"Hmm?" Saiki groaned out softly and gasped at the hungry mouth that went up her neck. All through the night, he made sure he knew every curve of her body. There was no square inch of her skin that he left untouched. Even now, her body was curled up into a small ball against him. His fingers left trails of fire wherever they touched, and he knew she was in a sensation overload.
"The lights aren't on yet," he mused and worked his hands over her sides.
"I thought...you'd be asleep..." she murmured out and moaned softly.
"You are too addictive to me right now. Sleep happens when it does. But then I wake up...and so does my hunger for you..." he growled in her ear.
"I will totally get even..." she muttered and hissed when he nipped her shoulder. Then she shouted with him when he joined with her.
"If you're coherent..." he chuckled after calming down with her. He saw where her phone was set and reached over to check the time. "Five in the morning. Good. We should get a digital clock in here."
"Sure..." she said a touch hoarsely. "But...why are you awake...?"
"Should I not be?" he mused and put his arms around her to secure her completely to him. He blinked at the sound of his phone vibrating to show a call was coming in. "What...the hell...?"
"You didn't turn it off in case one of the kids reached out," she chuckled.
"Damn...okay...but this early?" he frowned and answered it. "Hello?"
"Uncle Kaz! I'm sorry, but I really need your help!" Taichi said in a panicked whisper. Now he was sitting up and so was Saiki.
"What's going on?" he asked.
"I was on my way home from a late night emergency job. They were shorthanded and I volunteered to help. I figured I had time, and I always know I can help when I can. But I had just got off work and found myself being followed. Men in suits are all over the place! They chased me, and I think I lost them, but I know they're close by.
"I'm cornered now! If I move, they'll find me! I sent texts to the others. Yuta is okay. So are Eri, Mame and Ayako. I don't know about Koji, but...I'm a bit scared, Uncle Kaz..." Taichi said. Saiki was already out of bed and getting dressed. She took up her phone and checked the numbers. Then she swiped on Taichi's number to track the location.
"I found him. Tell him to sit tight. I'll get him," she said.
"I am going with you," Kiryu said.
"Just stay out of the way. Because if they touch him...I don't even think that you can pull me back," she said with a small frown.
"If they touch him...you finish the job," he growled. "And if they touch me, I would expect you to completely finish the job. Hell, just for them pulling this shit, you may as well finish it no matter what."
"Have him keep his phone on and in his pocket. I need to make sure I can track him. Our phones are linked, so I can use your phone to get to his location. In fact...there...three way calling is active. So keep your phone call active with him just in case. Let's go," she nodded. She was dressed in her black lace outfit, and he dressed in his out of date suit. He grabbed the fake glasses to slip on, and they were swiftly out the door to the elevator. When they stepped out into the park, they went over what options they had.
"Where is he?" Kiryu frowned.
"Three miles out. Not many people out right now, but I'd prefer to travel by rooftop. I don't know how your health will treat you. Or we do this. You get a cab to where he is. I'll follow from the rooftops. I can surprise attack," she mused. "You can be a bit of bait. Of course, you know I won't let you out of my sight. No matter where you are."
"Right. I love you. Be careful," he said. They kissed heavily after that. He watched her run off and scale a building as though it was a natural ladder. He wanted to be impressed by it, but he refocused on what he had to do. She texted him the location to go to, and he was able to hail a cab to get there quickly. On finding it to be a bit of a courtyard, he quickly found himself boxed in. Taichi ran to his side, and guns were drawn all over.
"Kazuma Kiryu. What an honor for you to join us," a man in a black overcoat and a slight mustache smirked. "But...where's the woman...?"
"Right. My wife will be here shortly. I hope you'll live past meeting her. Because this was not part of the appointment," Kiryu said grimly. He clearly didn't recognize any of the men there, and he was completely tense.
"We made an appointment...?" the man frowned.
"Yes. You did. Or at least the Daidoji you work for did. And it was for tomorrow. She was supposed to have lunch with someone. I was to be with her, too. Clearly, it wasn't you she was having lunch with or spoke to. And I think the appointment might just be cancelled. It was nice knowing you. I don't think I need your name, either," he shrugged. "I have no idea who you are. You must be new, so I doubt you'll get much in the form of a pay benefit after tonight."
"Uncle Kaz..." Taichi frowned.
"Stay calm. Oh...damn...my glasses..." he grimaced and pressed on them to get the rose scent in his sinuses. "Taichi, can you put these on really quick? Just tell me if they feel right? Don't ask. Just do it."
"Ah...okay...?" he blinked and put them on. Then he blinked when Kiryu swiftly pressed on them for the rose scent to get activated. "Ugh! What the...?!"
"Calm. It's an antidote. Just in case. Say nothing. And stay perfectly still no matter what," Kiryu warned under his breath. Then he heard a whip and the sound of a man screaming right after. He said loudly, "Yeah. That's my wife. She's not happy. I think she's royally pissed, actually."
Small discs soon scattered around the area to activate for the tendriled blades to lash out and attach to various armed men. They were killed off as they struggled, and the whip came out again and again to continue taking out the men by surprise. The man in the overcoat soon found all twenty men around him dead, and he had to focus to keep from shaking at the sight of the severed heads that rolled around him. He even put his hands over his ears from the eerie tune she filled his mind with.
"Where the fuck are you?!" the man shouted.
"Awww...is someone...upset? That I broke...his friends? Too bad..." the soft, bubbly giggle of laughter was heard. She landed in front of Kiryu and Taichi to show she was fully protecting them. The massive scythe was out, she was hanging on the pole and she looked like she was having the time of her life.
"Ah...!" Taichi gaped.
"She won't hurt us. Just...stay low to the ground," Kiryu muttered.
"Did they...touch you...?" Saiki asked without looking over her shoulder.
"No. Not yet," Kiryu said calmly. "Just guns drawn. Even you know who these men are. And the glasses were used twice. Just in case."
"Good. I'll make...bread crumbs...for the Daidoji to find..." she said with a twisted grin. She had her eyes locked on the man that caused the entire problem. She tilted her head and jumped off the scythe to swing it out. The man aimed his gun, but found it jammed from an acupuncture needle that was flung out and fit right into the nozzle of the gun. It jammed into the bullet chamber and caused the weapon to misfire right in his hand.
"Ah!" the man shouted and dropped the broken weapon.
"Time...to leave...another bread crumb...to find...!" she hissed launched herself with the scythe swinging out. Kiryu hid Taichi's face away from the slaughter. The man didn't even have enough time to properly scream.
"Don't look. Keep your eyes closed. I told all of you that she is the Headhunter of the Yakuza. She never stopped her training. She's never lost a fight like this. And when she's like this...only I can pull her out of it. But with this? With you threatened? Guns drawn on us both? She needs to finish the job," Kiryu muttered under his breath.
"I just..." Taichi swallowed. He cringed when he heard soft footsteps walk over, but Kiryu pat his back to show it was fine.
"Put this on him," Saiki said softly. The glasses were removed, and a blindfold was replaced with it. "I left...a mess. Just don't look. The rose scent should hide the smell of blood, too. Kazuma will lead you out with me. Just lead him where I step to avoid bloody shoes."
"What is that flower smell?" Taichi asked while he started walking slowly.
"I tend to use neurotoxin to fuck up the people around me with nasty visions. I didn't this time, but it was good to have it active. You'll be normal in an hour or two. It's safe now, but not nice to look around just yet," she explained.
