah, but it was the sekirei reacting to me; and they were being chased by the Disciplinary Squad. I couldn't just stand there and do anything. You understand right Tskumi?" I asked her. There was no response.
"Ren," I heard from behind me.
"Yes?" I responded and turned around, only to be hit in the arm with water.
"Ahhhh!" I cried in pain. It stung like hell. I then found Tskumi with a stream of water in her hands. I gulped a little and stood back up.
"Uh, Tskumi; can we talk about this?"
She had an angry expression on her face.
"I have allowed you to have fun with your other sekirei, but now you are pushing my trust. I am your true wife; and yet you dare do these shameful acts behind my back," she stated. The pulled the water like a whip.
"You like walking. Well then, as your punishment, you have to run back to the inn while dodging my attacks."
"Deal," I accepted quickly.
"Uh uh uhh, you didn't let me finish. You are forbidden from using your ashikabi ability," she stated. I froze in place after hearing her rule.
"Seriously, I can't use my Zonin Thunder?" I questioned. She nodded yes and formed another stream.
"Is there anything you would like to tell me before we start?" Tskumi asked.
"Um, I love you," I stated.
"Hm, I love you too," she stated. Tskumi threw her water like a whip and made it fly at me. I quickly ducked, but saw another fly at me. I had to get on my stomach to avoid it. I quickly got back to my feet and took off for the inn. I was jumping over streams of water and rolling on the ground, dodging dragons. I made it to the halfway point, only to have a stream of water hit me in the forehead. This one didn't hurt as much as the others, but it did sting. I rubbed my forehead, trying to ease the sting. I then saw Tskumi on a light post with her arms crossed.
"You're doing well Ren; but that doesn't mean I'm gonna ease up. And don't even try negotiating because it won't work. You agreed to accept any punishment. You don't want to go back on your word now do you?"
'She's serious about this. And I can't use my thunder, so I might be screwed here. Sigh, at least she doesn't hate me.' I said in thought. Tskumi waved her hand and sent multiple projectiles at me. I turned and hauled ass. Tskumi then ran parallel to me and fired more projectiles. I jumped over, rolled, and stopped to avoid water. A stray came up behind and hit me in the back of my head, making me hit the ground. The earth was spinning as I wobbled around. I shook my head to regain focus. Tskumi was leaning against the wall. From my perspective, she looked a little sad even though she had an angry expression on her face. I walked over to her and grabbed her hands.
"Do you feel better Tskumi?" I asked her. She shook her head no.
"Sigh, I don't have it in me to hurt you anymore," she answered and rested her head on my chest. I wrapped my hands around her and gave her a hug.
"Let's head back to the inn Tskumi. We'll stay there tonight and then head home in the morning; it's your turn in the rotation," I replied.
"Okay," she replied. I kissed her forehead, but she wanted one deeper. I cupped her cheek and pressed my lips against hers. It was a short kiss, but I managed to convey my feelings within it. We separated and looked into each other's eyes.
"Do you feel better now?" I asked. She didn't answer and just walked off towards the inn.
"I do feel better, but don't forget that I am your true wife and I will never stop loving you," Tskumi stated. I ran up to catch up with her and held her hand. After about ten minutes, we arrived back at the inn. That's when Musubi burst out the door excited.
"Ren, Ren, the Game Master is on the TV," she stated. We rushed inside and found the others viewing the TV. The Game Master, Hiroto Minaka was on in his famous attire.
"Hello ashikabis out there; I have come to you with an update. All of the sekirei have been winged and the four ashikabis are no longer primary targets. No one has defeated any of their sekirei. But now we can get to the real fun. The third phase of the Sekirei Plan will be activated soon. Prepare yourselves because it will cost you if you're not. That's all I have to say on the matter," he announced. Minaka disappeared from the TV.
"The third phase is here. Sigh, I was afraid this might happen," Takehito stated. We all looked at him.
"What's going to happen?" Jason asked him.
"The third phase will consist of mini battles. There might be battle royals, scavenger hunts, or one on one fights; it all depends on Minaka," he said.
"What's so bad about that?" Jason asked.
"It means our sekirei might end up fighting each other in a duel," I spoke up. He became wide eyed. Takehito nodded his head.
"And that's not the worst part," he stated. "If you two do end up fighting each other, just hope it's a scavenger hunt. Because if it's a battle royal or a one on one fight, the only way to win is to terminate the opponent's sekirei."
Jason and his sekirei gasped.
"There will be no time limit or ring outs; and if he finds it necessary, Minaka will terminate both opponent's sekirei for not participating."
Everyone gasped this time. I tightened my fists in anger.
"So he thinks he can just kill our sekirei just because they don't want to fight?" Jason interrogated.
