"The room is lavish. But I don't care for the decorative pictures. We can burn them. Or sell them to fanatics," Saiki muttered at the self-photos of Nishitani and his worldly visits. "But I would say to burn the bed sheets in case any of his smut is all over them."
"Gross…" Kasuga grimaced at the thought.
"I'll have a member of the cleaning staff appear now for us. I've never been in here, but my chambers are just as luxurious. Another reason I really don't want to leave The Castle," Ugajin sighed. "I'm actually glad I'm in this position now."
"I did have a small idea for the coliseum, though," Saiki murmured to her husband. "It may be…beneficial."
"I'm all ears," Kiryu nodded at her. The two fighters looked at her now.
"Some people like to skip the waiting line and cut in to the top. They can do that. For a massive fee," she grinned. "And the contract they sign on making such a decision would include that they are willing to accept the fact that weapons may be used and loss of life may be done. And that will be in capitalized, bold letters above their signature of final agreement."
"So…they pay for their own deaths…get punished for allowing themselves to cheat…" Ugajin mused. Samejima was starting grin at the idea.
"And if they beat the opponent?" Seonhee asked.
"They'll make double what they spent to cut in line. And maybe get a very rare artifact as proof," Saiki thought aloud. "They would need proof of such a story of conquest, right?"
"Much like fishing and mounting a good catch on the wall," Kasuga grinned. "A small trophy to brag about."
"We did offer tiger keychains of various colors to show ranks. I think we can do a specialized one they can keep for themselves to brag about. Of course, that's if they beat whoever they wanted to challenge," Ugajin suggested to her.
"I remember those keychains," Kiryu agreed.
"Maybe we can offer an onyx tiger with gold and diamond embellishments. The keychain link, itself, could be either gold, white gold or platinum. That would be a prize worthy of such an event," Saiki chuckled.
"That would definitely work! I would advise up to three to be created just in case. With two under lock and key," Ugajin nodded.
"But who can they challenge?" Joongi asked.
"Whoever is watching in the balcony seating where I would sit. Or has their name on a list of rosters from where we sit with pricing next to the name. We can have the custom tiger keychain on display with a glass box and sitting on a velvet pillow. That would signify importance," Saiki snickered. "And no one would be able to win it. Which is why I want it to look insanely valuable."
"Much like dangling a carrot on a stick. However, we should keep Brody off the available challenger listing due to him being the weakest of us…" Samejima muttered out. "There should be a hidden clause that if he is requested, then the next one in line would need to be defeated if he goes down."
"We can do that," Saiki agreed. "We can also make it like gambling. The higher in rank defeated, the higher the prize money. In fact, if they make it up the fighting chain, then the specialized tiger can be offered with the finalized prize money. And, to make it really nasty and piss off the challenger, the winnings would go to the one challenged if they defeated the challenger. Minus the tiger, of course, as that would be only for challengers. Just the money would go to the winner for a 'winner takes all' sort of deal."
"Ooh! Bonus pay on top of defeating the challenger…" Samejima said with a form of wicked delight. "Where do I sign up?"
"Same," Ugajin nodded. Then he noticed something about Kiryu's face. "Are you bruised…?"
"Hmm? Oh. You just noticed? I thought it would have been noticed already. Likely from the lighting or just never noticed it. But, yes, I was punched in the jaw a couple nights ago after I was apprehended at gun point. Saiki slaughtered over fifty men through two floors of a warehouse to get me out. They were hoping to push me into a cage fighting match of illegal tendencies," Kiryu sighed. "I tried to warn them they were going to die…"
"And they all did die," Saiki growled. "Anyways, give my idea to the others. If they want to be challenged, have them sign their name down for a list to start. And have them put an insanely high challenging price next to their name. Any amount will work. But it should be well over a million yen per challenge."
"So…we are instantly a million yen richer per challenge…" Kiryu grinned.
"And if they want to do multiple challenges…no discount deals," Saiki chuckled. "But, if anyone wants to challenge me…it's fifty million. Because I know I won't lose. I may play with them a bit. But…that won't last long."
"I don't want anyone to challenge you or me. Unless it's both of us together. We won't fight separately," her husband grunted out. "And I know you'll take them out fast with the clause that weapons might be used. I'd say to let me tag at them first. Then you put them to sleep or send them off in a body bag."
"A hundred million to challenge and knowing they can die?" she mused. Now he looked at her and gave a slightly wicked grin.
"We can set that price," he grinned back and kissed her passionately. She broke the kiss after a bit and pulled out her phone.
"When do we leave for Hawaii?" she smiled. He sat in a chair with her in his lap to go over various flight plans. Right after she got the confirming email to leave in four days, he resumed his kiss with her. When Ugajin cleared his throat, Kiryu waved him off. Only after that kiss broke, did he look at the tall fighter.
"What's on your mind?" Kiryu asked him.
"Did you want to see the coliseum now?" he asked with a small grin.
"Hmm. Give us ten minutes. I know where it is," Kiryu nodded. He glanced at everyone else to leave the room.
"Going to break it in?" Zhao grinned lightly.
"The moment the lot of you leave," Kiryu muttered with a bit of impatience. Joongi chuckled softly and walked the others out to the coliseum. Now his wife looked at him with amusement after the doors closed.
"You want to fuck on a bed that belonged to a madman?" Saiki grinned.
"I'll flip the damned mattress over. I'm sure that side hasn't been touched," he growled and kissed her in a hungry way. "And we don't need the bed. This chair is just fine. It's…been a few hours since we were together…"
"We spent days without doing anything…" she muttered and gasped when his mouth moved lower. "Kazuma…what the hell…?"
"I just really need you…" he growled and started to pull her pants off.
"Hey!" she said and cried out sharply after he freed himself to pull her onto his hips. He shouted and clung to her with heavy pants at what consumed him now, and he made no move to separate just yet.
"Aika…" he whispered in her ear. "I had to…"
"Pain…in the ass…Kazuma…" she mumbled and pressed into his neck.
"Are you telling me you didn't want this, either?" he growled thickly.
"I never said I didn't…" she started before pausing at his soft laughter. "You absolutely suck. You know that?"
"Well aware," he grinned ruefully.
"Be glad that I love you as I do," she smirked.
"And I will always love you as I do," he smiled softly and caressed her cheek. "I know that what I do…can be a bit much. Like right now. But you really have no idea how irresistible you are to me! I just…need to have you close. All the time. And I have a big feeling that we won't be doing anything during our time in Hawaii. Maybe out to eat…possibly a movie…but we'll have to see."
"I get it…" she smiled softly and continued to snuggle into him. "I am curious about the fighting here, though…"
"Just stay in my lap," he nodded and kissed her again. "I just can't get enough you! Please…just…ten more minutes…"
"I suppose I have no choice…" she sighed and felt his arms tighten around her. He tensed when she ran her hands up his chest to feel him tremble at it. She felt him press his face into her neck, and now she saw how his hair was starting to lose the dye. "Hmm…"
"What?" he asked.
"The hair dye you use is fading out…" she mused.
"Oh? Hmm. I'll have to put more in."
"Don't."
"Why?"
"I sort of…want to see what it looks like," she chuckled.
"People would say I'm an old man even more."
"I wouldn't give two shits about that," she snorted. That got him laughing softly with a small nod. She felt along his jaw and ran her thumb over the growing stubble that was forming.
"Should I grow a beard, too?" he grinned.
"No. I always loved the clean-shaven look," she grinned back softly.
"I did have a small bit on my chin at one point."
"Really? Maybe…I can see that…"
"I'll keep the spot growing for you."
"For a while."
