Ice Chronicles
Special Chapter 2: Christmas Celebration
A/N: This special chapter will not be in harmony with the story, but the teams are completed, the house isn't destroyed and never blown up, and Yamato never showed up. Without further ado, let us begin.
Every morning, a big blazing orb rises from the other side of the earth and lights the dull sky with its beams. It casts the night sky away, and the beautiful azure takes it place. The moon has fallen, and the sun has risen. Its beams hit me in the eye, waking me up from my slumber. However, the first thing I see is all eight of my sekirei sleeping around me. Each one was cuddling a part of my body.
'Sigh, first it was four; and now all of them.' I said in thought. That's when I felt it slowly decrease in temperature. I immediately looked at Akitsu; however, the decrease wasn't her doing. I needed to look outside, but my wives refused to let me go. Tskumi and Akitsu held my arms. Musubi, Uzume, and Matsu occupied my chest. And Kazehana, Yomi, and Toyotama took their place at my legs.
'I just need to wake Akitsu, and she can get me out of here.'
I moved the arm she occupied and woke Akitsu from her slumber. She slowly opened her eyes, which looked more beautiful from close up.
"Good morning master," she greeted. I smiled at her.
"Good morning Akitsu," I responded. She released the arm she occupied, and I touched the part of her cheek just below her eyes.
"I've never noticed how beautiful your eyes are Akitsu."
She blushed a little and smiled at my compliment.
"Thank you for the compliment master," she responded.
"Akitsu, I need you to help me," I told her. She blinked at me and then noticed the others occupying my other limbs. She nodded her head.
"I understand master; I shall assist you."
She stood up and then gently removed the others off me, but some would reattach themselves and Akitsu would have to pull me away. After a few minutes, Akitsu successfully managed to set me free.
"Thank you Akitsu; I don't get how people have such strong grips when they're asleep; but thanks Akitsu," I said gratefully. I gave her a kiss and finally looked out the window.
"Whoa."
No wonder the temperature steadily decreased. Outside, lies a vast swirling wonderland of sparkling white pleasure. Little white diamonds steadily fell and covered the ground in a blanket, a blanket of snow. Snow was falling from the sky; it was incredible.
"Take a look Akitsu; it's snowing outside. It reminds me of the day we first met."
She came to take a look outside and rested her head on my shoulder. The others soon woke up and saw it snowing outside.
"Cool! It's snowing," Yomi and Toyotama stated happily. "Let's go; it's snowball war time!"
"Hold on you two. Do you even have warm clothing; it's cold out there," I warned them. They groaned.
"You sound like our father," Yomi said.
"I'm only thinking of your wellbeing," I said.
"Ren," Uzume said. She put her hand on Akitsu's shoulder.
"Sekirei aren't affected by the cold so we'll be okay in our normal clothing," she said. Uzume then pointed to Akitsu.
"Besides, we live with the Empress of Ice."
"True; but still," I said. She nodded her fingers.
"Ah, you worry too much. Just trust us on this. You on the other hand, will need to wear warm clothing," she said. She did make a compelling argument, but I still didn't allow it. I talked them into putting on warm clothes and took my advice about putting on some warm and comfortable clothing. When we went outside, snow covered the entire ground. With each step, a crunching sound was made.
"It's been a while since it last snowed," I said.
"Ren," someone called. I turned around, and BAM! I was hit in the face with a snowball and stumbled back. I quickly wiped the snow off my face, only to see two more flying at me. With quick reflexes, I duck and scoop up a pile of snow, forming it into a ball. I chucked it at Yomi, who was preoccupied with Toyotama and ended being hit in the face.
"Hahaha, take that Yomi," I stated. I spoke too soon though when I was hit in the face by Akitsu, who smiled at me.
"Forgive me master, but you are all in my territory," she stated. Akitsu raised her hands, making a pile of snow rise up. She made the pile separate into smaller pieces. With those pieces, she created multiple snowballs.
She thrust her arms out and fired the snowballs. We all moved out of the way, avoiding being hit.
"So you want to play it that way. Then let's have a little wager everyone," I announced. Everyone stopped what they were doing and focused on me.
"Okay, I just had an awesome idea. Let's have a battle royal with Jason and the others. I'll explain the rules as soon as we get to the inn."
At the inn, everyone was in the backyard, waiting for me to speak.
"Okay everyone, here's what I thought of. We have a giant snowball fight. There will be teams of two. The rules are simple; you just have to be the last team standing. If you get hit, you're out. There will be no getting back in."
Everyone thought about it.
"Sounds like fun," Yomi said.
"It does sound interesting," Ikki said.
"We're in," Jason stated. I nodded my head smiling.