"He doesn't care what anyone thinks; as long as he gets to be entertained," he replied.
"And you can't stop him?" Jason interrogated.
"Calm down Jason," I told him.
"Sigh, even if I try to talk to him, he won't listen. And if someone decides to rebel, again, they will only be met with the Disciplinary Squad," Takehito said. I thought about it for a moment.
"Then let me talk to him," I stated. Everyone was shocked by my words. Their sights turned towards me.
"Are you insane?" Yomi questioned. "Why would you go to MBI? Are you trying to get yourself killed?"
"He may not listen to Takehito, but I'm one of his 'most valuable players' and he will do anything in his power to make sure I stay in the game," I explained.
"That may be true, but that doesn't mean he will listen to you as well. If you go down there, you could be signing your own death wish; and I don't think your uncle can convince him either," Matsu spoke up. I groaned, but then thought of something.
"Hold on, what about Takami? Isn't she basically Minaka's right hand person?" I suggested. It was Homura's turn to speak up.
"Not even she can get Minaka to change his mind," she stated.
"Let's just forget about it for now. It's been a long day. Ren, are you going back to your house now?" Miya asked.
"I was hoping we could stay one more night and head back in the morning. The landlords smiled and nodded their heads.
"You're welcome to stay," Miya replied. After all that, Toyotama summoned me to the backyard. My other sekirei followed. I was just looking around, trying to process what's happening.
"Ren," Toyotama called out. I turned my, and BAM! I was smacked across in the head by Toyotama's staff. I kneeled and held my head.
"What was that for?" I interrogated. She twirled the staff around and pointed it at me while smiling.
"The others told me that I get give you a punishment. Any punishment I want, you have to do; as long as it doesn't break the rules of the inn. I want to fight you," she stated. I stood back and rubbed my head.
"And hitting upside the head is part of it?" I questioned. She laughed at me.
"I want to see what you can do; and you can't say no. So you're fighting me either way," she said. "Now come on!"
She rushed at me and swung vertically, aiming at my side. I jumped back out of its range, but Toyotama was faster and retaliated before I could move again. She slammed the staff into my side and sent me sliding back. I looked up, but she was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, she hit me in the back of the head, making me crash to the ground. She walked in front of me and kneeled to my level.
"Come on; I know you can do better than that. What happened to all that spirit you had before? I want you to show me it again," she told me. I stood back on my feet. I sighed and looked at Akitsu.
"Akitsu, ice staff please," I said. She just looked at me.
"Are you sure master?" She asked.
"I can't back down now can I. Yeah, I'm sure; it'll be okay," I reassured her.
"Then as you wish master," she replied and did her magic. She handed me a staff made entirely out of ice. Even though it was ice, there was no hint of cold in my hands. I looked back at Toyotama.
"Be careful master."
"Toyotama, show off your mastery of the staff for me please," I requested.
"Uh, okay," she replied. Toyotama started twirling her staff around and practically danced around by flipping. She pointed an end of the staff at me.
"Is that good enough?"
"Plenty; you dance very beautifully," I stated. She smiled and blushed at my words.
"But why did you ask me to show off?" Toyotama asked. I held the staff out vertically.
"Alright, let's do this," I said. I began twirling the staff Akitsu made in circles, getting faster and faster. I put it behind my back and in front again then tossed it in the air. On the way down, I caught while it continued to spin and twirled it above me. I slammed an end on the ground, holding it up vertically. Everyone was shocked and wide-eyed. This was all I heard,
"Whoa."
I took the lead and charged at Toyotama, who regained focus after realizing. She followed suit and we swung our staves. The forces collided, but mine came out on top, making Toyotama slide back. She was shocked, but soon smiled happily.
"You may be a sekirei Toyotama, but when two forces collide, the stronger one wins. And I'm sorry if I'm offending you, but being a male, I naturally have more power," I said. I spun the staff.
"Again, I'm sorry if I offended any of you."
Toyotama didn't respond and attacked. She swung her weapon side-ways, and I held mine accordingly to block. Toyotama jumped back and repeatedly swung her staff with more power. I know if I tried to block, it will only crack the ice. My only option was to dodge and block the small attacks. She then tripped me, but I used my hands to keep myself up and kicked her. She blocked using the staff, and I followed up by swinging at her leg. She held the staff beside her and absorbed the attack then kicked it to give it more power. My hand moved the staff away, allowing Toyotama to strike; however, I used the force to turn myself around and used the momentum to power my swing.
Our attacks collided, but thanks to my momentum gain, I pushed her back; but it caused the staff to break in two. Toyotama didn't stop and charged at me again with an even happier smile. I used the halves like swords and thrust one forward. Toyotama saw it coming and ducked. She then hit the end of her staff up, causing me to raise my hands. Taking the opportunity, Toyotama jabbed several times at my torso. I blocked with the other halve, but I was fast enough and were hit several times. I regained my footing and saw Toyotama rush forward.