"As you say," he muttered and kissed her deeply. He gently felt up her spine and paused at her shiver. He realized he was close to where her new wound was, and he frowned. "Are you in pain?"
"I think the numbness is starting to wear off. Is it bleeding?" she asked. He had her gently turn a bit to look for her and he shook his head.
"No. Very swollen, though. We need to numb it down again. Ah. You have those painkillers. Let's see…hmm…we need to get some water for you."
"Right. I guess this means it's time to move?" she asked. He grimaced.
"How bad is the pain?" he asked.
"It's there. Not bad. But it's there. Like an annoying mosquito bite. I've learned how to tolerate pain. But if it gets to be too much…" she frowned.
"I get that," he agreed and finally let her leave his lap. Clothing was fixed back up, and he lifted her in his arms to carry her.
"I can walk," she smiled.
"No," he muttered. She laughed softly and clung to him.
"You lovable idiot…" she sighed.
"Your lovable idiot," he grinned and kissed her softly. Now he saw she was trying to keep from laughing hard. "What? What's so funny?"
"Oh…just that I told Sa-chan that Kasuga was a bumbling idiot, but he was her bumbling idiot…" she grinned. Now he found himself laughing and shaking his head at her. "But you are my lovable one."
"Only yours," he smiled and kissed her temple. He was still pressing his mouth to her forehead when he walked over to where the others were sitting. An empty, throne-like chair was there for him to sit at, and it was gestured to for him. He did so and kept her in his lap.
"Feel better?" Zhao asked.
"For now. I need to get Saiki some water. She needs to take the painkillers," Kiryu said. A glass of water was soon delivered, and she was able to take a couple capsules to help with the swelling and pain.
"I'll need to take some of my crap drink when we get home," she sighed.
"The stuff you give Kiryu-san?" Seonhee asked.
"Yeah. That shit. It works. I can definitely tell you that," Saiki nodded.
"I can vouch," Kiryu nodded.
"What's this?" Ugajin asked.
"It's a blend of herbs that are dried, ground and strained in hot water like a tea infusion. It tastes like absolute shit, but it removes swelling, eases headaches and fights back nausea," Saiki smiled. "If you can stomach the taste, you'll feel a vast difference rather quickly."
"I'm curious," the fighter mused.
"If you leave this place to join us on land, then it's possible you can get something. Oh! I do have a small flask of it…" Saiki grinned. "It's supposed to be drunk down hot, but it can be lukewarm."
"You carried it with you?!" Kiryu blinked at her.
"Why not? It's enough for a small cup, but it could be shared in very small doses," she shrugged. Seonhee looked over now. A tray of small shot glasses was soon called for, and the brown liquid was carefully dispersed among them all.
"Down the hatch!" Goro chuckled and knocked his shot back. Then he almost gagged on it. "Fuck! You weren't kidding when you said it tasted like shit! I was not expecting that taste!"
"I told you so," Saiki chuckled lightly.
"I need a chaser…" JUSTICE1975 said from where he took down the drink with a filter. "That stuff truly lingers!"
"My eyes…are watering…" Samejima grimaced.
"That may be the turmeric," Saiki nodded.
"My sinuses cleared out!" Brody coughed.
"I'm starting to feel the small headache I had clear up," Ugajin blinked. "And I think I just thought of a new form of profit…"
"Do tell," Kiryu nodded.
"This stuff can be made in bulk?" the fighter asked.
"With the right ingredients and equipment, yes. Wait. You saying to sell this to the people?" Saiki mused at the idea.
"Yes. Exclusively to the fighters here for before or after medical needs," Ugajin chuckled with a nod. "So, I think we can do various jars for various prices. Such as…fifty yen for a shot. A hundred yen for a pint. Get the idea?"
"We could work that in. I'm sure we can hire a few inside personnel to do a refining stint with jars and small bottles. I can see that. But…what would we call it…?" Saiki mused.
"The Headhunter's Antidote for Basic Pains," Nanba grinned.
"Too wordy, but…hmm…" Saiki rolled it around mentally.
"Headhunter's Antidote should be plenty. We can have basic information on what's in it and what each herb does on the labeling," JUSTICE1975 suggested. "I could even create various labels for you to choose from."
"Not really a vitamin shot, but a cure-all of sorts for minor aches, pains, headaches and nausea. Reminds me of the snake oil crap they sold back then, but this stuff actually works. All natural, too, so no artificial garbage. We should go for this!" Zhao grinned. "I could even sell a few in my restaurant. Of course, it wouldn't be approved by medical specialists, but by herbalists? Why not?"
"I do like the idea," she chuckled.
"If you make it, count me in as a distributor to the Geomijul," Seonhee nodded.
"Miss Saiki, I was called over to see if I could delegate a few staff to see to this. I have sent out a volunteer list to the staff, and ten have already put in their names. Please bring us the product with the equipment needed. We shall set up a location in The Castle to do this," a head manager of overall staffing said on walking over. He was given a small sample of the brown liquid, coughed at the taste, but then he paused at the after-effects. "This will definitely be beneficial!"
"Good. Make a budget in our current bookkeeping and order what is needed. Here is what I currently use at my main home, so if you get what is comparable for mass-scale reproduction, it will work. And these are the herbs I use. Get the best quality you can locate," Saiki said and sent him a text of what she already used. He nodded and was quickly moving off to get started on the new project.
"We should get a batch of everything they make for our own uses," Kiryu chuckled. "This way we can always ensure of the quality."
"Quite right," she agreed. He kissed her softly and gazed down at the coliseum entrance. Challengers were already starting to line up, and a staff member in charge of the rosters was now explaining the new terms.
"What? We're not gonna run this place?!" a challenger asked.
"I still wanna fight! Let me in! I've been trying to get in here for years now! This is where I need to be!" another said. Saiki realized there was no way to talk to the main areas needed, and she sent a text to the main staff. It was an instruction to set in an intercom system for her to utilize at a whim. Another main leader of the technology on The Castle showed up to show enthusiasm for the idea.
"Before we would just get informed and messengers were sent. Your way of reaching out would be far faster and it shows direct orders! We'll get on this right away!" he nodded with a bow to her.
"For now, this is how it will be. All of the challengers will fight each other in pairs. If they want to team up, they can. But, only the last fighter, or team, standing will be able to fight the stronger fighters here. Granted, I'm sure you have those keychains. Keep using them. But, if others want to get in this way, there should be an 'amateur fight night' once a week. Right now, free commission. Next time, though? Ten thousand yen per entry," she grinned.
"We shall create discreet fliers and have them sent by next week!" the man said. Then Kiryu rose up his hand.
"Wait two weeks. Saiki and I will be in Hawaii next week. We should be here in person to finalize any and all decisions. Akame can help spread the fliers. This will also let you evaluate key areas of interest to send the fliers and perfect them. Make sure to send any images made to Saiki, too," Kiryu said with a chuckle. His wife nodded at this, and the man left to give the order to the recruiting desk on how to get the challengers set up for the rosters.
"I'm fairly sure we'll have a decent bank account by the time all of this is said and done," Saiki chuckled. "We should definitely start building when we get back. We'll need a list of those that need to be reformed. Daigo. I could hire you for that if the funds are there."
"I can make a team?" Daigo grinned.
"Of course," she nodded. "As always, there will be rules for working under me. I don't take backstabbers lightly. Just remember that."
"I thought you said you weren't good with money," Kiryu muttered in her ear. "Was I wrong?"
"You forget how fast of a learner I am," she crooned softly and traced a finger up his chest. He smirked and kissed her hard before returning his gaze to the coliseum floor.
"I did have a question for you, Saiki," Joongi said.
"Go on," she nodded.
