Lovers' Revenge
Four figures bounded over the rooftops of Shinto Teito. Though, to be accurate, three of them bounded while the fourth was carried in the arms of the one in the lead. Chiho had come a long way from the sickly girl trapped in a hospital bed, but she was still the weakest member of the Skyblock, and she didn't quite have the stamina for rushing halfway across the city like the others.
But Uzume bore her weight easily, barely even registering the extra effort required to carry Chiho in her arms. They could only go so fast anyway. Kyouko, who was just behind Uzume, could have gone much faster, but Akitsu lacked magic or aura to boost her speed, so the group as a whole matched her speed so as to not leave her behind.
"Three more blocks!" Chiho called out, loud enough to be heard over the rushing wind. Her eyes were on the phone she was clutching tightly in her hand, open to a map that was tracking their position. On it a location pin was being updated every so often, courtesy of the distant Matsu.
"I see her," Uzume said, eyes forward. In the distance she could see a lone figure hopping along the rooftops like they were, albeit at a much slower pace. They didn't appear to notice the group rapidly catching up to them.
Uzume glanced at Chiho. "So, Captain Chiho, what's the plan?" She enjoyed watching the way her Ashikabi blushed at the title, but it was quickly replaced by a serious look.
"That is Sekirei #34, Oshino. She's a Brain Type, an empath with touch-range emotion control." Chiho rattled off like she had memorized it. Uzume was pretty sure she had. Chiho had spent a while with Roland's phone going over all of Higa's Sekirei as soon as the revenge mission was on the table.
"I have to take one out by myself for the mission, right?" Uzume asked. The gap between her group and the group they were chasing was even smaller now. She flashed Chiho a grin. "How about we knock that out and I take her on?"
Chiho studied Uzume's face for a moment, considering that. After a few moments, she nodded, her expression filled with determination, trust, and love. "Okay. Drop me off a couple roofs before we catch up." A bright smile with a subtle sharpness to it appeared on her face. "And kick her ass!"
Uzume smiled back. "Aye aye, Captain." She looked back over her shoulder. "You two hear that? No interfering."
Akitsu nodded and Kyouko mumbled something that was too quiet to be heard over the wind, but that was good enough for Uzume.
She sped up and started infusing power into the cloth in the backpack she wore. She hadn't been able to go into Shinto Teito in her battle outfit, but she kept as much of her cloth on her as she could when they left the Skyblock, stuffed into a backpack she carried, just in case. Sadly it wasn't one of the sci-fi ones they had apparently picked up in Pokemon, so there was only so much cloth she was able to bring, but you'd be surprised at how much cloth you could fit in a backpack if you folded it right.
Uzume rapidly closed the distance between herself and her target, stopping only long enough to set down Chiho and unzip her bag. The tip of a roll of cloth floated out of it, ready to pounce.
Uzume's aura flared as she entered Ren and it nearly unconsciously flowed along the cloth her power already controlled. She dashed forward toward the other Sekirei, heart beating with excitement.
Oshino sensed her at the last minute. Uzume wasn't sure if she heard her or if her empathy was a ranged thing that detected her. It didn't matter either way, because she reacted too late. Uzume dove at the girl, cloth reaching out ahead of her.
Oshino started to turn, her hand reaching towards Uzume, presumably to touch her and affect her emotions. Uzume didn't let her. The bundle of cloth slammed into her stomach, the aura empowering it enough that it packed quite a punch for its small mass, and pushed her back. Oshiho bent over in pain, the wind knocked out of her, and Uzume was quick to take advantage of that to wrap her up like a mummy from her head to her knees.
And just like that, it was over. Oshino struggled against her cloth bindings, flailing as much as she could within Uzume's grasp. Her voice was muffled but it spit curses and grunts of exertion.
Uzume stood up. She knew she could go a step further, could turn the edges of the cloth toward their ensnared target and then rapidly pull the cloth back, cutting a brutal spiral pattern into her with the supernaturally sharp cloth. It was a technique she developed while she was still at MBI, and it would terminate her for sure.
But it was also overkill. Instead, she simply turned Oshino around and brought her closer. A thought shifted the cloth out of the way and exposed Oshino's Sekirei Crest at the base of her neck. Uzume reached out a hand and placed a hand on it. Oshino started thrashing harder, but she was unable to stop Uzume.
Uzume almost felt bad for her, but then she remembered Higa. She remembered seeing Oshino at the hospital, watching her when she visited Chiho. She was just as guilty as Higa was. And if she was just unwillingly following orders? Well, she'd be freeing her from her terrible Ashikabi.
"By the veil of my contract, my Ashikabi's nightmares will be dispelled!" she chanted. Oshino's Crest faded, and she fell limp, Terminated.
The other three caught up, landing on the rooftop and coming to a stop next to her. "Good job, Uzume," Chiho praised her. "That was very well done."
"Oh please, it wasn't a big deal," Uzume replied, even as she felt a small rush of warmth at the praise. "I could have done that before Roland saved us. Now, with Nen? It was almost too easy."
Chiho opened her mouth to say something, but she closed it and turned as they both felt someone rapidly approaching. Thankfully, it was just Mami, who came up from behind them, already in her Magical Girl outfit. Uzume spotted a cellphone in her hand.
