Chapter Seven: Something Worse
The day after Takehito's return…
Asama Miya was having a wonderful morning.
The sun had risen as she awoke, the birds just beginning to chirp as she lay there in bed. Were this a normal day, she would already be up and about. There was much to do to maintain Izumo Inn, and it required an early start if she wanted to maintain her peerless standards. Starting breakfast for everyone, drawing a bath for Matsu—who loved to take her time in the mornings, watering the garden, and more besides… All of that took time, and on a normal day she would have been halfway through her list by now.
But this was not a normal day.
Takehito was alive… Her husband, now her Ashikabi in truth, was nestled beneath the covers of their shared futon as if he'd never left. Were it not for a decade's worth of memory, she would scarcely believe he'd been ever been anywhere else, that he'd ever abandoned her to—
"Gmmph…"
Miya muffled a giggle, reveling in the adorable pout that her husband's face had twisted into.
I've missed this, she thought to herself, I've missed him.
Her kind was not meant to be alone, and she knew that better than any other member of her species by now… but all of that pain was over. Takehito was back, miraculously alive, and she wouldn't let anything take that from her.
The man went on mumbling in his sleep, his empty hand opening and closing around the air as whatever he was dreaming about went on. What does he see in his dreams, Miya wondered, eyes tracing every line in his face… and then trailing down towards his body.
Her lip curled angrily at the sight of the scars marring his form, a deeply repressed violence welling to the surface at the thought of whatever had dared to harm her Ashikabi. How it happened she didn't know, nor did she particularly care. If she had a chance, the culprit would not live to—
Pausing, the woman let out a forceful sigh.
Calm… she told herself. You moved on from that path. Do not fall back in anger. Takehito wouldn't want that…
Returning to happy thoughts, she focused on her husband's face, the only part of his body utterly bereft of scar-tissue. In fact, it was a startling reminder of how little he'd changed in all the time that had passed in his… coma. It was no surprise she had not aged herself, trapped as she was by her lack of an Ashikabi… but Takehito was human.
Humans did not remain the same for an entire decade, she was certain. All of her former human colleagues at MBI had changed in the same period, and the normal civilians she interacted with in her normal life all changed with time as well… So, why—
Suddenly, Takehito drew in a sharp breath, hand fisting in their sheets as his entire body tensed. He was frozen, muscles taught and ready in a way that Miya knew with regretful familiarity.
"T-Takehito…?" she whispered, quite afraid.
There was no response.
"T-Takehito…?" she repeated, panic slipping into her voice as a dozen thoughts warred for dominance in her mind. Something was clearly wrong, and she had no idea what it was.
"T-Takehito, please…" she begged, utterly terrified that it had all been for naught. That he'd had a heart attack, or a stroke, or some other complication from his unprecedented experience in MBI's labs…
...Don't leave me again…
Deciding that he couldn't hear her voice in the midst of his dream, she raised a shaking hand to his cheek and moved to wake him with her touch.
It was a mistake.
Takehito's hand lashed out so quickly that, when combined with her emotional state… Miya, the self-appointed Pillar of her people and most powerful of all her kind, could not react in time. His fingers clamped down around her wrist like a vice, gripping her arm with such force that she felt her bones grind against one another.
Her husband's face had twisted into a terrible scowl, lips pulled taught and eyebrows arched with savage rage. It was an expression she never could have imagined on the gentle man's features before, and it startled her so badly that she didn't even think to resist. He pulled her towards him, teeth bared as if he was about to tear her throat out like a wild dog—
…And then his grip went slack, his expression fading moments later.
Tearing her hand away, Miya held the limb to her chest and winced at the redness of her skin—already purpling into a bruise. It was another impossibility for the list.
A human simply did not have the strength to bruise her.
"T-Takehito…?"
Slowly, the love of her life's eyes fluttered open. A relaxed yawn came a moment later before he met her gaze. Immediately, she relaxed at the sight of him. The real him.
