Battle of Kouten
The air between Miya and Uzume crackled like a live wire, thick with silent challenges that hung heavy like the humid summer night sky. The serene landscape of Kouten, the floating island suspended in the stratosphere, mocked them with its ethereal beauty – drifting rocks adorned with wispy clouds, bathed in an otherworldly light. Yet, the women's eyes blazed with a fierce determination that could curdle milk, a stark contrast to the peaceful scene around them.
Uzume's voice, usually as smooth as silk, hissed like a kettle about to boil over. "This could have all been a bad dream, Miya," she spat, the words laced with enough venom to wilt a Venus flytrap. "All this pain, all this suffering...it could have vanished like smoke on the wind if you'd just stopped it. But you let that damned Sekirei Plan keep churning, churning out misery like a broken sausage stuffer. Why, Miya? Why'd you stand by and watch it all go to hell?"
Miya's blade, polished to a mirror sheen, reflected the otherworldly moonlight as she charged. Swift and deadly, her first strike was a viper in the grass, aimed straight for Uzume's heart. The veiled Sekirei reacted with lightning reflexes, the white veil that adorned her like a celestial halo flaring to life. The fabric met Miya's blade with a deafening crackle, like a thunderclap trapped in a teacup. Sparks showered them like a miniature fireworks display gone rogue.
"You deflected my blow. Impressive. You've earned a response to your question." Miya replied, her voice as cold as a Siberian winter. "It wasn't my place to interfere." Her eyes narrowed into icy slits, daring Uzume to question her further.
"'Interfere'?" Uzume parried another blow, her voice tight with barely contained fury. "You interfered plenty, just never on our behalf. You were always hanging around like a bad smell, cockblocking us all every chance you got!"
"You dare speak to me with such vulgarity?" Miya's voice cut through the air like a diamond-tipped scalpel. "Discipline is what they needed, and Minato needed guidance," she retorted, her tone leaving no room for argument. "Not some sugar-coated fantasy world of endless indulgence. Someone had to make sure he remained focused on the true task at hand."
Uzume rolled her eyes so hard they threatened to disappear into her perfectly coiffed hair. She pressed the attack, her movements a whirlwind of white. "Focused on what? Acing his pop quizzes? Last I checked, straight-A students still get laid on the regular, so don't feed me that Elizabethan-era horseshit! You took advantage of your tenants having nowhere else to go, always stalking them around every corner with that fucking demon mask thing. Are you so insecure that you need to flex your unearned and undeserved advantages over everyone else like clockwork? 'Goddess' my ass; you're just a manipulative bully, plain and simple. Pathetic."
This only served to pour gasoline on the fire that was Miya's rage. Her relentless assault continued, aura flaring like scarlett rot. Miya's precise strikes carve through the wind with the deadly grace of a ballet dancer wielding a machete. Uzume's veil, however, flowed like a river made of moonlight, its fluid movements deflecting each blow with surprising strength. It countered with sweeping arcs that forced Miya to dance around them like a cat toying with a cornered mouse, the edges of the veil shimmering with an otherworldly glow. The goddess clearly wasn't expecting this level of resistance.
"I am perfectly in my right to set my rules in my home anyway I see fit!" Miya snapped, leaping onto a floating rock with the agility of a mountain goat. "If you didn't like them, you could have packed your bags and departed any time you pleased!"
"Like hell we could!" Uzume spat back, her voice laced with disbelief. She landed on another rock with a jarring thud. "Minato tried 13 other places before he turned up at yours! You think that would've gone better with 5 girls along for the ride? You just couldn't let Takehito go, could you? If you couldn't get it anymore, then no one could, right?!."
The battle moved to a new level as they used the floating rocks as springboards, launching themselves into the higher sky for mid-air attacks. Miya was a blur of motion, her sword a streak of silver in the ethereal light. "You don't understand!" she yelled, her voice strained with a mixture of anger and something deeper. "Takehito and I… Well… We never…"
Uzume's veil whipped around her like a living shield, blocking and striking with equal ferocity. Each clash between sword and veil sent shockwaves rippling through the atmosphere, strong enough to knock a lesser goddess off her celestial perch. But nothing could have prepared Uzume for the bombshell Miya just dropped.
