001 - Home's where the heart is

There's something comforting in the clickety-click of iron wheels on rails as the train makes its way through Japan. Visiting Karakura Town has been… nice, Chad supposes. Watching nostalgic sights and meeting his old friends again. He had certainly enjoyed it. But… it didn't feel like home anymore.

It's a bit scary how quickly it happened, a place so full of memories good and bad, of stories and struggles and just… one year away is enough to make him feel like a stranger just passing by. Then again, he's never had the most stable of lives, has him? From Japan to Mexico to Japan again in just fifteen years, he's grown up changing homes every so often, it's only natural for him to adapt quickly.

Besides, the cold and empty atmosphere of his old flat in Karakura cannot hope to compare with the warmth of his current apartment in Shinto Teito. A true, welcoming home, of the sorts he hasn't had since Abuelo passed away. As glad as he was to see his friends again, it couldn't make up for the absence of—

Chad's attention gets distracted when the train crosses some invisible threshold around Shinto Teito and his spiritual awareness simply… vanishes.

It's something that alarmed and worried him the first time it happened, but has grown used to ever since. There's no spiritual world in Shinto Teito. No reapers, no hollows, not even spiritually aware humans. He still doesn't know the reason behind it, though he has some theories at least.

Oh, he used to be so irked, back in the day. Coming to a new place, to a new life, with nothing but a rucksack of personal belongings and a scholarship would be enough to make anyone a little nervous. But to lose his powers as soon as he set foot in the city on top of everything else… Well, it was enough to make him reconsider his life choices.

Now he's glad he didn't.

"Next stop: Shinto Teito Central, end of journey. Please remain in your seats until the train has fully stopped and don't forget your personal belongings. Japan Railways thanks you for choosing our services and we hope to welcome you on-board again."

Shaking his head to get rid of the introspective mood, Chad makes sure the little luggage he has with him is accounted for while the train stops and joins the tide of people getting off. It's not something that particularly bothers him, the crowds. For one, the average Japanese male barely reaches halfway to his chest, meaning he towers over them. For another, there's a sort of order to Japanese crowds that you simply can't find in other countries, a controlled chaos compared with the utter madness that was a crowded street in Mexico.

Usually, he'd take the subway back to his apartment, which is easily another hour and a half of transit. But he still has some of the money he set aside for his visit to Karakura and feels like getting back home as soon as possible, so he decides to splurge a bit and take a taxi.

Looking through the window, he luxuriates in the sights of Shinto Teito. Businesses compete for attention in a show of color and vibrancy that combines to make up a breathtaking tapestry. He's grown so accustomed to it that he barely pays attention anymore but, with his recent visit to Karakura to compare the two cities, it jumps at him once again.

Shinto Teito is a gorgeous city. He's glad to live here.

Now if only there wasn't any catch to it… but there's always a catch, isn't it? Nothing is free in this life. No matter, he made his choice and he'll have to live with it.

His new home is located in the Southern Ward, a small and cozy apartment that doesn't look any different from the hundreds of others like it in the same apartment block. In all honesty, it isn't any different from the hundreds of others. But it's his, and that's all the difference it needs to make.

Well, that and the fact there's someone waiting for him. Someone Chad finds already looking in his direction when he opens the door, sitting on the tatami floor with a stern expression that hides a devoted heart.

"Welcome home, Ashikabi-sama."

"I'm home, Mutsu."

Chad was feeling lonely back during the first month of moving into Shinto Teito, away from everyone he knew and too reserved to make new friends easily, and had taken to wandering the city to clear his mind. That's when he met Mutsu, a fellow loner surrounded by people. In spite of the both of them being people of few words, they grew close surprisingly fast.

Then again, sometimes words aren't needed.

And then Mutsu revealed the truth about his nature and told Chad about the Sekirei, aliens come from beyond the stars in search of love. The tale of the first Seven Ships arrived in ancient times and the one who got stuck under the seas until recently. Of the struggles they had to overcome in these first days after awakening, of the greed of human nations trying to claim them for themselves and the Disciplinary Squad who rose to fight them back.

