Well, here's another update. Urm, thanks for reading. And be sure to leave a reivew and give me your thoughts. Also see to the bottom of which sekirei you want in his harem, I'll consider it all, but if I'm moving in the same direction I think I am he'll have a lot more. So be nice and leave a review and your thoughts.
I don't know what to think... Ryu drawled mentally exhausted. It was early morning and to his surprise all of his sekirei were cuddled up against him taking his entire body. He only had his head. He didn't get any sleep last night, rather he couldn't. Flashes of that nightmare several nights before kept manifesting except this time uzume was involved, but he couldn't see what happened to her.
After failing to fall into deep sleep he resigned to just stare at the ceiling and watch his sekirei sleep.
He smiled noting that they looked so peaceful. Uzume wasn't teasing him, toyotama wasn't scolding him, and yashima and nanaha weren't fussing over him, things looked to be normal.
Normal... Was this normal?
Far from it his conscious answered. Four beautiful girls sleeping in the same bed, and you could get more. He shook that one off, yeah and then miya can scalp him with that sword. No one messed with his hair. He didn't need her thinking he was actually shacking up the entire city.
What's next wing all 108 sekirei?
Scary thought he said mentally. He couldn't imagine having to deal with 108, four was more than a handful. Between uzume's teasing, toyotama's constant touching, and his shyest sekirei's silent rivalry, he wondered how long it'd be until they decided to just take a body part.
Karasuba... He said mentally sighing silently. He hadn't seen or heard from the black sekirei. He could feel that she was safe, well that was a given, in any case she wasn't in any harm. But as he watched his girls quietly snore his thoughts wandered to the black sekirei.
What was she like? Was she like them? Following him every chance they could get, fighting over him? Was she shy, or straight forward and wanted to be dominant? He got know his sekirei better, but karasuba he almost knew nothing about aside from she was the leader of the discipline squad, and from what he heard, and gathered enjoyed killing.
But... She can't be that bad, right? He groaned quietly wanting his body back. Miya had the four of them in different rooms, one of his sekirei or all of them would sneak in during the night. He didn't mind, but miya had been very aggressive during their sparring session the following day.
If he didn't know better something troubled her, or she found about his foursome. If the small cuts on his arms and torso were anything to go by.
They weren't large or deep enough to cause severe damage, but they stung and were extremely painful. But he didn't whine or complain, she was his teacher, he'd just tough it out.
He'd been through worse with his master. Much worse. And he was still walking on two feet.
He closed his eyes slowly drifting off into a light sleep. The rise and fall of his sekirei's chests soothed him, and he dared to fall deeper, how much he could, wanted to, but didn't. He feared few things, not a lot of things, but something about that nightmare just shook him to his core.
He sleepily opened his eyes about three hours later. His body still taken by his sekirei. One day I'll get them back he thought with a small smile, oh he would indeed. His stomach began to rumble loudly stirring nanaha who found a comfy spot on his torso. "A monster? No, not today..." She said sleepily snuggling her head more. His stomach began to grumble again this time much, much louder. All of his sekirei stirred, except for uzume.
"Mmmm... Ryu.. Get up and get something to eat." She said sleepily, and that was all before she was out like a light. Ryu carefully moved nanaha into his spot where he once was the sekirei clawed frantically clinging onto yashima for warmth. Uzume moved the sheets up snuggling closer to her sisters.
So adorable he thought with a smile watching them cling to the other. He was happy that uzume picked up on some of his habits or would just tell him to go before he even needed to use the bathroom or got hungry. He slipped on a pair of his shorts with a t-shirt quietly walking to his door and sliding it open silently closing it.
He shivered slightly feeling a slight chill but it wasn't too bad. He walked to the end of the hallway and quietly walked down the flight of stairs, he noted it was still early in the morning and didn't want to wake anyone up.
The only one that would be up at this time would be miya or kagari. But it was about four, and miya didn't stir until about five, so he took extra care not to walk too loudly.
He rubbed the sleep from his eyes opening his mouth slightly. "Cotton mouth, hate it." He grumbled opening up the fridge he looked around taking notice of the leftovers, but those were kagari's there were a few others things, but he got the gallon of milk and set it on the table. He grabbed a bowl and got a box of cereal pouring the contents into the bowl and filling it with milk.
He sat alone at the dinner table in silence and darkness. His eyes adjusted well, the sun had yet to make its ascension. He shoved a spoonful into his mouth chewing quietly looking around the place. For the first time in a long time he was alone, his sekirei sleeping, kagari still at work, and no activity going on. He basked in the silence, something that he missed. In the country there were no cars, wires, roads. You could see the stars and in the summer fire flies it up the dark skies above, many times he'd just fall asleep on the grass after losing himself in his thoughts while watching the fire flies and stars.