She slammed the front end of the staff on the ground, vaulting her up in the air. She came back down, used gravity to accelerate her, and swung the staff downward. I jumped to the right and went behind her then slashed sideways, but she did a back flip and broke one of the halves.
"This is so much fun; I want more," she stated. "Show me more of your strength."
This time, I rushed at her and thrust my broken weapon. She jumped over me and swung for my head. I held up the piece and blocked the strike then palmed it to add more force. Toyotama slid back a little, but the second piece shattered into more pieces.
"Damn it; I shouldn't have added so much force," I said. I looked at Toyotama, who dropped her staff, ran to me, cupped my cheeks, and very passionately kissed me. She even slipped her tongue in my mouth and kept pushing our faces closer to deepen the kiss. You could definitely hear her moan in pleasure. She broke the kiss with a small trail of saliva connecting us.
"That. Was. Amazing," she stated.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Tskumi yelled. She ran up and separated Toyotama and me then linked her arm with mine.
"I am Ren's true wife, so he should only be doing that with me."
Toyotama started snickering.
"Oh please; you just want to kiss him too. You saw how awesome he was and now it turned you on," she said. Tskumi started blushing.
"That is not," she began. Yomi then jumped at me and kissed me as well.
"If only the rules of the inn didn't allow it, then I would totally bring you to my room to fuck," she stated. Kazehana was next to jump and kiss me.
"I'm gonna have a lot of fun on our date coming up," she stated. Soon, the rest jumped and kissed me.
"You were amazing Ren," Musubi stated. "How did you learn to do all that?"
I scratched my cheek.
"It's a talent of mine," I told them. They continued to smile at me.
Later that night, I was lying beside Tskumi since it was her turn in the rotation. She rested her head on my chest, which I don't understand why they keep doing that.
"Ren; don't forget what I keep telling you. I am your true wife; and I am the only one you should be thinking of committing sexual acts with. Understand that," she said. I shifted away a little so we could see eye to eye. I stroked her cheek.
"Tskumi; I can't ignore the other's feelings. I love all of you and I know you all love me; but even so, I can't just love one of you and not the others. How would you feel Tskumi if the others wouldn't allow you to spend time with me? That you wouldn't be able to feel the love you deserve and desire; and to watch as they had me all themselves without a single thought of your feelings. You would feel pretty angry right?" I asked her. She nodded her head slowly.
"I would," she replied. I pulled her closer and hugged her.
"That's how the others would feel if you did that to them. Would it be fair if you received all the attention and they didn't?" I asked.
"No," she replied softly. I kissed her forehead.
"It's my fault you all feel this way so I'll try to spend more time with you and the others," I told her. She looked up at me.
"Am I seriously not enough for you Ren?" She asked. I stroked her hair and kissed her forehead again.
"That's not case Tskumi; each one of you is plenty for me. The better question here is; am I enough for you Tskumi?" I asked back. She quickly buried her head in my chest.
"You're the only man I'll ever love; and only can make me feel the same way I feel now," she said. Tskumi stayed quiet for a moment.
"I'll reconsider my thinking; but tonight, I want to be the only one you think about. Tonight, I'm the only woman on your mind," she stated. I smiled and hugged her tighter.
"I love you Tskumi," I told her. She didn't respond and smiled beautifully.
In the morning, we all ate breakfast then said our thanks and goodbyes. Now that the last two sekirei have been winged, we can go back home without five people trying to kill us.
"Phew, we can finally go home," I said. I was riding with Matsu on her bike.
"I agree; however, don't forget Ren that I still haven't had my date with you yet," she pointed out.
"Sigh, I'm actually surprised you remember," I told her. Matsu giggled.
"You know how good my memory is; I don't forget things so easily," she replied. "Do you remember what I want?"
I sighed again.
"You, Kazehana, and even Musubi want to make love. At least don't have it consecutively," I answered. She laughed harder.
"Trust me; I know. I want you to be rested when my time comes," she replied. We finally arrived back at our house; it was exactly how we left it. I got off the bike and stared at home.
"So this is your house; I love it already," Toyotama stated.
"It's great to be home," Yomi spoke up.
"We should celebrate," Kazehana suggested. Some cheered in agreement. As they walked to the door, I looked around the yard, taking in the scenery; until I saw something that shouldn't belong here. I soon heard something and my eyes widened in fear.
'That noise; it sounds like.' I said in thought. I finally realized what it was and immediately ran past the girls and held my arms out.