Of four children born for love and raised for war, who gave everything they had for their unborn siblings until there was nothing else to give, who all broke in different ways under the pressure. Of a strong and terrifying mother figure who survived the war unscathed, only to be broken by love instead.

He talked about the psychic nature of his kind. Of the subconscious, empathic sense that constantly reached for a compatible partner to tie their fates to, their Destined One. Of the Reaction they all experience when said partner is found. Of the fact he was Reacting to Chad.

That's also the day Chad learned about the catch behind his scholarship. MBI's 'Star Student Program' was just an excuse for them to draw potential Ashikabi into the city for some great plan whose details Chad still isn't very clear on. 'To fight and fight and fight until only one remains' sounds clear enough on paper, but leaves an awful lot of room for details and interpretation.

In any case, his scholarship was tied to his willingness to participate in the plan. Considering he had no way to continue his studies through his own means, losing it would be the same as losing his only chance at a higher education. So far, he's seen very little of this so-called Plan in motion, beyond receiving extra funding from MBI to help him deal with the extra costs of providing for a Sekirei.

It's been months since then and yet, he can't help but worry that he's made a deal with the devil and that the other side of the coin will be showing itself sooner rather than later. Call it a gut feeling if you will, but these same gut feelings have seen him through two wars and countless life-and-death struggles. There's something in the air, a waiting with bated breath, a barely contained nervous energy that reminds him of the calm before the storm.

"You seem distracted today, Ashikabi-sama." Mutsu speaks up in a worried tone, causing Chad to snap out of his recollection. "Did the train ride not sit well with you?"

"I'm fine." He reassures his Sekirei, walking up to him to sit by his side. "Just lost in memories."

"Returning home can be like that." Mutsu replies in a somewhat morose tone. "The past can come back to haunt you if you're not careful."

Chad eyes the Sekirei sitting by his side, pretty and delicate-looking in a way that betrays the rugged and scarred soul underneath. Bringing up the past always makes him shrink into himself in a way that's painful to watch and makes Chad wish he could change the past. Unfortunately, there's only one person who can change the past and the bastard is better off dead.

Fortunately, there's still something he can do about it. Even after all this time, Chad's still the same quiet person who isn't very good with words, but he's learned a thing or two about distracting people from dark moods.

"The past, yes. But..." He agrees easily, trailing off as he reaches out with an arm to wrap around Mutsu's lithe frame and pull him closer to his side. "That's not home anymore. Home is here."

Mutsu turns his head, eyes wide with surprise and utterly unprepared to reach when Chad takes advantage of the gesture to capture his lips. A soft, whimper-like moan escapes the Sekirei as wings of light and dust explode behind him and he melts into the kiss.

Curious creatures, he Sekirei. Mutsu can sink buildings without breaking a sweat and raise mountains with ease, feats only the strongest in the Spiritual Realms could hope to match. And yet, a kiss and a bit of physical reassurance is all it takes for him to come undone. They truly are creatures made for love.

Yes, in spite of the uncertainty that lies on his future, in spite of the deal with the devil he made to be here, he can't bring himself to begrudge how things have turned out. Good times and bad times are both transient, what's important is what you make out of them.

As he navigates the crowds on his way towards Tokyo University's administrative building, making his way through the crowd of hopeless checking the admission exam results, Chad can't help but feel a bit nostalgic about the whole thing. Just a year ago, when he first entered college, this sight of his tall, dark frame amongst the students would've caused quite the stir. There's still some of that, people stepping away in surprise or outright fright at his approach, looking at him like a giant or an oni come straight out of a legend.

But they are the least, the newcomers.

For the regulars, the neighbors, the students and those who work here in the college grounds, he's a familiar sight, a known one. Yasutora Sado, better known as Chad, is a known quantity as the young rising star of the Boxing Club. Still a giant, but their giant.

It wasn't always like that, of course, he remembers these first months here in Tokyo, struggling with college-level workload on his own. Far away from his childhood friends, his quiet nature and intimidating visage made it hard for him to connect with people. Even after Winging Mutsu, it still was a lonely student life.