Silence was something he didn't have in the city. There was always someone, something moving. Be it a truck, car, a cell phone ringing there was always some noise, his extra sensitive hearing picking up on all of it. What do I do from here?
As if answering his question matsu hung down the ceiling adjusting her glasses. Ryu jumped two feet out of his chair about to scream until she put a finger to his lips silencing him. "Don't wake the others, meet me in my room."
"But, I'm hungry." Ryu whined slightly with a blank expression.
"You can bring your food with just go." Matsu said slightly amused and annoyed with him. Without another word she went back into the ceiling putting the ceiling piece back into place.
Well, I guess that's good morning. He sighed mentally picking up his bowl of cereal and heading for matsu's room. When he came within two feet of it the door opened matsu urging him to move faster, but he kept at his pace not wanting to wake anyone, he finally entered the room taking a seat on the futon.
"So, ryu-tan wants to speak to me still?" She asked.
Ryu finished chewing before he answered. "I'd like to, if that's alright with you."
Matsu nodded turning to her keyboard. "Matsu can help, what does ryu-tan want to know?" She looked back at him awaiting his answer.
So many things I don't know, miles well start from the top he shoved another spoonful of cereal into his mouth once he was finished chewing he asked. "Well, what exactly is a sekirei, where did you guys come from? Were you always here or somewhere else?"
Matsu turned back to her keyboard. How much could she really tell him, she was number two besides miya she was the first to see the world. He already had four sekirei not to mention the black sekirei, she'd have to tread carefully. But he knew the basics of the game so she wouldn't have to explain that. "Well, to answer that, I'd have to say I don't know."
"You... Don't know?" Ryu's eyebrows twitched.
Matsu had to hold back a giggle seeing him make that face. "Where are your manners, interrupting me before I finished? Now, I don't know where we originally came from. But, I know where my life began." She trailed off looking at ryu who was absorbed in her explanation. "About twenty years ago a spaceship was found in ruins, it's orgins unknown. Inside of that spaceship were 108 beings. The first was already full grown while the rest were fetuses still developing."
Is this a sci fi flick? He questioned mentally. "That's... Surreal." He said quietly trying to make sense of it. "So it was you sekirei?"
Matsu nodded with a small smile. "Very acute ryu-tan, yes it was us. I don't know how long we were on earth it could've been tens, thousands, even millions of years before we were discovered. I can't tell you precisely, but this all started twenty years ago."
"By this you mean the sekirei plan?"
Matsu shook her head. "This is a sham of what the sekirei plan originally was."
"Originally?" Ryu questioned.
Matsu nodded. "In the beginning it was to protect the little birds. You see our ship crashed onto an unknown island, it was later known as kamikura island. Our ship was found by two people, a self proclaimed genius and his assistant. It wasn't long before international forces got involved and a full scale invasion was launched." Matsu looked at ryu to gauge his emotions and thoughts on this.
"And that person was minaka?"
Matsu nodded with a small smile. "Correct again ryu-tan. My adjuster at that time takehito made the first five sekirei killing machines. Numbers 1-5 were charged with protecting the rest of the sekirei. It was only right, after all many of us could've been taken away, reproduced for an unseen war and used at the last second. It would end badly." She explained, ryu nodded his head in understanding. "That was when the discipline squad was formed, to protect the little birds from outside forces. The first invasion was the largest by far, several smaller invasions followed over the years."
"But, why invade? If kamikura wasn't known why would they invade it?"
"Because, minaka kept all of it a secret the ship, the island, the sekirei. But, it didn't last long words drifted around and that's when international powers wanted to know what exactly was going on there. Minaka claimed the island as his, and his only. There wasn't a single person that survived that day." Matsu said with a serious stare. "Before you ask, takehito was a friend of minaka's, the latter enlisted him to help his cause." She smiled when she seen his deadpan expression.
"So if this is all true, because you wouldn't lie about any of this." Ryu started setting his empty bowl down getting a little closer to matsu. "Then why the fighting, why this tournament, why does your kind needlessly toil and fight?" He frowned. "I don't get it."
"After the invasions, minaka studied and took the technology of the ship and founded what is now MBI. With superior technology at his disposal he quickly became famous. He is dellusioned, he is the game master pushing things to happen, and there's nothing that can be done." She frowned.
"After takehito died protecting us from an unstable jinki that's when minaka changed the sekirei plan into this tournament."
