It's been nearly six months since the last update in April. I hope you all have been well.
As you might have seen, the poll has been down for a bit. I have done so because I wanted a new one on my profile.
After the update of "A Devil's Flock" in November, our new poll will return online.
The numbers so far are Kosaki leading with 21 votes, which makes quite a few relieved.
The harem (which is what the requester wants) is close behind with 18 votes. I don't know how you guys come up with that.
Kosaki might have taken the winds out of Maya's sails as she has nine votes. That is a bit of a shame.
Ran Gotanda, or being single, has two votes each.
52 votes. That is not too shabby, I'd like to think.
We are going over Kyoto. I think that you all will like this one.
Now for the guest reviews
OshiTenshi500 on chapter 34 on the 16th of April. I do not know if I also replied on the guest bits, but I'll do it here for certainty. Ran can be a valuable choice, but so far, Kosaki is leading.
Guest 01 on chapter 34 on the 17th of April. See the above current poll results. It has stayed like that, with Kosaki leading. I think that I'll like that. It is a surprise that they want to see Ichika go to a harem. I, for one, would have no idea how to write that out. I think you are correct in assuming some things about them now.
Guest on chapter 34 on the 19th of April. Ichika has grown, yes, and that shows here. But I'm afraid I have to disagree with your second statement.
Guest 01 on chapter 34 on the 2nd of May. I agree that redemption is one thing, but they have crossed some lines they should not have crossed. Ichika was also disgusted with how they thought about him.
Ichika Orimura on chapter 34 on the 3rd of May. I can't fault you for that logic.
Super Guest 01 on chapter 34 on the 16th of May. They broke his trust. That can never be forgiven.
It's been a while since I had guest reviews on my chapters. The last few I had were for hiatus fics, but the previous chapters didn't have any. So, there is that.
Started on 24/09/2023
Ended on 29/09/2023
I was a young man full of hopes and dreams.
But now it seems to me that all is lost, and nothing gained.
Opening song: Figure09 from Linking Park.
Ichika had his headset on while the voice of Chester Bennington hit him at full force. It was the only way he could have some peace.
The girls had been trying to get his attention but found that nearly impossible. He had threatened to spill the beans about their fantasies and spread those all over the school.
It would shatter their image and give them a massive mountain of trouble. Not that Ichika could care about that.
His head leaned back against the seat of the train. He had volunteered to take photos from the trip to Kyoto. It would allow him not to spend time with any of the girls and even out of Chifuyu's way.
He wondered why the school allowed another trip, given that it was such a colossal disaster the last time.
Next to him sat Kanzashi. Of all the girls around him, she was the only one who didn't annoy/try to kill him.
The young lady was quiet as she watched her anime on the phone she had brought along.
Neither of them wanted to talk, so they didn't.
His head got up and looked up to the sky.
There was just the hope that this trip would be average and that he wouldn't have to worry about anything.
Scene skip
Kosaki Onodera was a woman on a mission. Despite her best efforts, she hadn't managed to get Nagisa. No, Ichika, out of her head.
Even if Ichika had lied to her, she didn't doubt that he had good reasons for that.
Miya Asama had told her that she had to leave Ichika. She tried, she did.
But her heart was singing, and she wanted to be around him.
Kosaki wanted to be in his life.
Her mother gave the address Ichika had left behind, where he told her he lived. The girl had gone to the Izumo Inn.
She knocked on the door three times to find a handsome man opening the door.
Takehito had no idea what a high school girl would do in front of his door. His teaching days were way behind him.
"Can I help you?"
"Is the place where Ichika Orimura lived during his stay in Shinto Teito?"
The name put Takehito immediately on high alert as he didn't know too many who would know Ichika's name.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Kosaki Onodera. Ichika worked in my mother's shop. I believe your wife came to inform us that he would no longer work with us. I was also informed that it was safer that Ichika shouldn't contact me."
Takehito sighed. His heart felt a few strings pull when he looked at the young woman.
"That is indeed for the best."
"That is for me to decide. I want to ask you if there is one way, any way, that I can contact Ichika. He had to move back to the ISA because of something here. I suppose that he and Minato Sahashi are friends."
This young woman was sharper than some would give her brown eyes credit for.
"You are correct."
"Is Minato still in contact with Ichika?" Takehito pondered about that for a second. It was the truth, and this young woman wouldn't leave without a decent answer.
"Yes, Minato has young Ichika's contact details. But as my wife told you, there is too much danger for you to be in contact with Ichika."
Kosaki looked up to him.
"Does Minato Sahashi live here?"
Leaning against the doorframe, Takehito shook his head.
"Minato moved out. As you might know, he won the Sekirei Plan. The biggest reason why Ichika moved out was because Minato had children on the way. With Ichika around and their friendship, he would paint a huge target on Minato and his wives' backs. Is that all you want to know?"
"Where did Minato move to?"
Scene skip
It took considerable effort for Kosaki to get Takehito to give Minato's details. But she had gotten his address.
She would ask Minato to be her messenger and let Ichika decide.
If Ichika found it too dangerous, she would respect his wish.