But things happened as they won't. A dumb confrontation that would've landed him in trouble with a racist law-enforcement system if he didn't have a powerful backer; an honest man trying to help, unaware of his circumstances; a heart-to-heart conversation struck over the whole situation; a honest offer Chad had no reason to refuse.

Before he knew it, he was visiting the boxing gym three times a week, adapting his utilitarian combat form learnt through life and death struggles into something usable in a ring for sport. Things only kept snowballing from there.

"Yo, Chad!"
"Looking good!"
"This year we have the nationals in the bag!"

He nods at the various people greeting him. At the end of last year, he managed to go all the way to the semi-finals of the national tournament, where he lost by points to an hyper-technical style he simply hadn't had time to prepare against. This year he had every intention of taking the gold cup home.

He owes senpai that much.

But that's for later in the year. For now, he has some documents to drop at the main office and a new schedule to grab. Shaking his head to snap out of his daydreams, he continues his way.

"It's not there! It's not there!" A shrill, panicked voice echoes through the room, somehow making itself heard over the cheering and groaning crowds around. "I can't believe I failed again!"

"Man, that sucks, senpai." Another voice, comforting and sympathetic, is only heard because of the relative silence the first one caused around them. "You worked harder than anyone!"

Chad steals a glance towards the source of the voices, a young boy around his age slumped in front of one of the admission boards with another, slightly younger-looking boy patting his back.

The sight makes him sigh. Entrance exams are harsh in Tokyo University, it takes a lot of preparation to get in and, even then, that alone isn't enough to guarantee success. The mental fortitude to go through the stressful tests without breaking down and a certain degree of luck are also required.

Not everyone who deserves a spot actually gets it. It's just one of the sad realities of life.

"What are you going to do now?"

"What else can I do? I'm not giving up!" The first boy announces determinedly, clenching fists as he stands from his slump. "I'll try again next year!"

Yes, that's the right attitude. Chad finds himself nodding in approval.

True, it's a bit frustrating, to consider someone can afford to waste two years of his life just trying to get into college when he had to rely on a scholarship and would always be one mistake away from getting unceremoniously kicked out.

On the other hand though, the determination it takes to keep pushing after one's ambition for years on end is well worth respect. Youth is the time of impatience, of rushing ahead with little care for what's left on the side, Chad knows he's the exception, not the rule there. Which only makes that man's resolve all the more praiseworthy.

He'll be waiting to see that boy around campus next year.

Now, he should go buy some groceries before getting back home. They're running low on rice and vegetables, again. He's always been a healthy eater, but a Sekirei's appetite leaves him in the dust. Providing for the two would've been outright impossible without his MBI card.

The future Queen of all Sekirei was patrolling through the rooftops, like she usually did, looking for someone capable of handling her ultra-awesome ninja powers to be her Ashikabi. It wouldn't do for just the first guy with Ashikabi potential to wing someone such as herself, after all.

No! It had to be the very best, like no one ever was! An Ashikabi to surpass Metal Gear! She would settle for no less and accept no imitations!

Sure, things weren't going like she originally planned. Sure it's been weeks and she hasn't found anyone worth her time. Sure, two new batches have been released while she looked for the perfect Ashikabi. Sure, a lot of (desperate hussies) lesser Sekirei, content with the first option they stumbled into had stolen a march on her and were well in the way of establishing themselves while she remained alone… But that can't be helped, really.

It was naive of her to expect the ideal Ashikabi to simply drop in her lap from the get-go. This is just a test to her character and determination! Fate won't make things easy for her, but that's not nearly enough to stop her!

Fate will rue the day it decided to challenge Number 72, Natsu!

She lands on a weathercock to pose dramatically, perfectly balancing herself on the tip with the sheer awesomeness of her ninja prowess to declare her indomitable will to the Heavens when it happens. It hits her out of nowhere, like a bolt from the blue.