It was all going to be okay.
"Mornin' Miya…"
As he blinked a few more times to clear away the morning haze, the woman slid her arm beneath the covers and out of sight. It would only worry him to see it, and there was no reason for that.
"Good morning, A-shi-ka-bi-sama," she said, accentuating every syllable of the man's recently acquired title.
She was smiling, wasn't she? Just like the stupid grin he had on his face, she was certain.
Their blankets shifted as he reached over, wrapping her in his embrace. She returned the gesture without hesitation, barely registering the dull-throb of her wrist.
"Good morning, my dear Sekirei…"
As he kissed her, white wings filling the room, she knew that what had occurred moments earlier must have been a fluke somehow. No, less than that even.
It was all just… a bad dream.
It was an odd thing, being alive. It was even odder to think such a thing, but by now Takehito had accepted the oddity of his existence. Or rather, he was trying to.
Ten years… he thought to himself, sitting on a small bench among the garden he'd helped create. The garden he held no memory of watching come to bloom, yet was here anyway. He was there because Miya had hesitantly shooed him away once the day had properly begun, settling into what was clearly a routine for her, even if he didn't recognize the pattern. He was a puzzle piece that no longer fit.
…Such a long time.
The early morning of Izumo Inn was quite pleasant, despite his dim mood. The sun cast golden rays over the walls of the property while birds chirped among the trees around the neighborhood. Furthermore, it was still too early for the bustle of city life to interfere with the sounds of nature, granting an almost idyllic atmosphere to the scene.
Every morning had been similarly calm, since his return, and part of him couldn't help but wonder when the other shoe would drop. He'd not spoken with Minaka since the phone call, and despite the fact he knew she was around he'd hardly seen hide nor hair of Karasuba since then either…
"God, what are we going to do with her…?" he mumbled to himself, thoughts drifting back to the moment she'd first awoken…
…And what had followed.
o0oOo0o
"I can't believe you forgot the most important question…!" the woman declared, drawing every eye in the room as she spoke up unexpectedly. "How did you almost kill me?"
The tension in the room had already jumped once the woman brought to everyone's attention that she'd somehow already awakened, but after an absurd statement like that…?
None were surprised when Miya stepped in.
"I would have thought you'd know better than to lie about Takehito in my presence, Black…" the woman stated as she rose to her feet, slipping through Takehito's grasp with ease. "Especially after you've stained my floors with your presence…"
Karasuba barked a laugh, standing up herself, either unaware or uncaring of the state of her clothes. Everyone in the room flinched when she stepped towards Miya, challenge clear in her every motion.
"Now, why would I do something like that, Captain…?" the silver-haired woman replied, expression as languid and pleasant as it ever was… were it not for the way her eyes were slightly open, steel-orbs sparking with a perverse hunger. "I like to be honest about what I am…"
She paused, tilting her head just so as a hint of teeth entered her grin.
"...Though I suppose you wouldn't have much experience with that, would you?"
Miya's hands fisted slowly, teeth grinding audibly as she opened her mouth to—
"Now, now, ladies… There's no need to be so touchy!" Minaka chimed in peppily, as if the two women weren't currently on the verge of violence. "There's more than enough Takehito to go around!"
And like that, nearly all of the tension vanished. The lethal feeling in the air dimmed as the duo settled back somewhat, Miya raising an unimpressed eyebrow at the scientist while Karasuba continued to grin a cheshire grin.
"You're really not helping here, Hiroto…" Takehito sighed.
"Was I supposed to be…?" the man replied cheekily.
This, right here, was why Minaka had always been one of those friends that was best enjoyed in small doses. Very small doses. Was it any wonder that Takehito had gone white-haired before thirty after working in proximity with the man for so long…?
"Miya," Matsu said, catching everyone's attention with her serious tone. "Something about Takehito's scars was bothering me, besides the obvious question of how he got them in the first place, so I've been analyzing them while everyone kept talking…"
"And…?" Miya replied, clipped and authoritative.