But if Minato could be the one who could be their messenger, it was one way that Kosaki could keep in contact with Ichika.
She texted her mother that she didn't need any lunch. Her head was thinking about Ichika. Despite the short time, she had grown fond of the boy. There was something that spoke to her. There was a warm and kind soul in that boy. Something that he had to keep hidden.
The city's outskirts were marked by no public transport, so Kosaki had to walk an awful long way until she found the house. A gated home and she didn't doubt there was top-notch security around the place.
She rang the doorbell and waited for a bit.
There was a female voice coming through.
"Yes."
"Is this the house where Minato Sahashi lives?" She hoped that she could convince the woman who she was speaking to.
"Who wants to know?" Kosaki didn't fault the woman for being suspicious. If even half of what Takehito said was true, they were right to be distrustful.
"My name is Kosaki Onodera. I was a classmate and colleague of Ichika Orimura. I got your address from Takehito Asama. I would like to have a word with Minato."
It was quiet for a few seconds until she heard the voice over the intercom.
"Give him two minutes. He'll come up."
From the house, she could see Minato walking up to the gate.
"You know, I didn't believe Matsu when she said Kosaki. But it appears that she was right after all."
Kosaki had a slight smile on her face when she looked at Minato.
"Mr. Sahashi, you are friends with Ichika, right?"
The Ashikabi halted briefly when he heard those words and looked at her.
"You were working with Ichika. I suppose you'd like his phone number?"
Kosaki's face lit up like a Christmas tree, and there was even some stammering. "How did you?"
"No woman would just come here for no reason or go through that much trouble. Miya talked with you that it was safer for Ichika not to be in contact with you. She is not wrong."
Kosaki had a fire in her eyes, making Minato redo his assessment of her.
"That is for me to decide. If you are in contact with Ichika, could you do me a favor?"
Minato nodded to her to continue.
"I want to ask you if you could contact Ichika and ask him if he is fine with me having his phone number. I want to be in contact with him. I care about him."
Minato contemplated his options. Ichika had enough trouble with women already, but then again, Kosaki was not one like the bitches of the Infinite Stratos Academy. The things he could see in her eyes made her one great girl.
"I see. I will send him an email and ask him if he wants to chat with you. But are you sure? I mean, the guy pretty much lied to you."
Kosaki shrugged when she heard that comment. She had already been told that by numerous people. Yet, she didn't care.
"He must have had a good reason for that."
'Girl, you have no idea.'
"But I forgive him for that. So please, if you could." Minato began to think about it.
It would be better if Ichika found a decent girl before he swore all the women.
"I will shoot him an email. But you'll need some patience. In his last one, he told me he was going on a school trip and would get busy. So come back within a week or so." Kosaki had found the walk to be taking too long. So, she showed me her phone number.
"Just write back to me. You have a beautiful place, but it is not a pleasant trip to her. So if you could."
Minato gulped. He would have to explain to his Sekirei why he had the phone number of a high school girl.
"Fine, you win. I'll let you know. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must help out a few inside."
The girl bowed down to Minato.
"I'm so sorry if I interrupted you."
Her apology made the Ashikabi laugh when he looked at the house.
"Oh, don't worry. It's just that I am taking care of my wives. I have six Sekirei and one Ashikabi who are expecting. So it gets busy."
Kosaki got bright red, and with a stammering face, she left the place, making Minato shake his head.
It would take some time before he could see his children's faces.
But damn, it would be worth all this effort.
When he returned to the house, all his women watched their Ashikabi anxiously to hear what he had to say.
"That was Ichika's former colleague. She came to ask about contact details."
Kazehana crossed her arms under her sizeable bust, but it was between her growing belly. All of them showed apparent signs, making Minato adore them even more.
"You'll do that, right?"
Minato pondered for a second before he nodded.
"It's his choice. Like you made yours, I think that he sent me an email. How about we reply to that?"
That was always something that they enjoyed doing.
It pained them that they couldn't see their little brother, but he swore he'd be there for the birth.
Minato opened the computer, and all around them, they gathered. Kusano was pulled into Kazehana's lap while Chiho sat in Uzume's.
Musubi and Tsukiumi had taken their place next to Minato. Kagari had sat next to Kazehana, with Matsu joining Uzume and Chiho.
Minato read the first lines as he read it over.
Hi Minato.
I hope you are fine in Shinto Teito. I hope that some can forgive me for the broken promises that I made.
"He is making something up for that broken promise," Kazehana added while Minato decided that he would reply later. He had removed an extra file to add Kazehana's lines.
I can tell you, though, that for some people, we are dancing monkeys, especially after what Tabane had put us through.
"I think that she needs another threat. It would teach her to back off from Ichika." Matsu knew that he would pay her back with lots of kisses.
While things are better but not great, I have come back home.
I am unsure if I can put myself through this school.
I can say that they leave me alone most of the time. It was quiet for most time. Was as I have to underline that.
"They didn't start again, did they? Why would those worthless wenches learn that our little brother is too good for them?"
Tsukiumi's language might have been vulgar, but she made good points.
A couple of days ago, I had to get my machine checked out. A woman there, Hikaruno Kagaribi, offered to look up my machine and free sex. I could only take up the first one as she refused to get my second one done.