A feeling new and strange, making her whole body tingle as her senses sharpen by themselves, all her finely-honed instincts crying at her to focus, that something is happening and that it is important.

… The sudden feeling may or may not make trip and fall from her perch, but there's nobody to see her so it was fine.

Also, she has more important things to focus on than some transient failure she's going to forget in a matter of hours, like locating the source of that feeling. It isn't exactly an easy task, partially because the rooftop she's in doesn't actually give that good a view of the nearby streets, partially because her strange new instinct doesn't even have the decency of coming with an integrated compass, but she somehow manages.

There it is, the Source. A tall and broad-shouldered man, so big the crowds around him not even reach his shoulder, towering over mere mortals like a god walking amongst ants. A mop of dark brown hair, wild and untamed on top of his head. A deeply tanned skin and a peculiar facial structure that marks him as an exotic foreigner. A faint stubble of facial hair that makes him special and interesting. A very nice frame, with well-shaped muscles that rip through his clothes and makes her want to lick his sweat out of his skin.

… Which is weird, because she's not usually attracted to sweat. In fact she's always found it vaguely yucky. But now the mere idea is enough to get her drooling a little. Mommy likes…

But anyway! Tall, dark and handsome! The dream of every girl out there!

Could it truly be? Did she find the Most Perfect Human? The Ultimate Ashikabi? Her Destined One?

And then her sharpened senses notice something else, something that makes her eyes narrow and her brain fill with unkind thoughts. There, at the end of the street, trying and -pathetically- failing to hide behind a corner, stands another Sekirei. She's blushing and visibly flustered, and she doesn't seem to have eyes for anything but the super-duper-ultra-awesome Ashikabi who Natsu saw first.

Reason takes a back seat as instincts take over.

They weren't very nice instincts.

Easily carrying on the crook of his arm a pile of shopping bags that would make most people use a shopping cart for, Chad walks down the street while going through his mental shopping list once again to make sure he's still on top of things.

Six pounds of rice and two of potatoes for basic calories, six leek stalks, a couple cabbages and some peppers for stir fry and some fruit for vitamins. He still has to buy fish but that's the last of it. It should last for the week, hopefully. Sekirei's food intakes are really off the charts for a human and he suspects his own eating habits have also become more voracious in the last months, simply by sharing meals with such a healthy appetite.

Thank God for the MBI card, because there's no way he could afford Shinto Teito's grocery prices with his scholarship grant alone. It's a bit ironic that both sources of money have the same origin in the end, but that's just how things work sometimes. Bureaucracy becomes a more and more complex monster the bigger the organization and MBI is big enough for its inner workings to make no sense to a simple man like him.

Ah, he should probably grab some tea while he's at it. They're not running low quite yet, but Mutsu—

His train of thought gets abruptly interrupted when the body of a young girl wearing something vaguely resembling a miko outfit flies out of a nearby alley in a heap, rocketing past him and towards the opposite building. Hard-earned reflexes kick in, making him drop his bags and reach out with a hand to try and arrest the girl's momentum.

Alas, spiritual powers don't work within Shinto Teito and, without the advantage of his Fullbringer powers, he's not quite fast enough to catch the unidentified flying miko. Much to his relief though, the girl somehow manages to spin on herself mid-flight to harmlessly and elegantly land on the brick wall feet first, almost like a weightless, dancing spirit.

"You bitch!" A voice echoes from the alley the girl came from, revealing the presence of another one, clad in a blue bodysuit and holding a handful of kunai in each hand. "Come back here and let me rearrange your face!"

If the miko outfit and otherworldly beauty of the first girl hadn't been enough to clue Chad in what's going on, the appearance of this second one, specially the number tattoo on her shoulder, would've made their nature more than obvious.

Two Sekirei fighting over something. According to Mutsu, fighting and competitiveness are part of a Sekirei's very nature. Chad himself hasn't been in any Sekirei fight so far, but the Sekirei Plan is supposed to be picking up, so it only makes sense for conflicts to start cropping up.