"What made you have the idea for bread crumbs?" he asked. Now Kiryu rose a brow and looked at his wife.
"If you've ever heard of the tale…Hansel and Gretel…that's where I got it," she said. "It was the first story I ever read in full by myself. And I realized that killing people for others to find them was just like leaving a trail of crumbs. Other people would come in to clean up the mess. Much like how animals would eat the crumbs left behind. But on the way back where no one knows and the crumbs still existed to lead the way back home…?"
"Did you leave yourself clues on how to get back to the underground place?" Kasuga asked with a bit of awe.
"I did. Crumbs that I knew where to look for. Odd signs. Smells. Memories. I put all of them together and made a roadmap for myself wherever I went. Not one of them were disturbed. And that's because even Dog Catcher didn't know what to look for. I did that on purpose…" she muttered.
"He's dead…" Kiryu mumbled in her ear.
"I know. And I'm glad," she sighed and pressed into him.
"Easy now…" he said and squeezed her close to comfort her. Her phone rang to show it was Gelek calling her, and she quickly answered it.
"When did you want to meet up again?" Gelek asked.
"I'm not in the mainland right now. But I plan to be back home by the end of the day. If not by then, it would likely be tomorrow. I had an urgent mission to take care of. Also, Hawaii is booked. I'll send you the details," Saiki said.
"Hey," Daigo said and walked over to have her put the call on speaker. "I have a question to ask."
"Of course!" Gelek chuckled.
"I'm confused on when Saiki was given her…poison. We were told that she said she met you ten years ago, but that doesn't really fit the timeline," Daigo frowned. "Wouldn't it have been fifteen years ago? Then again…that also doesn't fit! Am I missing something?"
"Ah. It was actually twenty years ago. She was…around ten years old," Gelek said softly. Saiki's jaw dropped. Kiryu blinked at this. "I remember it clearly. After her mind mended from the poison…she told me I was her very first mission. I was in my early twenties. She was a child sent off to murder her first target. I knew…I had to do all I could to help her. Stay in touch with her as often as I could. She…needed to know she wasn't alone when she knew she could reach out safely to me."
"That was when I was approached by that group of women to learn how to read and write…" she whispered. "When I came back from the mission. I…see now. My memories…they're so jumbled…but…it still doesn't seem right! Oh! I have to remember!"
"Because of how you were raised. I know," Kiryu swallowed. "I'm sure you'll remember more in time. Don't force it."
"And because I was her first target, I heard her coming at me. She didn't know how to be silent and stealthy. How to properly attack except for what she was taught recently. She would have easily gotten me, though, from her wild state of mind! Healing her mind allowed her to grow and perfect everything. I did give her my number. The moment she got a phone, she sent me a text. I still have it," Gelek chuckled. Then Saiki blinked when it was sent to her. She trembled and shook slightly at it. And a whole flood of memories came to her as though a barrier was unlocked at last.
"You barely knew how to write then…" Kiryu muttered.
"I…secretly saw him as my big brother…" she murmured. "I always kept his number memorized by heart. Dog Catcher always confiscated everything I had, so I made sure to delete any texts and history. He was too stupid to check the phone bills, but then I got a pre-paid phone to hide away. That's what my phone is right now. I still have plenty of time on it. I had to keep so much hidden away…"
"And if I had the skills and means to free her…I would have," Gelek admitted. "All I could do was help her keep her mind sane and ensure she knew how to prepare what she needed for herself when it was needed again."
"So…she met you at ten years old. She took the poison around fifteen years old. That left three doses…?" Kiryu frowned. "That still doesn't add up…"
"Wait. I was sixteen when I met Gelek. I looked like I was ten from being malnourished and smaller than normal," Saiki blinked on recalling everything. "I think…I remember! I had just been deemed good enough to try and do a mission. I didn't know who I was to kill. But my mind…the way I was trained…I was just told to do something, and it was done. I did meet that group of women around ten years of age, and I recall the patriarchs arguing that a child could not be sent on any missions. I had to grow more and know more before I could be utilized properly. I met those women several years before my first mission!
"I was trying to perfect my reading and writing by then in secret, and I was just learning how to use a phone when I was finally ordered to be given one for missions. I learned about cellular phones from the encyclopedia set and pleaded my case on how it was important for me to start having one. The patriarchs…fully agreed. Dog Catcher threw a fit, but they ordered him to shut up and to keep an eye on it to ensure no foul play was done. They actually were keeping a very close eye on him, as this was going to be my very first mission to test my worth.
"That's how I was able to get Gelek's number memorized. I was around twenty-one when I met Kazuma for that ten minute conversation five years later. I had to take the first dose of the poison right after the Clan was destroyed not long after that. I tested what my mind would do if I didn't take it. I blacked out. And woke up in the middle of the bloodbath. I was actually given five doses of the medicine. That first dose I had to take the moment the Clan was gone. I took my third dose of it when I got back with Kazuma. I had two doses left."
"I could have sworn you were ten years old!" Gelek said with his own form of shock. "I am so grateful that I was able to wake you up just enough to help you find your true path for mental healing."
"That was more than enough," Daigo agreed. Ugajin was speechless and had no words for everything.
"I'll book my flight with Rabten to be on the same flight or close to it," Gelek said. "I'll talk to you soon."
"Of course," Saiki agreed and disconnected the call. She swallowed and found herself cradled tightly against her husband's chest.
"Saiki, I have a request of you," Ugajin said softly.
"And that is?" she asked.
"If anything happens to Kiryu…reach out to me. Fast," he nodded.
"Why?" Kiryu asked warily.
"Because I keep getting a vibe that she's my baby sister. Even though I never met her until today…I see her as family," Ugajin nodded again.
"Oh. Hmm. I can accept that," Kiryu agreed.
"Hmm…" Saiki mused. "If this is true, half of what we earn in the coliseum today is yours. If we don't make anything from this, then the first true coliseum paid event will be when you get half of the profit."
"What?!" Ugajin's jaw dropped. Kiryu started laughing at it.
"I need to make sure my big brother has the funds to pamper me if any shit hits a fan, right?" she grinned a bit wickedly.
"Call on any of us," Samejima chuckled.
"I will always be scared shitless of you, but I know you only act when you must. I respect that," JUSTICE1975 said lightly. Brody seemed to mumble a bit to himself, but Saiki was already ignoring him completely. That got Samejima and JUSTICE1975 snickering softly with understanding.
"So when is it starting?" Seonhee asked and leaned back in a chair.
"Within the next ten minutes. I'll get some snacks up here," Samejima said and sent the order. "Usually we're not to be bothered by this. Far too low on the totem pole for me to acknowledge. But…there is a curiosity factor now."
"An agreeable decision by myself," JUSTICE1975 said calmly.
"I can watch young men beat each other up for the hell of it," Ugajin grinned. "And I'll definitely grunt out distaste at the losers."
"They are all losers," Samejima snorted.
"So are you if I challenge you," Saiki grinned knowingly at him. Samejima swallowed and averted his eyes quickly. Ugajin coughed out a small laugh.
"The first set of fighters are coming up," Kiryu muttered in her ear.
"I'm bored already," she muttered back and kissed him passionately.
"You don't…want to watch…?" he grunted between breaths.
"Why bother…watching shit…we've seen before…?" she murmured and got him laughing softly with agreement. Each round lasted five minutes. The winner was moved to a new area, and the next set of fighters came in. For an hour, this proceeding happened. Kiryu and Saiki kept making out the whole time to show they clearly didn't need to watch. It was when a winning fighter shouted up at them to get their attention that the couple broke their kiss and glared down with complete irritation.