My sister would kill her. I haven't asked her yet if she knew Kagaribi. But, well, that wasn't important.
"He has changed. I didn't believe that he would grow this callous." Minato found that Ichika didn't need to know that opinion of him.
What was important was the World Purge. A sort of system that needed your virtual self to repair it.
If you want to call that sci-fi big brother, you are the one married to seven aliens. Not me.
Chiho laughed a bit about that.
"And you also got an Ashikabi girl pregnant. I really should remind him about that." The tone made it clear that she was joking around. She was in the minority, so she let that slide.
Houki, Rin, Cecilia, Charlotte, Laura, and Airis had to repair that system. Unfortunately, someone messed them up (I like to add that you should Tabane a ring to back off), and it fell to me to be the hero in shining armor to save them.
Matsu smirked as she had an extra incentive while Musubi crossed her arms.
"Ichika is not exactly a knight. He is closer to a samurai." Several laughs broke the serious vibe and chuckles, and Minato pressed a peck on her cheek.
"I don't think you are really wrong, Musubi."
They never have the right to call you a pervert (although I think I will call you a stud for the great event of knocking up seven women), as their fantasies were something that I wish I could put behind me. If you really want me to, big brother, I can write them out here for you, but aside from Houki's (marriage and I take over her family's dojo), I wasn't equal in one of them.
"You should thank him for that compliment." Kagari stretched a bit from those words when Minato had been given that while Kusano was waving at Minato.
"Why did Houki think of a dojo?"
"She grew up in one when she was a little girl. Her father is hoping that she will be his heiress. You get no guesses why, Ku." Minato had hoped that her violent tendencies would have been reigned in.
One couldn't know peace without violence, but the ones familiar with the latter would enjoy the former.
Either servant, master, or house husband. You name it, Minato, and I was it. I'll let your Sekirei guess it.
"I do not need the intricate fantasies of those trollops. Anyone disagree?"
"No!" The chorus echoed over Tsukiumi's sentiment.
The show wasn't all that bad, though. When this was over, Chifuyu moved me to her room. I have been sleeping there.
I know that I burned quite a few bridges, but with my sister and me, we are slowly coming closer. With the stunt I pulled, she no longer treats me like, excuse my foul language, a fucking idiot, weak-ass little brother.
Minato did signal to Kazehana to close the ears of the Green Girl while a somber mood ran over him. The Sekirei couldn't blame him for those word choices, as Ichika had often been seen like one.
Their training paid off, and reading about Chifuyu made them wonder.
Aside from that, she has done me a few things. First, I can say that somewhere, I am looking forward to the trip to Kyoto despite my guts telling me that trouble will pop up there and it'll be on like Donkey Kong.
"They really think they deserve that?"
"Don't ask for logic, Kagari. It's never there." Minato did not like this one bit.
I will say this, though, Minato.
I miss you.
I miss your advice, warmth, and the person I could contact with issues.
I miss your Sekirei, the energy of Musubi, the gentleness of Kazehana, the warmth of Kagari, the choice words of Tsukiumi, the tips from Matsu, the teasing from Uzume, the talking with Chiho, the playing with Kusano.
The words touched all Sekirei, and even Minato couldn't feel wrong from hearing those lines.
I miss them all.
I miss Miya and the house. I miss my school.
I miss Kosaki and my job. I missed my chance at a simpler life.
"Well, he'll be getting her information back soon, so I think he'll say yes to that."
Ultimately, I realized that I would not have an everyday life.
"Being normal is overrated, and besides, I don't have a normal life." All Sekirei knew that he was speaking the truth.
Hope you're doing well with the Sekirei, and I will see you in March.
I'll keep you posted on the rest of it.
"He's going to get in trouble in Kyoto, right, hun?" Kazehana was sure about that news while Minato looked at the Wind Flower.
"You all have been training him, so I think he'll be fine. No matter what they would throw at him, he can handle that."
Your brother.
Ichika Orimura.
Minato had the replies of the Sekirei in a Word file, and he began to write back.
It wouldn't be for long. They would enjoy their time, and the winter would have been harsh.
Scene skip
Even if he was in Japan's former capital, one of the most beautiful places in the world, Ichika couldn't enjoy himself. There was constantly the fact that he was thinking about his time with Minato.
This city had to be explored with friends and lovers—neither Ichika had.
To take in the city, Ichika had left his headphones at the hotel while he walked. He couldn't deny the beauty of the town, and somewhere, there was an inner peace in him.
Not that it helped him as he walked around the city. He was constantly reminded of the ISA.
'I'm out on my own. I'm so far from home. And I wish you were here.'
Missing Minato really did not help him. The Sekirei was not too far from his mind, but Minato remained on the front.
It started already great. Tatenashi had shipped herself in a box and sent to Kyoto for one reason or another.
He was forever grateful that Kanzashi was the one who helped him out.
Somewhere, he was glad he had one girl in the ISA to talk to. Kanzashi wasn't interested in him, not in the romance area, but as somewhat of a friend.
No, friend was too broad a term. She was an acquaintance.