"I'm here," she said, not even looking winded despite the speed at which she arrived. Her eyes immediately landed on Akitsu, who had taken half a step forward, putting herself between Mami and Kyouko. Mami's eyes widened almost imperceptibly, and a small smile broke out on her face. "Oh? And who is this?"
"Mami, meet Akitsu," Chiho introduced her. "She's a Sekirei, and she can't be winged right now, but she's agreed to join us and once Roland fixes her up Kyouko has agreed to become her Ashikabi."
Mami had learned all about Sekirei and Ashikabi and everything that relationship entailed in the week since she had joined the group, and her smile widened as she looked at Kyouko. "Is that so?" She looked positively thrilled, while Kyouko was doing her best to avoid Mami's gaze.
"And Akitsu, this is Mami, one of our family," Chiho continued. "She's a Magical Girl, and very strong."
Akitsu's brow furrowed. "Magical… girl?"
"A girl with magic powers that fights for love and justice!" Mami said, doing a little pose. "Kyouko is one too!"
Akitsu turned, eyes boring into Kyouko, who was still in her normal clothes. "What?" Kyouko asked. "I'm not doing a cutesy pose like that."
"But you should probably transform," Chiho said as she tapped away at her phone, most likely updating Matsu. "We're heading for Higa's headquarters next, this is your last chance to prepare."
Kyouko grumbled, but there was a flash of red light and her outfit changed. Her tank top, jacket, and shorts were replaced with her magical girl outfit.
Akitsu's eyes widened. "Pretty," she commented.
Kyouko blushed and looked like she was about to snap at the woman, but she swallowed her own words and instead turned aside.
In the meantime, Uzume focused on pulling all four rolls of cloth she had managed to fit into her backpack out, and from around the terminated Sekirei, and wrapped them around herself. It wasn't her full battle outfit, but it was enough. The backpack itself, also made of cloth, was folded and compacted down before Uzume handed it to Chiho, who put it in her own, smaller, bag.
Uzume knew that Chiho's bag carried more normal stuff, like a first aid kit, water, money, an emergency change of clothes, and a knife. A rather nice knife at that, being the prototype for Roland's new spear. It was also enchanted by Mami, though unlike Roland's spear, it had the additional benefit of being able to form a barrier to protect her. Uzume hoped Chiho wouldn't need it though.
Chiho's phone chirped as she zipped her bag back up. Chiho checked it before looking up at everyone. "Everyone ready?"
Mami and Uzume nodded. Kyouko crossed her arms and Akitsu looked at Kyouko before looking back at Chiho and nodding.
"Then let's get going," Chiho said. She turned to Uzume, who was already moving to scoop her up in her arms once more. Chiho checked her phone again and then pointed. "It's that tall building, I think."
Uzume eyed the building about ten or so blocks away. It stood half again as tall as any other building in the area. Uzume recognized it from the few times she had been 'summoned' there. "Yeah, that's it," Uzume said before she took off, heading directly for it. The others fell in behind her, keeping pace.
They came to a stop on the roof of a relatively short building, only a few stories tall, across the street. From the smell, Uzume assumed it was a bakery of some kind. She wasn't particularly hungry, but her mouth watered.
That was, until she looked at the building, at Hiyamakai Enterprises headquarters, and her mood soured. None of her memories of this place were good ones, though she hoped that would change today.
Uzume set Chiho down and they all considered the building. "So, Chief, how are we going to play this?"
Chiho frowned and studied the building. Uzume had mixed feelings about Roland appointing Chiho the leader. Not in the sense that she had reservations about it. It was more that Uzume couldn't decide if she found it cute and wanted to tease her, or if she empathized with the pressure it put on her Ashikabi and wanted to support her. Because it definitely was a pressure.
But Chiho had handled it well so far, which was why Uzume continued to ask her for guidance. If Roland wanted to train Chiho into a secondary leader, Uzume was more than fine with that, and she'd do her part to make sure Chiho and the others remembered who was in charge.
Finally, after just a few moments, Chiho turned to Uzume. "You've been here before, right? Do you know what his security is like?"
Uzume shrugged. "Pretty normal I guess? I didn't spot any guys with guns whenever I visited." Uzume took a moment to wrack her brains. "It's an office building. The first floor is pretty unrestricted, I think. I was always able to walk through without anyone bothering me. Then I'd take an elevator up to the top, talk to a secretary, wait a bit, and then go into Higa's office."
"So why don't we just do that then?" Kyouko suggested. "Not like they're expecting us, right?"
"They shouldn't be, no," Chiho agreed. Uzume spotted her biting her lip slightly as she looked up at the tower. "You're right. We might not be able to get all the way to him… but if we just boldly stride in, we should be able to get close before the alarm is raised. Probably."
"How many Sekirei does he have?" Mami asked.
"Ten. Nine now. All of them except one are just T4."
"How strong were the brats?" Kyouko asked, still not familiar with the Tiering system that Roland's employers used.
"Uhh, the same, I think?" Chiho said. "Except for Akitsu here, and Mutsu. They're both T5."
Kyouko snorted. "Then we don't need to worry about it too much. Hell, just send me in, I don't mind wiping another team. She already got her one kill in, right? It's easy mode now."