It's a bit strange that their Ashikabi aren't around, though. Aren't Sekirei supposed to follow a pretty strict engagement code in their fights?

"I politely refuse! I don't even know what brought this up!" The one outfitted like a miko answers in a somewhat panicked but still scrupulously polite tone, gripping tightly on the handle of the naginata she's carrying, but not taking any overtly combative action. "Please, at least let me apologize if I somehow gave offense!"

"I'll teach you 'give offense'!" The second Sekirei answers in a considerably less polite tone, voice and body language charged with barely restrained violence. "Stop ogling at my Ashikabi!"

Ah.

That'd do it.

"Your Ashikabi…? I see." As she mutters that, the Miko-themed Sekirei steals a side glance towards Chad, giving him a bad feeling. Actually, she just blushed before looking away, scratch that, he's having a very bad feeling. "I wholeheartedly apologize, senpai, but I have no intention whatsoever of shying away from my Destined One, not now that I've finally found him."

"S– Senpai!? That's, I… I mean, I still haven't— Wait" The Ninja-themed one takes a step back, sputtering confused -but obviously pleased- denials while blushing up a storm on her own, only to catch herself halfway through it and force herself back into the offensive. "That's not the point, you damn fetishistic miko hussy!"

Such a very bad feeling he's having right now.

"Oh." The Miko-themed one drops the monosyllabic word like one would drop a bomb, entire body language going from respectfully submissive to coldly disdainful as it echoes around. "So it's like that…"

"L-like what?" The other Sekirei retorts defensively, clearly on the back foot after the sudden change. "If you have something to say, say it plainly!"

"A pitifully deluded girl lost in her own fantasies, who mistakes her dreams for truth and it's incapable of taking action to see them realized." The first one answers cooly, spine straightening and chin tilting upwards as she somehow manages to give the impression of looking down at someone that's a solid five inches taller than herself. "One who would lash out on false pretenses, reaching above her station to try and enforce an imaginary claim she hasn't even bothered staking."

Wow, just… wow. That was brutal. Those people who think politeness means harmlessness clearly don't know what they're talking about.

Now, Chad's normal reaction to two women sniping at each other with enough venom to poison a pod of whales is to stay the hell away and let the situation blow over on its own. But that only applies when he's unrelated to the situation to begin with. And, as much as he didn't do anything to cause this, there's no doubt in his mind he's still the one responsible for it.

Two new Sekirei Reacting to him at the same time and in the same place. Mutsu warned him that it might happen, that Sekirei aren't a monogamous species and more than one reaction to the same Ashikabi wasn't just possible, but outright expected with the stronger ones. For instance, someone capable of making a Single Digit react from the get go like Chad.

At some invisible signal and with a level of coordination that betrays their current disposition towards each other, both Sekirei seem to simultaneously decide that the time for words is over and charge for another clash. This time, the Naginata-wielding one seems to have the advantage, fully exploiting the longer reach of her weapon to force the Kunai-user into the defensive.

He lets out a long-drawn sigh, rubbing a hand over his face as he considers his options. Without his Fullbringer powers, he can't really compete with a Sekirei in a physical contest. Mutsu taught him that much. This situation isn't like the incident with the Hollow haunting Yuuichi, where he could simply leverage his strong body to bridge the gap between mundane and supernatural.

Still, there's something he can do. Something that definitely feels a bit scummy and he would normally be more reluctant to resort to, but these two are duking it out in the middle of the walkway. People so far seem smart enough to give them a wide berth, but if Chad has learnt anything about humanity during his life so far is that someone stupid enough to do something that puts himself and others in danger isn't just a potential eventuality, but rather a matter of time.

With that in mind, he needs to keep calm and wait for the perfect moment to act. It thankfully doesn't take too long for an opening to present himself. After a while of dodging and weaving around the longer-reaching polearm, the Ninja-themed Sekirei seems to grow frustrated with the situation and forces a blade lock instead.

Crossing her kunai over her head, she blocks and holds in place the head of the naginata, shifting the flow of battle from one of pure skill and weapon mastery where she's at a disadvantage into a raw strength contest where she seems to have the upper hand.