She kept her distance around him, and that suited him simply fine.
The crazy energy bothered him, but Ichika didn't care about the stuff.
The girls were, of course, constantly asking him to take pictures. Honne and her friends had bought masks while they posed by the temples.
Ichika didn't mind taking pictures while the other girls played around. He hoped that the bride would treat her groom well.
The Knight just kept walking around the place, and from there, he could enjoy this place. There was something to enjoy everywhere.
One particular place was something he had heard a lot about.
A shrine that was famous for matchmaking and love. It was where Rin clasped her hands together and prayed to the gods.
Under the spell of Kuno, she revealed her true feelings to Ichika, who decided to reject them altogether. He wanted nothing to do with her or the other girls.
Still, she could only hope and pray that he would come around.
She realized that whatever could make Ichika turn her opinion about her and learn that she wasn't as horrible as he believed her to be.
'Please, fix my relationship with that guy, even if it's just for a bit.' She didn't realize that she wasn't alone. When Ichika saw the signs of the shrines, he turned right back out. His instincts told him that he would need to get involved there.
Maya and Chifuyu walked through the wooden structures. The greenette saw that Chifuyu was remarkably quiet.
"Orimura-sensei, is something bothering you?" Chifuyu didn't turn around, but she kept walking.
"It's just that. Orimura has returned to the school. He has changed quite a bit."
Maya didn't ask for details. She was not interested in knowing about it. From what she could see, Ichika had only gotten more closed off and angry than he had been before.
'It's not my business. I'll let her handle this.'
Scene skip
Ichika turned his head to see that Djbril and Airis had been trying out traditional clothes from Japan. Despite how much loathing he had for the two, especially Airis' spoiled behavior, it did look good on her.
The princess ordered quite a few clothes while Ichika continued walking.
His legs were carrying him around, and something in the place kept him calm and enjoying the site.
The Knight had found himself looking out over the river while he began to think.
'With all the things in Shinto Teito, it's been crazy. But before that, Madoka.'
The supposed little sister that he had, which he had seen right before he went to Miya's house. She hadn't come to threaten him.
'I was safer there. But it would bring danger to Minato and his women.'
Despite being so close to her, he had never asked Matsu if she could look up more details about him.
There were some memories that Ichika had from when he was four years old. Everything before that was too fuzzy to remember.
Chifuyu had never told him where they came from, and he had always considered her words gospel.
But throughout the last year, she had done nothing but lie to him.
There was doubt now in his system.
One word was accurate, however.
'Never forget with who you were the longest.'
He felt a familiar, slim arm around his shoulders while he grinned at Minato.
'That is one thing you didn't lie about.'
Ichika was wandering around the bamboo forest while his mind began thinking about the stuff he had seen.
The beauty of the forest was incredible, and he enjoyed the serenity and peace.
Before he could even enjoy it more, he felt something around him. His head whirled, and he looked at a beautiful blonde woman. Her long blonde hair hung over until her behind, her red eyes were pretty friendly, but her dress was nicely cut open. There was a scarf that could function as a sweater.
The lady had her hands up while Ichika just remained focused on her.
"Apologies, I didn't want to spook you." Ichika kept his eyes on her as he could feel something about her.
"You have done so already. Can I help you?"
The smile made his skin crawl, and his right hand edged to his sword.
"I think you would like to take a picture here. I see that you have a camera. Would you like me to take a picture of you?"
The Knight wasn't sure but figured that whatever this woman would do, he could handle it. Plus, she looked like she wanted to do that.
"If you insist, fine." He handed her the camera and leaned against the bridge as he got his arm crossed.
He had a calm smile while he waited. When his picture was taken, she handed it back to him.
It turned out pretty well, and the boy nodded to her.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome, Orimura Ichika." Before she could leave, she felt a hand around her wrist. Ichika's eyes were flat, and they were looking for anything.
"How do you know my name?"
The woman softly laughed at him.
"The whole world knows your name." She pushed through, and Ichika let her go. It was something that he had to keep in mind. His name would always be something that would follow him.
'I miss being Nagisa Korida.'
From afar, Houki watched Ichika, who was being on his own.
He had tried his hardest to avoid all the girls around them, and so far, he had done an excellent job.
Even if they did get close to him, he was turning his head around.
The shrine maiden watched and began to think about what had transpired.
'I get that you don't want to see the other girls, which is good for my end. But why are you insisting on avoiding me, Ichika? Didn't you realize that Minato's motives are worse than mine? It can't go on like this.'
He didn't want to be around her, so she turned on her heels. It was the sole way that she could avoid the tears that were now streaming down her face.
Scene skip
By the evening, they had gathered at Kiyomizu's terrace. There were some interesting facts that Maya told the students about while Ichika had his day of fun.
He was primarily alone, but that suited him just fine.
The girls had left him be, and even if they had gotten close, he just skipped through.
"Kiyomizu's terrace sits on the 13-meter-high mountain slope, supported by 139 pillars called "hell posts"!"
'I have been in hell. It's called the ISA.'
Ichika looked over the sight; it was good that he wasn't afraid of heights.
