What kind of chapter is this?
A weird one.
Shocking, I know.
It was now the third day since the Second Stage of the Sekirei Plan had begun, and in that time, the number of unwinged Sekirei had shrunk down to six.
And Homura had yet to be home, though Matsu had borrowed Minato's tablet in order to keep tabs on their wayward friend.
Meanwhile, Minato was upstairs, rebuilding and rewiring her bedroom in preparation for Matsu's new computer hardware.
… Without tools, Miya kept a toolbox in the shed but Minato had politely declined to borrow them.
Somehow, no one had really been surprised by that. Whenever they went to check on him (and the whole household had, at least once), they just found him using a tool made of 'something dark' that was otherwise mundane in nature…
While also expressionlessly radiating mischief, because no one really believed that he'd done something like install wires with a hammer, or replaced wall panels with a crowbar.
In retrospect, the flock came to realize that he had been distracting them from their worries, in his own odd way.
At least in part.
… Though his work was meticulous enough to please Miya, it was clear to anyone who knew him that he had other things on his mind.
Though he had yet to meet the focal point of his thoughts in person.
To say Chiho was a little confused by everything that had happened that day was an understatement.
For her morning medicine, the one who had walked through the door was not a nurse, but a doctor.
… A very pretty, but kind of scary doctor who had walked through the door wearing a scowl just as comfortably as Meiko did, though just like Meiko she was actually very kind.
And not only did both her Sekirei know and like this Doctor Takami, but she was… the mother of the Ashikabi Shiina had as a roommate? And was also the head overseer for the Sekirei Plan?
Chiho was beginning to wonder if the world outside the hospital was actually a whole lot smaller than she remembered it.
"Is there anything that can be done, Doctor?" Meiko respectfully asked, seated at the right side of the bed (the side that faced the door) with impeccable posture.
"I can't make guarantees, but we do have a treatment option available that will help her."
"Is this a recent discovery?" Meiko asked, giving nothing away.
Takami flashed a thin smile, aware that Meiko was actually asking 'why hasn't it been tried yet?'.
"The patient being an Ashikabi is a requirement." Takami went on to say. "As you're aware, Miss Hidaka's condition took a turn for the better upon winging two Sekirei, which is fairly standard for a good Ashikabi. Her condition will improve further as your bonds strengthen, or if she happens to wing other Sekirei, but we have a shortcut that we can enact right now."
"A 'shortcut'?" Shiina, on the left side of Chiho's bed, asked in a curious, hopeful tone. He hadn't failed to note the significance of 'other Sekirei', but he had his priorities.
"Regular blood transfusions from the two of you." Takami explained simply.
"I-is that safe? We're Sekirei and Chiho is human-" even though he was saying that, Shiina was rolling up his sleeve.
"I-is it safe for them?" Chiho asked at nearly the same time.
"From testing, it's more accurate to say that the Ashikabi bond is what makes it safe," Takami answered with clear amusement, a moment later. Her son's human blood was perfectly compatible with his Sekirei, but a similar number of samples from Sekirei unwinged by him had caused a rejection on a level that made Takami glad her son didn't need human blood.
The doctor crossed her arms, getting comfortable on her stool as she explained "the transfusion triggers what we've taken to calling an 'empathetic reaction'- essentially, the injected Sekirei DNA will 'defend' the Ashikabi's body in much the way a Sekirei themselves protects their Ashikabi."
Meiko nodded once and began rolling up the sleeve of her blazer as well. Both Sekirei looking at her expectantly prompted a brief chuckle from Takami, and a blush from Chiho as it registered how eager the two Sekirei were to help her.
"I can't promise that this is a cure, and unfortunately, your body's frailty will linger to some degree no matter what," Takami said, reining in their enthusiasm a bit. And then she looked at Chiho and smiled properly for the first time. It was a gentle expression that both Meiko and Shiina remembered fondly, even though Meiko hadn't been adjusted by Takami at all.
"But at the very least, rehabilitation should see you walking short distances unaided within a few months, and you'll have plenty of time to keep working at it, as long as you don't overdo it."
Chiho flinched, and her Sekirei flinched with her. Life expectancy had always been… something she tried not to think about.
Pretending she didn't see the tears glistening in the bright lights of the hospital room, Takami busied herself with preparing the first of many transfusions.