Uzume slammed on the brakes mid-air, her eyes widening comically. "You're telling me you're…a what?!" The question hung in the air, heavy with disbelief.
Miya started to weep, her voice barely a whisper. "Takehito and I were planning to start a family after the Sekirei Plan ended, but… Ever since he died… I simply… rrrrrrrraaaaaAAAAAAAAAGGGHHH!
Her pent-up frustration and grief exploded in a deafening roar that echoed through the celestial landscape. The air crackled with raw energy as her demon mask's aura flared, momentarily obscuring the ethereal light with a blinding brilliance. It was a warrior's roar, laced with the raw, desperate cry of a woman on the verge of shattering.
"ENOUGH OF THIS! I'M ENDING THIS HERE AND NOW!"
Uzume, still reeling from Miya's unexpected confession, found herself momentarily frozen, thrown off balance by the sudden appearance of that…thing. This wasn't the fiery guardian she'd come to expect. This was a woman consumed by a maelstrom of emotions, a woman teetering on the edge of a breakdown.
Before Uzume could formulate a response, Miya launched into a new attack, her movements fueled by a desperate fury. Her sword became a whirlwind, weaving a deadly dance around Uzume's defenses. Uzume, forced to abandon her initial surprise, scrambled to respond in kind. The veil whipped and snapped like a celestial whip, its ethereal glow intensifying to meet the newfound ferocity of Miya's attack.
Their clash sent shockwaves shuddering through the floating rocks. Cracks began to spiderweb across their surfaces, like delicate veins straining under immense pressure. Yet, neither woman seemed to notice the precariousness of their battlefield. They were locked in a desperate struggle, a dance of rage and sorrow that threatened to tear both Kouten and themselves apart.
Suddenly, a deafening crack split the air. One of the larger rocks, unable to withstand the punishment any longer, gave way. The ground beneath Uzume crumbled in a shower of dust and debris, sending her plummeting towards the swirling mists below.
Miya's eyes, once burning with rage, mirrored the horror in an instant. Channeling her remaining energy into a final, powerful attack, her sword glowed with a fierce light, illuminating the battlefield like a desperate beacon. Uzume braced herself, her veil coiling tightly around her, ready for the decisive clash.
The moment arrived in a blinding explosion of energy as Miya's glowing blade and Uzume's shimmering veil collided. Kouten itself trembled under the impact. The sea below began to rise and thrash, churning into a rumbling frenzy. Lightning bolts struck all around them, branching out in an intricate network of blinding channels.
For a heartbeat, they stood locked in place, each straining against the other's immense power. Slowly, Uzume's veil began to overpower Miya's sword, pushing it back inch by inch.
"No!" Miya grunted, her voice cracking under the strain. "You can't be stronger!"
"It's over, Miya!" Uzume groaned in strained fury. Her legs felt like jelly but she would not succumb. With the last bits of her strength, Uzume pressed herself beyond what she had even thought possible. "This fight is mine!"
With a final, desperate surge, Uzume channeled all her power into her veil, enveloping Miya completely. The pressure was too much; Miya's sword shattered, its pieces scattering like shooting stars across the floating island and sending the landlady flying through the jagged cliffs. Miya hit the ground, tumbling like a ragdoll until momentum left her to her knees, her strength utterly spent, before crumpling in a heap at Uzume's feet, face first.
Uzume stood over Miya, her chest heaving, the remnants of her veil slowly retracting and falling limp around her. The serene beauty of Kouten returned, the only sounds the distant rumble of thunder and the soft sigh of the wind. Miya lay defeated, dumbfounded, and confused.
"I can't believe I lost… How did you manage to match me, let alone defeat me?" she rasped, her voice barely above a whisper.
A wry smile spread across Uzume's face. "Let's just say I tapped into a strength far greater than just my own," she said, stepping forward. "You may possess the power of a god amongst Sekirei, but I always figured you were a glass cannon, all power and no heart."
"How do you figure?" Miya rasped, a metallic tang filling her mouth as she spat out a splatter of blood.
Uzume's wry smile widened. "Easy," she replied. "Besides lacking a reason to fight, you were stuck in a gilded cage. No worthy opponent, no chance to truly hone your skills. You were always at the top, and no one had come close to knocking you off before me. Tough break, huh?"