Chiho frowned, but didn't reply, so Uzume cut in. "Not that I agree with just sending in Kyouko, but she's got a point. Most Sekirei aren't going to stand a chance against us, even in those numbers. Hell, if Kyouko beat Mutsu that easily, we don't even need to worry about most of the Disciplinary Squad, just Karasuba. And honestly, I'm not sure how much of a chance even the Black Sekirei stands against either of them, much less both of them."
Chiho grimaced and sighed. "I suppose that's true. It's just… Roland trusted me to take charge, and settling for just bulldozing our way through feels… inelegant."
"Knowing when it's time for clever plans, and when you can just unleash all of your power is also an important part of being a leader," Mami reassured Chiho. "Even us Magical Girls like to finish things off with a big bang."
Kyouko snorted. "Literally, in your case."
Chiho considered that for a moment before nodding. "I suppose that's true." She gave Mami a grin. "We'll have to come up with some kind of big team attack later."
Mami's eyes lit up. "Yes! With an elegant name!"
Kyouko groaned. "Please don't encourage her."
"Sounds fun," Akitsu said quietly.
"Not you too!"
Chiho giggled in amusement, and Uzume noticed the way some of Chiho's tension leaked out of her shoulders. A smile tugged at her lips and she sent Mami a grateful nod, who returned it with a kind smile.
After a moment though, Chiho focused back on their objective. "Alright then. Let's get going." Her eyes were determined, the nervousness and uncertainty that had plagued them just moments ago gone.
They hopped down from the roof, startling a few people walking by on the street. But they ignored them, forgoing subtlety in exchange for expediency. They quickly crossed the street and entered the front doors of Hiyamakai Enterprises.
The lobby was ostentatious. Marble floor, marble pillars, nice leather seating, expensive looking wood furniture, large pieces of art. This was a place for the elites. Men and women in suits milled about, talking in small groups or on phones or looking over documents.
They earned more than a few strange looks as they walked through, but they kept their heads high and no one stopped them. Uzume was fairly sure they had gotten used to strangely dressed girls coming in, considering all of Higa's Sekirei. Or maybe they used a different entrance. She didn't know.
Either way, they were able to make it to the elevator without being stopped or asked questions. They all piled in and hit the button for the top floor. One woman in a suit followed them in, her nose buried in a report. She only looked up after hitting the button for a floor before theirs. Her eyes widened as all of them looked back at her. Uzume saw her throat move as she gulped. She looked behind her, but the elevator doors had already closed and the elevator had started to rise.
The elevator was dead silent as the woman turned around, unwilling to look at them. Uzume had no idea what was going through her head, but it was clear that she didn't want to be in the elevator with them. No one said anything though, and even Chiho looked faintly amused.
The elevator came to a stop on the seventeenth floor and the woman darted out of it like a bat out of hell, squeezing through the doors before they even fully opened. A few people waiting for an elevator looked at her strangely before peering back at the elevator and seeing them. None of them got on, and the doors closed shut.
A few more moments of silence passed as the elevator started to rise. Kyouko snorted. Mami held a hand to her mouth. Chiho's shoulders shook. And then all of them burst out in laughter, save for Akitsu.
"Her face," Kyouko wheezed.
"It was like she stepped into an elevator of punks dressed in spikes," Mami agreed.
"She probably thought we were cosplayers," Uzume pointed out. "So not much better."
The laughter slowly winded down, the amusement dwindling as the elevator reached the top floor. It was good to relax, to ease some of the tension, but none of them were prepared to face Higa while laughing. Uzume wasn't, at least. She wasn't so sure about Kyouko.
The doors opened up to another lobby, one smaller than the one on the first floor but twice as ostentatious. The marble flooring was of a different kind, one that at least looked nicer, though Uzume didn't know if it actually was. She assumed so, if only because Higa was vain like that. Directly in front of them was a large painting of Higa himself. Uzume sneered at it but tried not to pay it much mind.
Below it was a large semi-circular desk facing them, and seated behind it was a rather pretty young woman in a high quality business dress and perfect makeup. Uzume didn't recognize her. The last time she had been here, a month and a week or so previously ago, a time that now felt like a lifetime, it had been a different but similarly dressed woman.
The secretary, for that is what she was, looked up at them as the elevator opened. Uzume was able to pick out the emotions that flickered across her face. Her professional smile slipped into a look of confusion, then shock, and then a vague kind of recognition that was replaced with another professional smile, albeit one that was pretty strained.
Uzume also didn't miss her hand darting under the desk. "I think she just hit a silent alarm," she whispered to Chiho.
Chiho kept her face blank but inclined her head ever so slightly to let Uzume know that she had heard her. The group strode forward, Chiho at the lead, as they approached her. "Hello," Chiho said with a sweet and innocent voice. "We'd like to talk to Higa-san, please."
"I'm afraid Higa-san isn't here right now," the secretary said stiffly. She was nervous, maybe a little afraid, but hiding it well. "If you'd like to schedule an appointment, I can-"
"We know he's here, so you can cut the bullshit," Kyouko interrupted.
"Kyouko, enough," Chiho said sharply. Kyouko narrowed her eyes at Chiho, but Uzume just glared at the Magical Girl and she backed off. Chiho, meanwhile, turned back to the secretary and smiled sweetly. "I understand that you have your job to do, and I won't ask you to get yourself in trouble. But as a word of advice? You should probably find a new job. Higa is scum, and we're here today to make him pay for what he's done."