Takami had assumed it was deliberate, which was why she wasn't particularly surprised that Meiko followed her out in order to talk. Seemed it had taken longer than intended, because the Sekirei needed to power-walk in order to catch up despite her longer legs.
And because of that, the first words out of Takami's mouth were in regards to the mild absurdity she'd been watching.
"I know damn well your clothing order included bras, so why aren't you wearing one?" A human would have pulled something with that amount of bouncing going on.
"... My measurements changed," Meiko admitted stone-faced, not looking the shorter woman in the eye.
"Your next physical is tomorrow morning then," Takami briskly instructed, "so don't put anyone's eye out in the meantime."
Meiko's expression remained unchanged, but her cheeks pinked, causing the doctor to inwardly smirk. Meiko might have seemed imposing to most, but as far as Takami was concerned, she was just another teenager that puberty hit like a freight train.
… Which covered the vast majority of Sekirei in the doctor's eyes.
"... I will take your words under advisement, Doctor Takami," the steel-haired Sekirei recovered, "but that is not why I wished to speak further with you."
"Be surprised if it was," Takami retorted in a dry tone. "As for your actual question, we don't know."
A moment of silence passed before Meiko burst out "what do you mean you don't know!?"
"Oi, we're in a hospital," Takami hushed her sternly, waving down the concerned nurse who had jumped a little at the outburst.
"... My apologies," Meiko replied, relaxing her ramrod straight posture minutely. "Please, explain if you would?"
"We don't know what virus is infecting your Ashikabi, because there isn't a virus." Takami said in no uncertain terms.
Meiko held in her outburst, but it was a near thing, and the creak of her clenched fist was audible.
"I threw out most of the 'research' that found its way onto my desk once Chiho," the sweet thing had asked to be called by her first name, "was involved in the Sekirei Plan, because the theory of an 'aggressive, incurable virus' was the closest to a theory anyone could come up with until now."
"Then if it isn't a virus, what else could it be?"
"There's the mystery," Takami said with a hint of annoyance. "There's no medical reason for it, but Chiho's condition is and of itself straightforward- a decade of suffering from chronic exhaustion at a near-cellular level. Each and every natural function of her body requires extra effort, so I can't stress enough how wild of an improvement her being able to stand up and shuffle around a bit is."
"... She's been suffering for that long?" Meiko breathed. "I knew she had been in the hospital for quite some time, but I had not realized-"
"Not surprised she glossed over that part, but it's important you two know if you're going to be by her side," Takami said. "The hospital is a safe zone and that will be enforced to the fullest extent, but there are some real shitstains in the Plan that you will act like sharks if they smell blood. But even more so than that, you and Shiina need to be extremely careful that you always make it back to her, no matter what you have to do. You're all she has, and she won't survive losing even one of you."
Meiko could feel ice racing up her spine as she silently renewed her vow to protect her two precious people, whatever it took.
"... Was that the reason for your advice to Chiho?"
"And you didn't hear it from me," Takami sternly cautioned. "Those were the words of a meddlesome parent, not the head of the S-Plan, are we clear?"
"Crystal."
Doctor Takami had left Chiho with exceedingly simple, yet enigmatic words of advice for how they might endure the trials of the Sekirei Plan.
'Befriend my son.'
Homura had assumed his threshold for weirdness would have gotten higher, given who he was living with.
He was right, but that didn't make him any curious as to why his most inhuman roommate was seated on the roof of a skyscraper.
And not strictly alone either- he was flanked by loaded grocery bags, and reading the label of an unopened whiskey bottle with laser-like intensity.
"Oh, there you are, Homura," Minato answered without looking his way. "I am here to emotionally manipulate you, so join me for a drink."
"... That line would sound criminal from anyone else, yet you make it sound so innocent." Homura deadpanned. "And I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to tell someone you're emotionally manipulating them."
"My plan is to emotionally manipulate you, not lie to you."
"... You know what? To hell with it, pour me a drink." Homura made a sound approaching laughter, and flopped himself down on the roof by the monster's side.
Pleased that his emotional manipulation was already succeeding, Minato passed him the bottle instead.
Minato patiently waited until Homura had chugged down the contents of the second bottle before asking his first question.
"So what is it about Chiho that frightens you so?"
Despite Minato's attempt at consideration, Homura choked anyway and then began to cough.
"You really don't mess around when you're fishing for answers, huh?" Homura rasped, pounding on his chest.
"We are short on time, aren't we?" Minato noted as he stared out towards their home, a city where the lights grew brighter as the sun fell further. "The Second Stage will not end until every Sekirei is winged."