"It's beautiful!" Charlotte was amazed, while several other girls were also in awe of the beauty of the place.
Despite the modern age, Kyoto remained one of the most beautiful places on the earth.
'Maybe that is one good thing that came from going back.'
"Everyone, we'll meet at the monorail stop at the scheduled time!"
Ichika remained with the camera in his hands but found a sight that was just too fitting. There was something that he liked about seeing Chifuyu in a relaxed place.
Even if she had done such horrible things.
The teacher turned around and had her eyes fixated on him.
"It's not nice to take a photo of a woman without asking her permission first." Ichika rolled his eyes.
"Get over it." Chifuyu sighed when she heard that word.
"Be sure to give me a copy later." Walking away, Ichika looked at her while he shook his head.
"Hey, Ichika, you have been to too many places." His head turned to find several girls around him, desperately trying to get the camera.
"Yeah, I want to see too."
"Not fair, I am interested."
"Me too! Me too!"
Before long, they surrounded him as they were struggling for the camera.
It appeared that he could never have a quiet day because his camera grip slipped, and it crashed down from the terrace.
"Just great! Leave me be! I'll get it!" He bit off in a nasty fashion as he went to the ground floors again.
Finding the stuff took him some time, but it eventually turned up.
The thing wasn't cracked at all.
"Sturdy stuff you're made off." There was a slight chuckle until he felt a presence and looked up to see Madoka standing on the cliff's edge.
Something that she closed made a sound. He could see that her hands were on a locket.
The sun had begun to set, and in his mind, there was no doubt there would be a fight.
Miya's katana never felt more assuring.
"Ichika Orimura."
"That's the name, don't wear it out. Hello, Madoka. It's been a while."
The girl chuckled when she heard that comment. It had been a while, indeed.
"We heard that you came back to the ISA. And your most recent exploits in Shinto Teito."
Ichika was not going to take any chances with Phantom Task.
"Byakushiki." His unit shined bright white, and he could feel his powers enveloping the machine around him.
Madoka found that it was best that she greeted Ichika on an equal footing.
"Kuroshiki."
Ichika watched the unit, which resembled a black butterfly. It was Silent Zephyrs but with a few more upgrades.
"That is one impressive unit. Let me guess, Tabane made that one."
Her eyes were hidden behind a mask, but Madoka could feel her mouth drop open.
"How did you?"
"She's been fucking with me for a while now. Couldn't you just kill her?"
Madoka found something she agreed on.
"That was prohibited. She did create my unit."
Ichika sighed. He would kill Tabane, no question, no buts, no ifs. He would kill her.
She wouldn't just threaten himself but Minato and his Sekirei.
Ichika had invoked an honor debt with Minato, and he would make sure that debt got repaid.
"What's your problem with me? I don't think I have done anything to you."
There was a good point that Ichika made. The two had fought because of circumstances, not because of personal grudges.
"You are right. But to become me, I have to kill you." Madoka smiled at him while Ichika got ready.
"I can say that I have tried." Madoka was pushed back as Ichika catapulted himself at the girl.
Her weapon clashed against his own while Ichika pushed her back. She didn't expect him to fight like that.
"You heard my exploits. Do you know what I have done in Shinto Teito?"
Madoka gritted her teeth when she felt the power explode.
Ichika had grown much, much stronger throughout the last months.
"I know you defeated the Black Sekirei."
"Then you should know that this is a fight you can't win." Madoka flew backward but found herself right against Ichika's sword.
"I will never stop. I will become me. And I will kill Chifuyu Orimura."
When she said that, something in Ichika clicked. Chifuyu had been lying to him this whole damn time. He would get the answers, even if he beat them out of her.
"Get in line." Ichika would not let her go; they flew next to each other through the night, their weapons clashing.
The sun had begun to set; it wouldn't take long before darkness would settle in.
This fight would be more than one for his survival.
It would be one for answers.
Madoka had hoped that she would be able to get Ichika down quickly. Yet here she found herself outmatched and outclassed.
Even if Byakushiki could be seen as an inferior model with just one weapon, Ichika managed to keep up with her, and there was no way she could escape him.
[M, what are you doing? It would be best if you had dispatched Ichika Orimura by now.]
The young girl didn't need the distraction as Ichika could keep up with her and make it impossible for her to escape.
[Our intel was outdated. He is fighting with me. There is no chance that I can get him off me.]
Ichika saw her talk while her evasive maneuvers were too easy to keep up with. Even if she fired her Starbreaker at him, it didn't slow him down.
[Good thing that I foresaw that. Keep him occupied in that case. There is a bomb on the train.]
Madoka had hoped that she would be the one to kill Chifuyu.
But if she couldn't kill Ichika, what good would that be?
Scene skip
The girls had returned to the train, but before they could fully count, they noticed that they missed Ichika, Houki, and Cecilia.
"Where is Orimura?" Chifuyu asked the group in their wagon while her eyes scanned the place. Her instincts were screaming at her that danger was looming around.
"Houki and Cecilia are also missing." One of the students noticed. Before they even had a chance to depart, the doors closed. Faster than would have been comfortable, the train left the station.
That just proved one thing.