Most important though, it forces the two of them to remain in place long enough for Chad to sweep in and make his move. That is, grabbing the two Sekirei by the scruff of their necks and pulling them up like unruly kittens. As much as he doesn't like to lord his size over others, there are some advantages to his gargantuan height.

"No, bad Sekirei." He chastises the two of them. Soft and gently, because he's never been good at sounding stern. "No fighting where you can harm bystanders."

If someone else, anyone else had tried to do what he just did, the most likely result would be the two Sekirei momentarily setting their differences aside to casually eviscerate them before going back to their bickering. When Chad does it, the two of them immediately go limp on his grip. All fight leaves them as they turn their heads down to stare into the ground, faces heating up in chastised embarrassment.

Something Mutsu taught him from the very start, no doubt predicting situations like this in Chad's future. All Sekirei, without exception, are weak to an Ashikabi they're currently reacting to. Be strict, be firm, and most won't even consider going against you.

Mutsu is not a happy person.

In all honesty, he's not sure he can become a happy person, ever.

Too many memories weighing him down, too much blood on his hands, too much time spent alone. He doesn't have Matsu's temperament to bounce back from that hell, only barely bent. He doesn't have Kazehana's ability for self-delusion, or maybe he's just too prideful to try and drown his memories in alcohol. He's not a blood-craving mad dog who jumped headfirst into the slaughter and has never come out like Karasuba.

And he certainly doesn't have Miya's temperance to walk through hell and back without changing an iota.

The first incarnation of the Disciplinary Squad might have become something of a legend for the newer generations but, for those who actually had to live through these first years of constant war, it was hell on earth. A waking nightmare of blood and combat and sleepless nights spent fending off military offensives, sometimes for weeks on an end.

It wasn't disbanded with the cessation of hostilities as much as everyone simply drifted away, too tired and too spent from the constant violence to remain together without the fulcrum of active danger to keep them together.

That's not the sort of thing one simply… shrugs off to keep on with life. Even to this day, the shadow of his first years of life sticks to him like stii-aching scars, painful and unwelcome. He cannot bring himself to reach out to others, but solitude hurts, bringing unwanted memories back to the fore.

No, Mutsu is not a happy person.

But… Things have certainly improved, as of late. The difference that simply having found an Ashikabi makes is already like day and night. And Chad himself is…

Kind, warm, gentle, understanding… safe. Mutsu never thought he would ever find safety in a weak human, but Chad projects a firm confidence that's incredibly reassuring. His big size probably helps there, too. Mutsu is a tall man by Japanese standards, there aren't that many people around who can simply… wrap their arms around him and make him feel snug and comfortable like a chick under the wing of their parent.

Idly, he wonders whether that's the same for all Sekirei or if he was particularly lucky with his own Ashikabi. It probably is, to each in their own way, a Destined One is supposed to be the perfect fit for one's personality. At least, for those who aren't forcibly Winged.

A hand closes around the handle of his blade, hard enough to make it creak. Nasty business, the forceful Wingings. He's never hard to deal with them in person, but with the Plan getting more active as of late, it's only a matter of time.

There was a time, not so long ago, when he seriously considered ignoring the Plan. To simply… refuse to participate and challenge MBI to change his mind. After all… what could they do to force his hand, kill him? Death can only kill you and he was pretty much a still-walking corpse back then. Termination didn't scare him.

But then he found Chad and things changed. Now he has a reason to fight, not for himself, but for his Ashikabi. To fight and fight and fight until only one remains… He knows what that means better than most, privileges of having been around from the beginning. But, even if he didn't, even if the Plan involved him charging blindly into the darkness… He still would've done it.

… Truly, being in love is a dangerous thing.

It's with these words in mind and a small smile on his lips that he opens the door to their apartment. A frown immediately mars his face, because Chad isn't alone, there are another two presences with him. Subtly tapping a foot against the floor he closes his eyes to focus on the vibrations to try and get a better picture of the situation before doing anything rash.