"... And at this rate, I'll be the last Sekirei without an Ashikabi," Homura flashed a bitter smile, leaning back on his hands. "Wouldn't be surprised if that bastard Minaka makes a game out of it."
"It will be Kusano all over again," Minato agreed, softening the blow never crossing his mind. "Many people will die."
"'Die', huh?" Homura repeated. "What makes you so certain?"
"Because I will kill the Ashikabi that attempt to wing you against your will."
It was, without a doubt, the most merciless statement that anyone had ever made on his behalf, so Homura couldn't help but wonder what the hell was wrong with him if being told that was honestly a little touching.
"Or you could just kill Minaka, and throw a wrench in the whole thing," Homura 'joked'.
"Or that, but Mother is fully convinced that the Director will cause less problems alive," Minato answered with an empathetic nod.
"... I kind of hate how plausible that sounds."
Minato nodded again, recalling that Mother's words following that statement had been very similar.
"Assuming you wish to survive longer than the next few days, the solution is obvious," Minato didn't see a need to give that solution voice. "And yet you avoid it to the point of being your own greatest obstacle."
Homura grimaced but said nothing, so Minato continued on.
"Chiho's flock currently contains one man and one woman, so I doubt she would mind if you became a woman again," Minato stopped talking, mystified by Homura having another coughing fit out of nowhere.
People were truly mysterious at times.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Homura spluttered. "Where'd that come from!? How do you even know that!?"
Minato turned to look at him for the first time in a while, staring at him without blinking for what felt like a long time, even though mere seconds passed.
"Male and female Sekirei are built differently," Minato began slowly. "It is rather noticeable when those differences start disappearing, especially when I am treating your burn wounds. Is there a correlation between the instability of your power and the shifting of your body?"
Homura gaped at him for a moment, more than a little unnerved to discover that his 'secrets' weren't secrets at all.
"D-did… Takami tell you any of this?"
"Mother? No. I have a lot of eyes and pay close attention to important people." The monster pointed out as if it was hardly worth mentioning.
"... Okay, look, I know this probably sounds stupid to you," Homura began after a while, his voice cracking a little, "but a Sekirei's body isn't supposed to change like mine does! I go to sleep knowing that I might not wake up the same person, and it scares the hell out of me. My body can't figure out if it's a man or a woman, my powers can't decide if they should burn me or the enemy, and who the hell knows what bonding with a freak like me would do to a human!"
At some point, he'd ended up on his feet, gesturing wildly and breathing hard as he shouted out his many issues without a care who was listening.
And in all that time, Minato's expression remained unmoved, and he did nothing but listen in unblinking silence.
"I see." Was all he said, when Homura stopped for air, the Sekirei's shoulders shaking and leaking off thin tendrils of smoke.
"'You see'!? What the fuck is that supposed to mean!?"
"You aren't afraid of Chiho," Minato returned in a tone too emotionless to call calm. "You are afraid of yourself."
Homura sagged, throwing himself back down into a seated position with a bitter grin, and averting his gaze from those dark eyes that seemed like they could see through anything.
"... Yeah, got it in one. Chiho's been sick her whole life, and especially now when her condition is improving for the first time in years, I'm just too damn scared of being the one to ruin that. I'd rather die alone than risk even the smallest chance of dragging her down with me."
After having connected with so many Sekirei, Minato had an inkling of just how terrible 'dying alone' was for them.
Homura would rather deny his own existence than risk endangering the one who gave it meaning.
Not for the first time, Minato concluded that Sekirei were frightening in their own way, and in the next moment, wholly discarded any idea of trying to persuade Homura.
So instead, he picked up a wrapped package, and held it out for the melancholic Sekirei of Fire.
"That smells like… Miya's cooking," Homura's eyes widened subtly, forgetting his woes even for just a moment as he placed the package in his lap and began to slowly unwrap it.
"Miya expects the container to be clean when you return it," Minato said simply, rising to his feet.
Homura's gaze was fixated on the home-cooked meal in his shaking hands, and so Minato left him alone on the rooftop without a backwards glance.
For the first time in a while, Homura felt calm.
He wasn't sure how much of it was the bizarre little male-bonding session or Miya's cooking, but his thoughts felt clearer than they had in days.
He appreciated that Minato hadn't tried to console him or offer sympathy. After all, he could have a pity party just fine on his own.