"Alright then, but I'm not done yet," I replied. "As for the teams, Jason and I will be one team. However, my sekirei has to work with Jason's sekirei and vice versa. You are not allowed to double team, meaning it can't be two teams against one. So choose who you want to work with carefully. And another thing, you are allowed to use your abilities to your advantage, including Jason and me. Okay? We'll start in twenty minutes."
"Hold on," Takehito said. "I'm afraid our yard is too small for this. However, I know of a place that's big enough to hold this event."
We all followed Takehito until we arrived at this giant abandoned field. There was an abandoned factory and the area was gigantic. There were also trees around the place, but it didn't obstruct movements. The place was perfect.
"We can hold it here. There's plenty of space to move around, so go wild. However, while you're here, Miya and I will be at the inn. Have fun," Takehito said. Miya giggled.
"Try not to hurt anyone," she warned. The couple left and the sekirei searched for their teammate.
"Why did you choose me Ren? I mean I'm glad, but why me?" Jason asked. I smirked and watched our sekirei.
"Jason, do you know what next week is?" I asked back. He put his hand under his chin and then came to realization.
"Oh yeah, it's Christmas; is that why you chose me?" He questioned. I shook my head.
"Just wait until the teams are ready," I said.
"Alright Ren, we're ready," Matsu said. I nodded my head. I asked the teams to stand away from the others so I could see them better. The teams were; Musubi and Kaho, Tskumi and Homura, Akitsu and Ikki, Matsu and Kusano, Yomi and Yashima, Toyotama and Kuno, Kazehana and Shi, Uzume and Nanami, and finally Jason and I.
"Alright then, now that the teams have been assembled, I have a couple more conditions. First off, Christmas is almost here. Because of that, the sekirei team that places the highest will receive one free wish from their ashikabi. So, whichever team wins, Jason and I will grant whatever they wish for on Christmas. It can be whatever you want," I explained. Everyone was getting more eager now. I decided to raise the stakes even more just to have more fun.
"And furthermore, the team that manages to defeat Jason and me will also get one free wish. So you can get up to two wishes that we have to grant. However, if the ashikabi team wins, we will get to wish for something; and it has to be from the sekirei of our choice."
Jason whistled.
"You sure do know how to make things interesting," he told me.
"This game needs some excitement. Now then, everyone go to a hiding spot. When Jason and I give the signal, that's the cue to start," I stated. We all ran off to random spots. Jason and I hid in the bushes behind the factory and concentrated.
"Are you ready Jason? There are some big stakes; especially if our sekirei gets two wishes."
He chuckled.
"Ready as I'll ever be. But what's our signal?" He asked back. That's when he saw my azure aura rising around me and took the hint. He did the same summoned his crimson aura. That was the signal, and our respective sekirei could tell. Jason and I stayed in the bushes, waiting.
"So what's the plan?"
"Hm, how well are you at making booby-traps?" I asked. He laughed silently, not wanting to alert the others.
"Give me the right materials and I can even make a bomb," he whispered. I nodded my head.
"Then let's move quickly," I whispered back.
"With your speed, you give meaning to that definition," Jason said. We quietly got out of the bushes, only to have two snowballs fly our way. We quickly ducked and searched for the throwers. I turned the right way and saw another ball coming my way. I jumped out of the way, and so did Jason. The snow was crunching under our feet.
"Well that didn't take too long," I said. Our attackers were our first sekirei, Akitsu and Ikki.
"Darn it; I thought we had you," Ikki said. Jason smiled at her.
"Sorry Ikki, but it's not that easy," he replied.
"Forgive me master, but I want that wish," Akitsu told me.
"If you want it, then you're gonna have to beat us," I replied. The two launched their ammo.
"Now Jason," I said. He quickly grabbed a handful of snow and made his own ammo. I grabbed him and dashed around the girls. Jason, with his now enhanced defense, used it to power up his throwing strength. The snow flew like a torpedo, but barely missed Ikki. I tried my hand, but I missed Akitsu by a hair. She retaliated by launching a swarm of snow. I quickly grabbed Jason and moved out of the way again, but Ikki anticipated where I'll stop and fired another shot. Jason fired another round and intercepted the snow, making them cancel each other out.
"Best defense makes the best offense; with Jason's heightened defenses, his throwing power has exponentially increased as well."
"Now I see another reason why you chose him," Ikki said.
"Master is always observant," Akitsu stated. I smiled and swept my foot to the right.
"Sorry girls; but this is where your game ends. No hard feelings," I said. I kept circling around Jason, creating a snow twister that definitely gave away our position. While in the twister, Jason kept making more and more ammo. He threw the snow at the twister, making it fire like a Gatling gun. I stopped running and looked at our progress. Turns out, Akitsu made an ice barrier that protected them from the snow.