Fear and confusion managed to make their way onto the secretary's expression, cracking her mask. "What are you-"
Her words were cut off by a door behind them, near the elevator, slamming open. Eight men in black suits rushed out, forming a line as they raised handguns. "Stop right there!" the center-most man shouted. "Get on the ground!"
Uzume stepped between the men and Chiho, blocking her from their view and any potential bullets they might shoot. The secretary dove off of her chair, scrambling to get under her desk and out of harm's way.
But Chiho remained cool and calm. "Mami," she said simply. "Could you handle them? Gently, please."
"Of course," Mami replied with a demure smile. She turned to the men and raised her hand, holding it stretched towards them. The men tensed, but before their leader could bark any orders, she snapped her fingers and eight sets of golden ribbons sprung into existence from her hand.
With a quick wave of her hand, the eight ribbons fanned out, each reaching towards the men faster than they could react. Each ribbon wrapped around a gun and pulled, yanking the weapons from the grasp.
A second set of ribbons from her other hand reached out right behind them and wrapped themselves around the men, binding them like golden mummies. They all fell to the ground, thrashing and making noises of surprise. It all happened so fast that it wasn't until they were all wriggling fruitlessly on the floor that they realized what happened.
"Thank you Mami," Chiho said, tone pleased. "That was very cleanly done. Please move them to the side of the room, out of harm's way."
Mami nodded and used the ribbons still connected to them to pull them along the floor, dragging them to a nearby wall.
"Sekirei!" one of the men shouted, the one who had been barking orders earlier. Whether he was calling for Sekirei or identifying them as such, Uzume wasn't sure. They ignored him either way, though once they were up against the wall, Mami let go of the ribbons connected to the men, and the loose ends wrapped around their mouths to gag them.
"So… we just wait here then?" Kyouko asked, summoning her spear in a flash of light.
"Higa's office is just through there," Uzume said, pointing towards a door next to the secretary's desk. "We could just barge in and deal with whoever as they come."
"Defeating the Sekirei is the primary objective," Chiho reminded her. "We'll deal with Higa once we're clear." A few moments passed with nothing happening. "That is, if they ever-"
Both Uzume and Chiho turned to look at the door as they sensed the aura of several individuals entering their range. A moment later a slew of women, each dressed in unique and often skimpy outfits, poured out the door. They were Higa's Sekirei, obviously, which Uzume would have been able to tell at a glance even if she didn't recognize most of them.
There were only seven here though. Two of them were still missing. Uzume wasn't worried about that though. No, her thoughts were only on the last one through the door, one of the smaller Sekirei wearing a striped tank top, leather booty shorts, striped thigh high socks, and striped detached sleeves. She was carrying several curved knives attached to ropes.
Uzume knew who she was. Not just from her past interactions with Higa. When they had accompanied Roland through that first portal that opened up after joining him, Chiho and she had found a copy of the manga that apparently reflected their world. There was quite a bit of information in it, but one moment stood out.
The moment where this Sekirei of Higa's, Sekirei #31, Sai, had terminated Uzume. She had been aiming for Minato-san and the Uzume in the manga had blocked the attack at the cost of her own life.
"And here I thought you ran away like a dog with your tail between your legs," Sai sneered. "MBI put quite a bounty on your head, you know? One that we're all too eager to cash in." Her grin turned nasty. "Especially since it didn't say anything about you needing to be in one piece."
Kyouko snorted, utterly unintimidated. Uzume turned her head to Chiho. "Hey, babe? I'm calling dibs on that one."
Chiho's eyes hardened and she nodded. "Got it. Mami, Kyouko, and Akitsu. Handle the rest. Akitsu, call out if you need assistance."
One of the Sekirei, a woman dressed in what was basically a kimono if you tore the sleeves off of it, narrowed her eyes at them. "You are outnumbered, you cannot possibly think-"
Her words were cut off by another of the Sekirei deciding that enough was enough and rushing at them. Uzume knew her as well. She was Kaiha, #66, and she was very distinctive. Not because of the Shrine Maiden-esque outfit she wore, which was pretty common among Sekirei, but because her hands were stuffed into massive scythe blades that she used with extreme prejudice. She was the most dangerous one of the group as far as Uzume was aware.
Kaiha rushed at them, aiming for Uzume, but Kyouko was faster. The red Magical Girl darted forward and caught Kaiha's blades on her spear. "If we're calling dibs, then I'm going to play with this one for a bit!" Kyouko announced. Kaiha's expression twisted into a deranged smile.
And then everyone else exploded into action, darting forward with weapons raised as the fighting began in earnest. Uzume ignored most of it, only paying attention to the others to make sure none of them got near Chiho and to avoid any attacks aimed at herself.
The bulk of her focus was on Sai, and her aura flared into Ren as she rushed the other Sekirei. Sai saw her coming and raised her weapons. Uzume reached out with her powers for her cloth, only to change her mind. She didn't need it for Sai, and she wanted to see just how far she'd come with just her Nen.
Sai threw three of her knives at Uzume, their ropes between her fingers so she could control their distance and momentum. She couldn't swing them about carelessly, not with so many of her allies packed into such a relatively small room, but she was experienced enough with them to precisely control their paths.