But someone trying to understand had helped Homura think things through.
He had no intention of being winged by Chiho. It was too dangerous when there was no way to tell how dangerous the winging could be.
… But he wouldn't let himself be winged by anyone else, either.
So what was left for him?
What could he do right now, other than sit around feeling miserable?
… His damn job for one.
Though the names had still been left out for some inexplicable reason (or more likely, a bullshit reason like using the mystery to drum up tension), there was a running count being broadcasted, and currently, there were two more unwinged Sekirei besides himself out there.
Two wagtails surrounded by vultures on all sides.
Two 'forever and evers' in need of protection.
Tracking them down would be next to impossible without relying on 'connections' that he wanted to distance himself from, so…
"Heh, my bad Miya, guess I'm not returning the container after all."
One last task for the Guardian of the Unwinged- drawing as many moths as possible to the flame.
Giddy laughter from on high was swallowed by the noises of the city, but letting his voice out felt damn good anyways. Still grinning like a fool, Homura pulled out his phone and did something truly insane.
Being the secretary of Minaka Hiroto, the visionary at the top of the pharmaceutical giant known as MBI, meant accepting calls from people with more net worth than small countries, and having the sheer guts necessary to say please hold.
It also meant 'being in the loop' to a degree by necessity.
And so when someone with a smile she could hear called at five minutes to midnight and introduced himself as 'an old friend from Kamikura', what that unknown caller received, in the five seconds it took for vocal recognition to process, was a "I'll transfer you right away.".
"Homura! You're the fourth last person I ever expected to receive a call from at this hour, how have you been, my good fellow?" Minaka was laughing on video call before a full minute had passed.
But the Sekirei Minaka was confident hated him the most out of any of his kind (Miya included), met his laughter with a wildness in his eyes and a smile upon his lips.
"The Sekirei Plan is a game, right? Well Minaka, I'm ready to play."
It was exactly midnight when every single Ashikabi in Shin Tokyo played audience to a live broadcast from the last unwinged Single Number, promising to not take a single step out of the Shinjuku ward until he had his wings.
"You're all welcome to come looking, but-" a black-gloved hand covered the lens of the camera "don't be surprised if the only thing you catch are third degree burns." The feed cut with a flash of flame.
Shaking like a leaf, Chiho stared wide-eyed at the TV screen long after it returned to its scheduled programming.
With a sigh, Meiko stood scooping up the remote and turned the TV off, sighing again as that was enough to make Chiho flinch. Gently, she seated herself on the side of the bed, and carefully clasped Chiho's delicate hand.
"I think it's about time you tell me all about this elusive 'Homura', and why he matters so much to the both of you?"
Shiina tore his eyes away from Chiho just long enough to give her a firm nod.
"Homura is… the first Sekirei to react to Chiho."
That got the biggest reaction out of Chiho yet, snapping her out of her daze.
"Y-y-you didn't tell me that part!" Chiho stammered. "You just said you two were taking it slow with telling me about Sekirei!"
"... My apologies," Meiko interrupted with a cough, "had I been in my right mind when we met, I would have chosen to do the same."
"N-no, you don't have to apologize!" a flustered Chiho hastened to reassure. "Sure it was very surprising but it was really romantic too-"
The girl cut herself off with an embarrassed squeak, red-faced and staring fixedly at her blanket-covered lap.
The barest hint of pink on her own fair cheeks, Meiko's glossy lips curled into a proud smile. If there was anyone she wanted to make a good first impression on, it was her Ashikabi.
"I-if anyone should be apologizing, it's me," Chiho's faint whisper surprised them both. "Here I am with the two of you, and I'm getting worried about someone else." It sounded even more pathetic when she said it out loud.
"Chiho…" Shiina murmured softly, unsure of what else to say.
Meiko was of a different mind, however.
"Indeed, it is only right that your Sekirei receive a large share of your attention," she said with a nod. "Now why isn't Homura one of them? It is laughable to think he wasn't interested after reacting to Chiho, yet his actions during the broadcast make little sense with that in mind."
Meiko felt a little thrill in her heart as Chiho blushed at the backhanded compliment, but her thoughts remained on task, with some reluctance.
What was Homura's goal in all this? She could perhaps understand being hesitant to draw attention to the hospital during the chaos of the Second Stage, but drawing that attention solely to himself was another matter.
"I have of course heard of his role as the 'Guardian of the Unwinged', might he be diverting attention from those unwinged that still remain?"