"Gah!" the man cringed at the glares.
"Did you win?" Saiki asked. "I wasn't paying attention."
"Well…yes…" the man said.
"Fine. Go to where you are told and get ready for the next fight," she ordered. "I don't pay attention to beginners. I might pay attention to the intermediate fighters and above. That's where you're going next to show you are now part of the Intermediate Circle. Beginners don't deserve to be watched by me. So get moving. You're holding up the line."
"And if I don't move?!" the man grinned.
"I will kill you where you stand," she grinned back and leaned forward to show she meant every word. Just by her doing that made the man lose any nerve he had and flee to where he had to go. She frowned and shook her head. "Pathetic. Ugajin, if he makes it past the advanced rounds, I would like you to spank him and toss his ass off the ship."
"I don't spank others," Ugajin grimaced. The others laughed at his. "But I will definitely kick his ass and toss him off the ship."
"Good. Have a search and rescue boat in the water just for cases like this. He'll get picked up and sent back to the mainland," Kiryu nodded.
"I wanted to watch him flounder like a dying fish," she pouted.
"How about I…" Kiryu grinned and whispered huskily in her ear.
"Right now?" she grinned.
"In front of a crowd?" he frowned. "I respect modesty where it's due."
"Then on the helicopter ride on the way home. The pilot will not pay attention to us, and the others can catch the next ride back," she grinned.
"As…interested as I am in the concept…no," he smirked at her.
"We'd better make up for that on the plane ride to Hawaii," she said bluntly.
"I'm sure a restroom can be freed up," he found himself grinning at the idea.
"Joining the 'mile-high club', eh?" Zhao snickered.
"It's now on my bucket list," Kiryu grinned. Nanba and Adachi coughed out laughter at the whole thing. Joongi noticed that Seonhee was watching him from the corner of her eye.
"I bet Tomi would look forward to going back to Hawaii! He used to live there, so I know he'll want to play a bit of the tour guide for us," Kasuga chuckled. "He had to work to make up for lost time, but I'm sure he'd definitely want to do what he could on his home grounds. I'll send him a text real quick!"
"That's right, huh? Well, if Saiki and I find time to leave the hotel, we'll need him to show us where all the best spots are. Yeah, send him a text and see what he thinks," Kiryu nodded. It was announced that the last set of the beginner's rounds were done, and the coliseum floor was cleaned up.
"Tomi's on board! So, eh, how many levels are there?" Kasuga asked. "When it comes to fighting, that is."
"I was thinking six levels of 'circles'. And I did note it all down to be put in the contract," Saiki grinned. Kiryu now looked at her for more. "Beginner is, of course, to flush out the weakest. Then Intermediate to challenge even more. Advanced would be next to really test the mettle of the remaining fighters. Then I went with Hard to show only the best of the best could get into the last section. That last section is called…No Way In Hell."
"And who would be fighting them?" Samejima asked with eager anticipation. "One of us?"
"They can choose any on the roster up here. Except for Kazuma and I unless they pay. This is a test round to do things for free. Kazuma and I are exempt. Whoever wants to accept the challenge can go down there," Saiki nodded. "There is no real prize, but we can do a ten thousand yen offer at the very end. If they win, that is. If they want more, then they have to come back. I might be able to give them a discount…if they give back the prize money…with a chance to gain more. If they spent the prize money, well…sucks to be them. Full price up front."
"That is a solid burn of an insult," Nanba snickered.
"So, that one fighter that irritated you. He wouldn't get to the Hard round?" Ugajin asked. "His trial stops after Advanced if he wins?"
"Correct. Any of them that do childish things should not get up to the last two ranks. They are automatically disqualified," she chuckled.
"I agree with that. However, you didn't consult with me on that," Kiryu muttered. "I thought we made all decisions together."
"What are you gonna do? Punish me?" she crooned at him.
"Can we set up a tent over our chair?" Kiryu asked while staring at her. Everyone started laughing at the whole thing.
"A question then," Taiga said. "If there are more than two winners at the very last rank…only one can win?"
"Yes. So…anyone can go down there to kick their asses. Unless they agree to go toe-to-toe against each other as bonus rounds," Saiki chuckled. "And if it's a team that got there, well…pick a team of equal fighters to make it even."
"If they do win, we'll up the prize by five thousand per each win," Kiryu nodded. "That will make it insanely hard to not want to keep going."
"I like that," she said and nuzzled into his neck.
"The Intermediate group is starting now," Ugajin said.
"How many fighters were left?" Kiryu asked.
"Thirty from the sixty that started up," Ebina said. "I recognized a few as former yakuza. Very intriguing."
"Hmm. If any of them get to the Hard level…I'll challenge them," Daigo nodded. "I'd say either me, Taiga or Goro. If we decided to do that."
"Go for it," Saiki nodded with agreement. "And if they team up, feel free to do the same. We need to keep things equal."
"I think I may want to see about helping them out, though," Kasuga frowned. "Maybe we can talk to them after. Sort of…pull them aside?"
"We can do that," Kiryu agreed. "I'm sure we'll see others appear. It would be good to note down who we see that we can talk to at length."
"I'll have a small waiting room set up now," Saiki said and made the order to be done. "If they get rowdy…any one of you can smack them down. Right?"
"Right," Goro grinned. Saiki glanced down at two fighters squaring off before yawning with boredom. Her husband leaned back to let her snuggle contentedly into him.
"How's your back?" he whispered and stroked a lock of her hair.
"It's there…but manageable. Your jaw and side?" she murmured.
"Same. I'm sure we'll both be fine," he muttered. He did blink at one of the fighters being a bit more skilled than normal. Then instant recognition set in on who this fighter was. "Wait a minute…!"
"Hmm? What?! Is that…Shishido?!" Tsuruno seemed to gape.
"It is. He must be here on a mission for the Daidoji. Which means he learned about this place. I mean…he's been here before. But of what's going on here? Did he learn on what's going on? Or just checking things out? But I don't think he's seen us…" Kiryu frowned and narrowed his eyes. "I've beaten him before when he tried to stop the First Dissolution…"
"Nope. Don't even think about it. If he gets to the Hard round…I'll take him on…" Saiki growled.
"No. Tsuruno should do it," Kiryu said.
"Hmm. Only if Ebina joins me," Tsuruno mused.
"Really?" Ebina looked at him with a bit of amusement.
"Whatever you want to do. It deals with the Daidoji. He needs to be stopped in his tracks," she growled and studied the powerfully built, muscular man with short, dark brown hair and scars on his face.
"I think I see a collar on him, too," Goro grinned wickedly.
"Interesting. Kazuma, can you send a text to ask why that one is here? And that he is fighting in the coliseum?" Saiki asked without taking her eyes off him. "Also, if they ask why we are here, don't answer that."
"We were too busy making out to notice him in the Beginner's Circle. I'll send a text and agree to ignore any questions on why we are here if asked…" Kiryu agreed and did just that. "Looks like the Daidoji sent him here as a mission to uncover what's going on…like I thought…"
"Better let them know they're going to be down a man as this place now belongs to me," Saiki grinned.
"Very interesting! He was not supposed to join the fighting…just a scouting mission…" Kiryu smirked. "Okay. He needs to be told to go back to his little home. He wanted to prove that he didn't need to be watched. After this, though? Yeah…not gonna fly with his superiors."
"He just won the fight," Samejima said.
"Shishido!" Tsuruno shouted down at him. The other man paused and looked up with complete shock. "The Castle has new owners! And the Daidoji needs you to leave! Right now! You must report back to them!"
"What?!" Shishido gaped.
"Either you step down…or the Daidoji gets your head in a box…" Saiki drawled out on glaring at him. "What will it be?"