But at the end of the day, they were just mundane knives. Even with the superhuman strength and skill of a Sekirei behind them, they just weren't a threat to Uzume, who had spent the past several days avoiding Mami's ribbons.
Uzume simply dodged to the side without breaking her stride, avoiding the thrown blades. Sai reacted predictably by tightening her grip on the ropes to pull on them and direct them straight into Uzume's back. Uzume took the chance and reached out to grab one of the ropes and yanked on it, pulling Sai closer to her.
Sai loosened her grip, but it was too late, she had already been sent stumbling. Before she could get a stable footing again, Uzume reached her, the gap closed. Uzume relished the sight of Sai's eyes opening in fear before her fist smashed into the other girl's face and sent her spinning to the ground in a heap, ropes and knives falling from her grasp.
Uzume could feel a grin growing on her face. She knew that she probably shouldn't be taking as much satisfaction from this as she was considering that this Sai hadn't done anything to her, that she wasn't her manga self. But Uzume also knew that no matter what reality, Sai was a bitch who enjoyed doing Higa's dirty work, so she deserved everything she got anyway.
Uzume stopped and let Sai get to her feet as she briefly checked the rest of the battle. Several of Higa's Sekirei were already down, unable to stand against the overwhelming strength of the others. Uzume decided to wrap her own fight up quickly. There was no point in dragging it out, especially since she was the only one fighting a singular opponent.
She turned back to Sai. "Not so cocky now, are you?" She watched as Sai's eyes flickered around the room and realized just how badly they were losing.
Her expression turned grim and she focused back on Uzume. "Fuck you, bitch. I'll at least take you down!"
She rushed at Uzume, fist raised. But without her weapons, she stood even less of a chance. Aura flowed around her body as Uzume simply reached out and caught Sai's poor attempt at a punch, fingers wrapping around her fist and holding her in place. Sai's eyes narrowed in anger and then widened as Uzume's knee hit her in the gut, knocking the air out of her lungs. Sai bent over, wheezing painfully, fist still in Uzume's clutches.
Uzume followed it up with another punch to her face, once again sanding Sai crumpling to the ground. But this time Uzume didn't let her get back up. She pinned the smaller Sekirei on the ground by sitting on her, straddling her back with her shins on top of Sai's arms.
"Looks like you're the one getting taken out," Uzume quipped, voice filled with smugness, as she placed a hand on Sai's exposed Sekirei Crest.
"Don't you fucking-" Sai snarled, struggling and writing under Uzume. But Uzume ignored her and chanted her Norito, and Sai went slack underneath her as her Crest faded away.
Uzume let out a breath of relief, feeling like a shadow had been lifted off of her shoulder. Not a weight, not really, but she could feel it as she closed the door to the path that had led to her defeat. She was free now.
She looked up to see the other Sekirei in similar states of unconsciousness, a few of them having been beaten soundly enough to be Terminated, the others simply unconscious or frozen in place. And Chiho stood exactly where Uzume had left her. None of the fighting had even gotten close to her.
Chiho gave Uzume a satisfied smile, and the Sekirei could tell her Ashikabi felt similarly about Sai's defeat. It had been something that bothered both of them when they read the manga, and now they no longer needed to worry about it.
"Uzume, dear, could you make sure the others are terminated?" Chiho said. "After that we'll finally go pay Higa a visit. I suspect the remaining two are with him."
"Yes, Ashikabi," Uzume replied formally, but with a wink. She made a mental note to thank Roland for putting Chiho in charge later. It was really hot seeing her Ashikabi be a badass commander.
And she couldn't wait to see how she'd handle Higa.
As Uzume went around the room and terminated the remaining Sekirei, Chiho sent a quick text to Matsu to update her on their progress. She didn't expect a reply, she knew that the other group had likely started their mission and Matsu would need to focus on them. But to her surprise, she got one just a few moments later.
MBI knows you're there. DS being scrambled.
Chiho felt a bit of nervousness at that, but it was quickly squashed as she looked around at the room of Sekirei that they defeated without breaking a sweat, just like Uzume had said they would. So she knew her group could handle the Disciplinary Squad as well.
She started typing a reply when she got another message.
DS taking off, all three Sekirei on board and heading your way. We're starting. Good luck, have fun!
Chiho smiled, put further at ease by Matsu's laid back tone. She erased the message she had been typing and simply sent back a thumbs up before putting away her phone. "Alright girls, let's hurry up. MBI is on their way."
Uzume stood up from where she had been kneeling over a Sekirei covered in a layer of ice. "That's the last one. We're good to go."
Chiho nodded. "Then let's go." She paused as she turned to the door, considering. "Mami and Uzume, you go first. I'll go in after you, and Kyouko and Akitsu can pull up the rear. Be ready for a possible ambush."
The others fell into line without a word, even Kyouko didn't complain about being ordered around. Mami led the way, Uzume close behind her, and pushed through the door behind the desk. They all ignored the secretary still huddled beneath it. She wasn't in any danger there.
Through the door was an excessively large room, largely empty of anything but marble flooring and columns. Three of the four walls were floor-to-ceiling windows, and by the windows directly ahead of them was a desk. One figure sat behind the desk and two others were standing on either side of it. The room was so large that even when concentrating, Chiho could barely feel their auras.
Behind her, Kyouko snorted. "Talk about compensation."