"It… Well, it doesn't make any sense. Some of them are faded. Far too faded. As in, judging by the color and shape, they're older than Takehito is…" Matsu stated ominously. "And, what's more… I… I'm sorry, but he shouldn't be alive, Miya… Every one of those wounds should have been lethal. If the scars are to be believed, Takehito has been shot, stabbed, cut apart, burned by multiple different substances, mauled by any number of beasts, and… I-I think you get the picture…"
"̶.̷.̵.̶B̸e̶a̸s̵t̴s̵ ̴a̸l̵l̵ ̸o̵v̶e̵r̶ ̷t̶h̴e̶ ̴s̶h̴o̸p̵…̵"̴
Takehito flinched, bringing a hand up to rub at his eyes. He felt a headache coming on, and he wanted the conversation to end before it got any worse.
"Can we just—" he tried, only to get cut off.
"Minaka…" Miya growled, "I swear, if you had anything to do with this…"
"There's no need to get into such a tizzy, Miya," Minaka replied quickly, "I was unaware of any such injuries myself. When Takehito wasn't being examined by myself he was constantly under surveillance by our security system. After I stopped my personal checkups a year or so into his coma, he has not had a single recorded visitor in the entire time he was residing within MBI. Pinky-promise…!"
The man had the gall to hold up his hand to the camera, lone digit outstretched in an open offering.
"Oho…!" Karasuba purred, ignoring Minaka's antics with the ease of experience. "You just keep getting more and more interesting, Ashikabi-san…"
Miya whirled on the woman as if she'd just committed sacrilege.
"He is not your Ashikabi…!" she declared, voice raw and loud, loaded with denial.
The purple-haired woman stood there, trembling as she glared at Karasuba… who replied with smug satisfaction, as if she'd expected exactly this situation.
"Now who's the liar, here…?"
Immediately, the Sekirei Pillar's face darkened, lips quivering as a long-repressed anger welled out of the metaphorical open wound. Karasuba had crossed a line, it seemed, and Miya's patience had reached its end.
"Out," she demanded coldly. "You've healed enough to speak, so you've healed enough to leave."
"̵̛̰Ā̷̦w̵͓̐á̸̧y̸͈̅.̵̖͒.̵̠͑.̶̩̊!̴̺̈́ ̵̰̏A̸̹̚ẅ̸̙́a̵̤͗y̶̨͝.̷̲̍.̶̟̊.̷̧͆!̵̼͝ ̶̗̂L̴͔̀e̸̪͑a̶̞̎v̵̧́e̴̛̠ ̸͙́ü̴̖š̸͚ ̶̩̈́b̶͔̕ẻ̶̘,̶̲̿ ̸̻͗y̴̳̓ó̴̤ű̸̳ ̷̨͑d̸̗́a̷͍̿m̶͖̓n̶͚͝ ̸̹͋O̶͔͋u̷͓͝ț̴̑s̴͉͂i̶̘̾d̸̟͋e̶͎͌r̸̩̈.̴̣̃.̶̤̿.̶̫̋!̸̠̕"̷̘̓
Takehito groaned as the headache worsened.
"I want you out of my home and back where you—"
"Ah…!" Minaka interrupted suddenly. "Sorry Miya, but that may be a bit of a problem…"
The purple-haired woman whirled to face the projected image of the scientist this time.
"...What did you just say?"
Minaka seemed utterly unfazed by her anger, though the single bead of sweat running down the side of his forehead countered that impression.
"I'm afraid that since her Ashikabi is not employed by MBI, Karasuba can no longer reside on the premises. It's a conflict of interest, you see, and—"
"I don't care," Miya cut him off handily. "That thing will not spend another moment on my property. Kick her out if you must, but she will not be living here."
The declaration filled the room, silence ringing out for a long moment…
"I didn't realize you detested me this much, Captain," Karasuba chimed in, still smirking like the cat that caught the canary. "Do you really want me out on the streets…? What if some terrible man were to take advantage of me…?"