"Did you really kill them all?!" Taichi asked while getting lead out.
"I did," Saiki said. "They threatened you. Then they threatened Kazuma who is now my husband. You want to become my son with Kazuma, and I took direct offense that they threatened to harm my family. I don't take threats lightly. Especially when they were ready to shoot the both of you in front of me.
"So, if those fuckers call my phone, or even Kazuma's phone, I will be the one to answer it. I will be the one to tell them what I did. And I'll dare them to come to my face to explain why they did what they did when we had a decent arrangement. Because I think it's going to be cancelled. In fact, fuck it! It's completely cancelled after this shit!"
"But...why would they do this?" Taichi asked.
"I can only think that it's because of the agreement I had. To play dead to keep you and the others at Morning Glory safe. I know the news is out that I'm alive, but you'd think that guy would have gotten the message to leave us alone. I don't get it..." Kiryu frowned.
"I think I do. I just did a job for them," Saiki said with a narrowed gaze of hate or recognition. "Think about it. They didn't like someone and had to get them offed. An entire squad. That means they fucked up and were told to come out to play. And they knew the outcome."
"They did this on purpose?!" Kiryu blinked with shock. "To their own men? Why do you think that?"
"They used that group to see exactly what I could do. Too bad I took out the cameras they had. They'll have to find the mess and clean it up. They want to see how I kill? They'll have to keep coming after me the hard way," she grinned wickedly. "Anyways, Kazuma, we're clear of the area. We should take him to the Survive Bar for the night. I wouldn't suggest our place. We may be getting tracked. Actually..."
"Who are you calling?" Kiryu frowned.
"Seonhee. We have a problem. Taichi was used as bait by the Daidoji to lure me and Kazuma out. I made a mess. Especially when guns were drawn on them both. I left no survivors. Taichi needs to be kept safe for now. Can you help?" Saiki asked in a phone call.
"Joongi is on his way! Where is your location?!" she demanded. It was given, and Saiki removed the blindfold from Taichi to let him see again. Kiryu was examining her, and she asked, "Do I have any blood on me?"
"Not a drop. Amazing that you keep yourself clear of that," Kiryu chuckled.
"Good. We'll go back home after Taichi is secured," Saiki nodded. Then she looked at him and carefully checked him over. "Not hurt? Scratches? Anything at all?"
"No," Taichi said.
"Good. Because if you were touched, I'd be hunting the rest of them down without mercy," she said in a serious tone.
"How...can you be like this...?" Taichi frowned.
"Recall how I was raised," she said with a sad smile. "I have no real...empathy of emotion. I'm shocked that I love Kazuma like I do. I actually feel things with him. I was raised apart from society. To just be a living thing to kill and only that. I had to teach myself a lot. I had no choice."
"She's right about that. I'm glad she trusted me enough to let me touch her shoulder when we met again. She's the most amazing woman I've ever met. And there's a lot more to her story than what I let out. Certain things will be revealed when we're all together again. For now, though, you get to safety with the Geomijul. You might have to call your work to let them know you'll be out a day or two," Kiryu smiled.
"That's fine. I had a few days off requested to see you again, Uncle Kaz. If I didn't agree to the emergency job...well...this might never have happened. But they really needed me tonight. Um...Saiki...thanks. For saving me," Taichi smiled. He paused at the hug she gave him, and he hugged her back.
"This is a big step for me. As you are going to be my adopted son, I need to let myself do things to show it is good. I need to do things slowly to let it feel natural. Kazuma can give you the emotional support you need for now. I'll learn from him," she winked. "It's going to take time, but I'll get there."
"Okay," Taichi smiled. She saw Joongi driving up swiftly in his dark blue car to pick up Taichi. Kiryu helped him in and waved them off. He looked at Saiki now and shook his head.
"You really did get up to the rooftops fast. All on foot, too! I wonder if I can do that," Kiryu mused. She smiled and leaned into him.
"If it helps, me scaling obstacles was part of my training. It felt good to do that. I can set you up with a few things when we know you're strong enough," she chuckled. Now he looked at her and pulled her close. They walked back to the park, but Saiki's keen hearing suddenly had her shoving Kiryu out of the way, her scythe out and slicing a car horizontally in half from the front of it clean through it. The entire upper part of the car was completely gone and on the ground as the rest of the car was now full of dead passengers.
"What the hell?!" Kiryu gaped at the massacre. Now he saw the severed bodies of the Daidoji men that were hoping to cut them off. She had aimed at just the right level to let the scythe pass through their necks to neatly severe off their heads. Then she used her whip to leap into the car, toss the body out of the driver's seat and slammed the breaks to park it to keep it from moving further.
"They were going to run into us?! The fucking bastards! What the fuck is up with them?! Absolute morons," she said with a glare after she got out of the car. Then she looked at him, put the scythe away and ran to his side. "Are you all right?! I know I shoved you pretty hard, but..."
"You saved my life," he said softly. He stood up and leaned on her for a bit of balance before shaking his head at what happened. He saw the mangled car and grimaced at the stupidity of the ones that sent it. He knew that others would likely be on the way now. He also knew that the car could not be found near the park.
The discarded body was hefted into the back seat to put with the rest of the grizzly carnage, and the top of the car was hauled over next. He had her drive the car a block away after that and return to him swiftly. Then he scooped up Saiki and rushed to the hidden elevator. She activated it and let it seal them back in to safety. He set her down and ran a hand over his face with complete disbelief at what happened. He was also highly amused that she still had no blood on her from what she did.
"How do you not have any blood on you?! That car was filled with bodies that were all cut in half, and you have no bloodstains on you?" Kiryu asked.
"First of all, it was from the neck down, so there was only a little blood spurting..." she started and rolled her eyes at his glare. "Oh, all right. I used one of their jackets to cover the seat."
"I don't believe you," he muttered. She winked at him and walked out of the karaoke chamber with a stretch of her arms.
"It's a secret that I'll have to keep until the time is right," she shrugged.
"I'm sure..." he muttered and watched her rump while she walked away.
"What a way to start the day, eh?" she sighed and moved to lounge on the couch. Then she squeaked when he scooped her back up to take her into the bedroom. "What?! Are you serious?!"
"Very," he muttered. "It's still a wedding night until Gelek gets here. We still have two hours until full daybreak. I want you now more than ever."
"And the reason for this?" she mused and laughed when he lightly tossed her on the bed. At his smoldering, piercing gaze, she went quiet and let him kiss her with a complete passionate hunger.
"I don't need a reason," he growled and started to use his teeth to pull her clothing off. She stopped him long enough to at least get off the belt, cardigan and her shoes. Then he pulled her back to him to kiss her thoroughly. When his phone vibrated, he actually let out a growl of irritation.
"I'll answer it," she said. He nodded and gave her the phone. "Hello?"
"Is this the Headhunter of the Yakuza?" a male voice asked.
"I don't know. Is this the fuckhead that ordered a bunch of men to hold up a bunch of guns at my husband and possible adopted son?" she said with a low growl. At the nervous silence she narrowed her eyes. "What the fuck do you want? I already did your dirty work by taking out a bunch of men you clearly didn't need anymore."
"You...figured that out..."
"Damned fucking straight I did. Our appointment is cancelled. Because if I see any of you, I will let you join them. We are done. And if you go after any of the others that want to be my children, I will hunt you down personally. I should, actually, have you fucking pay me for doing your dirty work," she growled out. "But your money is as dirty as you are. Put your eyes and your dirty, tiny cocks in the other direction and write us off your list!"