"Should've known."
Looking at their position, I thought of a plan. Jason and I quietly snuck away and waited for them to let the barrier down. When they did, we opened fire. They saw us though and jumped in the air. The two fired another round as they used gravity to increase their speed. Jason was about to throw another ball, but I stopped him.
"Wait; let me make one as well. When I say now, throw yours and I'll throw mine while they focus on yours."
He nodded and his and waited.
"Now!"
Jason chucked his, but Akitsu created another barrier to shield her and Ikki. That was my chance to act. I threw two more snowballs right in time for Akitsu to lower the barrier and for her and Ikki to be hit in the shoulder.
"Yeah!" Jason exclaimed. The two dropped down, and Ikki sighed.
"Oh man, we almost had you," Ikki complained. We walked up to the girls.
"Nice try girls, but no. Don't worry though; you'll still receive a present. Just not a wish," Jason replied. Akitsu wanted a consolation prize and hugged me. We kissed our girls and went to go hide again; but we were immediately caught by Musubi and Kaho. We managed to dodge their ammo.
"We found you," Musubi stated happily.
"A big snow twister was your worst mistake," Kaho said.
"No making you girls cry would be our biggest mistake," I replied. "However, you just made your mistake I'm afraid."
"Huh? What mistake did we make?" Kaho asked. I smirked.
"Kaho, if the others haven't told you yet, then you should know that I'm a pretty smart guy. And with those smarts, I'm quick at hatching plans," I said. As I talked, Jason slowly moved to his left. Musubi saw him and with her monstrous strength, chucked a ball of snow. Jason quickly reacted and threw a snowball to match hers. The two dispersed, and Kaho used the covering to through another snowball; but that's when this giant gale kicked up that blew the snow away.
"What's going on?" Jason asked.
"Kazehana," I said. I thought Kazehana was about to jump down, but it was Shi instead.
"Hi Shi," Jason greeted waving at her. Shi blushed a little and nodded.
"Forgive me Jason; but I want my wish," she said. Shi then started spinning around in circles. She extended her blades and spun faster. That's when a stream of wind flowed around her and created an invisible orb of wind.
"Darling," Kazehana called out. I looked up and saw Kazehana standing on the roof of the factory.
"For my wish, I want to have sex with you," she stated. I sighed and face palmed myself while Jason laughed at me.
"I knew one of yours would say something like that," he replied. Kazehana blew me a kiss and dropped a ton of snowballs on Shi; however, her spinning and the wind caused them to orbit around her. She crossed her arms and held the vertically against her chest; as a result, the wind around her shrunk. Shi thrusts her arms back out, causing the wind to expand and throw snowballs in all directions.
"I…guess…they really…want that…wish," Jason said as he dodged the snow. With my quick speed, I was only a blur as I maneuvered through my obstacles. The girls worked as a team to dodge. Musubi would pull Kaho out of the way while she used her weapon the deflect any strays. One was about to hit Jason, but I managed to get him away in time, letting him launch an attack at shi. She used her blades to block the snow and tossed some up for Kazehana to use her wind powers to send them hurdling back towards us at high speed. I had to jump back to dodge in time. The snow crashed violently to the ground.
Kazehana then jumped down.
"Aww, if it wasn't for your speed, you would've been out already," she said. I tossed three snowballs behind me and immediately got out of the way, allowing Jason to get a clear shot of the girls. He quickly grabbed the snow and chucked them, matching the speed of Kazehana's wind. The girls danced out of the way; however, they were soon hit with random snowballs. Jason and I were confused.
"Did you set a trap or something?" He asked me. I shook my head no.
"If I did, you would've seen me. I guess another team took them by surprise," I said. We heard the snow crunching, and surprisingly enough, the victors were Matsu and Kusano. Matsu was laughing with a big bazooka in her hands while Kusano manipulated her plant as a hand to throw the snow.
"Four teams down, five more to go," Matsu stated. She cocked the bazooka and aimed at us.
"Sorry Ren, but there's something big at stake; and I plan to win it."
"Big brother; I want to go out with you," she stated. This time, Jason face palmed himself while I laughed.
"Matsu, you don't have to tell me what you want; but you're gonna have score big if you want it," I pointed out. She smirked at me.
"I plan on it," she replied and fired. A huge chunk of snow soared towards; but my speed has diminished and it was too big to dodge in time. Matsu noticed and jumped up and down excitingly. Beside me, Jason used his remaining power and threw another snowball as hard as he could. The cannon one was at least twice Jason's, but Jason's arm plus his defensive enhancement just barely overpowered it.
The two snowballs collided, and snow splattered like blood. However, two separate ones came out and hit both Kusano and Jason. Matsu and I were still in however.
