I have a lot of readers! Awesome, it's crazy how long this story got.
A flash of purple and white drew her attention back to bookstore. She could see her target now. They were both leaving the alley now running as fast as their legs could carry them. Karei closed her eyes as she pulled a mask over her face so only her eyes and lips showed, her nose covered by the fabric with two holes under the material for breathing. It seemed her ability was spontaneous. She would far less dangerous if she kept her mouth shut. To be sure, Karei stuffed ear plugs to cancel out he ability if it was used. She'd take her out instantly, she needed to be done before they realized she even attacked.
She pulled out her weapon. It was one of the deadliest things to storm during the Bakumatsu. The chain sword. It could used to restrict the enemy's movements to a near halt and keep them in place while the person delivered the finishing blow. Attack from long distance as an ambush fighter, or even get in close quarters using the chain as a mace and to strangulate opponents. There were few ways around it. But her's was different, the blades were almost the length of a regular katana and the chain was long and linked. One sword was clasped firmly in her hand, the other sheathed at the bottom of her saya waiting to he launched as a counter or surprise attack. Her vision became hyper-focused and she seen everything in clarity. Even the blinding speed of flies buzzing their wings was all seen in slow motion,
Karei lunged from the rooftop in one swift motion as she rocketed towards her target. Time came to a slow halt as Karei streaked through the air. Her vision became focused, she noticed every single detail of her target. She could pick out each strand of hair, every pore on her face, the slight red hue on her cheeks, and look of fear in her eyes as she stared right at her.
She even noticed a car blazing through the stop light.
Fuck!
She hadn't been expecting a car going triple digits as well, but there was no time to back out. She had to end this now. Karei flared her chakra, enhancing her own natural strength. Her sword shot out screaming through the air it stabbed through the cement, using her chakra. Karei manipulated the long chain, the links wrapped around Kuno's body. She yanked on it forcing Kuno's limbs together. She almost collapsed to the ground.
"Bitch! What the hell!? Why you doing this to my girl!?" Hiruka shouted.
Karei would need to move fast, she could already feel Kuno trying to scream. The small Sekirei was unbelievably weak, but in the same light strong with that strange vocal power she had. She read the information on Number 95 and acted quickly with another flick. She yanked on the chain again wrapping the other end around her wrist. "I'm sorry." Karei whispered as she lunged forward with her second sword pointed straight about to thrust it into Kuno's chest.
Debris flew across Karei's face and body as she drilled through steel.
It wasn't Kuno she hit.
Karei spared a glance in the small Sekirei's direction, her chain uncoiled from her body. She was barely standing. A spark flared in her peripherals followed shortly by a earth shaking explosion. The car that had been speeding triple digits was ripped to slivers on one side as Karei's sword streaked through it like butter. With its suspension destroyed, and one half shredded the car veered over to the right, the momentum picking it clean off of its wheels, flipping over and over again spilling shards of glass all over the street and sidewalk as it crashed into the front of a nearby store. People screamed at the sight and more ran before even waiting to see what the end result would be. The front store window was utterly obliterated as the car ignited and was engulfed in a giant fireball devouring the building it crashed into, the roof shattered from the force crumbling into the ground billowing with smoke.
"Kuno, get up run!" Hiruka shouted barely able to believe what he just seen. All around him was glass and a few meters away there was a fireball that was quickly getting out of control. Kuno trembled as she took in the scene, so much destruction and chaos surrounded her, people ran, sirens wailed in the far distance. She struggled up clenching his hand tightly, without another word Hiruka darted to the side yanking Kuno along with no reservations.
As chaos reigned in the city, peace as always shrouded the Izumo Inn. Minato found himself on the roof staring at his two most outgoing Sekirei. He didn't run into Ryu today around the house, which came as a shock since his purple hair always gave him away. He wanted to ask questions, he wanted answers, but he'd wait. He had second ideas about coming on the roof but he was glad he did now.
"Let's go!"
"Yes!"
Minato was on his hands and knees in disbelief. "A-Are you really going out to exterminate that dangerous Sekirei?"
"Of course we are! I, Tsukiumi, will not forgive the bastard who defiles our battle."
Kagari sighed quietly. Finally he had a day where he could just relax, this entire thing was just tiring. He understood why Takami did what she did, do what she was doing. But it was to a point, Minaka had more than a few screws loose and he didn't like playing along with this, not after what he did to his body.