"You don't understand! He worked out of bounds!" the man said.
"He said he had no idea that there was an appointment made," she said. That got even more silence. "If you went with the appointment and discussed what was needed, then everything would have been fine. So, here's the new plan. Appointment. Is. Cancelled. I did a job for you. For free. We are done. Don't contact me or approach anyone that I see as an ally or family. Or I will hunt down the rest of you without mercy. Goodbye."
Before he could say anything else, she hung up the phone. Kiryu was pursing his lips together to keep from laughing outright. She gave him a look and he said, "That was absolutely amazing. I think you honestly have them by the balls. Literally by the balls."
"I'll be cutting them off and throwing them away at this rate," she muttered and sighed irritably. When his phone rang again with another number, she answered it. "Yes?"
"I was hoping to speak with the owner of the phone," another male voice said. Saiki rose a brow and looked at her husband. He shook his head, had her lay back in the bed and moved to start kissing her skin.
"He's busy right now. With something far more important. As in, he's fucking me. So, what do you want?" Saiki asked. Kiryu gave her a rather wicked grin and moved his mouth over her belly. Then he moved downwards using light flicks of his tongue. "Oh...you fucking tease..."
"Excuse me?" the man asked.
"I was talking to my...husband..." she said and sucked in her breath at what she felt next. "Kazuma...I am totally getting even with you..."
"Maybe," he grunted and got her gasping with shock.
"Gotta go! Don't call us! Bye!" Saiki snapped and hung up the phone. He was able to easily maneuver her slight form around to pull her pants and underwear off to toss aside. Within five minutes, he had her crying out sharply with everything he did to her until he finally had to remove his clothing to finish it.
"Okay..." he groaned and reclined back with exhaustion.
"No..." she smirked, removed her top and started to do what he did to her.
"Wait...what...?!" he said with shock. Now it was his turn to swear. When he finally came around, she was sitting on him in a panting way. Just seeing her on top of him was enough to grab her and pull her close to plant an intense kiss on her mouth. Nothing more needed to be said, and they both finally drifted off to sleep.
It was when her phone rang an hour later that she jolted out of sleep. She answered it a bit groggily. "Hello?"
"Saiki. When do I come by?" Gelek asked.
"Ah. Yes. Sorry. Just woke up. Thirty minutes sound good? Ensure you arrive with Tomi. Or Seonhee. We had an interesting early morning, and we want no other incidents," Saiki said. Gelek was alarmed at this, but he agreed and disconnected the call. She lay back and stretched herself out to find herself gazing into Kiryu's eyes. He traced a finger over her cheek and kissed her.
"Aika...I really hope...that this medicine...doesn't do me in..." he frowned.
"Did you not want it?" she asked.
"It's not that I don't," he sighed and pulled her close to let her recline against him in full. "I just don't know what an unknown medicine will do."
"I'm aware of that. Even I worry, but I'm willing to try anything to help you. The monks gave me something to help my mind. Even though there are side effects...the medicine works. I tested it. I still use it. And I'll be here for you the whole time you get it, too," she said. She rose up a bit to let him press his face into her neck with a hard sigh.
"I want you to be the one to give it to me," he said. "Let Gelek show you how to administer it. Then do it."
"Okay," she nodded and cradled him.
"There's...something else, though..."
"What's that?"
"I have been getting mild headaches lately," he shivered.
"How bad?"
"Rapid succession. They come and go every thirty minutes or so. It's...why I was coughing. To suppress the nausea."
"And you didn't tell me anything?!"
"I didn't want to worry you!" he said and looked at her. "With us getting married and...well..."
"That's no excuse, Kazuma! Shit!" she winced. "Get dressed. Now. I'm having Gelek leave right now to come here."
"Right..." he sighed and shook his head. He found himself kissed gently to show how concerned she was over him. He gazed at her and whispered, "Okay. I'll dress. Maybe a shower is something we can do after all of this is done."
"Good," she nodded and rose up to dress aside him. "I'm sure we'll both need a shower after all this. The relaxation is always needed."
"It would be nice to see you in shorts and a shirt," he mused at how she dressed in a blue halter top and pants. She did put on a black, open overshirt to hide her back away. She gave him a set of grey shorts and a white shirt with his briefs for quick dressing.
"Maybe if the medicine works and we finish our day alone," she grinned slightly. That got him raising a brow and nodding at the thought.
"Maybe just a long shirt and that's it..." he mused aloud. He laughed softly at the pillow tossed at him.
"I'll just wear that red bikini," she grinned. He glared at her and got her snickering softly.
"That should be locked away and never talked about ever again," he muttered to get her laughing outright at him. "And that is not a swimsuit. That is my personal torture device."
"I'll remember you said that," she said and laughed at his tickling to her sides. They finished dressing, and she picked up her phone.
"Is everything well? We are getting ready to head over," Gelek said.
"We need you here now. Kazuma just admitted to me of the headaches he was getting. Small, constant and can give him intense nausea," she said softly.
"That's not good! Okay. I just need five more minutes. I'll need to show you how to prepare the medicine for him. But...it will need to be applied a few times throughout the year to establish itself. Let me finish up here. Rabten and I will be there soon," Gelek promised.
"Text me when you are ready. I'll have Seonhee bring you," she said. After the call dropped, she dialed Seonhee quickly. "Hey. Gelek and Rabten are getting ready to come over with the medicine. Kazuma...he just told me he's been getting persistent headaches of varying degrees."
"Shit! I'm heading over with Joongi now. Taichi is secured here and resting. We also saw what you did. I mean...on a professional level...very messy. But extremely effective," Seonhee said with a touch of amusement.
"I turned them into...bread crumbs. Best way to tell others to back the fuck off, eh?" Saiki grinned. "Then the pricks tried call Kazuma directly! To fucking explain themselves! I put it together that they wanted me to deliberately kill off that group sent against us. So it was done free of charge. I told them to fuck off and never contact again."
"Are you serious?! They set up their own men to die?!" Seonhee asked with solid disbelief.
"They did. Apparently, the man who ran that group did something bad. They wanted him taken care of. At the same time, they wanted to see how I did it. I took out their cameras, though. Then I sliced open a car of them when they tried to run Kazuma and I down," she said with a form of vehemence.
"These guys are fucking idiots!" Seonhee spat out.
"They got desperate and sloppy. I'm sure they'll think twice on how to approach me again, but I will never agree to any of their terms unless they pay up front. That will be my rule if I ever do decide to let them try and get back in my good favors. I'm not working for free or half payment. Full payment. Up front. Or leave me the fuck alone. For now, though? Fuck them all!" Saiki growled.
"Yeah, I can totally relate with that. I'll bring the monks over shortly with Joongi," Seonhee said and cut the call off.
"I will still approve of what job gets done," Kiryu sighed and moved her to the couch to lounge on. He pulled her into his lap to cradle her and feel her against him. "It's funny. I said it before. I barely met you. Yet I've always known you. I think...I may have even gotten it into my sorry head to try and keep both you and Yumi with me. To...make things work. Rather stupid, but..."
"That would be an interesting concept. I'd feel...flattered...but I likely would have declined it. I don't think I could have tolerated another in my space with you. I think that would have been too much for me," she admitted. "In the end, I know you would have been forced to choose. And I likely would have left in the night to let you be with Yumi."
"What?" he blinked.
"She would have known how to be with you. But with me? And how you have to constantly be there to keep me stable? She would have been the better option," she said with a small nod.