Ryu felt anger bubbling inside of him. This man... Finds amusement in watching others suffer... He clenched his fingers flaring his nostrils. He was so mad! "He can't be stopped, one man can't be stopped? I find that hard to believe, almost amusing."
"It is not minaka per say, but MBI his own personal army that can't be stopped. If it was solely him this would've ended long ago, but with weapons and an army he is pretty much untouchable." She replied adjusting her glasses.
Ryu was silent absorbing the information. "If the first five are so powerful, and you sekirei have superpowers why don't you all just team up?" Ryu asked.
"The answer is simple, we want to find our ashikabi." Matsu replied flatly.
This... Ridiculous sentiment..! He growled mentally flaring his nostrils again. So just kill each other in the mean time!? He grunted looking straight into her eyes, and for a moment matsu thought she seen a hannya mask or a dragon's face burn straight into her core sending a chill down her spine. "And an ashikabi is like me, a human?"
If only he knew... Poor guy, I guess miya didn't tell him yet, I can't fault her. Matsu thought smiling sadly. "Yes, an ashikabi is human."
"Then, how do they bond, were sekirei here before? When did this all start, before the ship? Before minaka?" He shot one question after the next.
"That I don't know, only minaka knows how the ashikabi and sekirei bond and all the intricacies that go along with it. As for the beginning, I'm sorry but I don't know that." Matsu replied noting that ryu's eyes saddened a bit. Does he care that much about us? She wondered in her mind. "I can only theorize that at one time sekirei and humans were together, it makes sense." She said with a slight nod tasting her answer. "It's not outside of logic."
Logic went out the window when I got involved in all of this. Ryu thought.
But it wasn't too far out there, if sekirei and humans could bond, that meant a long time ago they lived together. Produced offspring together, but what happened why did they leave? If they left? Was there a war, a conflict, a disagreement? If they did indeed have relations could that mean somewhere down the line his grandpa or great great great great great grandma was a sekirei? It would explain his fast healing, strength, speed, agility, sensitive hearing, increased clarity in his sight, even his sense of smell was heightened. Although he trained to make them more sensitive and acute, it had to start from somewhere... "Is it possible that one point in time we lived peacefully, together?" Ryu looked at her for an answer.
Matsu noted that there was a sense of longing in his voice. He really doesn't want us fight? She wondered again. "At one point, I believe so, yes." Matsu nodded.
"Then why can't..." He trailed off looking at his fists that were turning white from being clenched so hard, he could feel blood slowly dripping from his palm.
"Ryu-tan." Matsu said in a soft voice grabbing his hands into hers quickly loosening his iron grip. He looked at her not sure what to think or even do, but he looked at her giving her the respect while she was speaking.
"That's why, it's important to win. Whoever wins can decide the fate of all of us, for better of worse."
"Better or worse?" He questioned.
"Once the last two ascend to the heavens, they will have control over all of the little birdies and their wings. They could free us all, or turn us into slaves." She explained.
I had no intention of playing along... I want to kill minaka, and whoever helped him get this far in this ridiculous quest. But... The sekirei are so much more than fighters, killers... He thought remembering his times with his own sekirei, they were all... Unique, but they all adored him and loved him with all of their heart. Although once in a while there was I love ryu more, he wants me more thing, but he grew accustomed to their little rivalries it was cute. "Then, I guess I can't lose." He said.
Matsu raised an eyebrow seeing the fire in his eyes, that dare say turned her on a bit. Such a man she thought fondly. "You won't lose?"
"I won't!" Ryu said fiercely giving her hands a little squeeze. "I'll make sure you and all of your sisters are free and won't have to fight each other anymore."
Oh ryu, I dare to dream she said mentally. But I'd be wrong to doubt you now. "I believe in ryu-tan, matsu-tan will do everything in her power to help her friend." She said with confidence smiling.
Friend ryu thought with a small smile. "Thank you matsu-san, you're a good friend." He said quietly wrapping her into a tight hug. Matsu returned the hug with no hesitation resting her head on his shoulder.
Tracing he fingers across his back noting how muscular he was, and his warmth.
"You're willing to help us, regardless of everything going on. Matsu will do her best to do the same." She said separating from him wanting to scream at the loss of warmth, it wasn't exactly her body heating up, but ryu was like a furnace that made her skin so hot.
So much to take in, and now to plan. Ryu thought. I think the bath is calling my name. "Thank you for explaining some things to me matsu-san." He bowed his head slightly smiling warmly. "I'll leave you, I'm going to take a bath." He said standing up walking to the door putting a hand on it.