Well beyond the limits of her patience and incensed that the silver-haired Sekirei refused to get the message, refused to stop pushing, Miya returned her focus to the woman she detested so greatly and spoke in a tone more akin to a growl than anything else.
"If a man somehow managed such a feat before you slaughtered him, I would give a standing ovation…"
For a second time in as many minutes, silence fell upon the room… But it was not Karasuba who filled it now.
"Miya," Homura of all people spoke up, eyes hard-set as he scowled. "That's too far. Even if it's Karasuba… You of all people should know what happens to Sekirei in those kinds of situations…"
The purple-haired woman had enough of a grip on herself that a smidgen of hesitance followed the young man's statement. It had been too far, and she knew it. The moment of reluctance gave way to guilt, anger faltering as she struggled to process the conflicting emotions.
"Don't put words in her mouth, little flame. She said what she meant, I'm sure. She's no liar, after all…" Karasuba tutted, her expression soft and genial as she pressed on. Miya's hesitance swiftly vanished and her expression regained its hostility with every word. The sound of her teeth grinding was easily audible, but the silver-haired woman paid it no mind and continued anyway. "This is an old game of ours… One where she tries to maintain that sweet little mask of hers… While I remind her of the truth…"
"...That deep down, she's just like m—"
Karasuba never got to finish her sentence. Before she could, Miya was upon her like a wild dog, crashing through Matsu' projector and ending the call with Minaka in an instant. The duo became a blur as the force of impact sent them both flying, tumbling through the paper wall before winding up on the ground. They hadn't even finished rolling before the sound of Karasuba choking began to echo through the room, intermixed with maddened laughter.
"̶̟͂T̸̙͉́͝h̶̪̩̕ȇ̵̥̐ͅ ̶͙̓͊ṡ̵̗̽w̸̭͂e̴͖̭̿̕e̵͎̞͑̽t̷̪͈͠ ̸͕͕̃b̷̭̎̄l̵̳͎̃o̷̲̺̾̈́ȏ̶̬̌d̴̦̯̓͆.̷̧͖̓́.̸̙̄.̷̛͖̱͝ ̴̪̈́O̴̹̩͌͑h̷͕̞͘,̶̹̍͆͜ ̸͍̑͘ḯ̸͙̼̑t̵̗̃͝ ̵͓̀s̷̠̲͝i̶̟͛́ͅn̷̞̓ͅģ̶̰͌͘s̷̩͝ ̶͕̞͋̃ẗ̸̹̪ŏ̷͕̃ ̸̠̜̏̋m̶͖̯̊e̴̙̓.̶̻̀"̷͜͝
"YOU SEE…?!" Karasuba cackled, too weak from recovery to do more than pointlessly struggle in the face of Miya's wrath. "THIS IS ALL IT TAKES…!"
The whole room descended into a panic as the woman lost control. Miya was their leader. The calm one. The person they all looked to when they didn't know what to do anymore. None of them had ever seen her pushed this far, and none of them knew what to do in the face of it. The sound of their voices mingled with the sounds of the assault, everyone shouting and begging for the woman to stop as they all watched on in horror.
…All except Takehito.
"WHY…?! WHY DO YOU EXIST…?! YOU TOOK MY ASHIKABI FROM ME NOT ONCE, BUT TWICE…!" Miya screamed, tears of anger and frustration flying from her cheeks as she continued throttling the silver-haired woman beneath her. All the while, Karasuba continued to laugh madly. "WHY CAN'T YOU JUST D—"
"̸̭̈Ȅ̴̺n̵̯̈o̴͈͆u̸̻̐ḡ̶̬h̶͖̎.̸̼̅"̶̓͜
With a single word, softly uttered, everything stopped. Despite its volume, it was heard by every resident of Izumo Inn, resounding off the walls with an unnatural echo like a thousand voices had spoken at once, all reflections of a single source. As one, they all turned to face Takehito, who stood there, fists clenched and body trembling.