"You know I would have done everything I could to track you down."
"I know. And I would have ensured you'd never find me again."
"I..." he faltered and shook his head. "I'm done thinking about it."
"So am I," she said softly and let him squeeze her tight to his chest.
"I am not going to lose you. I'll fight with every fiber of my being to keep you with me. As I know you'll do the same for me," he muttered and pressed his mouth to her temple with a hard sigh. "I said this before while you slept after your last headache. I lost one love. I won't lose another."
"Kazuma..." she sighed and ran a hand over his chest.
"Aika...I have no regrets that we got married as quickly as we did. None. It was the best decision I ever made," he nodded. Then he winced and coughed in a retching way. She bolted up, grabbed him and dragged him to the bathroom to let him empty the contents of his gut into the toilet. She noticed there was blood in it, and that got her grimacing with intense worry.
She rushed into the kitchen to get him a glass of water to rinse out his mouth with. She ran a hand over his back and let him reach out to put a hand on her leg to keep in contact with her. He gasped a bit and managed to rinse out his mouth. The toilet was quickly flushed after she had him clear his nose out with several tissues. She shook her head sadly with intense worry.
"The headache won out?" she asked softly.
"You could...say that..." he grimaced and coughed again. Her phone rang for her to answer it.
"We are on the way! How is he?!" Gelek asked.
"He just threw up and there's blood in it..." she said with a touch of hurt.
"This is...I see..." he muttered. "Okay. We'll be there shortly."
"The elevator will work for you," she said. Kiryu showed he was ready to move, and she put him in the guest room. She undressed him down to his briefs and even put the oxygen mask on him.
"I'm sorry..." he started. She rose up her hand to stop him.
"Don't be," she smiled. "Just rest. I may leave for a bit for the medicine, but then I'll be right back."
"Yeah..." he sighed and closed his eyes to recover. She gently started to massage the back of his scalp and that helped lull him into sleep for now. She made sure he was sleeping before pulling her hands away. Then she moved into the security room to program the elevator. After that, she took out another oxygen tank that she had stored away to ready it in case she needed it. She had hoarded five of them specifically for emergency needs.
The elevator camera showed the monks getting in with Seonhee and Joongi, and she moved to greet them in the karaoke chamber. She nodded to them when they appeared before her, and she led them to where Kiryu was.
"He's undressed. Good. Ah, Rabten, can you help prepare this? As for the other two...it is advised to not have too many in the room to keep down contamination," Gelek said. Rabten was already taking out herbs, powders, flasks of extremely purified water and other ingredients to set out in a specific set of rows. A large bowl was taken out next and prepared with boiling hot water.
"What do you want us to do?" Seonhee asked.
"Keep an eye on his phone," Saiki said and handed it to her. "If anyone calls, play secretary and fuck them over. No one can disturb us."
"Nice. Joongi, I'll let you answer it and play dumb. If push comes to shove, then I'll take over as supervisor. We'll watch a movie in the meantime," Seonhee nodded. Saiki took them to the lounge area and showed her how to set the television to play something from the vast library of her collection. Then she returned to see Kiryu reaching for her.
"I'm here," she soothed and held his hand in hers. "The medicine is being prepared right now. Seonhee and Joongi will monitor your phone."
"Okay..." he swallowed and nodded. She felt his forehead tenderly and frowned that he was starting to build up a fever.
"He's getting warm," she said to Gelek.
"The start of a fever?" Gelek asked and checked the ailing man. "Definitely the start of it. Rabten? How is it?"
"The salve is almost ready. It will set into a paste that is easy to apply. But...I was given instructions for Saiki before we can administer this," Rabten winced.
"My husband's life is at stake. And you want me to sign a fucking contract?! Can we save his life first and then talk?" she growled.
"I...very well. We can do that. You spared Gelek's life. I will not allow this life to leave us," Rabten nodded.
"Hell, if you need me to do a job in return, I'll do it. Just name the time and place. But right now, I need to make sure my husband lives. Then we'll talk about jobs and whatever the fuck else we need to do," Saiki muttered and saw Kiryu grunt with disgust. "I know. Just...work with me on this."
"It would have been a job discussion. Yes, we'll talk after," Rabten nodded.
"You hid this from me?!" Gelek asked with shock.
"It was not my idea. It was our supplier. And we will need to ensure a vast supply is done for the first two years. The ingredients are not cheap. A bit hard to get. And the one who provided this knows where to get the ingredients again. We aren't told how they are harvested or gained. We want this man to live, too, and we discussed heavily on what could be done. We had no choice," Rabten frowned.
"Who is your supplier?" she asked.
"We will discuss that after the medicine is applied," Rabten said calmly.
"Done. What do I need to do?" she asked.
"Mix this until it forms a white paste," he said and had her move to start stirring the various ingredients together. Kiryu coughed and reached for her weakly again. She finally had to get a standalone table to work close to him just to let him put a hand on her to feel her.
"I'm here, love..." she whispered while she worked.
"I can't...hear you..." he mumbled. She let her voice filter in his ears in a rather soothing way. It fully relaxed him and calmed him completely. Gelek checked on her work and nudged his companion.
"The paste is ready. Now you need to smear it all over every part of him. None of his skin should be showing. We'll leave the room so you can do this. Also, the paste...is known to leave an intense burning sensation behind. It's like tiger balm with an intensity that never cools off. Once it absorbs into the skin, though, it disappears. Some of it might remain as a light powder, but not much will be left. You need to do this now while the paste is hot," Rabten instructed. "Also, wait ten minutes after one side of him is done so he can flip to his other side. This will avoid smearing the salve. It will dry out on his skin."
She nodded and gently relayed this to Kiryu in her singing tone. He nodded to her to show he was ready. She was given a set of gloves to keep from touching the salve, and she closed the door for privacy. He let her remove the briefs, and he rolled painfully onto his chest. She placed several pillows under him to support him, and she studied him carefully.
"Ready?" he muttered.
"I should be asking you that," she chuckled. "If the pain gets to be too bad...you know what I can do."
"Yeah. Please put me to sleep..." he said weakly. She knew a fever was clearly hitting him from how flush he was.
"I'll need to remove the oxygen mask," she said. He nodded and let her remove it. She turned off the tank and pressed a kiss to his warming forehead.
"I love you," he whispered.
"I love you, too. Just nod your head to me and that will be the signal to put you to sleep," she soothed. He took in a deep breath to show he was ready. She started at the base of his feet and planned to work in a complete half form from his ankles to his hips. The salve spread on like a greasy oil, but it stayed in place and never dripped. When she got to the back of his calves, he ground his teeth and nodded fiercely from the fiery sensation it started to give him.
A needle was taken and placed directly into his forehead to fully knock him out. She set his head to rest on his cheek to keep the needle in place so it wouldn't hurt him. Now she was able to work carefully and leisurely. She massaged the salve thoroughly on every inch of his skin that she could reach. At a knock on the door, she walked over to it and said, "I can't touch the door. Who is it?"
"It's Gelek! How are things?" he asked.
"I have Kazuma sleeping right now with the help of acupuncture. Do I also get his scalp?" she asked.
"Yes. Completely coat him. You have enough salve for a full covering. A bit of caution around the eyes, mouth, nose and groin, though. Apply very little around those areas. As long as he's knocked out, the groin should be safe enough. Don't let him be alert when you do that area, though!" Gelek stressed.