Chiho felt a smile of amusement, and agreement, tug at her lips, but seeing Higa's face pushed all other feelings besides determination and anger away from her. She hadn't ever met him before, not like Uzume had, but she'd seen his face in the manga and in Roland's Catalog. She knew him.
"Let's go," she said quietly, and their group started moving again, heading for Higa at a sedate pace. The two Sekirei standing guard at his desk shifted. They didn't tense up. In fact, they both seemed quite excited and eager. She recognized them from the list of Higa's Sekirei, Ichiya and Toyotama, numbers 18 and 16 respectively. But Chiho only paid them half a mind, just enough to note them. Her eyes remained locked on Higa's face.
He schooled his expression well, she'll give him that. There was no hint of anger, fear, or anything like that on his face. It remained stony and cold, not a hint of emotion appearing on it as he considered them.
Once they were close enough that he didn't have to yell to be heard, he spoke up. "Why are you here? I assumed our business was done when you left the city."
"Business?" Uzume shot back, hackles rising. "Is that what you're calling it?"
Chiho reached out and put a hand on her arm. "Easy. Let me handle him." Uzume immediately relaxed and nodded. Chiho stepped forward, ahead of the others. There was still a good twenty feet between her and his desk though. "Hello Higa-san, my name is Hidaka Chiho. I'd say it is nice to meet you, but I don't really see a point in lying to you."
The petty barb failed to change Higa's expression in the slightest, but Chiho couldn't help herself. She had spent all day thinking about what she would say to the man, and she was barely keeping those emotions in check. The only reason she continued to hold back at all was because they still hadn't completed the first part of their mission.
"To answer your question, I'm here for one thing, and one thing only," she said. "I am here to make you regret using me to make Uzume cry." As far as Chiho could tell, her Uzume hadn't been driven far enough to actually cry. But the manga form of her had. And even that was enough to make her blood boil.
"Uzume, finish the job," Chiho commanded. "Don't hold back." She could have asked any of the others, but it needed to be Uzume. Higa needed to see how badly he fucked up.
"Aye aye captain!" Uzume said from behind her, all too happily. Chiho felt her aura explode into Ren once more and then her Sekirei was rocketing past her.
Higa's bodyguards immediately threw themselves forward as well, getting between Uzume and Higa, but they were Uzume's targets in the first place. Four bundles of cloth folded and twisted into sharp points and covered in Nen shot out ahead of Uzume.
To their credit, Higa's last two Sekirei responded well, just barely getting their arms in the way in front of the first spears of cloth that reached them. But what they weren't prepared for was the sheer power they held. Both Sekirei cried out as the cloth pierced their forearms, digging past skin and into muscle, and they cried out again as the second set of spears did the same into their now unprotected bellies.
Uzume followed it up as her body reached them by grabbing onto their collars and slamming their heads together. They immediately crumbled to the floor, knocked out and bleeding.
The whole thing had happened in the blink of an eye, and even Higa's mask broke at the sight of it. He flinched back at Uzume's rush, and then pushed himself to his feet and took several steps back as his final Sekirei fell. His expression was filled with fear. "You- what- how?!"
Chiho stepped up to the Sekirei, ignoring the blood. She had seen Roland bleed more than that while training with Kyouko. She looked down at the back of their necks, which Uzume helpfully rolled their bodies over so she could see them, and saw the last traces of their Crests fade away.
Chiho didn't have Roland's phone, so she couldn't check the mission progress. But according to her mental checklist Higa was now out of Sekirei. And she was using the list generated by the Mission, so she trusted it to be accurate.
So she looked up at Higa and smiled. She was aware that she probably looked crazy or deranged, standing over two bleeding Sekirei and smiling. But she didn't care, and she couldn't help it. She could finally confront Higa.
She stepped around the desk, careful to avoid the slowly growing puddles of blood, and walked up to Higa, who backed up until he hit the window.
And then she started speaking.
"I was just ten years old when I fell ill. It started small, with minor attacks that would leave me tired and feverish. They were initially written off as the normal illnesses of a child who simply exerted herself too much, or caught a minor cold. I would rest for the day, and then I would be fine."
The room was silent as Chiho came to a stop in front of Higa. Her aura formed a gentle shell around her, and she wasn't afraid of him, despite the difference in size. But he either sensed something was amiss or was just too afraid by Uzume's display, because he didn't move an inch, neither to run or to lash out. So Chiho continued.
"As these attacks grew more frequent, when they started happening multiple times a week, that was when my parents grew concerned. They shuffled me off to a doctor, and then another, and then another until we finally found one who could diagnose me. My parents were devastated to learn that it was something rare and incurable. So they were quite eager to follow the doctor's suggestion and check me into the hospital owned by your company.
"To this day I don't know if he was bribed or coerced into recommending patients to your hospital. Maybe he genuinely believed it was better than one of MBI's, or any hospital outside of Shinto Teito. I'm not sure it matters. It was before you become the CEO, and therefore not something I can put at your feet. It wouldn't have mattered much, I don't think, if it weren't for my parents death.
"It happened less than a year after I started staying at the hospital. Shortly after my eleventh birthday, actually. They were on a flight to Europe to speak to a specialist there, some old man who refused to teleconference. They left my caretaker to visit me daily and set off. Their flight never made it, crashing into the ocean almost immediately after leaving Japan.