Slowly, he made his way towards the two women, who both stared at him like an alien creature. When he came to a stop at their feet, they both flinched at the look in his gaze. There was something there, something peering out at them through the man's eyes…
It was not remotely human.
Takehito opened his mouth to speak again, on the verge of something, and they all held their breath as one, animal instincts rebelling at the thought of hearing that voice again—
…and then Takehito's eyes rolled up in his head as he collapsed.
For a moment, no one moved. A mixture of shock and fear in varying amounts paralyzing them as they stared at the fallen man. Questions flowed through all of their heads like water through a sieve, leaving almost as quickly as it came so as to make way for the next.
Miya was the first to break the spell, rushing to Takehito's side at the sight of his limp form. Her breath came short and fast as she slipped into the midst of panic, cradling the unconscious man's body on her lap as she moved to inspect him.
"His eyes…!" Matsu exclaimed.
Trailing like tears down his cheeks were rivulets of blood, flowing from his now peacefully shut eyes. Similar tracks descended from his nose and ears, as if he were some comic-book Psychic.
"That's…" Homura added uselessly, trailing off as words failed him.
The 'tears' were already slowing, leaving messy stains in his skin and clothes as it pooled in the crook of his neck. All the while, Miya looked on with shaking hands, caught between moving him to collect the first aid kit and watching whatever was happening in front of her.
The seconds ticked by quickly, denying the chance for any further action before Takehito's eyes shot open, gasping for air as he sat forward and coughed. Were it not for the already drying blood on his skin, he would have looked completely normal—as if nothing odd had happened in the slightest. Looking around at everyone, confusion evident on his face, he spoke.
"What's wrong…?" he asked. "Do I have something on my face…?"
Silence reigned… and then the sound of Karasuba's laughter filled the room.
o0oOo0o
Takehito still didn't recall what happened after Miya had snapped. No one had explained it to him, and he wasn't sure he cared to remember. Frankly, he would rather focus on the fact that his wife seemed to, if not accept, then at least vaguely tolerate Karasuba's presence in their home after the incident.
The silver-haired woman had been given the furthest room from Takehito and Miya's along with the promise of food, then left to her own devices. The message had been clear, but he was sure that wasn't going to be the end of it. The situation was a ticking time bomb with the end of the fuse cut away. A single spark was all it would take to set it off, and he prayed that it wouldn't happen anytime soon.
Maybe, if Takehito had enough time, he could soften some of Karasuba's rougher edges enough that Miya wouldn't explode again. Awkward as the situation may be, it was the only peaceful resolution he could fathom now that…
…Now that he'd winged both of them.
It was impossible to not feel like he'd betrayed Miya, but what could he do? Much as she may have an… unpleasant demeanor… Karasuba was every bit as much of a living person as anyone else. She deserved a chance at life, at happiness, and though he couldn't provide for her in the way he did for Miya that didn't mean he was going to throw her to the wolves.
Why didn't I just turn away before she could kiss me…? He wondered with a sigh, turning up to look at the sky above. Clouds were slowly beginning to form to steal the pleasant morning away, and he was sure it would rain before the day was over. It would have been so simple. I could have reacted easily enough, and that would have been the end of it…
"Good morning," a familiar voice said lightly, and Takehito found himself turning to face it, startled by her presence.
Karasuba looked much better than last he saw her, enough that it was hard to imagine that she had been bleeding out in his arms mere days ago. Garbed in the darkest gray yukata they had in stock for guests, she stood there looking almost naked without her Disciplinary Squad overcoat or the lengthy blade she usually had on her person. In fact, he was fairly sure he'd never seen her without a sword of some kind.
It was almost enough to render her unrecognizable, her thin-lipped grin appearing less like a subtle taunt and more like an actual smile as she met his gaze through lidded eyes.