An apartment floor, nevermind the tatami covering, isn't quite as conductive as real ground, but it still allows him to make out the basics. Chad is in front of two smaller forms, on his feet while the other two are on their knees. There's no immediate danger, but they are armed. Mutsu would recognize MBI special alloys anywhere, by vibration alone.

That means two Sekirei kneeling in front of Chad.

Mutsu lets out a soft, quiet sigh. There are many ways to interpret that, but the most likely is the obvious one. Seems like his Ashikabi is finally growing his flock. This is good, he reminds himself. More Sekirei means better protection. Mutsu is good, but he can only be in one place at once. And he has nothing against sharing either, even if he's going to miss having Chad for himself alone.

With that thought firmly in mind, he finally makes his way into the living room, just in time to watch the newcomers introduce themselves, apparently.

"Number 87, Kaho, the Dancing Sekirei." The smaller one says with a quiet but firm voice that Mutsu finds himself approving of. "My hobbies are housekeeping and sewing, my weapon of choice is the naginata and my dream is to defeat Musubi-chan and Karasuba-sama. Please take good care of me."

"Number 76, Natsu, the Ninja Sekirei!" The second chimes in with a boisterous voice that has Mutsu wincing a little. Does she even know that the word 'Ninja' is actually intended as an insult? She looks somewhat clueless… "My hobbies are ramen and high-stakes parkour, my weapon of choice are the kunai and my dream is to become the Queen of all Sekirei!"

"Good." Chad nods, arms crossed sternly. "Now apologize"

"I apologize for letting the words of this simp loser get the best of me."
"I'm sorry for causing a ruckus while putting this hussy in her place!"

Chad palms his face in frustration before chopping at their heads with both his hands.

"Ow."
"Ow."

The view of the two kneeling Sekirei rubbing their heads in unison in front of a visibly frustrated Chad is amusing enough to break Mutsu's composure, letting out a soft chuckle that draws everyone's attention.

"Oh, Mutsu." Chad's body language, tense with frustration, immediately relaxes upon noticing his presence. It's a subtle thing that many would miss but, well… Mutsu has had time to get to know his Ashikabi well. "Welcome home."

"I'm back." He answers, feeling the familiar warmth of being welcomed grow in his chest. He went without it for so long and yet, it took so little for him to grow used to it. "I assume these young feathers have joined the flock?"

"Not until they learn how to play nice with each other." Chad continues, sternness returning to his features as he turns his attention back to the girls. "You are being rude, it's not me you need to apologize to."

"H– Hey! More important than that! Who the hell is that pretty boy!?" The tallest of the two, Natsu, immediately protests. "Nobody told me someone had stolen a march on me already–!"

"Indeed, while I would never be so uncouth as to put it like that…" Kaho pipes in, acting oddly in sync with someone she was just at each other's throats with just a moment ago. "I find myself curious about your identity. Are you my future Ashikabi's first Sekirei, by any chance?"

The animosity and suspicion was blatant on that one too, but she tempered it with a judicious amount of caution. And she was at least polite about it. Out of the two of them, Mutsu would easily point at her as the most promising one.

But that's neither here nor there. He's the oldest and most veteran Sekirei in the group and that's a strange and new situation he's never had to deal with before. How would Miya act here?

… How would Miya act here if she didn't want to traumatize them for life?

"Indeed I am. Number 05, Mutsu, the Earth Sekirei." He introduces himself with a nod, trying to replicate what he remembers of his first meeting with Number 01. He doesn't really feel like he's doing a good job at it. "No need to introduce yourselves again, I heard you the first time."

"N– Number 05!?"
"S– Single Digit?"

Upon the revelation, all hostility and reluctance from the young ones is immediately replaced by respect and awe. It's honestly a bit embarrassing, he's not really anyone special, after all. Holding back the urge of shifting in place under the girl's gazes, Mutsu can't help but wonder whether this is how Miya felt when the rest of the Disciplinary Squad looked up to her in awe.

It's… certainly a novel feeling.