"Ryu-tan."
He turned around. "Yes?"
"You're welcome." Matsu said with a small smile. Ryu nodded, exiting her room.
Minaka couldn't hide the grin on his face, but at the same time on the inside he was clawing and screaming. "Their crests changed?" He looked up from the reports raising an eyebrow at takami.
"It appears so, no doubt." She said with more than a little concern.
"And his genes, you are certain?"
Takami nodded with a frown not saying a word.
Minaka shuffled the papers one by one looking at their crests, and the medical records since birth. Normally he'd be shouting to the ceiling about gods, a new age, and some other crap, but not he was quiet. Deadly quiet, his mind spinning, whirling, contemplating his next move.
"I've never seen you so worried before." Takami said lighting the end of her cigarette taking a drag.
"Did takehito do adjustments?" He asked after a few minutes of deathly silence.
"I would assume so, he always thought ahead and didn't do things without a purpose." Takami replied taking another puff.
"He could be the end of my life's work!" Minaka exclaimed setting the reports down, a grin forming on his face. "But from these reports, he may be the best contestant there is."
Takami's eyes widened dramatically at that statement. "You idiot! This is no time for your jokes! You read the reports yourself, I doubt he knows it! But that doesn't matter!" Takami yelled at him.
Minaka scowled slightly, she always had to ruin his fun and moment.
"Takami, dear. Could you please leave."
"Excuse me?" She questioned with an angry mark on her forehead.
"You're yelling again, so leave until you calm down." He waved his hand at her dismissing her with that same grin.
"I'LL SHOW YOU CALM!" She roared a second later socking him full on the jaw knocking him over backwards the papers flying all over the room landing on the floor. "There's your calm, you idiot." She grumbled storming out of the room.
"Bro, you're not going to hit her." Uzume said while she panted. How she let ryu talk her into going outside to spar with miya in the middle of winter she'd never know.
Ryu panted his breath visible with each brisk inhale and exhale. Toyotama wiped the sweat from her brow standing firm along side of him with yashima and nanaha.
Miya kept her hand clasped on her handle staring at the four them intensely. "After this we're done for today." She announced.
"Grr." Toyotama growled in frustration. "We've been at this for two hours and still didn't get close to touching her."
"So we just try harder." Yashima said firmly standing with her ashikabi.
"Yeah, yashima-san is right we'll try harder!" Ryu said with determination. He'd been going at for a few months now with miya and not once did he come close to hitting her.
"We stand behind ryu!" Nanaha said fiercely.
"You guys can go ahead, I'm going to take a bath." Toyotama sighed retreating to the back porch, after taking off her shoes she headed for the bathroom.
"I'll wash your back!" Uzume cheered following after her.
"Don't worry ryu, we're here still." Yashima said.
He sent her a smile before turning his focus back to miya. Without saying a word he shot off the ground running towards her yashima hot on his heels while nanaha flanked them. Miya set her stance clasping her handle tighter she carefully adjusted her feet dodging ryu's blade watching it skim passed her, with a quick pivot she avoided nanaha's charge with her spear. Yashima narrowed her eyes swinging her hammer in a wide arc to build momentum. Miya caught sight of the attack leaping clean over it, yashima had a look of shock plastered on her face as she twisted around again. Miya landed silently slamming the end of her saya into her back yashima let out a hiss before stumbling forward.
"YAH!" Nanaha let out a shout jabbing her spear forward again, miya narrowly dodging it her eyes watching her arms hyper extend taking advantage she bent her fingers striking the sekirei's forearm the spear flew stabbing into the ground a moment later nanaha fell face first after receiving a blow to her head.
That just left ryu.
Miya on instinct dodged his slash leaping back, ryu turned on the ball of his right foot thrusting the blade forward with a shout. This was his last attack, he was spent, muscles ached, and the cold air began to burn his lungs. It was all or nothing. Miya's eyes widened for a second, she quickly drew her sword blocking the thrust as sparks flew she twisted to the side overbalancing ryu flew forward from the extra momentum slamming head first into the fence a heap of snow dropping onto him from the trees above.
"Ryu-sama!" Nanaha and yashima cried in unison running towards him, ignoring their injuries they got on their hands and knees frantically digging for him. Miya slowly sheathed her sword putting it back under her obi.
"AHH!" Nanaha cried in fright as a hand shot out the snow missing her face by inches. A moment later ryu shot up out of the snow with a far away look in his eyes, he struggled to stand up using his sword as support. Yashima went to help but he silently told her not to, he needed to stand on his own two feet without any assistance. He took a shaky step forward sheathing his sword quickly.