"Good morning," he found himself replying, gesturing at the space beside himself on the bench. "Do you want to sit with me…? The garden is quite pleasant at this hour."
She raised an eyebrow, a note of amusement slipping into her grin.
"You aren't worried about wifey-dearest seeing us together…?"
"Of course not," he replied, lying as easily as he breathed. Miya would not be happy in the slightest, he knew, but he had little choice if he wanted to work towards fixing the situation they'd found themselves in. "I'm simply sharing our garden with a guest."
The woman stared for several more moments, clearly thinking the offer over… and then she seemingly came to a decision.
She sat on his lap.
"Er…" Surprised, he didn't know what to say, much less what to do.
"Something wrong, A-shi-ka-bi-san…?" the woman replied, drawing out the syllables of the title.
Blinking, he shook his head.
"I… suppose not." It was best to tolerate the woman's… eccentricities… even if he didn't understand them. Confusing quirks were preferable to taunting Miya and an obsession with bloody combat, and maybe he could try to push her in the direction of one over the other.
…He had a long and difficult path ahead of him, didn't he?
"How are you feeling…? Have you felt any pain left over from your injuries…?" The doctor in him came out finally, and he found himself wondering if he should request to examine her. The blood of their Ashikabi may be an incredibly effective panacea to winged Sekirei, but it was his nature to fret. What if the process had missed something…?
Takehito nearly jumped out of his skin when the woman leaned back against him, her long hair draping behind them as she rested her head against his shoulder and let out a sigh.
"No," she answered easily, as if she hadn't just gotten even more comfortable in her position, "I feel great, actually. Whatever you did to fix me has left quite the impact."
"That's… great news." Why was she acting so familiar…? "I'm glad the blood transfusion worked."
A dark chuckle escaped her lips.
"Are you sure…? It would have been far simpler if you'd let me die."
She's… right, he thought, brow furrowed, but how can she think that…? Doesn't she care about her own life…?
"I would never have let that happen," he stated sternly, wrapping an arm around her stomach to try and stave off such dark thoughts, "I'm a doctor. I swore a pledge to 'Do No Harm—"
"Hah…!"
"What's so funny…?" He'd not been joking, so why was she laughing?
"It's nothing," she replied with a snort. After a pause, she continued, "What do you think of the boy…?"
The shift of topic nearly gave him whiplash.
"You mean Minato…?"
Karasuba hummed in affirmation.
"Well… he seems like a good kid, if a bit lacking in confidence," he began, "Those Sekirei of his are a good match for him. They'll get him out of his shell one way or another."
"He's certainly a twitchy thing," the woman agreed, "I woke him up the other night just because I passed by in the hallway."
Minato must have excellent ears, Takehito thought. I've never heard Karasuba make noise unless she wanted to.
"Why bring him up…?" It didn't make sense. The woman typically didn't pay any attention to humans, 'monkeys,' as she sometimes liked to call them. They were beneath her notice, if she was to be believed, though Takehito didn't.
"Is it not 'normal' to discuss new inhabitants in your home…?" the woman queried.
She already thinks of Izumo as 'home?' Takehito thought, astonished.
"...I suppose."
The clouds above continued to gather, and Takehito found himself watching as they drifted with the wind. He wondered how long they had until the downpour began.
"What are you going to do…?" She'd already locked herself in her room for days, and if she hadn't found him herself like this then he probably would have gone to check on her that evening.
For a moment, he thought the woman hadn't heard him… and then she sighed. Turning in place such that she was facing him, her hands came to rest on his shoulders as she sat there, silently watching. It was as if she was looking for something in his eyes, peering into his soul in search of something that he didn't recognize.