"I can only imagine! I'm almost up to his back now. I'll let you know when I'm at the ten minute wait. I just don't want to remove the gloves until it's time," she said. This was confirmed, and she went back to work. She made sure to coat fully over his hips, back and shoulders.
The tattoo was just barely seen under the film of white, but she wasn't stopping to study it. She was fully focused on her task, and she worked on the back of his arms now to coat them over. She got to his neck and rubbed the salve in his hair like a thin shampoo to completely coat over his scalp. Then she sat back in a chair and looked at the time to check for ten minutes.
"I'd better let them know," she muttered to herself. She ensured Kiryu was still sleeping deeply before nodding to herself and going to the door. She kicked at it lightly and got a knock in return. "I still can't touch the door, but I'm waiting ten minutes. Then I'll see if I can flip him over."
"If you need assistance, knock three times. I'll sit by the door," Gelek said in response. "I would like to see what you have done so far. May I enter?"
"Just you for now," she said. He was able to make his way in, close the door, and he was amazed at how thorough she was.
"It's good he was knocked out. It tended to take four of us to hold one down. And all it took was a needle! I'll need to note that spot," he chuckled. He checked Kiryu's scalp carefully without touching him, and he made sure that the salve was drying out. Then he paused at an odd formation that started to appear in the layer of salve along the sleeping man's side. "Ah! The salve is already drawing out something! But…it's drawing out the ailment? I've only seen this used a few times, so I'm not too sure on what it's supposed to do…"
"What?!" she blinked and studied it. Then she rushed out the door, went into her security room and to the workshop. She opened a drawer and pulled out a test tube with a sterile popsicle stick. Then she moved right back into the room to carefully collect what was forming.
"What are you...?" Gelek blinked.
"I want to examine it and see what it is," she muttered and collected a few more odd bumps that started to form. He was in shock that she was able to do this. "I may even be able to send it in for analysis."
On checking over him again, she realized the odd bumps were forming over the exact areas that hurt him the most. Then she saw the bumps forming over the two areas she pressed on him. Now she was shocked and realized that the salve was slowly drawing out most of what was affecting him. Does he really have cancer?! Or something else that was cancer-like symptoms?!
"The salve is working. In about five minutes, I'll help you turn him," Gelek said. Then he saw how she was lost in thought.
"I don't know if he actually has cancer. Or a form of it if it can be drawn out this way. The lumps are forming on the exact spots that caused him the most pain. And two of the spots I touched on..." she said. "I need to know what is in this salve. Or paste, if that's what Rabten calls it. But it's clearly a type of salve when coated on. And I am going to want to talk to the supplier."
"Rabten was trying to reach out, but you have a signal block here," Gelek frowned. "Is there a way to remove it?"
"No. Unless he uses my phone or Kazuma's phone. It's the only way for safety and security. So, if he wants to call on my husband's phone, then it should be fine. Or use my phone in case I need to be reached out to again for a side job. The options are there," Saiki said while checking the salve in the bowl. "Does this need to be reheated at all?"
"No need. The boiling was only needed to form the paste. Body heat will do the rest from here. Let me talk to Rabten. I'll be back," Gelek said and walked out the door. Saiki mused and realized that she could make a guest phone. She decided to get on that the moment her husband was set with the medication. When he came back in, it was agreed to use her phone.
"Let me ensure my phone is charged," she said. She went into the security room and voice activated a special recording program from her phone to the computer. She smirked, set the program to run in the background of the phone with another verbal command and walked over to allow her phone to be used. She had Seonhee give it over to keep from touching it due to the gloves she still wore. She found Gelek waiting for her next to Kiryu's sleeping form. Then she asked, "Do you think he's ready to be moved?"
"He is. He could wake up and move for us. Then go back to sleep. The burning sensation should be gone. When it powders up and removes what it can, the burning is reported as not being there," Gelek said. "In fact, let's get what was formed so when he turns it won't get all over the bed. I can get a damp rag."
"Of course," she agreed. Rabten had already placed what was needed by the door, and Gelek brought it in to help scrub Kiryu down gently. She was glad she grabbed the fresh samples. She noticed whatever was in the salve now had dissolved whatever came out of Kiryu to nothing. When the small chore was done, she showed she was ready to wake her husband.
"It should be safe to wake him now," Gelek said.
"Please turn around, then? Let me ensure he can turn on his own first," she said. Gelek agreed and turned to face the door. Now she gently removed the needle and Kiryu blinked his eyes awake with a gasp.
"Is it done?!" he asked in a haggard way.
"Almost. I need your other side now. I'll smear a little salve on your forehead and put the needle back in. This will keep me from needing to move it and replace it. It's best to do this first. I'll explain what happened after it's all done," she soothed. He looked at her with a grimace, but he nodded with agreement. He did reach out to caress her cheek with a wince of mild pain. She leaned into his palm to keep the gloves from touching him.
"I love you..." he said softly.
"I love you," she smiled and kissed his palm. He sighed hard and managed to move onto his back. He closed his eyes to feel her apply the spot of salve on his forehead and replace the needle to force him into slumber. Then she said loudly, "He's sleeping again. He was able to turn over."
"Just knock three times if you need me," Gelek said. He took the used bucket and cloth out to remove from the room, and he let her get to work with the door securely shut. Once again, she started on Kiryu's feet. She ensured to get everywhere she missed and couldn't reach before, and she was able to leisurely work up his legs. She was very careful around his groin to get only the areas that wouldn't affect the most intricate parts. Then she moved up his hips and over his chest. She worked methodically and fully focused on letting none of the salve go to waste.
When she got to his arms, she was able to move them carefully to his sides. She wasn't sure if he could rest his hands over his chest, but she decided against it. She knew the sheets could be washed and left it at that. She now moved over his collar bone, up his neck and began to carefully apply it to his face. She was very cautious around his eyes, nose and mouth to ensure there was some salve, but not enough to get in the way. After that, she sighed and noticed she used up the whole bowl. She was impressed and removed the gloves at last.
"He's done," Saiki said when she opened the door. "It's the ten minute wait. I may want to collect more samples of what starts to come out. I'll grab another test tube now to get it ready."
"I'm also a bit curious of the results," Gelek admitted. That had her nod, and she moved swiftly to collect another tube and popsicle stick to use. When she got back, she was swift to start collecting what started to form all over his chest. She noted where the major organs would be and how many bumps appeared. She did drape a small towel over her husband's hips for modesty before Gelek walked in the room.
"Interesting. It looks like...stomach...lungs...intestines...bladder...and spleen...ah! Liver, too..." she muttered to herself. "Heart was still untouched. Nothing on the head to show brain is unaffected. I was right. Practically all of his major internal organs save the heart. Nothing around the pancreas, thankfully. He had it bad..."
"Do you think it really is the cancer being pulled?" Gelek blinked.
"I don't know. He told me it mainly started when he was helping out with areas of radiation storage. His protective mask came off when he was helping someone when a container fell over. They don't know if he got it then. But...real cancer doesn't just...do this. Have you ever seen it with the salve?" she asked.
"In truth…not that I'm aware of. I told you I only saw it used a few times. The salve is supposed to sink in and do things internally. This appears to be the opposite! I've never really seen this before," he admitted.
"I need to know what was used in this salve. Hmm..." she thought and pocketed the gloves. She knew there was still a touch of the salve left, and she had turned the gloves inside out on taking them off. She placed them in a specialized freezer by the workroom with a few of the samples she collected just in case warm air did something. She left the guestroom after that and secured the samples in an alarmed safe. She was approached by Rabten on her way out of the security room to be handed back her phone.