"Ah…well…" Shishido grimaced.
"Don't be a fool!" JUSTICE1975 said on gaining his thoughts. "It's not worth it! We've seen her attack! She will not allow you to live if she goes down there! Please!"
"This is the most freedom I've had in a several months!" Shishido finally said. "And you want me to crawl back to them empty-handed?!"
"Empty-handed? You have an empty head already!" Saiki snapped out.
"My wife will not let you leave alive," Kiryu said bluntly. "She almost cut down Nishitani. Do you really want to take this risk?"
"Your…wife?! Why do you sound familiar…? I mean…fuck it! I've got nothing to lose!" Shishido growled. "I'm not going back without a fight!"
"Should you make it past the Hard Circle…you may be facing off against me. But Tsuruno and Ebina may try their luck first. Proceed," Saiki smirked.
"Who's…sitting with you…? What?!" Shishido gaped on recognizing Kiryu. "I thought I recognized that voice! But that's…just…how?!"
"The Daidoji didn't tell you I lived, eh? Nice. You should report to them and chew them out. And don't think of coming after me. My wife will severe off your head to send back to them. Choose your battles wisely now," Kiryu smirked. Now Shishido swore violently and stormed off to the next area to wait. At least they all thought he was going to wait.
"I'll definitely look forward to his fight," Seonhee grinned.
"He looks like someone who'd cheat," Samejima said.
"How can I not believe that?" Adachi grinned. Nanba found himself nodding with agreement.
"Some history there, eh? I may need some insight," Zhao mused.
"I can fill you in later," Tsuruno said. "He used to work for me."
"Even more interesting," Zhao chuckled. Joongi kept tabs on the fighters and made mental notes. Saiki was already brimming with excitement on possibly being able to confront the brash man. Her husband started to notice it.
"Saiki…" Kiryu grimaced. "No. We're not watching him."
"Oh?" his wife frowned.
"When it's his turn to show up, we'll be gone," he grunted. "I won't let you jeopardize yourself like this. And it makes no sense why he's here! Tsuruno, I thought the Daidoji had no idea about this place?! Wait. Damn it! Why didn't I see it before?! Nishitani…he had to have said something…"
"He's the only other one that would have. And Shishido, too, if you think about it. At least we got here first," Tsuruno sighed hard.
"I've been relaying information through my network. There's reports of men with suits being seen in various areas around Sotenbori," Akame frowned at what she started to receive.
"If they make one wrong move…let me know," Saiki said. "I bet they're scoping out a place to make a hideout. I don't see the harm in it. But if they start playing dirty…"
"I can see that," Kiryu nodded. "They also had a base in Hawaii."
"Where that one got killed?" she frowned.
"Yeah. As much as I hated being on his leash…he never wanted me hurt. He protected me. And he let me do what I did best discreetly," he gave his own frown. "He was like…an indirect brother in the end."
"If Dog Catcher was more like that…heh. Anyways, I do want to watch the fight. But I don't need to go down there. Not unless push comes to shove," Saiki smiled. Kiryu grunted his disapproval, but he understood that. Then he paused when she moved her mouth to breathe up his neck. "It excites me…to see you so pissed off, you know…?"
"Excuse me?" Kiryu blinked and found himself grinning at her chuckle.
"Tell me this," she muttered in his ear and got heavily kissed. "Who is that one to you? Shishido?"
"A thorn in my side…ever since he tried to stop the First Dissolution by siding with Nishitani," he muttered.
"He hurt you?" she frowned.
"We beat the crap out of each other…but I won…" he grumbled.
"So…he did hurt you…" she said with a narrow of her eyes.
"He's not touching us," he said and kissed her heavily again. At the sound of someone rushing at them, Saiki was quick to rise up over her husband and fling out her sickle weapon. It was less than a millimeter away from Shishido's nose when he found himself stopping dead in his tracks. She had a grin on her face to show she was ready to lunge.
"Darling…" Saiki crooned out. "He came to play…"
"What?!" Kiryu growled. Then he blinked that her heaving chest was right in his face. "This…this is distracting…"
"Good. I did it on purpose," she grinned. Tsuruno, Goro, Taiga and Daigo were quick to move into position. Kasuga, Samejima and JUSTICE1975 surrounded Shishido on the sides. Ugajin, Brody and Ebina rushed in to shove Shishido away. Zhao, Joongi and Seonhee were already alerting The Castle staff of the failed attempt of an attack.
"Who tried to attack us?" Kiryu muttered and found himself forcing her away slightly. He did pull her into his arms to hold her while he rose up to stand. Her sickle was set back on her belt to keep from hurting him, but her eyes were locked on the intruder. On seeing Shishido, he sighed with complete disgust.
"I'm killing him…" Saiki growled.
"No," he grunted.
"Let me kill him…" she growled out again.
"Easy…" he found himself mumbling in her ear. The strong fighters already had Shishido on his knees with his arms behind his back. "Why did you come up here? Just answer me that."
"I had to see…if it was really…you…!" Shishido grounded out.
"What an interesting necklace…" Saiki grinned at the sight of the shock collar. "I wonder…what would happen…if I played with it…"
"What?! No! Don't!" the man cringed.
"He has a shock collar! Like that other guy, eh?" Goro snickered. "I thought I noticed it."
"Why are you really here?" Seonhee asked when she stepped over.
"Why the fuck should I answer to you?" Shishido grounded out. Then he paused when Kiryu set his wife down to let her pull out the massive scythe. She placed it just under his chin with a small smile.
"Then answer me…before I forget…who you belong to…" Saiki said softly to show she was ready to shove the scythe through his thick neck.
"I…well…" Shishido started to panic.
"Darling, he can't talk if you make him piss himself," Kiryu sighed. "Please step back to my side?"
"But he should…become…a bread crumb…" she grinned wickedly. Then she paused at his light touch to his shoulder. At a glance at how Shishido was studying her, she stiffened completely. "I am slaughtering him."
"What?" Kiryu blinked.
"His main goal was to see how you are with me. Now he knows. And he will report back. Unless…we force him to stay here to keep the secret. Which is what I'm sure he was planning on," Saiki curled her lip back.
"He was sent here not knowing we were here…and saw this as a way to…I see how it is, too…" Kiryu said with his own spark of rage.
"Yeah! Now you see why I decided to come up here! Do you know how the Daidoji will react when they know that Kiryu can control this bitch?!" Shishido snickered. Then he shouted when she moved the scythe to lightly slice into his neck. The fighters holding him tensed and forced Shishido to be perfectly still.
"Saiki!" Kiryu hissed out.
"Just one shove…and he dies…" Saiki smirked. "His superiors have no information on why he's here. If he stays in a mandatory way…then he will be owned. By me. With a tweak to his collar. Maybe even a new one. He leaves The Castle…it will explode and take his head with him. He tries to make a phone call…the signal will also make it explode. Or I kill him right here. Right now."
"Is this a choice for him?" Ugajin asked.
"No. There is no choice for him. Damn it!" Kiryu spat out.
"I could always open up his skull and pour hot water on his brain…" Saiki mused at the idea. Shishido was forcing himself to stay perfectly still even while his blood was slowly starting to drip down the scythe. Then he blinked when Saiki moved her face close to his. "Vow to me. Right now. You will serve me. You will stay here for the rest of your life. You left chains to be moved into other chains. Or you forget you were ever here in front of us and return to your other masters. What will it be?"
"I'd rather…serve you…than the Daidoji…" Shishido muttered.