"Awww," Ku pouted. Jason sighed.
"Oh well, I'm gonna have to leave this to you Ren. Better you than me; good luck," he replied. I heard Matsu's signature laugh.
"Well Ren, I guess we're the only single team now. No matter, victory will be mine! I don't care about winning; however, having my wish granted will make it all the better," Matsu stated. I smiled at her.
"Don't think that just because I'm alone now I'll be easy pickings," I stated. She laughed and threw down a smoke bomb, disappearing after the smoke cleared.
"No fair, I wish I had smoke bombs."
Jason and I walked to the now out sekirei.
"Well, I guess it's just Ren now," Jason said. Kazehana wrapped her arms around my neck.
"Don't worry darling; I know you'll win," she stated. She then whispered in my ear.
"If you do win, I'll give you something really special. And you know how much I love you."
I couldn't help but turn a little red. That's when Musubi nuzzled against me.
"I believe in you too Ren," she stated. The two rubbed themselves against me.
"Ren; I don't think this is the time to get all cozy with your ladies," Jason said. I laughed nervously.
"I can't necessarily help it," I said. I was about to say something, until,
"Get away from him!" Someone exclaimed. I sighed at the tone of the voice. We all looked up and saw Tskumi and Homura on top of the factory. Homura, who was face palming herself, said to her,
"You had to yell that out. We had the element of surprise and you ruined it."
"What did you expect me to do when I saw that?" Tskumi questioned.
"Sigh, exactly that; but I guess we still have the upper hand since it's just Ren," Homura said. From using too much stamina, I was too tired.
"Come on guys, can't you give me a break?" I asked panting hard.
"Tskumi demanded that we take you out first," Homura told me.
"I have nothing against my husband, but I do not want those concubines getting what I rightfully deserve," Tskumi stated. The two dropped down, only to move out of the way of an attack.
"Hahahahaha, this is so much fun," someone stated. I immediately recognized the voice and smirked. I didn't bother looking so I just used the distraction to run inside the factory, but I heard Tskumi yell,
"No! He's getting away!"
Thanks to Uzume and Nanami, I managed to get away and catch my breath. I scanned the factory for anything useful, but there was only broken machinery.
"Man, I bet Matsu would love this place; it's basically a gold mine for her," I said to myself. Suddenly, footsteps were echoing through the place. I quickly hid in the shadows and kept quiet.
"Come on out Ren; I know you're in here," Tskumi stated. Her voice echoed throughout the place as well so I couldn't pinpoint its original location. I didn't have anything on me so I had to go with a different approach.
"Tskumi," I called out as my voice resonated, masking my presence.
"Listen; we're both civil people. So let's talk; a husband to wife conversation."
"I shall not; I know you're trying to catch me off guard," she stated.
'Well, at least she has a general idea.' I said in thought.
"Tskumi, how can I attack you if I'm inside the factory, which has no snow whatsoever? I'm defenseless and I'm not aware of your location," I pointed out. There was a brief silence, except for her footsteps.
"Very well then; but this better not be a trap," she warned.
"I promise; I just want to talk," I reassured her. "First off, it's almost Christmas; and as your husband, it's my sole mission to give you a present. Is there something that you would like?"
Her footsteps ceased for a moment. Using that, I quietly tiptoed to another location. I tried looking for her, but no dice.
"I don't want anything really," she stated.
"Ah, don't give me that. When people say that, it just means they really do want something but they refuse to say what excactly," I replied. "Seriously Tskumi, what would you like. Please tell me."
I found a cracked opened door. I tried opening it, but it wouldn't budge an inch. No matter hard I pushed it wouldn't move. I moved away from it and looked over a railing. At first, I was looking for something to break the door with, but I found Tskumi instead. She was just standing in one spot, thinking of something. I found the stairs leading to ground level and went down them.
"Have you thought of anything Tskumi?"
Her head tilted up, but her back didn't turn.
"Ren, what would you like?" She asked. I gently put my hand on her shoulder.
"I have everything I need so I don't need anything else," I told her. She turned her head.
"Didn't thou just say that means you really do want something?" She questioned. I hugged her from behind.
"All I need is you," I whispered.
"You do know that your hugging an enemy, one who is armed," Tskumi pointed out. I couldn't help but chuckle at her.
"You wouldn't attack an unarmed person; it's not like you," I said. She sighed.
"I know you well. Are you ready?"
She nodded her head, and I started moving back.
"Ready, set, NOW!"
Tskumi held out her arm and conjured up her water.
"Water celebration!" She yelled. The water blasted out; but instead of me, it flew right passed me and hit the giant snowball that Matsu fired. The water surprisingly caused the snow to splatter all over the floor.
"But how? How did you know I was here?" She questioned. I grabbed a handful of snow and made my ammo.
