Chapter 10: Preliminaries

Chapter Text

Musubi was fighting, and so was Koby, but that didn't mean that Nami, Tsukiumi, and Ikki weren't busy as the tournament began. Nami kept a watchful eye over the area from a distance, while Tsukiumi and Ikki stayed close to Koby as he fought. They were determined to prevent any of the numerous Sekirei from getting too close to their Ashikabi. They knew that Koby's kindness could make him an easy target, and there was a high chance that one of these Sekirei might try to sneak in and steal his attention or a kiss to make him their Ashikabi as well.

Of course, there was the concern that this might happen in the ring as well, and they decided not to inform the pink-haired young man about it. It was best for him to focus on his fights and not worry about these potential distractions. Their fears and worries were not unfounded in the least; there were so many Sekirei who wanted a strong Ashikabi, and Koby was undoubtedly the strongest. This was precisely why a single-digit Ashikabi like Tsukiumi kept a close watch on Koby herself, to intimidate as many unwinged Sekirei as possible and keep them at bay.

Unaware of this, Koby entered the arena and faced his first opponent, a martial artist from the human world. The man wore a white gi, had simple dark short hair, and brown eyes. He appeared to have the skills necessary to compete in the tournament. Koby showed respect by bowing to his opponent before preparing himself for the fight. The man approached slowly, and Koby effortlessly blocked his punch, countering by stepping forward with his left foot and delivering a powerful strike to the man's midsection, knocking him to the ground in a single fluid motion. Realizing he had no chance after that exchange, the opponent gave up quietly, feeling the intense pain from Koby's simple strike.

The girls were pleased with Koby's victory, especially Musubi's win, which was expected. However, there was a simple worry among them. Koby had won by a wide margin and had shown off his strength. Now, anyone in the room had witnessed his abilities, and they needed to remain vigilant from that point onward.

Koby's next opponent was Sekirei number 92, Kujika, a woman who relied on powerful elbow strikes and was known for her speed and agility. Koby engaged in a legitimate fight with Kujika, and the battle grew intense as she was a winged Sekirei but not a significant threat, which calmed the girls, who cheered happily for their Ashikabi. Koby sidestepped and had to block a swift attack from the side, pushing himself to avoid getting into trouble. He found Kujika's fast strikes impressive.

Koby watched Musubi's fight, which was impressive, as she effectively applied the techniques she had demonstrated in the match to secure her victory. He smiled and gave her a thumbs-up, seeing her happy and proud smile, knowing that he had witnessed her triumph against her opponent.

Koby approached his next matches with the same confidence he had displayed in the first two rounds. In his following match, he faced Sekirei number 44, Yosuga, and handled it with about as much effort as he had with Kujika in the round of 32. The two battled fiercely, with Koby having to contend with Yosuga's impressive strength. However, he was able to overcome it with his quickness and his own abilities, ultimately securing the victory after a few intense moments.

Their consecutive victories over winged Sekirei had given them a false sense of security that all the remaining opponents would also be winged Sekirei. It appeared that the male competitors had been eliminated in the early rounds of the tournament. Koby had also not been approached by any random Sekirei during his time in the preliminaries. Thus, the assumption at that moment was that only winged Sekirei, who were inherently stronger, remained in the competition.

Koby watched the fight between Musubi and Takeshi with great interest. He could see that her striking style was intriguing, as she used electricity with her punches. Koby noticed that her Ashikabi was the same as Rika's and waved over to Rika, who waved back. Koby then returned his attention to the intense fight. Takeshi possessed tricks and incredible speed, while Musubi had the advantage in terms of sheer power. The match became a captivating back-and-forth affair.

Musubi struggled to land a clean strike on Takeshi but managed to keep herself just out of harm's way, avoiding elimination in the match. Fortunately, the rules prevented the deactivation of a Sekirei, so Koby could enjoy the match without worrying about the outcome.

Koby observed every motion and action as the fight unfolded. Musubi moved gracefully in her normal outfit, while her opponent wore a martial arts gi adorned with scars, seemingly proud of them. Despite the scars, she remained a striking beauty, although her black hair appeared disheveled. Koby watched with concern, fearing that Musubi might struggle to land a decisive strike and be defeated through a barrage of attacks.