"That's… probably part of it," Shiina hesitantly admitted. "But I… I don't think…" he cast a worried glance in Chiho's direction, took a deep breath, and said "I don't think Homura is planning to get winged at all."
Chiho had somewhat expected that, but even still, hearing it out loud hurt more than she had expected. Having Shiina and Meiko by her side was already more of a blessing than she could have ever imagined, but… there was no way to think about Homura without feeling like she was being greedy, was there?
"It's not like that!" Shiina burst out hastily, waving his hands as the two women in the room reacted in very, very different ways to his words. "He's not rejecting you Chiho, you're… you're Chiho!"
Chiho didn't think it was fair at all that her two Sekirei were treating that as a compelling argument.
""Then why?"" It took Chiho and Meiko a moment to realize their voices had overlapped.
"It's…" Shiina took another long, shaky breath. "Meiko, you probably heard, but Homura is really strong, right? Strong enough to easily fight winged Sekirei without an Ashikabi of his own?"
"Indeed, I have heard as much," Meiko slowly replied. "He's arguably one of the most active combatants in the Sekirei Plan, but I've yet to hear of him ever being bested."
"W-well, that's just it," Shiina said. "Power like that comes at a price… Homura's power is… unstable. Dangerous even to himself."
"And so he fears being around Chiho too often, lest that danger befall her as well?"
"N-not just that… I think there's more to it, but I can't say for sure," Shiina told her. "He told me he was afraid that… some of his 'instabilities' might pass on to his Ashikabi."
They already had evidence of Sekirei changing their Ashikabi, could they really say those changes would always be for the better?
"... But he could have at least talked to me."
It took Chiho several moments of being stared at to realize that she's spoken the thought out loud.
"S-sorry, I shouldn't-"
"No, what you said was correct," Meiko shook her head. "I can understand his reluctance to share his burdens, but if those burdens come between you then I believe you have some right to know. At the very least, leaving you alone to guess is inappropriate."
Both Chiho and Shiina clearly cared for Homura, and she herself had heard nothing but good things, yet Meiko couldn't say she was all that impressed with the man so far. Or at least, the effect he was having on her important people.
Perhaps Shiina truly was an exception to the rule, and men were as disappointing as she had been led to believe.
"Um, I kind of agree," Shiina admitted, a little hesitantly, "but I think the real problem is that Homura isn't thinking about himself at all."
"W-what do you mean, Shiina?" Chiho asked, feeling an inkling of understanding and wishing she didn't.
"W-well, if he's trying to stay away from Chiho for her sake, and draw attention away from the other unwinged Sekirei for their sake… which part of Homura's plan is happening for Homura's sake?"
"... What is left for the Guardian of the Unwinged, if there are no more unwinged Sekirei?" Meiko muttered, as much to ponder out loud as to contribute to the conversation.
The obvious answer to the two Sekirei was 'to get winged himself', but if Homura was adamant against that… what was left?
With a sharp gasp, Shiina clamped a hand over his mouth to keep a horrible thought from being voiced.
… Nothing, there was nothing left.
He was absolutely certain that's what Homura was thinking.
Homura's plan didn't include Homura himself because it didn't need to.
He was… no… he couldn't be…
"Homura is not planning to survive the Second Stage of the Sekirei Plan," an awful truth was emotionlessly asserted.
Every head in the room whipped towards the fifth story window to find someone sitting there, leaning casually against the windowsill.
Chiho's first impression of the strange young man was 'murky'. His eyes, his hair, and his clothes were all impossibly dark, as if beyond the reach of any and all light. Attractive in his own way, but something about it was inorganic, like she was looking at a carefully-crafted mannequin and not a person at all.
The thought didn't seem as rude as it should have seemed to her, only heightening the mystery further.
"Who are-" Meiko rose, voice sharp and muscles tense-
"Minato!?" Shiina exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
Meiko's wariness spiked through the roof, an overpowering sense of animosity radiating from the statuesque Sekirei the second she realized that another Ashikabi had somehow snuck up on them.
… But for her own Ashikabi, it was the words spoken that dominated her attention.
"... W-what do you mean, Homura isn't planning to survive the Second Stage?" Chiho asked in a threadbare whisper.
"Exactly what I said." Minato all too blandly replied.
"... How long have you been eavesdropping?" Meiko cut in, loathe though she was to interrupt Chiho, there was far too much that was simply wrong about the sudden intrusion to let it go unchallenged.