"Ren, what are you," Uzume started but stopped when they saw it. Their mouths dropped when they saw tears falling down my face.
"Ren what's wrong? Why are you crying?" Yomi asked. I closed my eyes and looked down, letting the tears fall to the ground. That's when it happened. BOOOOM! The house suddenly exploded and fire raged. The girls gasped and screamed in horror.
"Our house!" Uzume shouted. I tightened my fist and looked back with I would classify as my angriest expression ever. I put my arms down and looked at the damage. Everything was in flames. There was a small tree near the entrance of the walkway. I started walking to Yomi.
"Tskumi, put out the fire," I told her. She nodded and did as commanded. While she did that,
"Kazehana."
She looked at me, and I pointed at the tree.
"Fire at that tree."
"Alright," she replied.
"Toyotama," I called out. I pointed above the tree this time.
"Intercept."
"Uh, okay," she said.
"Yomi, let me use your scythe for a little bit," I told her. She blinked at and then slowly handed it to me. I placed my palm on hers.
"Don't worry about me; I got this."
She nodded, and I received her scythe. Kazehana fired a blast of wind at the tree, making it rustle intensely. Soon, someone jumped out of it, only to be sent crashing to the ground by an attack from Toyotama. The person who crashed into the ground was Mitsuki. I walked to her and twirled Yomi's staff around like a pro.
"Ren," she called out. I ignored her call and pointed the blade end at Mitsuki. My sekirei gasped at my action and tried to tell me to stop. I glared daggers at her as she laid on the ground at my mercy. I was pissed off beyond belief. Not only did she attack me the other day, but also she had the audacity to BLOW UP my house and all the memories I've had in it. I was losing sanity.
"How did you know I was here? My wires should have caught you," she said.
"The sun," I said. "The wind from Kazehana's blast broke your wires, leaving you defenseless. Now that I have you right where I want you, you're gonna answer something for me."
"And what makes you think I'll talk?" She questioned. I closed the distance between the scythe and Mitsuki's head.
"You'll talk if you know what's good for you. Who is your master?" I interrogated. She turned her head and refused to talk. That was her second mistake. I moved the blade end to the back of her head and made it touch her neck. I brought her face closer. She can't turn her head; not if she wants to be poked in the eye or cut in the neck.
"I've nearly lost all my sanity; and unless you want to be the first person to feel my wrath, then I suggest you talk," I threatened. "Now I'll ask again; who is your master."
I wasn't playing any shit this time and let my anger manifest. With my anger, I have created my own demon aura; it was a hydra with all seven heads. I could see the fear in Mitsuki's now. I could also hear my sekirei backing away.
"My-my master i-is hi-Higa," she revealed. I saw a phone beside her and looked through. I saw Higa's name so I called him.
"Well isn't this a surprise ashikabi of the north or should I call you Ren?" Higa questioned.
"I didn't call to play games; I have your sekirei captured," I told him. "What I want to know is; why did you burn down my house?"
"I was hoping you were in it. Since you weren't and you have Mitsuki, you can get rid of her; she's useless to me now," he stated. Higa hung up the phone, leaving me more pissed off than before. It even caused my hydra to roar out loud. I took the scythe away and put Higa's contact in my phone.
"You're free to go; I have no further business with you," I told Mitsuki. She stayed on the ground scared to death.
"What are you gonna do with my master?" She asked. I crushed her phone with my bare hands, causing her to flinch.
"I'm gonna make him pay in ways he never thought possible," I stated. I turned my back to her and walked towards my sekirei. I could hear Mitsuki running for her life.
"Here's your scythe back Yomi."
She nervously reached for it and quickly took it from my hand. I walked to the entrance of the front yard.
"Ren, are you okay?" Kazehana asked.
'I can't let my anger get to me.' I thought. I managed to calm down a little.
"A little; but it's okay now," I responded.
"Why did you let her go?" Toyotama asked. I turned around and looked at the ground.
"Because I didn't want to let my anger consume me," I replied. I sighed and looked at the house. Tskumi managed to put out the fire; but it was completely destroyed.
"Matsu, call Takehito and tell him what happened please. I feel like I'll snap if I do it myself," I told her.
"I'm on it," she replied and started dialing his number. She kept looking back and forth from the phone to me.
"Will the rest of you come here please?" I asked. They did as asked and gathered in front of me, where I suddenly hugged them tightly.
'I'll get you for this Higa. This I swear.' I said in my head.
A/N: I hope everyone likes this chapter. I'm sorry that it took so long. I hope you like my choice of sekirei for Ren and Jason. I honestly feel bad about Ren and his sekirei. The reason I did the house blowing up thing is because there is something very important that affects the story. I basically nothing left to say except tune in for the chapter. MalevolentDarkness16 out.