"Let me know when we can talk," he said.
"When my husband is walking," she said calmly. "I want him to hear everything you have to say to me."
"Of course," he agreed.
"And the salve. Or paste, as you call it. It did do something. It appears to have...drawn out whatever may be invading Kazuma. Did you know that it does that? Gelek had no idea," she said. Seonhee and Joongi were sitting nearby and looked over with shock.
"It did what?!" Rabten gaped.
"I'm guessing you didn't. Are the ingredients the same as always?" she asked carefully. Rabten frowned and moved to where he kept them stored. He looked over all of them and scratched at his head.
"Unless he had something odd inside him...everything is the same..." he pondered. "Now I need to know what he is afflicted with."
"I secured some samples. I'll get it figured out," she nodded.
"Let me know if I can help," Seonhee said adamantly.
"If you know a discreet doctor..." Saiki nodded to her.
"I do. I know a few of them that treat my men on the side in secret. Let me know when to approach them?" she asked.
"I will. Let me tend to my husband now," Saiki said and moved into the guest room. Gelek was already helping to scrub Kiryu down with a fresh cloth and warm water. She moved to secure the more delicate areas of her husband and set the towel back over his hips. "He's ready to wake?"
"Yes," Gelek nodded. She pulled the needle out of her husband's forehead and he sat up coughing with relief.
"How are you feeling?" she asked and found herself pulled close.
"I felt...some burning. But not as much as it would have been," Kiryu sighed and rested against her. "Oddly enough I feel...energized! Like...almost before I got diagnosed. Almost. But not quite. It's an odd sensation."
"Some of it appears to have been drawn out of you. It's why we don't know if what you have is actual cancer. It's extremely baffling. I collected samples for analysis, so hopefully we'll get some answers. Do you need to shower?"
"As long as you're with me," he nodded. "I don't trust myself right now. I need to feel how I am in the next hour. Then we'll talk about...what you have to do for payment. Absolutely disgusting!"
"It is as much of a surprise to me than you," Gelek frowned. "I had no idea. So, I will also be here for answers."
"That's fine. I need to eat, though..." Kiryu winced.
"Not yet. Shower first. Then eat. I've seen people get violently ill after just waking up. Wait until you shower to give your body time," Gelek advised strongly. "Water is safe to have, though."
"Then I'll take that," he said. Saiki was going to fetch it, but he pulled her to his side. "Let him get it. I don't want you to leave me."
"Of course," she said softly. She knew he wanted her now, but she was going to force him to wait. "Kazuma! Come on. Let's get your water and clean you up."
"I will wait with the others after I get your water," Gelek nodded and left to get the water. Saiki pulled out Kiryu's briefs and shorts to have him put them on. He grunted at it, but he knew others were there. He drank down the glass of water brought to him to get some fluids back. Right after that, he swiftly led her into the master bedroom to let her start up a shower. Seonhee and Joongi just barely caught them heading out of the guest room and were relieved that Kiryu was on his feet again. In the master bedroom with the door closed, though, Kiryu's mind was on thoughts other than being brought back from near death.
"Get in there with me," he said with a small smirk.
"Excuse me? I have no idea if you're going to vomit again. I'll help wash you down. Nothing more," she said sternly. He gave her a look that clearly showed he wasn't buying it. She shook her head and walked into the bathroom to start turning the water on in the shower. Then she gasped when he came up behind her to move his mouth over her neck. "Stop it!"
"Make me..." he growled. He had already removed the clothing he had to put on, and he was starting to undress her before she could escape him. "We've been married for less than 24 hours. I'm not done with you. In fact...I feel...a bit stronger after that salve was applied..."
"What?" she blinked at him.
"I almost feel like how I was in my late forties..." he mused. Now she looked at him as though he was joking. "So, I have a theory. And we're going to test that theory..."
"What theory?" she asked got pulled close to him.
"If I can last more than twenty minutes..." he grinned.
"Ah. That would be a theory..." she found herself grinning.
"I knew you'd come around," he growled and pounced at her neck.
"At least...wash yourself off...damn it..." she started to pant out. He almost didn't hear her, but he forced himself away. He moved right into the shower to quickly rinse off everything he could. When he went to look for her after, he didn't find her. He was just about to leave the shower, but he went silent at the feel of her finger tracing down his spine. He turned, grabbed her and hefted her against the tiled wall. He knew he couldn't wait any longer.
"Aika...!" he groaned out. She couldn't respond to him. All she could do was cling to him. He managed to guide himself to move onto his knees with her from the sheer intensity of what he was feeling. He was panting as hard as she was by the time he realized what was going on.
"The shit...you put me through..." she muttered against him.
"Welcome to married life...?" he chuckled and laughed at the scowl.
"If you really think you're stronger...I need to start you on strength building exercises. Fast. And I say this because others will want to see for themselves if you really did regain any lost strength," she said seriously.
"True. I do have a few enemies and rivals out there that love to test me at random. Well, I still know how to play out being the sick old man. I wonder. Do you have a wheelchair around here?" he asked with a small grin.
"You really want me to wheel you around as a cripple?" she mused at him.
"It would be the ultimate disguise. Friends and family will know the truth. Everyone else doesn't need to know. We can pull it off," he said and ran his hands over her. At her sigh, he gazed at her. "What is it, Aika?"
"I need to know who the medicine supplier is. I need to know how often this needs to happen. And I need to know...who I have to kill first as the down payment," she grumbled. He let out his breath steadily and nodded.
"Okay. But, when they leave..." he started.
"Our day alone will truly begin," she smiled and let him kiss her heavily. When it finally broke, she could only nestle into him and let him hold her.
"Five more minutes..." he mumbled in her ear. They kissed again in a slow, passionate way and relished each other. Then she paused at an odd sensation that hit her. She blinked and thought to herself. He noticed her shifting and asked, "Is something wrong?"
"I just felt...odd...for a brief moment. As though...something tightened..." she frowned. Now he looked at her with surprise and concern. "It could be nothing. We'll see."
"Where did you feel it?" he asked. She worried her lower lip, and he continued to study her. "Aika?"
"My belly..." she muttered. He looked at her with confusion. Then his eyes widened. She rose up her hand quickly. "I don't know. I'll just monitor myself. I mean, when we met again, it was a month ago. And it was during my fertility. I did have a cycle during the month we were just...together. But after the past couple days...it was around the same time we met. So...it may have been perfect timing, but I won't know for sure until next week..."
"Aika...you know I have to be with you on any job you do now. Train me as hard as you need to. As much as you have to. I don't care," he said with a form of intense protection for her. "Hell, train me to use a specific weapon, too."
"That would be...interesting..." she mused. "What weapon?"
"I always used my fists. I have used a sword before, though. Even guns. I'm not sure what else there is," he seemed to shrug.
"Maybe...I can make you fist weapons. A set of claws. Like a dragon..." she grinned. Now he found himself liking the idea. Immensely.
"I want that. That would be perfect," he grinned a bit wickedly.
"Maybe...little scythe claws...?" she grinned a bit more. He gave an eager, pleasing growl at the idea.
"I want a small set of them that do random things," he said.
"Oh, how the gears are turning..." she chuckled.
"We have a plan for tomorrow?" he muttered in her ear before moving his mouth down her neck again.
"I can start some...design sketches..." she murmured and gasped softly at his advances. "But first...we need to get some...visitors...out of the home..."