"Phantom Task!" Chifuyu blamed herself for not being able to foresee this. Ichika wasn't here, the hacking of the train.
Fear and panic spread through the train as she hoped something could stop this.
"Sarashiki. Look this up."
Kanzashi had her laptop out already, as she had guessed this would be asked.
Before she even had a chance to start working, a small pop-up screen loaded.
"Big sis." Tatenashi was flying through the air, fully outfitted.
"Kanzashi. Get me Orimura-sensei. You have a bomb on the train. It'll go off in ten minutes!"
That was more than Kanzashi would have been able to chew off.
"Terrible news. We have a bomb on board!" Chifuyu hadn't thought this couldn't get any worse.
Murphy loved to prove her wrong.
"Get the doors open!"
"I can't. This whole train is hacked. I'll have to reset the systems first before I can do anything."
This was only getting worse.
Djbril was trying to calm down Airis. The princess hadn't seen such actions before, and the news of a bomb made her even more afraid.
Scene skip
Houki had always been looking for Ichika as she knew that time was running out.
"Houki." Her eyes turned to Cecilia, who had been the same sort of breathless.
"What are you doing here?" An extra set of eyes wouldn't hurt. Especially if Cecilia had been out for the same reason?
"I'm looking for Ichika, but I haven't been able to." Her instincts told her to move out of the way.
From the corner of her eyes, she saw bullets coming their way.
She grabbed the blonde, who was about to blow a gasket, but an unhinged voice cut the Brit off even worse than Rin's.
"Damn, I missed!"
The two schoolgirls found themselves looking at Autumn, who had her new unit out.
"You."
"My name is Autumn. Don't forget it!"
Cases like these, where they were in immediate danger, overruled any rules.
"Akatsubaki!"
"Blue Tears!"
Their opponent might have been more experienced, but they had the advantage of the numbers. They would show the world what they had learned from their fight against Phantom Task.
Immediately, the two had started by avoiding the laser bullets coming their way.
"Eat this! And this! I got plenty left for you two brats!"
Houki began to think about the whole fight.
"Cecilia, we cannot stay here. We need to head back to the monorail!"
"Roger!"
Both girls had their strengths regarding fighting. While Houki ensured that Autumn fired at her, it made her an all too easy target for the Brit. The shot missed the psychopath by a hair's breadth.
The railgun formed at her hand delivered the shot in kind. Cecilia barely had time while the building behind her took a severe hit.
"Houki-san!"
Cecilia didn't need to say anything before both took off like a couple of rockets.
The two girls tried their best to get rid of their assailant but found that nearly impossible.
It was time to be on the attack. When Autumn delivered another energy blast from her machine's abdomen, Houki let the shot slip by and decided it was time for her attack.
The Agent had no time to react before Houki buried her in the ground. With her two swords jammed in, Autumn had no means of escape.
"Now, Cecilia!"
The sniper had been hoping for that, and when she got the hit in, the explosion made this fight so much worth it.
"No time to celebrate! We need to get to the monorail!"
Scene skip
Overlooking the city, Squall Meusel admired the chaos unfolding. She had hoped for a better outcome for this fight.
The weakling Ichika had learned quite a bit during his stay in Shinto Teito.
He was pushing Madoka back and wasn't even breaking a sweat. His training and experience were paying off dividends.
"I should have known better. Don't you know it's rude to eavesdrop on a lady?"
Tatenashi had her arms crossed when her assailant stood before her.
"You're sharp. But it seems that you have found yourself outclassed."
Squall smirked when she knew exactly to whom she was talking.
"Do you mean yourself or Ichika Orimura? That boy is showing off his progress. Better than you."
Tatenashi maintained the same cocky attitude when she watched her foe. The sting of her defeat by the Sekirei had not been forgotten.
"Oh, I think that he is not the only one who has grown. But let me ask you. How much do you really know, miss Sarashiki Tatenashi?"
"I won't let you do as you please, Phantom Task."
Squall giggled. Even if they had setbacks like these, it would not stop her.
"Congratulations on finding me here, but I guess you were a little late!" From the back of Squall, a golden tail appeared that speared right to Tatenashi.
The Student Council President had no time to foresee that attack, and she was in the middle of that capture.
"You know the monorail your academy's right on now? We have a bomb there. Set with a fixed timer. I'll enjoy watching as you try your hardest to prevent a tragedy."
Tatenashi still struggled in the grasp.
"Thank you for informing me. That means I'll have to change my schedule." Squall just kept smirking.
"What makes you think that you are able to move?"
The claws pierced through the girl, and a terrorist let her explode.
"Goodbye."
In particles of water, Tatenashi exploded, which shut down her unit.
Water enveloped her as it was going around. The technicians who built her unit were far more advanced than they should have been.
Squall could see the real Tatenashi with her unit activated when the dust settled. Her bravado was not for show.
"Miss Phantom Task. It'll have to wait until another time."
She took off like a rocket, but Squall would not let her prey off that easily.
"Oh, please don't be so cold." The woman leafed up and transformed her unit. It was all in gold with a giant tail at the end.
Tatenashi came under heavy fire while she avoided the shots.