He smiled lightly struggling not to laugh as he heard the haughty Tsukiumi declare something again. This case doesn't seem to need the Guardian.
Tsukiumi turned around to face Musubi with a small smile. "But before that..." She snapped her arms up exclaiming. "Water celebration!" Several tendrils of water formed in the air around her as she exerted some of her chakra to moisten it around her. They lashed out towards Musubi.
Her brown eyes widened a they became focused. She could see each tendril of water, its trajectory, and the spot where it may hit. She bent he knees launching herself into the air dodging the barrage of tendrils. She twirled her body to the side arching her back letting herself free fall. She planted her foot on the roof just as she landed on it, lashing out with a wicked right cross, water flooded her vision as her blow was blocked. Minato looked back completely horrified by that he just seen.
Musubi paused for a moment before jumping back with a light giggle. "Thou hast passed. I'll leave my back for thee to protect!"
"What? What was that!?" Minato asked completely stupefied.
"A secret between a woman and a woman." Tsukiumi answered vaguely.
"Yes!" Musubi agreed in her usual bubbly tone.
"-Minato-san, we will go now!"
"-Minato, we shall go now."
Musubi and Tsukiumi spoke in unison with confidence glimmering in their eyes.
"Ah, yes." Minato said anxiously watching with shock as the two women leapt swiftly from the roof.
Ryu stood outside of a door with a blank expression. He was waiting for it, the sheet of paper. With Nanaha already making he declaration of what she wants that only left Uzume left. He was surprised she didn't return it a second after he handed it to her. She had been acting weird lately, it was bordering strange in her tendencies and secretiveness. It was like she did a complete 360 or 180. It was too strange. "Uzume-chan?" He called knocking on the door.
"Oh, Ryu-kun?" Ahiko asked as she peeked her head outside of her room looking both ways before spotting the black haired man. She grinned walking up to him with a bounce to her step, she wore a pair of black jogging pants that went to the floor from their length and a tank top of his that did nothing to hide her ample bust and cleavage. Her hair was down and going down the entire length of her back almost stopping at the bottom of her calves with bangs hanging over her forehead and the sides of her face. She blinked curiously at her childhood friend, she had good news. No it was great news to share, but he seemed a little... On edge? "What's up?" She asked walking to his side.
"Is Uzume home, I knocked but she didn't answer?" Ryu asked with a hint of urgency in his voice. He would normally just open the door, but that was to his own room. He couldn't just open up the door to her room, even if she wasn't in it. Miya would be all over for invading privacy and bunch of other things. He felt like an idiot now, with his first statement. But it made him nervous something that didn't happen often, Uzume would always pull him in wearing a costume or at times nude not that he was complaining.
"Mmm..." Ahiko looked thoughtful. "I can't say that she is. She went out earlier today, said it was something important and she'd be back." Ahiko explained nodding her head to herself. Yeah she got everything right. Uzume left in the wee hours or the morning around five, she didn't say much to Ahiko except good morning and she had some place she needed to be. Nothing less and nothing more.
Ryu narrowed his eyes slightly. Fuck this. He thought as he slid open Uzume's door. She was the only person besides him and Minato to not share a room. Whatever happened with Toyotama and her he'd never know. Uzume probably touched her and the green haired woman threw a fit the size of and then some. He could picture it already her yelling stark naked, Uzume laughing stark naked, and Miya just walking in at the wrong time seeing them both naked like that. He scanned the room for anything out of place, a sheet of paper. Maybe a note letting him know where she went, or just left. But. He couldn't find anything of the sort, her room was spotless. The futon was rolled up set in the middle of her room, the blankets were in a basket, and her mountain of boxes filled to the top with costumes and materials to make costumes remained untouched. "Important my ass..." He said with more than a little anger in his tone.
"Do you want to look for her?" Ahiko asked unfazed by the anger in his voice. "I wouldn't know where to look, but the others are all dong their own thing and Hari is watching a TV show so I'll help."
"Damn right." He grunted shutting Uzume's door quickly and with some force. The ominous feeling came back ten times worse than before, something was up, going on. And he didn't know of it, he hated not knowing. He wasn't nosey and didn't pry in people's lives, but with dangerous Sekirei on the loose and her just leaving didn't sit well with him. A thought crossed her mind but he quickly dismissed it. "Thanks Ahiko-chan." He couldn't hide the relief in his voice, there was something bad happening and he had no idea what it was
"Ahiko!" Ahiko whirled around to see Hari looking distraught over something.