Such open examination invited a return of the gesture, and he found himself staring back at her silver orbs. He'd… never given it much thought, but Karasuba was beautiful. In all the ways Sekirei were, so was she. Slender but not overly thin, with long legs that her current attire hid from sight and a bust that, while not on par with the more blessed of her kind, was somehow perfect for her proportions. More than that, her skin was supple and soft despite her preferred activities, face caught between being heart-shaped and angular in a way that enhanced those two perspectives more than it made them clash…
But it was none of those things that caught his attention. Every Sekirei had similarly beautiful features. No, what drew his gaze was the steel he could see in her. Like the vision he'd seen during her Winging, the woman was the essence of a blade made manifest. It fueled every part of her being, sharpening her like a whetstone until she was the perfect instrument for battle. The silver gaze staring into his own flashed like the edge of a blade as if her nature had overflowed, staining her hair and eyes with steel the moment she was born.
Slowly, her head began to tilt as she leaned in, her lips pale as the rest of her for all that Takehito could still smell the blood upon them. Somehow, he found himself mirroring her, eyes fluttering shut as he moved to meet her halfway…
…only to be met with nothing but air.
"Isn't it funny…?"
Eyes blinking open, it took him a few moments to realize what he'd nearly done. Horror filled him instantly as he tried vainly to rationalize his actions, but logic failed him in the face of the truth. There was no rationale here.
"Just one little kiss…" What had he been thinking…?! "One little kiss… and we start acting like a pair of newlyweds…"
Oh god, would she tell Miya…?! No, of course she would—
"It's like a fairy tale," the woman continued, but he wasn't listening, "...Complete with a charming prince and a cursed princess."
What was he going to do…?! Miya would kill him, and he'd deserve it! Actually, no, she would kill Karasuba, and that would be even worse—
"Doesn't it just make you sick…?"
Takehito startled so badly that he almost fell off the bench.
"W-what…?"
The whole time, he realized, the woman had been smiling. Not her typical arrogant smirk or understated lazy grin, but an actual smile. It was gentle, happy even, and it was an expression he'd never seen on her face before.
…And that look had not faltered once, despite her words.
"It's disgusting, right? Repugnant in a way you can't describe…?" What in the world was she saying…? "That feeling of warmth… How it fills your stomach with butterflies and makes your heart soar…?"
She… She couldn't be describing…
"It's a lie…" Karasuba declared, as if she'd discovered one of the universe's greatest secrets, "A trick of evolution to ensure the continuation of the species… In reality, there's no such thing as 'love.'"
The word was hissed with such disgust that it made him shiver.
"But, I suppose I shouldn't bother," she sighed, leaning in to embrace him contentedly, whispering into his ear, "After all, you already know…"
"Right, *̵̠̳͛~̶̖̫̽~̸͚̦̈́̿~̶̰̃~̷̡͈͂͠~̴͖̓~̴͕̖̉*̸̃͝ͅ...?"
Takehito froze in place as his heart fell into his stomach. Whatever word she'd spoken was lost in the face of the static that suddenly filled his mind. It felt like his head was too full, a terrible pressure clawing at him and scrabbling at the inside of his skull. It hurt terribly, but he couldn't move. Time hung on a skipped beat, the pace of the world slowing to a crawl as—
"̶̤͠N̴̪͋o̵̗̅.̶̣̉"̵̻̓
—Karasuba pulled away and Takehito blinked as she awaited his response.
"I'm sorry," he replied, "Did you say something…?"
Somewhere in MBI, there was a closet.
It was a small thing, over-stuffed with cleaning supplies and shelves meant to organize them. Small and easily forgettable, there was nothing that should have been abnormal about the place… Yet bottles of detergent were strewn along the floor, boxes knocked over haphazardly like someone had unleashed a bull in the metaphorical china shop. Blocking the door was the broom-rack, for it was the heaviest and tallest thing in the room that could be moved by one man, a trail of scratches along the concrete floor proving that it had been forced there quickly and without care for the sanctity of the poor little room.
"I… I should call…" a voice echoed in the room, bounding off the unlit walls to reverberate back at its owner, who sat in the corner of the room. Surrounded by boxes in a vague approximation of defensive architecture, the janitor trembled and shook, cradling a phone in his hands. The screen lit up his face, which was pale in the way of someone who'd seen something they shouldn't and knew they had little time left, "Or… Or should I…?"