"A while," Minato admitted. "I was trying not to interrupt, but I cannot do that if I cannot tell if it's still happening."
The bizarre yet somehow reasonable statement actually gave Meiko pause for a moment.
"That is the fifth floor window, how did you even?" She could not detect the presence of any Sekirei, so just how had he gotten up there?
"Because he's not human or a Sekirei, right Minato?" Shiina said in a strange tone of voice, having made no move to sit up.
"No, I am not human or Sekirei," Minato easily replied. "I am a monster."
In one smooth motion, Meiko scooped up the tray from Chiho's bedside table and threw it, embedding it so far in Minato's face that it practically bisected his skull.
And in response, Minato just tilted his head to one side, regarding the startled people with his many eyes.
He was fairly certain that an occasion like this required some form of 'reassurance' to be offered, and so…
"I am also a doctor, if that helps."
Minato wasn't very good at reassuring people.
… There was too much going on.
Homura was in trouble, the Ashikabi she'd been hearing of was totally fine after pulling a dinner tray out of his face, Homura was going to die, monsters were real, and she'd thought Meiko had killed someone right in front of her-
"Deep breaths, Chiho," Meiko whispered contritely, pulling Chiho's hand into her lap and running her thumb soothingly against the back of it. "I am sorry for startling you."
Inwardly, Meiko was rattled just as much. The 'monster' on the windowsill had taken neither offense nor suffered any noticeable harm from her impromptu attack, leaving her unnerved but at least aware that 'Minato' bore no ill-intent.
"... I am sorry for rushing things," Minato belatedly apologized "But we are short on time."
"Y-you said that… Homura is… he's… in danger," Chiho managed, closing her eyes briefly.
Taking a deep breath, she gave Shiina and Meiko's hands a little squeeze, giving them both an apologetic smile before looking towards the creature on the windowsill.
"He has tried his best to keep it concealed, but Homura's powers are becoming more and more of a danger to himself," Minato said carefully, electing not to mention the specifics. "I believe an Ashikabi is the only thing that can help him now."
"But he's been avoiding me because he doesn't want to be winged," Chiho pointed out in a tone she hoped wasn't too bitter. "Isn't there… is there someone else?"
Someone less weak?
"No," Minato half-lied. Chiho was the only acceptable option, so that counted, right?
"Then what do I…" Chiho's expression twisted, and the glances she shot towards her Sekirei were guilty and brief. "I want to help Homura, but I… I feel like every time I think about him, I'm betraying the two of you. What am I… what am I supposed to do?"
The girl was huddled over in her seat, and the two Sekirei shared wry smiles over her head as a silent conversation passed between the two of them.
"Chiho," Meiko asked sternly, making her flinch. "If you winged Homura, would you cast the two of us aside?"
Was it wrong of her to find Chiho's horrified look somewhat gratifying?
"No!" Chiho burst out in the loudest voice she'd ever heard from her. "I could never do that to the two of you!"
The warm smiles she received in return left Chiho blushing red.
"Then there's no problem, Chiho," Shiina gently told her, smiling brightly. "We don't want to be the only people you care about, we just want to be people you care about."
"A-and you always will be," Chiho might have stammered, but the immediacy of her words meant it was the Sekirei's turn to blush.
Minato was happy for the three, and unlike many 'people' would, didn't feel awkward at all being fourth wheel.
"Um… sorry to ignore you," Chiho apologized, bringing his attention back to the outer world.
"I do not mind," Minato shook his head.
"Are you… are you sure you're not hurt?" Was it silly to worry about him?
"I am sure." He'd even been careful not to let the tray get dented.
Meiko didn't seem to know if she should apologize or not, so chose to say nothing.
"I think we got sidetracked a lot there, but… why did you come here, Minato?" Shiina asked curiously.
"It is good you are all more calm now," Minato said, accepting Chiho's quiet apology that came moments later. "I am Homura's friend, and as his friend I wish to help him. And to help him, first I need to help you."
It was the answer he'd arrived at.
There was no future for Homura without Chiho.
"Um, thank you very much, but… how do you plan to do that?"
"I decided on a 'deal with the devil'," Minato replied in his toneless voice.
The room went very, very quiet and very, very still as the Gluttonous Star shone darkly upon them.
"... I am not the Devil, by the way. Mother is confident about that."