"What is it?"
"Come and look at the TV!" She exclaimed running back into her room. Ahiko and Ryu exchanged a worried look before heading into the room, their eyes falling on the young male reporter standing behind an inferno. Ryu's eyes nearly bucked in shock what the hell was this? Ahiko narrowed her eyes with a hint of anger, all of those people were dead or injured, that was in the city, the bowels of it. Dozens of fire trucks and emergency personnel rushed passed him searching for survivors and the injured.
"...This is Shigure reporting to you from the west side of Shinto Teito. As you can see behind me, the scene is chaotic. Deaths are estimated to be at least ten, injuries are climbing up in the hundreds. Several eyewitnesses reported a car speeding down the street being sheared in two by what appeared to be a woman.
"It was daredevil I told you!" A teenager shouted in the camera getting up close to it continuing to scream I told you, I told you, he's real! Shigure shoved the annoying kid aside with a scowl he continued. "Sorry about that," he coughed uneasily. "While officials won't give out any details now, rumors are buzzing that MBI has something to do with this."
"Figures..." Ryu said quietly.
Right on cue at least three dozen APCs rolled across the road cutting into the picture and emergency personnel. They halted, their doors opening. Several soldiers quickly filed out of the vehicles combing through the area. "Here they are now..." Shirgure walked closer to the scene unfolding his cameraman loyally following him despite the fear he felt. "Excuse me, what does MBI have to do with this, and will Hiroto Minaka call a press conference?" He shoved the microphone into the soldier's face, which was hidden behind a mask.
"You have to leave right now sir." The soldier said calmly.
"I will not! We have the right to press! Shigure shouted indignantly facing the camera. "You see, the rumors must be true. MBI is behind this!" He shouted into the camera running from the three soldiers.
"Sir!" One shouted before there was an episode of cussing and the footage turned to fuzz.
Ryu and Ahiko stared at the TV. They felt a mix of emotions. Anger, fear, anxiety, trepidation, as they watched the news report roll on. Even now after it was cut prematurely by the private soldiers of MBI they were stunned into silence. Ryu shook his head coming out of stupor, a woman... The thought crossed his mind, this fit too perfectly in his eyes, Uzume leaving and now this. No he refuse to believe Uzume could do something like this. But did she know who did this, is that why she left? Wouldn't she tell him? He shoved the thoughts away. "Damn MBI, I'm going to!" Ryu rushed out of the room. Hari's eyes widened with worry, she looked at Ahiko who finally came around as was hot on his heels.
"What are you doing?" Ahiko asked rushing to his side as she flung his door open. Ryu already had his katana sheathed in its saya resting under his obi on his left hip. Ahiko wanted to scream hell no but that'd be a waste of energy she quickly shut the door closing the distance between them in an instant. "Ryu!"
"I'm going out there." He said in a low voice staring out the window. "Something is going on, and I don't know what it is." It infuriated him he didn't know. Was there still one moving through the shadows? He shook his head, no there was no way shinobi were in this city, there was no way in hell they'd be here. He shook his head, clenching his teeth in frustration.
"You can't just run out there! You're not a kid anymore! You have to think! If you die, we are deactivated as well! And we need a plan." She almost snapped angry at him. Ryu was through changes on all levels, but he still didn't grow out of this faze. Jumping into a battle like a madman without any reservations. Ryu froze at that staring at her with a mix of disbelief and anger on his face, the thought made him even angrier. He knew he was connected to all of them on the deepest level, but he never thought if he was to die, they'd die too.
"Are you positive?"
"I don't know much about this plan other than what you told me. But I know that is a fact, I'm positive." Ahiko said with a strong nod. She felt Ryu's emotions leaking into her from their bond, she felt anger, anxiety, trepidation, anticipation. Once more she could feel his intensity, those eyes, that look. "Look, if you want to go and search I'll come with."
"You think I'll die that easily."