"The door that I found was cracked open, but I managed to catch a glimpse at the computer inside. I could see one big monitor watching in on different sections of the place. Only you would have the knowledge to put it to use," I explained. She fixed her glasses and showed her trademark grin again.
"I'm gonna have fun experimenting with you when I win," she stated. Matsu took aim again and cocked the bazooka. However, she aimed really high and made the snow fall hover over Tskumi and me.
"Let's see you get out of this one."
The radius of the snow was too big to get away in time, but we still tried anyway. Well I tried, but Tskumi just put up a water barrier. The snow was closing in and I wasn't getting any further. Suddenly, a white veil wrapped around my arm and pulled me away just in time for the snow to touch ground. The veil released me, and a pair of arms wrapped around my neck.
"Hi sweetie; I managed to get you away in time," Uzume said smiling happily. I sighed in relief.
"Thanks Uzume; I appreciate it," I said. She giggled. "And sorry Nanami, but Jason is out."
She nodded her head.
"So, in return for saving you, how about I get one free wish even if I don't win?" She asked.
"I'm afraid I can't do that Uzume, but nice try though," I answered.
"Actually, I'm afraid you have no choice. Nanami has a snowball in her hand, and if you don't want to get out, then you'll give me a wish and a kiss," she blackmailed. I turned my head and indeed saw a snowball in her hand. Tskumi and Matsu disappeared a long time ago.
"So, what's your decision?"
"Sigh, what's your wish?" I asked. Uzume got in front of me, and we kissed. She then whispered in my ear.
"I want one hour with you alone. Just you and me."
"Is that all?" I whispered. She nodded and kissed my cheek.
"That's my wish; and you can't break a Christmas wish," she replied. "Also, you have ten seconds before we nail you."
I smirked at her and used my quick footing. Uzume's eyes slowly widened as I disappeared from in front of her to behind her.
"I can use my ability for a maximum of four times. This is the second time, meaning ten seconds is more than enough time," I said. I dashed past her and Nanami, taking the snow in the process. I quickly threw it behind me, aiming at Nanami. The moment she turned around, she was hit in the shoulder.
"Sorry Nanami, but Jason will make up it to you."
I ran out of the factory and found a safe place to hide.
'Okay, so now it's only me, Uzume, Matsu, Tskumi and Homura; but I'm not sure about Toyotama and Kuno or Yomi and Yashima. They're probably going at it right now.' I said in my head. 'The ones who are out are probably exploring the place. Only eight sekirei to go.'
I looked from where I was hiding and saw it was clear. Quietly and quickly, I ran around the perimeter of the factory. I scaled the walls so I wouldn't be seen. In the biggest area of the place, Toyotama and Yomi were going at it like animals. Yashima and Kuno were just having fun. Even though they were already out they still played with each other. I kept looking and Jason and the others playing as well. Kazehana wasn't with them though; but when she wrapped her around my neck, I figured she was behind me. She nuzzled herself against me while giggling.
"Kazehana, not now," I whispered.
"Aww, but why? No one's going to find us. They're too preoccupied," she pointed out.
"Yeah, with looking for me. It's basically everyone verses me, except for Yomi and Toyotama. Those two won't stop until one lands a hit," I said. "But that's not the point."
"I'll go if you kiss me," she replied. I sighed.
"How about this, I'll hug and kiss you all you want later; if, you tell me the other contestants' positions. I need to know where everyone else is so I won't get ambushed. Deal?" I suggested.
"Hmm, all I want?" She confirmed. I nodded yes.
"I'll hug and kiss all you want. I won't even hold back," I replied. She giggled and kissed my cheek.
"Alright darling; I accept. Just wait right here for me," she told me. Like the wind, she flew away, and I observed the girls still going at it.
'Let's see, knowing Yomi, I already know what she wants. Toyotama more than likely will want the same thing as well.' I said to myself. While I waited, I made as many snowballs as I could. I saw Kazehana's pink petals fall around me, letting me know she's returned.
"Did you find them?" I asked her. She pressed herself against my back again.
"Homura and Miss Panty Flash are at the opposite end of the factory. Uzume and Matsu are in the factory, but only Matsu knows she's in there. You already know about those two out there," she said referring to Yomi and Toyotama. I nodded.
"Thanks Kazehana; I appreciate it. Now I can come up with a plan," I replied. She got in front of me and circled her finger on my chest.
"Now then, about our deal," she said.
"After the match, you can help me buy some gifts. And as I wrap them, we can kiss as much as you like. Is that acceptable?" I asked.