Miya looked at him with slight concern. They were all improving, and their team work was getting better she actually needed to keep her senses sharp to dodge and block their synced attacks. "Ryu-san are you alright?" Miya asked walking up to him noticing the look in his eyes didn't go away.
"Y-Yeah, just a little spent." He replied still trying to catch his breath.
"How many fingers am I holding up?" She asked holding up two her index and pointer finger.
Ryu's vision blurred in and out. He felt like he was on a cloud, his legs were like jello and his body just wanted to quit. "Ah, four." He replied before everything went black.
"Ryu-sama!" Yashima exclaimed catching him before he fell to the ground.
"Miya-san, i-is he okay?" Nanaha asked with tears welling in her eyes.
Miya looked at him for a moment before nodding her head. "He'll be alright, he just needs to rest he pushed himself too hard again." She replied. "Yashima, could you be a dear and make sure uzume isn't being touchy touchy with toyotama I think I heard her scream?" Miya asked politely.
Yashima nodded her head walking onto the back porch. She wanted to stay with her ashikabi to be there when he woke up to smother him with hugs and kisses but she listened to miya.
"Is he really hurt?" Nanaha asked setting her spear and yashima's hammer off to the side in the house. Miya carried ryu on her shoulder with an intense stare, the heat was coming back, she was so hot that she began to pant. But she did her best to compose herself.
"Aside from exhaustion, he may have got a concussion." Miya replied not looking at her fellow sekirei as she laid ryu down on the futon.
Nanaha began to feel regret, if only she had been stronger, faster, he wouldn't have that concussion thing. He wouldn't have had to risk an injury trying to get miya for once. "But, if he hadn't done what he did I would've never received this." Miya gestured to the small slit by her right shoulder a small thin line of blood coming from the cut.
"Landlady-sama!" Nanaha exclaimed about to fuss over her but miya shook her head.
"I'm fine, take off his clothes while I get a clean towel." Miya instructed, nanaha nodded her head doing as she was told as miya left the room.
Miya had a good mind to scold him, in fact she would scold him for what happened, but she was impressed with that last attack, she could feel his whole heart and soul put into that attack, she never felt so proud. But she was going to scold him regardless.
After all what are moms for?
Yashima stood outside of the bathroom door in the changing room with wide eyes.
"YOU PERVERT GET AWAY FROM ME!" Toyotama screamed.
"Aw, come on toyotama we share ryu, we miles well share each other too." Uzume whined.
"H-H-Hell n-no!" Toyotama shrieked, yashima heard a splash and wondered if someone was drowning.
"Ah, uzume-san, toyotama-san. Is everything alright?" She asked hesitantly.
"Oi yashima-san, come in the water is warm!" Uzume cheered.
"Everything is not fine THIS PERVERT just touched me in places!" Toyotama screamed, there was shuffling probably her going to wash her har.
"Don't over exaggerate toyotama!" Uzume exclaimed. "You know you liked it." She teased.
"I DID NOT, AND YOU KEEP YOUR DIRTY HANDS TO YOURSELF!" Toyotama shrieked flinging open the door a towel wrapped around her waist hair dripping wet.
Yashima's cheeks began to heat up as she looked at toyotama. She didn't mean to stare, but she was a lot taller and was right in front of her.
"Not you too!" Toyotama exclaimed covering her breasts with her hands.
"N-N-No!" Yashima exclaimed rushing out of the changing room before her entire face was as red as a tomato.
"Sheesh, at least someone isn't a complete pervert around here." Toyotama muttered to herself.
"I heard that!" Uzume exclaimed from the other side.
"Good I hope you did!" Toyotama shot back shutting the door with some force.
Ryu laughed quietly in his sleep licking his lips. "No miya-san, that fish was really good." He said sleepily turning over.
Miya sat there watching him for that passed twenty minutes, she came to the conclusion he loved her cooking. Which made her blush slightly. And either he was clueless, naive, or just an idiot.
She brushed a few strands of hair from his forehead resting her hand on it. Ryu-san, why do you have to be so much like your father. Selfless, reckless?" She asked herself mentally pulling his bangs back. She needed to get dinner started, but she'd stay just a little longer to watch over him.
And the chapter ends, with some cliffys and questions. Can you take guesses, please do! And who do you want to be a part of ryu's harem? Yomi, beni, haihane, yukari, that's all the characters I feel like putting for now, if you have someone please PM or leave it in a review thanks. Leave a review and give me your thoughts.
SAYONARA I'M STARVED!