"You get one…fucking…chance. Just one. I don't care how loyal you try to be. I'll have to study your collar to remove it. But you will have another put on you before I do. And I won't fuck you. That's reserved for my husband. Yes. Kazuma is my husband. And he has the sexiest body I'll ever lay my eyes on. So, for now, I guess you'll live. For now," she said and pulled the scythe away from his neck. "Treat him. And bind him down for now."
"Don't think I won't be watching you," Kiryu growled at the wounded man. Nanba was already pressing a cold towel to Shishido's throat to stop the bleeding.
"It's a very light cut. It might scar, but you have plenty of them, eh?" Nanba sighed. After he was hauled away to the medical bay by the staff, Nanba looked at Kiryu. "What's the plan with him for now?"
"Shishido will need to call the Daidoji and tell them he's trying to gather information. To try and see how Saiki is with me. That will buy him time. I can't believe how he planned this out!" Kiryu grimaced. "If we kill him, the Daidoji will be all over us. If he lets out my secret with Saiki…they'll do all they can to get me back on their team. If we just keep him here…the Daidoji may still try and utilize him as eyes in The Castle. This is not a good situation."
"I know how he works, but I wouldn't trust him to run this place if I'm gone," Ugajin frowned. "He'll turncoat. We can see that's been proven."
"Not unless I give you a remote control to a new collar that can be activated anywhere in the world," Saiki nodded and grabbed a cloth napkin. She dampened it with a bit of water to start wiping off her scythe. "He gets one chance. Just one. After that? He's gone. And he disrespected me. He's lower than someone's shit that leaks out their ass after death."
"Think we can get Nishitani, too?" Tsuruno asked.
"No. That one needs to stay with his masters. Shishido, though? He is far more cunning than that sick fuck," Saiki frowned. She had fully cleaned off her scythe before letting it flow back into the pole. It was set back on her belt and she found herself pulled into Kiryu's arms.
"If the Daidoji get me…" Kiryu started. She placed a finger on his lips.
"If any of them touch you…I will let myself black out. And there will be a repeat of the Clan that I had to massacre on a grander scale," she vowed. "And they know it. They likely saw what I did to the ones they didn't need. They know what I can do. I will wipe all of them off the face of the earth if they lay a fucking hand on you."
"I love you so much…" he swallowed. She let him press into her and bury his face into her neck. They ignored everyone else around them.
"It's okay," she whispered and ran a hand through his hair. "And honestly…I don't fucking care if they find out about us. How you can control me. Because…you really can't control me. If you think about it. I choose to let you control me. I'll always be loyal to you. But you saw how I fight in the warehouse. So…I'm actually not very concerned."
"Saiki…" he mumbled. "What are you thinking of?"
"Ah, my lovable idiot," she laughed softly and heard the others chuckle. "If they find me…find us…and it's not on neutral terms…"
"I get it," he sighed.
"So…technically we can send Shishido back to them. But he does want to work for me. Maybe the Daidoji will see this as a way to try and keep tabs on me. Indiscreetly…" she mused. "Around him…I'll set up a bunch of lies that he can report back to. Make him think you have full control over me…"
"Really?" Kiryu looked at her now.
"Like your sick old man ruse…I'll be your little…willing puppet…" she started. He quickly shook his head at her. "Okay. I'll let you have a lot of sway over my decisions when normally I wouldn't care."
"That might work," he nodded. "He will have to call them on occasion, though. So we can't kill him if he does call them. As long as it's done on our terms, of course."
"Right. And if he doesn't give them a resignation…inform that he's 'on loan' until further notice. To benefit them," she grinned.
"And if they insist on getting him back?" Kasuga frowned.
"I'm thinking of a possible feat of strength. I'm still thinking about that scenario. Maybe…have them compete for him…" she mused aloud.
"I can see that happening," Seonhee nodded. Joongi also gave a small nod in full agreement.
"So, Ugajin, you'll need to assign a team to keep him under watch. Twenty-four hours a day," Saiki said.
"I can do that," Ugajin nodded.
"That will not be difficult at all. I would suggest to cage him in a room of luxury. So that he won't want to leave. But…he should fight in the last round after Hell. Before us. As a mandatory fighter," Samejima grinned. "He would have to earn his keep somehow."
"I like that idea," Saiki grinned.
"He could easily be in the same level as all of you. He did hold his own against me for a time. But he still got a full beat down by me," Kiryu grunted. "And, you know what? I want him to be only a million yen to challenge. Incredibly cheap for someone lower than dirt."
"Still a million yen, so he would have some value. If that," Saiki nodded. "He'll need to heal up first. Then, once he's good, he'll be informed of his new role. We could even let him be in the listing to appear after the fat fuck. I think that can work. Anyways, what's next on our list?"
"How's your back?" he asked.
"It's doing well enough. Your jaw is healing. So is your side. I really shouldn't train until the wound in my back is healed. I guess we'll just have to relax for the next day or two…" she said and got pulled close in his arms. "I'll need to study that collar, though."
"You will. Tomorrow," he said and lifted her back up to carry her to the chair. "Was the fighting still happening?"
"It was. We're almost done with the Advanced Circle," Kasuga nodded.
"Good," Kiryu nodded back and reclined in the large chair. "Oh. Ugajin, can you check on that guy that pissed us off? If he didn't fight yet…"
"On it!" Ugajin grinned. Saiki watched her new brother call out the faulty challenger in the coliseum floor, enrage him with taunts and neatly kick him to the curb within five minutes. Then the man got tossed out of The Castle with disgrace. Once Ugajin seated himself with the others, he was offered a cold beverage to recover what little strength he lost. Kiryu had paid close attention to the fight before reclining a bit in the chair again.
Saiki snuggled into him again and ran her hand over his hair. He started to feel drowsy, but he blinked awake at the sight of another fighter. He leaned forward slightly, and Saiki turned to look down into the coliseum floor. "He has a back tattoo. Hmm…Kasuga. Do you know that one?"
"Huh?" Kasuga frowned and looked at the coliseum floor. "He…definitely looks like a former yakuza. But I wouldn't know anything more than that."
"Hmm…" Kiryu frowned. "Daigo?"
"I'm looking," he nodded back and studied the fighting man. "He clearly fights like a yakuza. I wonder if he used to be an officer."
"I don't recall his face," Goro said lightly.
"Looks all the same to me," Taiga added.
"It's possible that he could be here for the prize money. Sai-chan, can I make a request?" Kasuga asked and got a nod from her. "If we recognize any of our former friends come through here, can we…pull them out and compensate them? Then invite them to be reformed as an act of good faith? I mentioned it earlier and we were thinking about it. I really think we should pull them out and help them after they fight it off to burn off most of their attitude."
"I like that," Kiryu said quickly.
"Whatever you prefer, dear," Saiki chuckled. "We'll see how far he gets, though. If he proves…valuable…we can give him a job after he's reformed to help protect the grounds. We can iron out all the major details later."
"I can see that," Daigo nodded.
"You know, this would be a great way to bring former yakuza out of hiding," Goro grinned. "And a way to gauge their fighting to see how strong they are. I know we aren't supposed to make a Clan, but every place needs a good set of bodies for security and other areas."
"Why, Goro! That's the first thing you've said that actually makes decent sense! Good job," Saiki grinned lightly. Taiga burst out laughing with Daigo and the others. "In fact, maybe you should be in charge of that."
"Ah…excuse me?" Goro blinked at her. Kiryu rose a brow and cracked a small grin at this. "What are you saying?"
"You saying you can't lead a small group? Or judge character on where one should be placed?" Saiki asked with confusion.
"I used to be a patriarch. I know how to do that," he retorted.