"Mmm-hmm, good luck darling. And don't forget our deal; I sure won't," she reminded me. Kazehana blew me a kiss and flew away again. Now that I know everyone's position, I can trap them. First, I tiptoed to the opposite end of the factory where Tskumi and Homura are hiding. I did my best to walk slowly and lightly so the crunching of the snow wouldn't give away my location.
I peeked behind the corner and saw them coming up with a plan. Their backs were turned luckily, making it much easier.
"Okay, our biggest challenge will be Ren and Matsu," Tskumi stated.
"I still say we go with the element of surprise; and don't blurt out anything if you see someone hanging onto Ren," Homura warned. "Just suck it up."
"Easy for you to say," she replied. Homura sighed, and I couldn't help but do it too.
'I know how you feel Homura.' I thought. From my stash, I grabbed two snowballs and walked out a little bit more. While they were still preoccupied, I chucked the snow at them and hit them in the back of the neck, scaring the shit out Tskumi. The two turned around and saw me leaning against the wall tossing a snowball up and down.
"Keep your eyes on your surroundings," I told them. Tskumi ran up to me a little angry.
"Ren, how could you do something so shameless, attacking an unprepared opponent? I expected better sportsmanship from hmpf," I silenced her by kissing her on the lips. Homura just walked away and to the others who were out. The kiss was broken, and Tskumi had a blush across her cheek.
"You never told me what you wanted for a present. So let's start with that," I replied.
"You also never told me what you wanted," she pointed out. I smiled and tilted her head up.
"Tskumi, all I want, all I need is you girls. I have everything I could hope for. I don't need anything else," I told her. "If you can't come up with anything, then allow me to get you something I'm sure you would love."
"Okay, I'll leave it to you then," she said smiling happily. I kissed her again and watched her leave. I sighed in relief.
"Alright; it's time to go big now," I said. I searched for the nearest camera and looked straight into it.
"Matsu, I know you can hear me. I want you to know that you're next on my list. In more ways than one I'm going to add. You may have me in your sights, but I still have my speed."
With that said, I rushed back to my stash and smiled. You see, my stash is hidden in Matsu's blind spot. She can't see me since the cameras can't pick up that far. Most of the machinery is broken so the cameras can only pick up a few things.
"Okay, since her cameras can't see me, I can split the job up."
I side stepped back and forth, creating a doppelganger of myself. We bumped knuckles and smiled.
"Ready?" I asked him. He nodded in response.
"Okay, I'm going to deal with the two out there. You go inside and see if you can stop Matsu and Uzume."
He saluted and grabbed enough ammo. He snuck inside and left me behind. I checked up on the girls and saw them running out of stamina. Before I walked out there, I created another doppelganger and had him walk behind me. The girls saw me and smiled devilishly.
'There you are," they stated. The two stopped fighting each other and focused on me.
"We've been looking for you Ren," Yomi stated.
"Taking you out is the main priority in this game," Toyotama declared. "And since it's just you, it'll make things easier."
I smirked and pulled out two snowballs.
"Well then ladies, come and get me. But only one of you gets the wish, so it's all about speed," I said. The girls didn't waste time and rushed at me. However, my doppelganger jumped out from behind me and threw his ammo. The girls cut opposite ways, and we did the same. I met Yomi, and he met Toyotama.
"Hey baby," I greeted Yomi. She smiled at me.
"So you separated us to get a better chance at winning. That's why I love you Ren; you know how to manipulate things to help you in situations. But I'm afraid you're not getting out of this one," she said.
"That's what you think," I replied. Me and the clone nodded to each other and ran towards each other. He high fived as we passed one another and ran around the girls as fast as we could, kicking up a big snow tornado that engulfed the girls.
I ran through the middle, scaring the girls, and then ran back out. I ran back in and stopped in the middle.
"Now I have you right where I want you two."
Toyotama threw a snowball at me, and Yomi followed up with hers. I quickly ran back out, and my clone took my place. We alternated running back and forth, trying to confuse the girls. At the same time, we ran out with ammo in our hands and attempted to hit them; but the girls' agility was to be admired and they managed to dodge.
"Crap! This isn't working," Toyotama stated.
"He's too fast," Yomi spoke up. Toyotama grabbed her staff.
"Then let's use that against him," she said. I ran out again and fired, but Toyotama anticipated my attack and tripped me. I flipped in the air and saw Yomi throw her attack; however, the doppelganger that went after Matsu and Uzume showed up and deflected the attack with his own. I managed to recover and land safely on my feet. The clone and I ran outside the twister while the last one continued to run.
"What's your status?" I asked. He sighed and shook his head.
"I see. Where are they now?"
He shrugged his shoulders. That's when a giant snowball flew right past us, causing us to jump separate ways. One of Uzume's veils wrapped around his leg and hoisted him up. Uzume herself then dropped down and walked to the clone.