"After that, I was alone. The caretaker stopped coming by after a few weeks and was replaced by a social worker. I attended their funeral, where empty caskets were buried and I had a coughing fit and had to leave early. A few weeks later, the social worker stopped showing up as well, too busy with other children, and I became alone."
"I spent over five years like that, alone. My body slowly got worse and worse, the treatments doing little more than extending my time. My hospital room slowly started to feel more and more like a tomb. I often wondered what the point even was, if I was going to just die anyway. Why prolong the inevitable?"
Chiho heard Uzume take a sharp breath behind her. It wasn't the first time Chiho had mentioned that. The two of them had talked about all kinds of things together. Chiho had laid herself bare before her lover, in more ways than one. But she knew it still hurt Uzume to hear it, to know just how bad it had been for her.
"The large park attached to the hospital was the only reason I hung in there," Chiho continued in a quieter voice. "It was beautiful, peaceful, and full of life. I spent as much time there as I could, despite the effort it took when I was bound to a wheelchair. And it was there that I met my Uzume, who saved me from that loneliness."
"What is your point?" Higa asked. Time and Chiho's apparent lack of further violence had allowed him to regain some of his composure, and to put up a mask. "This sob story means nothing to me."
"Except that's not true, is it?" Chiho replied, voice cold. "After all, these circumstances left me alone and helpless. And, as you discovered once I became Uzume's Ashikabi, I was in your complete control." Chiho stepped closer to him, and Higa flinched despite standing more than a head taller than her. "So it did mean something to you. It meant you and your cold twisted heart could abuse that power to gain a pawn that you could throw away, all in the name of a cruel game with dubious rewards for victory. You didn't even hesitate."
"S-So?" he asked, stammering slightly. "Anyone who isn't an idiot would do the same!"
"No, you didn't do it because it was the smart thing to do," Chiho denied. "I've spent a lot of time these past few weeks thinking about why you did it. It was hard for me to imagine at first. With all your smarts, all of your resources, all of your power, you chose to take advantage of people instead of helping them."
She remembered meeting Uzume, how this strange but kind girl continued to visit her, for no reason other than she wanted to. How her loneliness was blown away by these daily visits, and Chiho actually had something to look forward to every day. How she had kissed her, and learned the truth, and how she had fallen deeply in love with her.
She pictured Roland's smiling face and held out hand. She remembered the way he so carefully explained things. The shock on his face when she leaped at his offer with barely any consideration. At that time, the only thing she had left was her love for Uzume, and anything that could preserve that was something she'd jump at.
Those feelings had grown though. She didn't just love Uzume, she loved Roland. She loved Levy and Matsu and Ku-chan and all of the others. She even loved Kyouko and Akitsu. She had a family, she had her health, and she even had something she could call her own, a special skill that Roland had granted her. She had everything she could dream of.
She focused back on Higa, having fallen silent for a few moments. "But I gave up trying to understand. In the end, it doesn't matter. You did something awful to me, and that's the end of it. In truth, I never intended to confront you. I had escaped your clutches and I found my happiness. That was enough. But I'm glad I did. Not only so I could save the other Sekirei and Ashikabi from your vile hands, but because I believe goodness should be repaid in kind, and badness should be punished. By coming after you, I can help the one who saved me just a little. And maybe I can make you regret your actions and reflect on them."
"You- you can't touch me!" Higa said, properly afraid now. "I've called MBI! They'll be here any minute!"
"How desperate you must be to invite your competition into your own headquarters," Chiho replied evenly. "Thank you though. That is precisely what we wanted, so your help is appreciated." Higa's eyes widened, both in confusion and despair as he realized his trump card was just playing right into their hands.
Chiho stepped back and turned around. "I think this is enough punishment though. I've freed your Sekirei, and there are scant few left for you to forcibly wing. I thought about crippling you, or something similarly nasty, but it felt hollow. It wouldn't change anything, not really."
Behind her, she felt Higa relax. Which is when she spun around, her aura flaring. She wasn't much of a fighter, she didn't receive special training from Bisky or spend her days sparring. But she had learned enough to kick properly.
So her aim was true, and her aura empowered foot smashed straight into the crook between Higa's legs with enough force to lift his entire body several inches off of the ground. He let out a sharp scream of pain and his hands clutched at his groin as he started to fall to his knees. But Chiho grabbed his collar. Her aura infused arms refused to let him fall as she pulled his face closer to hers.
"This isn't punishment," she said, her voice low but dangerous. "This is just me, expressing my anger. So next time you're in a position to take advantage of someone? Remember this. Consider the consequences of that, of the anger and bitterness you caused, and ask yourself if it's really worth them lashing out at you."
Chiho's voice was a whisper now. "And I promise you. Even if you get away with it, even if your next victim doesn't manage to pay you back in kind? I will."
She wasn't entirely sure Higa was cognizant of her words through the pain he was suffering, but to be honest, she didn't care. She was done with him. She let go of him and let him crumple to the ground before she turned to the others with a smile on her face. "Mission completed, let's go home!"
All four of them were staring at her though. Kyouko looked thrilled, a second away from bursting out into laughter. Mami was sending her a look of love and compassion, no doubt still focused on what Chiho had revealed about her past. Akitsu's expression was hard to read, but there was a glint of satisfaction in her eyes.