Miya, slumped against a jagged rock face, glared up at the veiled Sekirei. "So what happens now? Execution? If that's your plan, get it over with."
"Are you certain that's the path you truly desire?" A new voice cut through the tense silence. Chiho hurried beside them, her presence a calming balm to the raw emotions swirling around them. "That sounds very selfish to me. There are many here who would hate to see that, especially one in particular."
Miya's gaze flicked to the newcomer, confusion momentarily replacing the anger. "Are you referring to Minato?"
"Yes," Chiho confirmed, her voice soft yet firm. "Perhaps there's someone else worth sticking around for."
"Is that a veiled threat, Chiho?" Uzume scoffed, her amusement tinged with a hint of warning.
Ignoring Uzume, Chiho knelt beside Miya, extending a hand toward the fallen warrior. "Would you care to speak with him, Miya?"
Miya stared at Chiho's hand, a veil of confusion clouding her eyes. Finally, with a shaky breath, she reached out and grasped it.
"Good," Chiho said gently. "Now, close your eyes."
Miya obeyed, and in an instant, a familiar warmth washed over her. A voice, laced with concern, called out her name. Opening her eyes, she found herself surrounded by a familiar warmth – Minato and his flock.
"Miya," Minato greeted her with a warm smile. "It's good to see you again. What do you say we all head home and start over?"
"But Takehito," Miya stammered, her voice heavy with sorrow. "What about him?"
"Takehito would have wanted you to find happiness, Miya," Minato replied gently. "To chase after what your heart desires. He wouldn't want you trapped in this cycle of grief. I may not have known him personally, but I believe he would understand."
Miya shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. "I don't know. He was my everything. I can't imagine..."
"Imagine what, Miya?" Minato pressed kindly. "Perhaps you already have."
He leaned forward, his voice dropping to a murmur. "Remember the conversation we had before Karasuba attacked?"
A flicker of memory sparked in Miya's eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.
"It's alright," Minato reassured her. "Just consider this – if the roles were reversed, if you were gone and I remained, would you want me to pine away for eternity alone? Or would you want me to find happiness elsewhere?"
Miya bit her lip, a silent struggle playing out on her face. "Of course I'd want you to be happy," she finally admitted, her voice barely a whisper. "But it just hurts..."
"The pain is understandable," Minato soothed. "But is clinging to the past truly the only way to honor his memory? Is it an oath or a burden?"
Miya's shoulders slumped, a wave of exhaustion washing over her. "I… I don't know anymore. It's all so confusing."
"Then perhaps it's time for a fresh start," Minato said with a hopeful smile. "A chance to heal and rediscover your own happiness."
Miya felt a strange fluttering in her stomach, a flicker of something she hadn't felt in a long time. "I... I feel strange," she mumbled, her voice weak. "Like I'm about to..."
The sentence died on her lips as her vision blurred. She swayed, then collapsed, landing safely in Minato's outstretched arms.
"It's alright, Miya," he whispered, cradling her close. "We'll all be here when you wake up."
"Thank you, Ashikabi-sama."
As Miya surrendered to the welcome embrace of unconsciousness, the dreamscape shimmered with an ethereal light. The faces of her loved ones surrounded her, a beacon of warmth and love. Even in this realm of dreams, a promise hung in the air – a promise of healing, of new beginnings, and perhaps, a chance to find happiness once more.
Back in the real world, Chiho gently shook Miya's shoulder. "She's out cold," she announced.
"Seems like their little chat knocked her loopier than Kazehana drunk-fucking," Uzume finished, amusement dancing in her eyes. Despite the fierce battle and Miya's emotional breakdown, Uzume couldn't help but feel a sliver of satisfaction. Miya's vulnerability was uncharacteristic to the stoic guardian she'd known.
"Now," Chiho said, her voice cutting through the tension like a well-sharpened blade, "about that wish." Her gaze flickered between Uzume and the unconscious Miya.
Uzume straightened, a flicker of seriousness replacing her playful smirk. "Of course. The wish." She gestured towards Miya. "The Sekirei Plan may be over, but there's still a chance to fix things, wouldn't you agree?"
"Sure do. Now all we need to do is figure out how to go about making it."
"Don't fret. We'll find out how just as we always do." she said, giving her Ashikabi's dainty palm a slight squeeze. "Together."