Scene skip
Kanzashi had been on the train while she reviewed all the data she had received. The bomb was still somewhere on the train. She had been looking for it, but she had to open the doors and override the main frame of the train first.
"Let me go out, instructor." Laura requested when Charlotte veered up.
"Me as well. They'll need help." Charlotte asked. Rin was also raring to go.
Chifuyu crossed her arms and shook her head.
"You need to stay here. I can't have you fight. Besides, you can't even leave the train now!"
The techno-wizard was the one who cut Chifuyu off.
"Let them go out. I have not found the bomb yet, but I have managed to get the automatic doors unlocked. They can go out and proceed to look for the bomb."
The Brunhilde looked over at the three girls. There wasn't much else that she could ask for.
"You heard her. Don't let me down. Deploy your units and work on stopping the train!" Laura, Charlotte, and Rin ran out while Kanzashi remained focused.
The timer was going down further, but she remained calm.
'I'll find this bomb. I swear.'
Scene skip
For the first time in a while, Ichika had fun fighting his opponent. It was like whatever Madoka did. He was able to read through her.
The two clashed again and again, and it was he who had the upper hand.
Madoka didn't like this one bit.
'His fighting is not what I expected. He is much stronger than I would have foreseen. It's like he is a different person.'
Ichika was progressing with her while his mind was focused on that.
It came down to Chifuyu, who spoke to him mid-fight.
[Orimura. There's a bomb on this train. Sarashiki has not yet found it. We have only five minutes!]
His response was surprisingly callous and cold.
"What do you want me to do about that?! I'm in the middle of a fight here with the Kuroshiki Unit. I can't do anything from here. You have a few others there to take care of that. I'll keep that Kuroshiki Unit away. How does that sound?"
Chifuyu had not expected him to say anything like that. It seemed like he didn't care about her. Or anyone aboard.
'How much did I fuck up to make you like that?'
She did see how Ichika fought and how easily he was handling himself.
It appeared that Ichika had no problem fighting against this Black Knight.
'It's you who is behind that mask, aren't you?'
The woman in the skies didn't know Chifuyu was watching her while Ichika was fighting Madoka.
It was not too hard for him, but Madoka was learning fast that what they learned from Ichika was the truth.
Luckily for Madoka, she found some help coming through.
"M!"
His head turned to the side, and Ichika let his machine drop him when he found Squall got through to them.
"Ichika!"
He didn't have to look at her to know that Tatenashi had appeared behind him.
"There is a bomb on that train! We need to hurry!"
The Knight remained his look at his foes. The words left his mouth before Tatenashi had time to hear them.
"Go to the train and help them!"
"Are you crazy?! You can't defeat them alone!" Tatenashi shouted at him while the Knight knew it better.
Ichika didn't even look back at her.
"That is where you are wrong. You'll just be in my way. You're talking to the guy who defeated Karasuba."
Before Ichika had heard the reply, he had launched himself at Madoka, who flew away. Instinct fell over him, and he rolled back as the Golden Snake approached.
"Ichika Orimura. You are showing off." He didn't even reply, as his high speed was all too easy to catch up to the leader.
Madoka couldn't fire at him, at risk of hitting Squall. Yukihira was hitting her as she struggled against him.
His left hand had found his katana, and Squall's eyes bulged out when she felt the mechanical arm of Ichika cutting through her.
Her body felt violently shocked as the boy did not care if she was a machine.
"Fuck, monster!" Ichika's face didn't betray a hint of emotion. A stonewall mask of apathy. A man who was ready to fight.
Kicking Squall away, his head turned to see Madoka, who came at him. Yukihira blocked that energy rifle.
Falling back, Ichika flew up and had his two swords out now.
Squall could feel that Ichika had changed. He wouldn't have cared if her arm was metal or blood. He would have cut it off either way.
How strong, experienced, and willing Ichika had become to fight was horrifying.
He began to change as he let the energy wash over.
Not his usual Reiraku Byakuya. This was different. It was like a ghost came over him.
"M! Do you see that?" The leader asked as both saw the Knight change. Behind him, it was like the image of Miya Asama had come over him.
Madoka didn't believe the news the first time. She would have been better if she did.
"You really shouldn't have come over here!" Miya's presence was like the Goddess of War that she was with a simple katana while Ichika took out his second sword as he could feel something else in him. This would be the fight that he was hoping for.
Scene skip. Requested flashback
Squall Meusel had just gotten the news through from her latest sources.
"Something wrong? We are still doing our attack on Kyoto." Madoka was now standing next to her.
"Ichika is back in the school. It appears that the trip is underway." The signature smirk found a way on her face.
"Perfect. That means he'll be most vulnerable. I will be able to kill him." Popping up the drink that she had stolen from Autumn, she was about to enjoy this treat.
Squall turned to her as if she had seen a ghost.
"You believe that M? Ichika Orimura has defeated Karasuba. Sekirei Number Four. The Black Sekirei and the MBI Hound. She was the final opponent that Minato Sahashi faced, and Ichika managed to do something that required several Sekirei."
Madoka spat out the drink when she heard that name.