And Uzume…
"I'm so fucking turned on right now," Uzume said, staring at Chiho with a very familiar look of longing.
Chiho felt a bit of heat on her cheeks. "Save that for later," she said, a little embarrassed. "We should get back soon. With any luck we can get out of here before MBI arrives."
She soon regretted taunting Murphy like that though. They made their way back to the elevator, passing the secretary still hiding under the desk, and took it back down
It was now free of the businessmen and women, but they had been replaced by a group of men in full body armor carrying rifles and two Sekirei. Chiho also recognized them of course, they were Benitsubasa and Haihane, two of the current Disciplinary Squad members.
"So much for getting away," Kyouko commented, but she didn't sound annoyed. If anything, she sounded pleased.
"Karasuba isn't here?" Chiho wondered out loud.
Loud enough to be heard, apparently. Benitsuba snorted. "She was supposed to come, but at the last minute she said something about having a hunch and she didn't get on the helicopter." The pink-haired Sekirei's eyes swept over them and she clicked her tongue. "And since not all of the ones we're on the lookout for are here, I'm guessing she was right. Gah, that's so annoying."
"There are new faces too," Haihane pointed out. "And the Scrapped number."
"So, you came back to steal more Sekirei, huh?" Benitsubasa concluded. "Well, that's not happening. Surrender, or we'll make you."
Chiho sighed. "I guess it's a good thing Roland has Bisky with him."
"Yeah, with all of them they shouldn't have a problem," Uzume said. "But still. That's the second time that bitch has predicted us like that. Her instincts are insane."
"Hey!" Benitsubasa yelled. "Excuse me, I told you to surrender, not jabber like monkeys. And I'll have you know that Karasuba isn't the only dangerous member of the Disciplinary Squad. The two of us are more than enough for the lot of you."
Chiho very much doubted that. But they weren't going to get out of here without a fight. "Akitsu, soldiers. Mami and Kyouko, the Sekirei."
Benitsubasa's eyes narrowed as Chiho started calling out orders. "Open fire!" she instructed the soldiers, not wasting any time. But Akitsu was faster. Their bullets pinged off of a wall of ice that Akitsu conjured between the two groups. Mami, Kyouko, and Akitsu all leaped over it while Uzume put herself and her aura-infused cloth in front of Chiho as an extra layer of protection.
Chiho couldn't see the fighting on the other side of the ice wall, but she didn't mind. She had seen enough of their fighting to predict how it would go. And sure enough, in just a few moments, things went quiet, and Akitsu's wall of ice crumbled to pieces to reveal several frozen soldiers and two Sekirei unconscious on the ground with their crests fading.
Kyouko sniffed. "Even they didn't put up a decent fight. This world is so boring."
"Well, it's a good thing we're leaving then, isn't it?" Chiho said. She wasn't entirely sure they should have Terminated the Disciplinary Squad members, she thought she remembered Roland mentioning something about wanting to avoid crippling MBI. But they had opened fire, and Chiho couldn't blame the others for reacting so strongly.
"You sure we're done here?" Uzume asked. "Don't wanna go back and kick Higa in the balls again?"
Chiho smiled and blushed, but she shook her head. "No. I'm done. I don't know if that counts for the mission, and I don't know if he'll actually change. But I'm satisfied."
"Good enough for me," Uzume said with a shrug. "Let's get out of here then."
Chiho allowed her lover to pick her up as they left the building and took to the rooftops once more. She wrapped her arms around Uzume's neck and placed her face against her chest, simply enjoying her warmth.
She felt like she had cut an anchor that had been holding her down, and now she could fly through the sky with her family. She was free.
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AN: And the second Tales is done. We are officially done with Shinto Teito. Only took over 50k words, not even counting the first trip. This fic is much more of a Sekirei fic than I ever really thought it would be, but I'm not really complaining. It's been a good and interesting direction for it. Even if I now have to deal with the burden of knowing so much about the Sekirei manga.
The first part is an excerpt from Uzume's book, and the second part is from Chiho's. Though with a third-person limited perspective the difference is minor when they're both present in the scene. I know the fighting here isn't very exciting, but they were so horribly outclassed that there wasn't much I could do. Besides, Uzume and Chiho deserve an easy win against the asshole. I hope you enjoyed it as much as they did.
Disclaimers for a few headcanon things: Oshino's power isn't known in canon, but as #34, I had to do something at least vaguely Rule 34 related. So, emotional control, and yes, she likes to use it lewdly. Too bad Uzume didn't give her a chance. Also, the Interactive Catalog lists Akitsu as T6. That's bullshit, she's really not. I might propose a full rework of Sekirei ratings myself tbh, because I disagree with quite a few of them. Need to watch the anime first though, to make sure there's no bullshit there. And I had to fill in a lot of blanks for Chiho's backstory.
I have a lot of content planned for the next two in-story weeks. The Skyblock is going to be quite busy. I even went ahead and randomly rolled the worlds already. At the start, I wanted to save that for right before I wrote them, for a more spontaneous feeling. But the further we go, the more I want to plan things out, and I want to have a better control over the pacing. So knowing what is coming, even if it's still randomly decided, helps me set things up better and in a more satisfying manner. I'll probably abandon the random selection entirely at some point, but it's still going strong for now.