The fast-paced movements continued back and forth, making Koby acutely aware that his own match was up soon, and he needed to approach it with caution. There were no weak opponents left in the tournament.

A moment later a strike as Koby would blink as Musubi's uniform would burst apart at the seems. Again, she would be standing in a fight naked. This time though she couldn't change. Her eyes focused as she didn't seem to care about it. The whole act threw off Takeshi for a moment as it was so unexpected. The whole crowd getting a few of the topless beauty.

In that moment, the opening was seized by Musubi as she unleashed her special attack, Kuma-Ken. The powerful strike connected with Takashi, instantly knocking her out and securing the win for Musubi. She smiled broadly, her gaze fixed on Koby. Her massive breasts were hanging out for him to see as she had no shame about that fact.

As she exited the ring, she dashed straight toward him, embracing him tightly. Her body pressed closely against his as she expressed her happiness about her victory. "I won, that was great, right?" she asked innocently.

"Yep, you did great," Koby replied, managing to maintain his composure. He then turned and headed to his own match to reach the quarterfinals.

"Girls we have a problem," Nami said as he looked at the girl in the ring, a beauty with pink hair, a unique pink outfit and the numbers 66 on the tops of her tights, this woman was not winged, and Nami knew who she was well. Her little brother was her former crewmate after all.

"What do you mean," Tsukiumi asked as she had no clue who this woman was, but apparently Nami very much knew who she was.

"That girl is genetically enhanced. Her name is Vinsmoke Reiju, and she's the older sister of a former crewmate named Sanji. She is both powerful, and I bet she is unwinged. She most likely knows Koby too," Nami commented. This woman might go after Koby as her Ashikabi if she were a Sekirei like Nami. Nami looked at her; she was so beautiful, and her poison was dangerous too.

Koby looked at Reiju, recognizing her reputation as a powerful and deadly member of Germa 66. It puzzled him how she and Nami had ended up in this world. He had so many questions as he gazed at her and finally asked, "So, Germa... um, Reiju, how did you end up here?"

Reiju maintained her confident and composed demeanor as she replied to Koby, "Oh, I have my ways of getting around, and let's just say the currents of fate brought me here." She smiled knowingly, revealing that she was aware of Koby's identity as well. "And as for you, Koby, I've heard quite a bit about you. It seems you've been making quite an impression in this city."

Koby and Reiju's fight continued with both of them displaying impressive agility and skill. Koby's ability to keep up with Reiju's fast movements and evade her attacks surprised her. She decided not to use her poison and instead focused on testing Koby's capabilities.

Meanwhile, Nami observed the fight and had a feeling that they were about to add another member to their group. She placed a comforting hand on Musubi's shoulder and covered her with an extra jacket, preparing for the inevitable outcome of the battle. "It looks like we'll be welcoming the fifth member of our group," Nami remarked.

Reiju decided it was time to conclude their fight. With a graceful and agile movement, she closed the distance between them, her hand moving toward Koby's face. However, instead of a deadly strike or poison, she gently cupped his cheek. Her expression softened as she looked into his eyes.

"Koby, you're quite the formidable Ashikabi," she said, her voice filled with a mix of admiration and curiosity. "I think we could make a great team."

Koby, still panting from their intense battle, couldn't help but feel a sense of connection with Reiju. He knew that his life in this world had taken an unexpected turn, and perhaps, having a powerful Sekirei like Reiju by his side wouldn't be such a bad thing.

With a nod and a faint smile, he replied, "I agree. Let's do this."

A moment later, the lips of the pair pressed together as Reiju was winged by Koby. The kiss was rather sweet and oddly innocent, given the moment, as her butterfly wings spread out behind her while she smiled. "My pledge to melt away my Ashikabi's problems with my poisons," she declared.

"Well, girls, it seems like Reiju is one of us. Don't worry; she is a really good person," Nami reassured the group. She knew that adding another Sekirei wasn't a bad thing, especially when it was someone like Reiju.

Nami glanced at the board of names and noticed one name that worried her. She let out a sigh and looked at the others, hoping that by the time Koby had to fight that opponent, they would be eliminated. She disliked men, so that particular match-up wouldn't be an issue. The remaining names on the board were potential threats to joining their group, and they would find out in two days. However, Nami had a match herself the following day, and the outcome was uncertain.