"Wait. You were a patriarch?" she asked with disbelief. Taiga was in tears and struggling for air now. Kiryu was hiding his face in his hand and laughing softly into it. Then he burst out laughing when she said, "Makes sense why you had to give up the position. You didn't have enough class."
"Wait a minute!" Goro growled and gave dirty looks at Taiga and Daigo.
"Prove me wrong. Find a team out of who we can discover. You can even use this coliseum as a scouting ring as you suggested just a bit ago. Lead them after they drop their yakuza past. If you do well, I'll make sure you get a good paycheck out of it. So…you'd work for me. If you think you can handle it?" Saiki asked with a hint of challenge.
"Don't underestimate me like that," Goro said with a small glare from his single eye. "I know what I can do."
"And how you can be an asshole on top of all that. I get that. Just know that if you accept a contract for work under me, the same rule applies to you. One chance. Don't fuck it up," she said with an edge in her tone. "You know what I can do. And I don't care where you try to hide. I will find you."
"I know…" Goro found himself swallowing.
"Saiki," Kiryu whispered in her ear. "What are you planning?"
"Nothing yet," she murmured and let him kiss her. "Just future ideas…"
"Do you think I could work for you?" Daigo asked. "We were talking about it before. I think it would be extremely beneficial."
"Possibly. What can you offer?" she asked.
"Security detail. Goro can find the ones we need. I help fit them into slots. After their program of reformation, of course," Daigo nodded. "I can also be part of any board you make. I was a board member before. I can help with consultation when it's needed."
"Count me in to help," Ebina said.
"Same," Tsuruno nodded.
"I don't know. You all would have to work for me, then. And I'm one bitch of a boss," Saiki grinned menacingly. "Anyone who decides to work for me is on the same rule. One chance. And I'd be the one to carry it out personally."
"Don't forget that her husband will also be carrying out judgment," Kiryu muttered. "I've beaten all of you down before. I'm not above doing it again."
"They also hurt you…?" she asked warily.
"Nothing I couldn't handle," he said and calmed her back down. "I like fighting my own battles when I know I can."
"I don't like seeing you cornered and defenseless. We are fixing that the moment you can train again," she growled.
"You train me however you see fit," he agreed with a small nod.
"You know I will," she said and let him kiss her. He placed his hands right over her belly as though to shield whatever might be there. She just sighed and chuckled at it all. "We don't know…"
"I get it. And I don't care," he mumbled with his mouth pressed against the top of her head. "We'll be here for another two hours. We'll need to head out after that. I need more…alone time with you."
"And…when will this alone time end?" she asked.
"At this rate…never," he smirked and gave her a hungry kiss.
"Our unknown friend won. When this is over, I'll approach him," Goro nodded. Another match happened, and Kiryu started to kiss his wife again to show he clearly wasn't interested in paying attention.
"Is she the reward?!" a brash challenger asked after winning a match. Kiryu suddenly broke the kiss and averted his gaze to the man.
"She's my wife. You can use your hand as your reward," Kiryu retorted. Goro coughed out laughter with the others at that.
"Aww! You can share, can't ya?" the man gloated.
"Darling," Kiryu growled.
"Yes?" Saiki murmured.
"I'm strong enough to kick his ass," he grunted.
"I think you are, too. Go for it," she grinned. "Just know this…"
"I know. But I think I'll be fine," he muttered and kissed her intensely. "Ugajin. Keep an eye on her."
"She's my sister. You know I will," the fighter nodded.
"Hold these. I don't want to kill him. I just want to teach him a lesson that he's young and stupid," Kiryu said and took off the gloves. Saiki set them in her lap after she sat back in the chair with him out of it. He moved swiftly to the coliseum floor and was soon standing in front of the brash thug. "If I beat you, you are disqualified. Don't hold back. Got it?"
"I won't lose against an old man!" the thug sneered and lunged. It was dodged, and Kiryu tagged him in the back.
"Try again," Kiryu said.
"Gah! What the hell?!" the thug scowled and swung at him. Again it was dodged easily, and the man was tripped with a low kick to the shins. Then Kiryu sucker-punched him in the back to send him flying into chained wall of the coliseum.
"Again! Come at me!" Kiryu baited.
"Who…the fuck are you…?!" the man said with complete frustration.
"A dragon going after prey," Kiryu smirked and readied himself again.
"Treat him like a pig carcass, dear," Saiki said from where she sat.
"Right," Kiryu smiled lightly. He used his intense critical focus and timed his punches on the man. Kasuga could only gape at what he was watching.
"He trained very well. He's doing a very good job at this. And he looks…much better than normal. Doesn't he?" she chuckled.
"None of his punches are missing!" Ebina blinked.
"Exactly," she nodded.
"Can you train my men to fight like that? If I pay you well?" Seonhee had to ask. Saiki laughed and shook her head.
"I'll discuss that with Kazuma," Saiki chuckled and watched her husband kick the downed man aside.
"Your impatience made you easy to take out. Train more with focus and understanding. Maybe you'll last longer next time. Until then…you're disqualified," Kiryu said and turned to leave calmly. The Castle staff were quick to remove the challenger from the coliseum floor.
"I'll…be back…! Just…count on it!" the thug swore.
"Good. I'll expect it," Kiryu nodded and left the area. He rejoined his wife and scooped her up to hear her squeak. "How'd I do?"
"Perfect scores," she chuckled and snuggled into him. He took the gloves back to put back on, and she adjusted the glasses on his face. "I think I'm ready for lunch now. What do you think?"
"Yeah. That really built up an appetite for me, too. I can eat," he chuckled and kissed her. Then he mumbled softly in her ear to grin at her hard blush.
"Stop it!" she hissed and got him laughing. He muttered in her ear again to get her glaring at his wide grin of amusement. Now she asked, "Did pervert's bed mattress get swapped out yet?"
"I can ask," Samejima said with amusement.
"I'm going to want to redo that entire room, anyways," she muttered and kept glaring at her husband. He sat back down in the chair with her in his lap. Then she used her singing tone to whisper in his ears. Now he glared at her. She kept her face neutral and whispered again.
"That…is cheating…" he growled.
"What is?" she asked innocently. Zhao found himself laughing.
"What's going on?" Ugajin asked.
"She has this weird ability to talk in your head. Like…really talk in your head," Kasuga said. Adachi was cracking up on watching Kiryu get more and more sexually frustrated with each passing second.
"Maybe we should get some honey up here…" Saiki mused.
"I'm sure they have some," Joongi said and grinned at Kiryu's scowling glare at him. When Kiryu's phone rang, he glanced at the number when he pulled his phone out. Saiki took it from him to answer it.
"Hi. What do you want?" she asked.
"We need Shishido back," the man said sternly on the other side.
"He said no. He wants to work for me," she said lightly.
"It's not his choice."
"Apparently it was. You trusted him to leave on his own. He betrayed you. Even more, he decided that working for me was better for him. But, if he stays with me, I will let him report to you on what's going on in The Castle," Saiki said with a form of disdain. "This way, if someone you're looking for shows up, he can inform you quickly."
"You would let him stay there…to spy for us?" the man asked with confusion. "What's the catch?"
"None. Because if he fucks up with me, you'll get back his head. I'll have him fight in the coliseum on occasion to truly earn his keep. If you need him for a mission, then fine. He can go to help. But he comes right back here. I won't let him be lenient. And if he doesn't come back, I will get him back. You can keep the perverted fuck. I don't need that one. Hell, I wasn't going to let Shishido live, either. I almost cut off his head," she growled. "He'll have the mark to prove that."
"We will get him back!" the man growled out.
"Then let's make it interesting," Saiki said with amusement. "Send over the strongest fighter you have. I'll have your fighter go against my strongest fighter. Winner gets Shishido. What do you say?"