"Wow, you wouldn't even be able to tell if he was a clone or not; but it doesn't matter," she said. The clone noticed the situation and dematerialized, its blue particles returning back to me.
"Now you know I'm the real one," I said. Another big snowball came right at us, but I jumped through the twister and saw the girls dancing around trying to avoid being hit.
'Wow, he's keeping them on their toes.' I said in my head. Just when I was about to act, Uzume wrapped her veil around my arm and tried to pull me; but I used more strength and pulled her in. The downside was, Matsu hitched a ride and fired point blank. What confused me was that it soared right past me, between Toyotama and Yomi, and perfectly hit the clone creating the twister.
He dematerialized and came back to me. The twister dispersed, and everyone was watching us. I tried removing the veil, but Uzume tied my other hand up, rendering them useless.
"Sorry Ren; but your hands make it harder for us to hit you," she said. I sighed.
"Now don't give us that; we have nothing against you, but it's your fault for raising the stakes," Yomi pointed out.
"I figured you wouldn't try so hard if it was just a regular game," I replied. Matsu stood back and aimed the bazooka at me.
"Well you thought wrong. You just made us want to win more," she stated. I smirked and slowly moved my feet around.
"Which one of you will win then? Don't forget, only one of you can take the prize," I reminded them. They all looked at each other, forgetting about my footwork. Matsu was the first to react.
"That wish is mine!"
She fired the bazooka, but I moved Uzume in the line of fire, making her take the hit instead. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Yomi throw a snowball so I ducked with Uzume, and Matsu was hit in the face. The impact caused her to fire unintentionally. Again, I ducked with Uzume and the blast was big enough to hit Toyotama and Yomi. In thirty seconds, the remaining four sekirei were out, and I was the winner.
"HA! Domination!" I exclaimed. Uzume untied her veils and put her hands on her hips.
"How the hell did you do that?" Yomi questioned. I snickered and let Uzume answer for me.
"His footwork," she spoke up. I nodded in agreement.
"You should've gone for my legs; I wouldn't be able to move then," I told them. I stuck my tongue out at them and laughed.
"So which sekirei won then?" Matsu asked. I thought to those thirty seconds.
"Well, Uzume is definitely out. Matsu, you were hit next. But Yomi and Toyotama were hit with the same ammo," I said. They looked at each ready to duel.
"However, while they were hit with the same ammo, there was a slight difference in timing. Yomi was hit just a second before Toyotama, so Toyotama is the winner."
"WHAT!" Yomi shrieked. "I don't believe that crap. How do you know for sure anyway?"
I smirked and saw everyone else gathering around.
"You tried to hit me after Matsu failed, causing you to move forward a little. That little progress sent you in front of Toyotama so you were hit before her," I explained. She crossed her arms and shook her head.
"No way; you just made that up," she complained. I sighed and gave into her demand. I kissed Yomi, making my other sekirei completely jealous. She smiled after I broke the kiss.
"You know me so well."
"Well guys, I guess Ren and I are the grand winners, and Toyotama and Kuno are the runner ups," Jason notified. The girls high fived each other.
"So what do you want?" I asked. Toyotama whispered in my ear what she wanted, and Kuno did the same for Jason. We compared wishes and found out that they nearly wanted the exact same thing. Kuno wanted to go out alone with Jason, and Toyotama, like I guessed, wanted to have sex with me.
"And that's what you want?" Jason asked. They nodded their heads, making me sigh and Jason to smile.
"Your wish is our command."
We all left to have a warm beverage at the inn. We told the landlords who won; but now we have to buy gifts for the girls.
"Takehito; you come with me and Ren," Jason told him.
"Why?" He asked bluntly.
"I'll pay for your gift for Miya," he offered.
"Deal," Takehito accepted. Kazehana decided to wait until I get back for our deal, and Uzume demanded her wish the day before Christmas. Toyotama wanted hers Christmas night. During our time shopping, we used one of our girls' MBI cards to purchase everything as Jason honored the agreement between him and Takehito. While we were gone, the sekirei were putting up decorations. We went our separate ways for now and went to our respective place.
The girls did an excellent job with the decorations, but they had a few slip ups. Regardless, they did a wonderful job. When they saw the bag of gifts, I had to run like hell to keep them away. When I did manage to sneak into my room, Kazehana was waiting for me. She even locked the door so we wouldn't be disturbed.
As I sat on my bed wrapping the gifts, Kazehana just sat on my lap and kissed me nonstop. She even French kissed me from time to time, and I couldn't help but kiss her back. I did wrap all the gifts, but I had to do hers separately so she wouldn't see it. She took that opportunity and kissed me more passionately. We've been making out for over three hours without ending up having sex surprisingly. Honestly, my wish was our deal.