Once again, Minato was not very good at reassuring people.
Girl probably wouldn't thank her for it, but dropping her into the dumpster really was a kindness on Kazehana's part.
It was a choice between the open dumpster or the open asphalt, after all.
They weren't sitting idle while Honey was out doing his thing, naturally- the flock was out in force tonight save Kuu and Matsu, two teams of three thinning the ranks and generally causing havoc among the vultures zeroing in on Homura.
Well actually, Honey was with them in a sense, because, as Uzume had so perfectly phrased it- they'd been Norito'd. They'd been Norito'd hard.
Akitsu stationed outside the hospital as a bodyguard for their Ashikabi (they drew straws) might not have been able to use her Norito, but the way Hun had left her breathless meant she probably didn't feel left out.
Akitsu was the best choice for bodyguard duty anyways, since she was the best at defending against the kind of widespread destruction that could actually sort of hurt Minato.
Losing body mass was the closest thing they knew of to actual 'injury' for their Ashikabi- Matsu's relentless curiosity was sure coming in handy-
"One block to your right, group of four, all high doubles" came through her earpiece, showing off another way Matsu came in handy- surveillance.
It was kind of fun having direction to trouble instead of having to look for it themselves~
… Really, she was just glad she and Matsu had ended up on the same team.
"Whilst there ever be a proper Sekirei battle?" Tsukiumi grumbled as they left another scene of battle behind.
Or rather, left a low rooftop that was covered in water, and empty of Sekirei.
If they'd been serious about eliminating their opponents, the twins would have put several hundred thousand volts of electricity through her water, but as they couldn't afford to stand watch over their fallen kin, they had avoided deactivating anyone thus far.
"Hey now, don't rain on the parade!" Hikari laughed. "Just think of all the extra showing off we get to do this way!"
"And whyever would I wish to 'show off' as thou sayest?"
"Because Babe will praise you more that way?" Hibiki chimed in, raising her voice only minimally.
Tsukiumi's cheeks flushed as she imagined what form her husband's 'praise' might take, and behind her, the Lightning Twins smiled like cats that had just caught the canary.
"... Point made." Tsukiumi conceded. "Matsu, lead on!"
Though countless battles were happening all throughout and above the winding streets, few below even took notice as the chaos was drowned out by the neon lights and blaring speakers of sleepless Shinjuku Ward.
But even through the most violent and chaotic night to date of the Sekirei Plan, destiny marched relentlessly forward.
Their shoulders touching and their feet dangling over the edge of a long drop, Minato sat with Akitsu, mind awash with curiosity as he replayed the conversation in his head again and again.
He had been the one to make the offer, so why did it excite him so?
"... Ah, that is it?"
"Master?"
"It made me really feel like a monster. How delightful."
Akitsu didn't really understand it, but if he was happy then it must have been a good thing.
The conversation had been very short, yet the words the monster had spoken replayed endlessly in their heads, filling the dreadful silence of the hospital room until it felt ready to burst.
"... If you are willing to pay the price, I will put an end to the frailty of your form."
Chiho had gulped audibly, eyes wide and face pale.
Meiko hadn't hesitated at all, however.
"Name your price," she demanded, Shiina staring just as intently. "We will see it paid, at all cost."
But the entity known as Myriad 1 shook his head slowly, the beginnings of a smile adding the first hint of expression he'd shown yet.
"It isn't about money, nor is it a price that can be paid by you," the monster said. "The only one in all the world who can offer what must be offered is Chiho herself."
"T-t-then… what is… what is it you're asking for?" Chiho stammered out in a near whisper, struggling to breath as an unseen pressure gripped the room.
It was like the jaws of a great invisible beast were slowly closing tight.
Or… perhaps those jaws belonged to the thing in the moonlight, the one staring at her through black hole eyes as it readied itself to bite through the last of what made sense in the world.
"Half of what makes you human," it whispered with far too many voices. "Half of what makes Hidaka Chiho human is the price that must be paid."
Make a wish, pay the price,
Tell a lie, and roll the dice.
Monster, monster, on the wall,
Who's the loneliest of all?
Feathers burning, hands are yearning,
A darkened star goes slowly turning.
…
… I may have a soft spot for twisted fairytales. So why not make it a twisted eldritch fairytale, and lure a maiden from her tower to save a wayward prince?
The Gluttonous Star doesn't shine for just anyone, you know.
(And there are spoilers lurking between those lyrics).