"What?!" the man asked with shock.
"Think about it!" she grinned wickedly. Kiryu glanced at Ugajin who was already cracking his knuckles with eagerness. Kiryu smirked that they were talking about it before and now it was going into effect.
"We will call you in an hour," the man said and hung up.
"Tell Shishido to not unpack just yet, eh?" she grinned a bit more. "And the Daidoji knows that Kazuma has…a slight hold on me. But not much. So what Shishido saw meant nothing, really. If you think about it."
"That's true," Kiryu mused. "And, technically, I am the strongest fighter here. But…I'm retired."
"Ugajin can handle the fighting easily. As if I'd ever let my husband be reclaimed by others. He's claimed by me. And me alone," she murmured and let him kiss her passionately.
"This is the best first time experience I've ever had!" Akame beamed. "Oh! I'm a singer, you know! I'd love to perform here!"
"We can set up an exclusive karaoke room for people," Saiki chuckled.
"I can definitely see that! We can charge for songs, too. And what is that at the entrance of The Castle?" her husband frowned at what he saw in the distance.
"Late event fighters?" Saiki frowned. At how the group of ten men wearing black leather with metal spiked sleeves were shoving people out of the way to get to the coliseum, Kiryu had to hold her down fast to him. They were clearly a group of men that were there to pick a fight. "I can…play with them…"
"Not yet," he muttered.
"We're here! Let us in!" the overly buff leader of the group leered at the man behind the recruiting station desk.
"We already closed out the challenger rosters. You will have to wait for the next time it's opened," the young man said. "That will be in two weeks."
"Bullshit! I'll take you right now!" the man grinned and reached over to grab the young man's collar. Then the lead thug was kicked head first into a pillar when Saiki used her whip to vault herself right out of Kiryu's lap and catch onto various beams to defend her employee. She stood on the desk with a look of absolute murder in her eyes.
"Fuck…!" Ebina gaped.
"Gotta get down there! Now!" Kiryu was already out of the chair and bolting to where she was.
"Now…who the fuck…are you…?" Saiki asked and let the scythe out to show she was ready to kill. The thugs were completely petrified at the sight of her weapon. "This is my playground. I own this place. You…are nothing but little turds that need to get flushed out to sea…"
"Saiki! Stop!" Kiryu said when he managed to finally reach her.
"I was waiting for you," she said softly. "I did enough to stall them. I'm…learning to bide my time. For you."
"Thank you. Darling, come down and stand by me?" he asked and coughed to catch his breath. Now she looked at him with concern.
"You don't breathe while you run?" she frowned.
"I panicked when you came down here," he said on glancing up at her.
"No excuse. I'll train you better," she promised. He sighed and found himself nodding at that. She moved to settle lightly on his shoulders, and he found himself grinning at her.
"I think I like this," he chuckled and pat her dangling legs. She hefted the scythe over her shoulders now and gave a twisted smile at the intruding men. Now he looked at them and said, "The coliseum challenge rosters are closed."
"But…we tried to get here in time! Please let us in?!" the lead thug begged.
"For what purpose?" Saiki growled dangerously.
"It's been our dream to fight here! To go far!" he whined.
"Well…only one of you can get in," she grinned. "Who will it be?"
The group pointed at the lead man. Kiryu studied him and looked at the young man to nod. "Let him in. He'll be in the Hard Circle of fighters, though. We'll see if he makes the cut to No Way In Hell."
"Yes!" the lead thug grinned. Then he paused. "Um…what's No Way In Hell? I thought…"
"We have new rules," Saiki grinned wickedly. "No Way In Hell is when one of my elite fighters goes toe-to-toe with you after the other challengers are beaten. If you beat that one…I have several others waiting on the side. No rest. No stopping. If you manage to take out the last one and still remain standing, well…you do get a prize of ten thousand yen. But, if you want to come back to try again, it would cost ten thousand yen to participate. So, if you spend it right away instead of giving it back…"
"I thought it was one fight per match. Winning challenger gets the prize. Or did things change?" Kiryu mused.
"I changed the rules. Just now," Saiki grinned. Now the word was spread for the four strong fighters to snicker with anticipation. "Of course, things may change again…but for now? Why not?"
"Are you fucking with me?!" the lead thug gaped.
"This was a trial run. To see how well it would do. The next time we do this, well…the prize would be greater. Much greater. And it would double on each major win. You'd even earn a priceless trinket as your form of proof for winning the entire thing. So…you could do this now. Or you can wait a couple weeks and prepare yourself. What'll it be?" she asked. Ugajin was soon there with the other three fighters to show who would be waiting on the sides.
"I'm here. I'll do this now and test my strength!" the lead thug said while filled with pride. Saiki knew he couldn't back down in front of his group.
"Then get your ass in gear. Now. Because you're up next," she grinned. Kiryu smirked and turned to leave with her securely on his shoulders. "It's still the Hard Circle of fighters. It's closing off fast. So get over to where you need to be before you lose your spot."
"And if he fights you?!" one of the men in the group asked. Now they all turned to see him fall dead from a dagger that went through his chest. She pulled on a wire to yank it back out into her hand. She didn't even turn around to see who she killed. The ones watching from afar were stunned. Even the fighters were speechless at how accurate she was in her hit.
"I don't fight fair. I play for keeps. It's my nature. So…if we fight…you just die. Are you game?" she asked with a look of cold death in her eyes when she looked over her shoulder at them all. Now they all saw her tattoo. She never covered it back up.
"No…" the thug leader said with complete fear.
"Smart choice. And get that corpse out of here, please," she said to the waiting staff.
"You have a dagger on a string?" Kiryu asked and looked up at her with surprised amusement. "You never told me you had that!"
"New invention," she chuckled and squeaked when he tickled the back of her leg. "I made it a few days ago. I realized it would be nice to do for tight spots. It clearly worked."
"That it did," he agreed and saw the scythe get put away. He helped her move to settle in his arms to get carried. "I think I like you in your cardigan. I don't want anyone seeing your tattoo if they don't need to."
"I can put it back on," she smiled and yawned lightly. "Anyways…food?"
"Yes," he nodded and carried her back to their chair. A tray table was set up next to them with a lunch of gourmet sushi set down. They fed each other and watched the Hard Circle challengers fight each other with fierce intensity. When the lead thug walked into the ring to show he was ready, Kiryu took intense interest in what would unfold.
"What's on your mind?" she asked.
"Something about that guy. I don't like him," he muttered.
"You shouldn't like anyone that causes trouble right away," she murmured and snuggled into his chest. He nodded lightly and squeezed her gently to him. "But…I have been thinking…"
"Hmm?" he glanced at her. He found himself tensing when her finger started to trace up his chest.
"Your chest is covered. A pity…" she frowned.
"Something wrong with that?" he mused and looked at her.
"You saying…you don't want something…?" she asked with a light grin.
"I never said…" he caught himself and looked at her. She was trying to keep from laughing at him now. "I see what you did there."
"Did you?" she grinned.
"Don't start the No Way In Hell Circle until I get back with her," Kiryu grinned and lifted her up with him.
"We didn't finish eating," she frowned.
"I'm ready for dessert," he snickered softly while the others laughed at the whole thing. He ended up carrying her back to their new bedroom. He set her down, stripped the sheets off the bed and flipped over the mattress.
"Seriously?" she grinned.
"Yes," he muttered. She helped him replace the sheets, but gasped when he moved behind her. "Now…are you saying that you don't want this?"
"Shut up and fuck me," she growled.
"Gladly," he growled back and locked his mouth on hers to give in to what they both needed right then and there.