"Karasuba? You told me that there are two beings in this world I should never challenge. Sekirei Number One Miya and Number Four Karasuba. You tell me now that Ichika beat that Black Sekirei."
That news was horrifyingly shocking to hear.
"He is getting much stronger than I had thought. It could be interesting for me."
Squall scoffed when she thought about that.
If Madoka didn't manage to get him down, she would find it to be nearly impossible to kill Ichika. He would never been able to be taken down.
Scene skip, back to the present.
Ichika smirked when he looked them over. He could smell their fear of fighting him. This would be all too easy to make this fight work.
[Orimura! All the girls have returned back to the monorail! They located the bomb and currently are working on removing it.]
Ichika sighed when he heard that news.
"How is that supposed to help me? Don't send them back up. They'll get in my way!" Ichika loosened his neck and flew right at Madoka.
For the first time in a very long time, Madoka was scared shitless. Ichika had gotten so much stronger. The gap had even grown wider when she had been training.
Luckily for the girls, Cecilia had located the bomb, and it was due to Tatenashi that she managed to open the small compartment.
They couldn't stop the bomb but only threw it out. Laura's AIC would be the thing that stopped the explosion.
Not that Ichika even registered for that.
It wasn't just the ones around him that could feel Miya. No, Ichika found that the woman, closest to a mother, was guiding his hands as he fought while the two swords clashed.
Squall wouldn't let that happen. Her golden snake wrapped itself around Ichika. The boy didn't even think but jammed his katana right into the tail of Squall, who managed to throw him off.
"M, we need to retreat. In this state, we can never defeat him."
Madoka wanted to protest, but she knew better. Ichika had gotten so much more robust, to a degree she would have never guessed.
"I won't lose next time. Hold on that until then." Before Ichika could even react, Squall and Madoka raced away.
Ichika was about to pursue.
[Stand down, Orimura! You can't face them. We need you here!]
Ichika cursed inwardly and then turned his head to find that the train had stopped, and the others were there, none the worse for wear.
Of course, he wanted to pursue and fight. But he knew better than to do so.
'Know every battle you go into. Never wander unprepared. That is how you get killed.'
Miya was right, and it was her wisdom that steered him downwards.
He didn't even bat an eye at any of the Personal Units while he saw the train.
It had stopped, and they had won. It felt like he didn't even break a sweat when he fought.
'You were there, Miya. That is what I felt.'
He just hoped that they wouldn't be home immediately. From up there, he could see how Chifuyu looked at him.
If he felt flippant, he would flip her the bird but found it was enough for one day.
Scene skip
Sitting on a rooftop, Tabane and Chloe were happy with the results. The scientist closed down the PC.
"I wonder if Chi-chan enjoyed my gift." Both were unconcerned by the chaos they had unleashed.
"But still, Ikkun is making a mess of my plans. Still, the Sekirei couldn't foresee this. I have gotten one ahead."
Chloe had heard the stories of the Sekirei from both her adventures on the Internet and what Tabane told her.
This was better. They were not affiliated with Phantom Task, so they were covered if something happened.
Plausible deniability. It's a thing of beauty.
Scene skip
Chifuyu and Maya were sitting in the bar regarding the mission.
"It's late." Chifuyu began to muse about it.
"You can argue that Ichika is the hero. He fought two Agents and managed them to retreat. How strong is he really?"
The Brunhilde groaned when she heard his name.
"I don't want to talk about him. We will have to take some time to clean up this mess. I suggest we go to bed after we downed these."
No one would fault her for a good drink after a hectic day like this.
"His actions did save any casualties. It went better than previous missions. If Phantom Task shows up, will he be there?" Maya looked over at Chifuyu.
"Who knows? I think that we will need to have some more allies."
Scene skip
The Knight didn't feel like taking a sip in the hot springs immediately. Maybe he'd do so later when he was sure the girls were not bothering him. Something was telling him to avoid it.
His headset was blasting music, and his feet moved to the beat.
'You owe me answers. And I will get them. I beat them out of you or ask Minato to look it up.'
No matter how ugly the truth would be, he would find out.
Ichika shook his head. He would need something to get his mind off the ideas through his head.
He walked to the bath, and when he made his right turn, it seemed his guts were right.
An employee changed the signs of men and women on the baths, and he could hear the girls entering the baths as well.
'You'd think to check the baths first. Always nice to rely on your instincts.'
He would wash the day's worries away and not think about them now.
When he sank into the hot water, it didn't stop Ichika from missing Minato.
He would have quite a story to tell his friend when he sat behind a PC.
'Whenever the curtain will fall, I'll hear your call.'
Ending song. Monochrome from Babymetal.
The requester's idea was to make Squall and Madoka run away like cowards. So that is why the fight was a letdown.
At least for me, but it made the writing much faster. I wrote the trip's start from Leyden and when I returned home.
I couldn't remember the events of the 11th episode that well, so I wrote the fights first, using my recollection and my own ideas. I hope you all liked that.
This went faster than I would have guessed. I don't mind it, though.
It was something that I just liked to have out.
This was done quickly, but I think it was done in the right style for this fic.
Not much else to say.
Saluut.