"That we do," he grumbled. He captured her mouth with his to get rewarded with a muffled squeal. After that, he finally felt that he could pull away from her. "I love you. More than...anything..."
"And you know I love you," she whispered and kissed him deeply. "I think the water is getting a bit cold. So..."
"Yeah. Time to head out there," he muttered.
"Don't let me go..." she whispered and relished his intense squeeze.
"I told you...I never would..." he said and pressed a kiss on her forehead. "I should have been far more relentless in trying to find you..."
"I should have...tried to escape again..." she swallowed.
"And I know I would have been torn between Yumi and you..." he said with a hard sigh. "But I have you now. I will never let you go."
"Good..." she smiled softly and blinked when she heard a knock on the bedroom door. "We're being looked for."
"Well past twenty minutes. I suppose it's time," he said and forced himself to let her go. He watched her walk away, and he already found himself wanting her again. He was actually surprised at himself. I have never needed someone like this before. Ever. Yumi was just...affectionate love. Aika is...a wild tornado of intense love and need. I've never felt so intense about someone like her! But I'll have her train me the moment she can. And claw weapons! They'd be perfect...
"Love?" she asked and tossed his clothes over.
"Thanks," he said and toweled himself off first. She was dressed in her halter top, half overshirt and pants again, and he chuckled at the necklaces that she only removed on going to bed. They were the first thing she put back on the moment she woke up. And, of course, she never removed her earrings. He lifted her up in his arms after dressing and carried her out to see the others.
"There you are!" Seonhee said with her own form of relief.
"Yeah," Kiryu said and sat down in a provided chair. "I'm letting you all know that I'll be learning how to use fist weapons that may be like claws. Because my wife might be pregnant. A big might. She felt something odd a bit ago. And I need to rebuild my strength up fast. I actually feel...like I did before I got diagnosed with cancer. Almost just as good as then. It's...nice."
"Really?!" Joongi blinked.
"Pregnant, huh? You know the others will be all over this," Seonhee grinned. Then she narrowed her eyes to show seriousness. "But you're right, Kiryu-san. If word gets out that you might be cured of that shit, you know you're going to be confronted. Count me in to help you get back into shape."
"You had to tell them about me?" Saiki frowned.
"I had to. Yes. To show why I'm not putting up with anyone's shit around you. I know you can just kill someone off and be done with it. But I'm showing I'm not going to sit aside, either. I won't," Kiryu said. Then he turned his focus on Rabten. "Who is the person my wife needs to kill?"
"Ah..." the monk paused.
"First, how often does Kazuma need the salve?" Saiki said to Gelek.
"Yes! The next need is in three months. After that, six months. Then once a year until no further odd formations show," Gelek said quickly.
"Okay. How much of the ingredients for a batch of salve was given? Just this time?" she asked.
"You have enough for the three month mark. I will leave instructions on how to prepare it. It's...the six month and year marks..." Rabten seemed to shrug.
"I get it. So...is it a job per salve batch? Or per ingredient?" she asked.
"Good question..." Seonhee mused.
"How many ingredients are needed?" Joongi asked.
"Seven ingredients total. But...it was also included for your five year medication, too..." Rabten grimaced.
"How many years supply was she given?" Kiryu asked.
"An additional four doses. So she now has six doses. Every five years, one is to be used," Gelek said. "So, thirty years."
"Hmm. By the time I reach sixty in age..." she frowned. "Okay."
"And including my doses...how many jobs?" Kiryu frowned.
"Eight jobs. Unless ingredients are also included," Saiki muttered lightly. "Or I could see about raising the money..."
"I was told that money is not needed. Just...your skills," Rabten sighed.
"You spoke with the supplier on my phone?" she asked.
"I did..." Rabten nodded.
"Good. The conversation is recorded. Shall we listen?" she said sweetly. Rabten's jaw dropped. Seonhee found herself snickering with Joongi. Gelek wisely remained silent in all of this. Then Saiki noticed something on watching Rabten. She leaned forward and asked, "Tell me something. Are...you...the supplier of all of this?"
"What?" Rabten blinked at her. Gelek's jaw dropped.
"Indeed. It would make sense on why you were the one that agreed to come with Gelek. How you knew how to mix the ingredients. Yet...you held no knowledge on what the salve would do to my husband..." she said as she mentally pieced everything together. Kiryu listened calmly and kept her in his lap. "So, my next question. Gelek, was Rabten the only one that handled this salve?"
"I...I don't believe it..." Gelek said with complete disbelief. "All this time, we thought the supplier was someone from afar. Instead..."
"Now...don't jump to such conclusions," Rabten started.
"Interesting. My phone is...showing a call..." Saiki mused and called it. "It goes to number that only gives dead air. You were talking to yourself."
"I...well..." Rabten finally sighed hard.
"Okay. Now I know it's you. My supplier for medicine with my husband. Who do I have to kill? How many do I have to kill? Because if I kill you, I lose the medicine that I need to keep my husband alive. That's your only saving grace with me," Saiki said with a complete narrow of mistrust in her glare.
"She's right. So...what does she have to do to start the payment process?" Kiryu asked and gave a side glance at the guilty monk.
"I don't really have anyone right now," Rabten started.
"Bullshit!" she growled. "Just fucking say it!"
"He is in Tibet..." Rabten finally said softly.
"I am not traveling to Tibet. Lure him out here," Saiki said.
"He cannot be lured," the monk started.
"Rabten! You cannot mean Dorje!" Gelek said with horror.
"Who is that?" Saiki asked right away.
"Gelek's older brother," Rabten said calmly.
"Why his brother?" she asked.
"He said he was working on repaying you! Are you serious?!" Gelek freaked out. Saiki rose up from Kiryu's lap and moved in front of Gelek to have him look at her. She rose up her finger to ensure he calmed down. Then she nodded for him to continue. "A year ago...he asked for funds to help with a mission. Rabten provided them with a small word to repay in a few months. Instead...Dorje asked for more funds..."
"And he kept asking. And I kept providing. He owes me more than he can afford now. I told him to at least start giving something back. All I got were excuses. I told him I could not tolerate it anymore. So...when the medicine was asked for..." Rabten said with a small nod.
"Pick a different target," Saiki said. "I cannot find myself killing a family member of one I spared. No doubt, this one harmed you financially. Not physically. Hmm. How much does he owe? In full?"
"Fifty thousand of your yen in comparison," he said. Saiki rose a brow. Then she looked at her husband. He gave a small smile back at her and gestured for his phone. Seonhee gave it over, and he pulled up his banking app.
"My wife and I made a joint account when we started to rebuild funds. We made a lot of money in a short time due to recovering most of her funds that were stolen and used wrongfully. I will send you the money right now to pay off his debt and secure my first round of medicine," Kiryu mused aloud and looked at Rabten. "Send me your banking details?"
"What?! No! You're supposed to kill him!" the monk said with shock.
"So, you'd rather a death than to get richer in funds?" Saiki asked with pure amusement. Rabten paused at this and sighed hard. "For all that, I can pay you outright for all of the medicine right now. We can do an even four hundred thousand. I just pay you in fifty thousand increments. Or all at once if that's what you want to do."
"This wasn't..." Rabten grimaced with dismay.
"I've slaughtered over a thousand men," Saiki muttered with boredom. "At least that many in the thirty years that I was hidden away. I can go out right now, find eight thugs on the street and end them like nothing. Without a care in the world. But my husband won't let me. So...you need to convince him...to have me kill for you."