Rocking back and forth slowly, the man shifted his phone between his hands repeatedly, mumbling to himself similar phrases over and over again as the shadows danced on the wall above him.
"I-I… I have to… B-but… What if… What if It knows…?"
The thought, finally spoken aloud, was enough to startle the man horribly; his phone fell to the ground with a soft 'click.'
…and then it began to ring.
Eyes widening in terror at the sound, the man tore the device from its position and fumbled with it, desperate to stop the noise before—
"Ah, finally," an annoyed voice came through the speaker, "I've been waiting for your report for days. Something happened at MBI, and that ridiculous fool has practically locked the place down…! None of our external sources have managed to get any information, and our Employer was beginning to get… Impatient. What do you have for me…?"
The janitor stared at the phone haplessly for several long moments.
"Hello?!"
With shaking lips, he finally spoke.
"K-Kakizaki… S-sir…"
A growl of frustration echoed from the phone.
"How many times have I told you not to call me that over this channel? MBI may be incompetent, but it's idiocy to tempt fate," the voice demanded angrily.
The janitor didn't even think to protest.
"R-right. Sorry, sir…"
A sigh came through.
"The report…?"
Images filled the man's mind. Silver arcs blurring faster than he could see, sending blood splattering across polished marble. Chunks of stone flew, smashing through walls and desks alike as the massive room began to falter before the violence taking place within it.
…And then there were the eyes.
"I-It was Karasuba…" he began, trembling beneath the weight of memory.
"Is that all…? Ichinomi simply lost track of MBI's pet monster…?" the voice scoffed. "Hmph, and here I thought that something important had occurred. Higa will—"
"N-no… That, that's not it…" the Janitor interrupted. "That's not it at all…"
Before Kakizaki could continue, the man pushed on.
"Karasuba was winged…"
The man on the other end of the call sucked in a breath, the weight of the information hitting him like a freight train.
"Who?"
The voice was empty of petty annoyances and condescension now.
"I-I… I cant…"
He couldn't. He just couldn't…
"WHO?!"
Swallowing in the face of his boss' anger, the Janitor forced out the words like they were poison.
"...By something worse than her…"
AN:
And the streak continues…! Huzzah!
A Takehito chapter this time, tying up some loose ends that have been hanging, while introducing all new problems. There's been plenty of time for Miya to shine, but now we've finally gotten a proper glimpse at Karasuba. I wonder if she met your expectations?
Also, thank you to the person who pointed out that error in the previous chapter with regards to time-frames. It was a relic of a previous chapter structure that escaped my notice in the final version, but I've now fixed it.
I'm not sure why you added that bit in… Dutch, was it…? But it was helpful!
Finally, here's your regularly scheduled shill for the Emerald Library (I have my own chat!) Please join the server if you'd like to have a chat about any of my projects, on hiatus or not, or if you'd just like to yell at me about another update. I'm sure I could use the reminder. My chat isn't very active at the moment, so I'd love to have some more people to speak with!
Here's the scary link:
𝖉𝖎𝖘𝖈𝖔𝔯𝔡.gg/elibrary
***Crrshhkt!***
***Crrshhkt!***
***Crrshhkt!***
Hey everyone, normally I talk about what the funny man says, but holy hell those shrooms have a kick to them.
Since we are off topic anyway, I might as well ask.
Not to get too political here but I was wondering what you all think about the Weeds.
Should we exterminate them all or do they have any actual use in the bigger picture?
Oooh before I forget, my rival!
As Alfred Pennyworth said in Batman begins: "Why do we fall…? So we can get back up."
Get owned scrub!
Well, I'm getting hungry so tijd om nog wat vliegenzwammen en koeien die loeien te vinden.
Ik hou van Pipi™ te drinken.
***Crrshhkt!***
***Crrshhkt!***
***Crrshhkt!***