Throughout the whole week, I promised my sekirei one free activity so they wouldn't feel left out. When it was Christmas Eve, for Uzume's hour, she made me give her a massage, feed her, and the remaining time was a make out session. Once the big day arrived, I was greeted by my sekirei, whom were all wearing sexy Santa costumes. I just found myself staring at them. Tskumi was the most embarrassed, which made her look cuter. Yomi, Matsu, Uzume, and Kazehana worked it by showing me sexy poses. Toyotama, Musubi, and Akitsu just acted their normal ways.
I even got a call from Jason saying he received the same greeting, but it was cut short due to the inn's modestly rule. I then got a call from my family members wising me a Merry Christmas. They also sent me a gift and told me they've received mine. Pretty much the entire day, we were seeing what we got. I just watched my sekirei open my gifts to them and endured a never-ending assault of hugs and kisses.
In order, Akitsu received a necklace with snowflake patterns. Like her element, I believed this would suit her best. She was the first to hug me. Tskumi was definitely the happiest with her gift. She received a diamond ring that I personally picked out. Since she keeps depicting herself as my true wife, I figured it was highly necessary. She made the chair fall back with us on it and kissed me for a long time. Musubi received a bracelet with a pink gen in the center. She had more power than Tskumi, but I managed to keep the chair on its legs before she kissed me.
Matsu was definitely happy with her gift. She received a new computer with ten times the normal capacity so she can do what her heart wants. She simply sat on my lap and kissed me passionately. Yomi received a pair of black bracelets. She did the same as Musubi with just as much happiness. Uzume received a star medallion. She couldn't help herself and tackled me like the rest. Kazehana received a pendant with a big purple diamond in the center. She did the same as Matsu, but made the chair fall back. Finally, Toyotama received a pair of earrings with emerald jewels. She also made the chair fall back, but it was strong.
"So do you like them?" I asked them.
"We love them! Thank you Ren!" They exclaimed. I couldn't help but smile at them. That's when they brought out my gifts, which were about fifteen. Yes, fifteen presents all for me. Two from my parents, two from my uncle and aunt, three from my brothers, and eight from my sekirei. I put my fingers together and sighed.
"Girls; how would you like to play Santa?" I asked them. Musubi smiled happily and started jumping up and down.
"What do you mean Ren?" Toyotama asked. Matsu, Kazehana, and Uzume knew what I meant and smiled.
"It seems our Ren would like to donate his presents," Matsu explained. I nodded in agreement.
"I don't think it's fair that I get something when there are people out there who can't afford to buy anything," I said. "So, we're going to play Santa for a little while. I'm sorry about giving you're presents away, but I already have I want; and that's you girls."
I stood up and stretched out, only to be tackled by my sekirei. From the sudden tackle, I could tell they were happy.
"Our darling is so considerate," Kazehana said. The girls put their Santa costumes back on, and I put the gifts in a bag; except for Chris and Marcus's.
"Why aren't you adding theirs?" Uzume asked. I had to sigh.
"Ever since they found out I had girlfriends, they send me things that will 'help me' in the future," I explained. Some of them giggled.
"And I refuse to give away something from those two. Blake on the other hand, I can trust. CRAP! I forgot about Uncle Clyde!"
All of them laughed as I searched for the present.
"Those three are excluded."
"What about your father?" Matsu asked. I froze in place and held my head down. But then I remembered.
"Mother," I responded. "I have faith that she checked before sending, so we're good. Alright ladies, move out!"
The nine of us walked down to the local orphanage, where I spoke to the director about the presents. She happily accepted; after calling me cute, which made Tskumi angry. I managed to calm her down, and the nine of us handed out the presents. The kids were incredibly happy. And what I don't get, about two or three of the little girls developed a crush on me somehow. Tskumi had to keep telling them her relationship with me. Either way, everyone enjoyed themselves. I also had to distract the director while the girls showed off their skills to the kids.
It warmed my heart to see everyone smiling so happily. I looked out the window and saw a snowflake land on it. I too smiled and watched the kids and sekirei play around.
'Hmhm, Merry Christmas girls; I love you.' I said mentally. The girls must've read my mind because they came up to me with a mistletoe and kissed my cheek.
"Merry Christmas Ren; we love you."
A/N: Merry Christmas everyone; I hope you guys like it. I wanted to upload this on the correct day, but something went wrong and I couldn't upload it. I'm really sorry for making you guys wait so this is my gift to you. Along with this, I will upload the fifth chapter of Heart of Shadows, and hopefully the thirtieth chapter of Ice Chronicles. I hope you guys have a wonderful Christmas, and continue to read my stories. This has been MalevolentDarkness16 wishing you a wonderful Christmas. Take care.