"No I don't." She said with exasperation. Some things just never change. "A very sexy one, though." She quickly added, her maybe an idiot. But his heart was always in the right place even if he was more than a bit extreme. And she couldn't deny he did have a sexy body, he wasn't bloated and engorged like those guys she seen during her travels with Hari through the city. That was gross, and it wasn't functional, Ryu had twice muscle density they did and was half the size not even. "But rushing out without any plan is stupid, we need one!"
Ryu smirked. "Thanks." He said opening his window as he set his eyes on the city. "I know I'm being brash."
Ahiko nodded with a small smile. Oh this boy! She thought. "Let's go." She said running across his room before lunging out of his window in one smooth motion.
If it wasn't for his fierce resolve to get Kuno to safety. Hakura would've fainted from fright alone. Whoever that masked woman was she was absolutely terrifying. She ripped a car in half and that followed in an explosion that nearly took him out in the back blast. The heat was intense, almost unbearable leaving minor burns on him. Nothing too major or life threatening. He was likely to die from dehydration or exhaustion from so much running rather that getting taken out by an explosion.
He kept running his only thing that kept his legs moving was Kuno. He wanted her to be safe, she was terribly weak, and didn't want to be a part of this, she didn't want to be either. Each step sent pain from his aching soles all the way to his finger tips. He shook his messy hair whipping the sweat from his brows that threatened to streak between his eyes. "Kuno, hurry!" He shouted urgently picking up his pace.
"Please wait, Haruka-sama!" She pleaded with a strained voice. She was terrified, and her feet hurt. She wanted to get away, but she couldn't keep up with her Ashikabi. She struggled to keep up placing her feet down faster and faster each time. The tip of her boot slid across the ground sending her face first onto the cement.
"Idiot! You're so incompetent. Stop falling like a fool." He said annoyingly crouching down with his hand reached out.
"My name's Kuno not Idiot!" She cried.
He looked away as shame crossed his features. "Here! Hurry up!"
"Haruka-sama..." She said in a strained voice grabbing his hand.
Karei clenched her sword tighter, she blazed across the rooftops. Her speed bellying that of Olympic sprinters, they'd go green with envy over her speed. And would fail to replicate it. Karei poured her chakra into her feet tripling her speed easily, her eyes locked onto the shaking girl and messy haired boy. She wished it didn't have to be like this, she didn't take pleasure in killing a fellow Sekirei. But Chiho's life eclipsed all of that, all that mattered was that she smiled. She flipped off of the rooftop, she arched her body twisting and twirling in mid-air landing on the ground with a soft tac of her black thigh high boots that appeared to be part of her tight fitting outfit.
"Rats! She caught up!" The boy snapped pushing Kuno behind him. He frowned glowering at the girl before him. He couldn't make out much except for her curvaceous and firm body. He couldn't see hair, her eyes, or even the complexion of her skin.
"Step aside, Ahikabi. I don't wish to hurt humans." Karei said quietly, her voice void of any emotion.
"How can I leave my girl and run away, you dumb shit?!" Haruka asked indignantly.
"I'll send you to the grave together, at least..." Karei said quietly, bending her knees she catapulted herself into the air flipping in an elaborate manner, in midd turn she threw the sword with enhanced strength. The blade screamed through the air as it rocketed towards the Sound Sekirei, Karei gracefully arched her spine completing her corkscrew in mid air already. Wait for it.
"Kuno!" Haruka shouted clutching to her tightly, clenching his eyes shut as he braced for the pain to come. Tears ran down Kuno's eyes as she watched the blade screaming towards her like a demon ready to shed her blood. She didn't want to die, not here, and she didn't want Haruka to get hurt. More importantly because of her own feebleness. A high pitched cry broke through the sound barrier several times, small shock waves rippled through the air, distorting the atoms themselves.
"What?"
"Let's go there, Tsukiumi-san!"
Karei yanked on her chain propelling herself forward. She kneaded her chakra into the chain itself, bending it with her mind she took control of it with her will. With a flare the chain extended roughly as the sword stabbed into a wall nearby, the chain didn't stop its movement.
Before Haruka could retort something he could only gape in horror. "Kuno!" But it was already too late to warn her, faster than the younger Sekirei could react the chain coiled itself around her body constricting her. She grimaced feeling herself being overpowered by Karei's natural strength and technique, her limbs clutched together, Kaei flared her chakra through the chain it again. it shot up in the blink of an eye wrapping itself around Kuno's neck several times.