"Ah..." Rabten blinked. Gelek was still upset, but he realized that Saiki truly valued their friendship. She is trying to save my brother.
"What will it be? Get four hundred thousand yen richer that you can convert and use at your whim? Or settle for eight deaths? Name your choice," she said and moved to settle back in her husband's lap.
"Can we do half? Two hundred thousand and four jobs?" Rabten asked.
"I can agree with that. As long as it is no one that is close to Gelek, they must be in my current area and not bound as an ally or someone that I or my husband hold in high regard," Saiki said. "I will tell you to choose another target if those terms are breached. And then you'll have to convince me why I can't go after you."
"Actually, if he breaches the terms, we pay him," Kiryu said.
"I think that's fair," Seonhee nodded.
"I also think that it would be the best outcome," Joongi agreed.
"What do you think?" Saiki asked Rabten. The monk gave another hard sigh, but he knew he was running out of options.
"Very well. The problem is that I'm not always in Japan. I mean...I do make small visits when it's needed, but not very often. Actually...now that I think about it...there is someone that could be looked at," Rabten thought and pulled out his phone. "I made a note of the name when I asked for it."
"Anyone we would know?" Saiki asked.
"Doubtful. I was visiting Tokyo. As I was waiting for a cab, I was shoved aside by a rather arrogant and brash man. He had others with him, too. They scorned me for being an outsider and took that cab that showed up for me. I was in Tokyo for a week, but I found it odd that this same group showed up every day to deliberately find me and hound me for no reason," Rabten frowned.
"Now you're talking my language," Saiki said with a wicked grin.
"Text me the name. And your bank routing so I can send you half of the payment," Kiryu said. Rabten nodded and the information was finally sent. After five minutes, Kiryu said, "The payment is done. And I have the name. Ishida. No last name at all?"
"None given. But he was in front of a popular gym near the main areas of tourists. He had quite a following with him, too," Rabten said. "It's as though they ensured to track me as their way of entertainment in various slow points of the day. So...he can be the first job."
"We will see if he is who he is. We'll go to Tokyo tomorrow," Kiryu nodded. "If he is who you say...I'll have my wife bring you his head."
"I think a photo would be fine..." Rabten cringed.
"Oh, no. I must bring you his head. It wouldn't do a photo justice. This way you can spit on it and hurl it over a cliff," Saiki grinned.
"Just a photo..." Rabten seemed to plead a bit.
"Awww. You're pathetic," Saiki snorted. "Anyways, I think we are good now. Gelek, thank you again for everything. You can go back to the Survive Bar for now. I'm sure the others would gladly give you a tour of the town."
"I would like that," Gelek nodded. Rabten got up and found himself glared at by Gelek. "Don't think I'll forget about this. I am indebted again to Saiki for saving my brother. She spared my life. Now she spared his. I consider her medicine paid in full. Free of charge."
"Ah..." Rabten started and glanced at Saiki's amused glare.
"I paid for it already. We're square. Don't think about it. I'm already looking forward to a hunt. It makes it...sweeter to think about. Anyways, my husband and I would like some time alone. We'll meet with everyone tomorrow for an outing to Tokyo," Saiki said with a knowing nod.
"I'll let them know," Seonhee chuckled. "I'm sure everyone would be willing to accompany you."
"Yes. Oh, I need to tell you. Kazuma suggested…we use a wheelchair for him. And we keep it secret from the others to gauge reactions. What do you think?" Saiki grinned. Seonhee died laughing. "We'll know it's fake, but he was thinking about it to trick a few of them. Including the public eye as a disguise."
"Yes," Joongi said right away. "That should happen."
"Please! That would be amazing!" Seonhee snickered.
"Fine. We can do that," Kiryu chuckled.
"I won't say a word," Gelek said with his own soft laughter. Rabten did find himself laughing at the idea.
"That's fine. We'll see you then," Saiki smiled and watched her leave with Joongi and the two monks. Right after they fully left the elevator and grounds, she let her stern exterior go. She found herself shaking and gathered up in her husband's arms to get held tightly.
"What's wrong, Aika?" he soothed and held her.
"I can't...think..." she winced. He lifted her up and carried her to the couch. He sat back on it and cradled her. He started to hum softly, and she rested her head against his neck to hear his heartbeat. She could tell it sounded stronger now. Even his breathing was clearer. She began to relax, and she found herself kissed deeply. She gave into it and let him continue to comfort her.
"I know..." he said gently and ran his fingers through a lock of her hair. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and let her rest. "I love you. I'm so proud of you. I will never stop saying how grateful I am that you are my wife."
"Yeah..." she finally said. Then he put a hand on her belly to laugh softly. "I don't know yet..."
"I know. But I'm not going to let it kill the mood. Or the idea. I think...the next thing to do is...make me my new weapons," he mused.
"You think so?" she grinned.
"Yes. Then I can train a bit on how to use them. And I can use them on the one we need to kill..." he said with a slow nod.
"I think..." she mused. "Come with me."
"Hmm?" he asked and got up with her when she hopped out of his lap. She took him to the training room and opened a massive freezer built into the wall. He was in shock that she had it. "How did you...?!"
"I thought I showed you this freezer," she frowned. "I'm glad I kept this active at least. With the refrigerator in the kitchen, of course. A lot of food in that went bad, obviously, but this is where I was able to restock a lot of the meat. I need...ah! Can you get that down for me? I'd climb up, but this will let me see how strong you may still be."
"What am I getting? A pig carcass?" he frowned.
"Yes. We'll hang it out in the kitchen where the floor drain is. It will thaw out, then you will use the claws on that to help butcher it. A pig has the closest muscle mass to a human. So it's a perfect training target. See?" she grinned.
"Huh! Okay," he mused and was able to hoist it off the hanging hook. She watched how his muscles were working the whole time.
"How heavy is it?" she asked.
"Not too heavy, but I thought I could lift more. I clearly did lose a bit of muscle," he frowned. She nodded and went into the training room to roll out a hanging punching bag and kick targets. Locking them into place for later use, he was simply in awe at what all she had for training. Then she stepped on a tile for the floor to pull away. He realized this was how she trained to climb buildings by climbing out of a floor pit. Each side had a different way to get out and get in.
"What? It was as I said. No one questioned anything that I asked for," she shrugged at his look of disbelief.
"Someone had to have known what you were doing."
"No one did. I hoarded parts. Materials. The most that anyone did was come in and excavate for me. Dog Catcher paid for it all with my funds. He just never told me how much was there. Or that the funds were mine," she said with a sad sigh. He nodded and gestured to the frozen pig. She refocused and led him to the kitchen where she pulled down a hanging hook from the ceiling. It was now hung up to thaw, and that was where Kiryu noticed the small floor drain that was easily missed at a glance.
"What do we do now?" he asked.
"Want to go out to the park?" she smiled. He thought about it, then he was quick to scoop her up to hear her squeak.
"We still have to finish our wedding night," he muttered.
"What?" she blinked to get him laughing.
"And maybe...if we're still awake...start making my weapons," he grinned.
"I could start on that now..." she grinned back.
"How about we compromise. Get a sketchpad. We'll have fun in bed. After that, you start drawing," he nodded.
"I suppose..." she sighed and laughed when he carried her to the workshop to let her get what she needed. It would be an hour later settled in bed that she would start drawing. And he was already giving suggestions to what he wanted with rapt attention.