Her legs dangled helplessly a few feet off of the ground. She panicked clutching at the chained links with her hands fighting to get them off, but the grooves were dug into each other in layers over her throat. She summoned her energy to call on her power, she gaped her mouth open but no sound came out. Just a twisted, strangled gasp as she poured the rest of the oxygen out of her body. Karei unsheathed her second sword being it gripped tightly pointed forward. Unlike the first sword, this one had three blades. Two blades curved out from the center straight blade which was a few meters in length. She used this to keep he targets in place after plunging through them. She launched herself forward traveling several times faster than the naked eye could trace, her three pronged sword pointed forward whistling through the air.
She caught a flare of blue out of the corner of her eye, she slammed her feet into the ground, uncoiling the chain from Kuno's neck. She dropped to the ground in a crumbled heap twitching and massaging her throat as she began to cough. Karei leapt back at least four feet away from them quickly sheathing her three pronged blade catching her first blade in her left hand, leveling a gaze with the two women in front of her.
"Number 09, Tsukiumi! Fight me fair and square!" The blonde declared with no fear keeping her hand raised in front of her.
"Number 88 Musubi! Pleased to meet you!" The brunette said excitedly jumping from behind Tsukiumi.
Shit... Why are they here...They can't know...!
Haruka helped Kuno get her breath back to even as he turned around to face the two girls that came just at the right time. "Who are these guys?"
Tsukiumi pointed her finger angrily at Karei. "Thou! Stop hiding thy face with clothes, and declare thy number and name!" Karei remained quiet slowly adjusting her arm readying her sword to throw or deflect an attack at any second. "Unable to identify thyself? Suspicious, indeed." She said with a confident smirk.
"Such a strong opponent! Such a strong opponent!" Musubi cheered to herself as she felt her blood rush for combat.
"We hear that recently a reprehensible Sekirei has been haunting the capital. Who fights without identifying herself and abandons her opponent even if she is dying." She continued speaking in a proud manner, placing her hands on her hips. "It is thee, is it not?" She stated more than asked studying the girl before her as she extended her pointing finger.
Not now... I can't fight them both now! Damn it...! Karei clenched her teeth her face contorting in anger.
Tsukiumi focused her chakra at the tip of her finger. Several tendrils of water swirled into existence from the air itself coalesced into a massive attack. "If thou can't identify thyself, I will rip that mask off! She declared weaving her arms and hands in an intricate manner as the water followed her every whim, stretching and joining together just above and in front of her. Uzume sped across the rooftops her eyes narrowed in intensity as she closed in on the spot. She heard a screech and the sound of crashing water, for a human they wouldn't have heard either very clearly, but her hearing was acute and sensitive. She knew she was running late, she had been watching ovr Chiho while Karei went out to her job. She couldn't and wouldn't judge her friend, she understood why she was doing it. She reached the edge of a rooftop speeding across the gravel top, she lunged off of the rooftop rocketing towards the ground where Karei was.
She was a special Sekirei, the only known one to use veils. Her attacks revolved around acrobatics and staying mid distance. It was also great as a defensive mechanism, she dared to say she had an almost absolute defense. Her vision focused extremely, she could see the chips in the cement, the gleaming chain resting by Karei's tight fitting suit that accentuated her curves. The individual strands on each of their heads and the looks of shock she was getting as she closed in, she quickly poured chakra into her veils. She unleashed them a split second later deflecting and dispelling the water attack. Uzume landed on the ground with a light tap standing a few inches of Karei.
"I don't know what's going on. But let's use this chance to run away." Haruka said quietly standing up from his kneeling position.
"I-I can't move." Kuno said with fear in her voice still shaking from fear. Haruka glanced behind him spotting a woman with a bottle of sake in her hand. Her long black hair blew gently in the wind. She was wearing a purple Chinese dress with criss crosses in the center of her torso revealing her toned stomach and more than ample cleavage. She had to be the firmest and most well developed Sekirei surpassing Musubi by at least two bars. She looked at the shaking girl smiling cheekily. Kuno retracted from her glance clamming up, Kazehana guzzled down four gulps from the bottle moving the bottle away from her mouth exhaling happily.
Haruka immediately covered his nostrils. "What is this woman? She stinks like alcohol..."
Kazehana the Wind Sekirei ignored them completely.