Yukari watched her feet as the bodies of the gang members were hauled away. Higa was a practical and efficient man by all means. He wasn't going to allow such ruck to take up too much of his time. He sipped his whiskey, paying no mind to the shuffling of bodies being carried away. For him it was just a matter of results and expectations. The Hi Hats had been littering the east sector with graffiti and the Savage Huns wanted to do their own thing. Unfortunately, that would lead them right on a collision course with Higa.

It was useless, Yukari already knew. If Shiina could handle twenty men with little effort, she didn't want to imagine what more than one Sekirei was capable of. What could Ichiya and Oshino do as a team? What about Akane and her spear? What about Minato's Sekirei? The possibilities didn't excite Yukari as much as they were daunting and frightening.

She took a sip of her whiskey, bringing herself back to the present. She hadn't been paying attention since Shiina leveled those twenty men. His beam had cracked off three of the men's faces, instantly felling them. Once again Higa was doing whatever he wanted. Yukari wanted to speak up, wanted to object to his way of doing things, but she kept herself silent. Higa was such a man that he'd punish Shiina for her outburst, and Shiina performed his duties perfectly.

She had been surprised when Shiina got up from his seat and strode towards them. She was even more surprised when he let his beam fly at them. Yukari could admit she wouldn't approach those men if she had her way, they were just a different breed. Yet, Shiina had approached them calm and lethally, a complete contrast to her.

It felt like everything was spinning and the room itself was a swirl. Yukari was fighting against it and found herself on the losing end of it. She didn't know if it was the whiskey or her body running through its paces since she was dealing with bloodshed again. She knew these men weren't the most honorable or trustworthy, but she didn't think it was this bad.

"Now that the trash has been taken out." William spoke up, smoothing over his tie.

Kakizaki pulled out a piece of paper, handing it to Higa. The man looked it over with his keen eyes, handing it to William.

"Make sure to read this over gentlemen. I believe you should find it agreeable." Kakizaki said, adjusting his glasses as William took the sheet of paper.

"I have no problem signing this. We have a mutual benefit. You can get anything you need from Joseph, but if you wish to speak with me just let me know. I will be more than happy to handle any keener details." William said.

"I got you. Whatever you need." Joseph said, sipping his whiskey.

Benjamin took the sheet of paper from William, looking it over. His brown eyes narrowed. "By signing this...The Vice Kings and Westside Rollerz will stop fighting."

"Yes." William said, a sly smile on his face.

Benjamin looked over William's signature, surprised by how sharp it was. He had actually signed this. He doubted the older man even bothered to read most of it. As long as it was favorable, he'd sign, but the same couldn't be said for Benjamin. He read every word, every comma, every period, searching for anything that was amiss. On the surface, it looked like a treaty, and for all intents and purposes, it would be.

However, he didn't want the Vice Kings mixing with the Westside Rollerz. The Vice Kings would remain as they are. He had no problem with a partnership and signing a treaty, but that's as far as it was going.

Benjmain narrowed his eyes a little more as he signed the treaty. The Westside Rollerz had been a threat to his territories despite staying in the suburbs. Now, here in Teito, he was going to stay a step ahead of his competition. Signing a treaty hadn't been his intention at first, but this partnership would be too fruitful to not follow through on.

"And with that." Benjamin said, looking over his rings. He sipped his whiskey.

"We should work on getting a solid footing first. Teito is a big place. We need to stay a step ahead of our competition." William started, leading the conversation.

Yukari just sat back, watching these men discuss the matters at hand. In some way, she was learning. She wouldn't take the opportunity for granted. She could feel Shiina shifting in his seat, growing uncomfortable with being in the tower. Perhaps the lives of those men were weighing on him as well, but he did what he had to do, and she wasn't going to fault him for it.

She held back her scowl and tried to keep her expression as stoic as possible.

Higa really believed he could do whatever he wanted.

Miya sighed in relief as the water cascaded down her slender shoulders, all the way to her hips. the steam of the bath house surrounded her, offering a private solitude. She wrung the towel out, setting it on her head. She looked to the ceiling, her violet eyes focusing on each line of wood. Minato's Sekirei were truly remarkable and they were always improving. She was more than impressed with their progress. Miya found herself steadily increasing her tempo towards the end of their spar.

It had been a way to burn them out of their oxygen. To her surprise though, they continued fighting even with their lungs screaming at them. Namiji had been something else with her Halbred. Musubi had been all over the place with her combinations, offering barrage after barrage, Kuruse had been spinning and twirling her trident with expert precision, Najime had been perfect with her own halbred, a compliment, but polar opposite to Namiji's swift and powerful style, and Tsukiumi had been peppering her with her water attacks, always changing her trajectory and aim.

Miya's eyes shimmered. Minato was a rare Ashikabi. He had a gentle and loving heart, he'd often let his Sekirei get out of hand, only for her to scold them and hit them with her bokken. In a lot of ways, he was different than Ryu. He wasn't as fierce, wasn't so quick to dial it up a notch above, and didn't rush into anything without a plan.

Thinking of the man made Miya pause. She had heard only bad things of Ryu. How true they were she couldn't begin to guess, even if Seo and her had some history, it wasn't too far out of the ballpark for the man to lie. He had to cover his own end, after all. Still, if Ryu was getting aggressive, and if his Sekirei were getting aggressive, she'd need to confront them at some point.

She liked the north being serene and quiet.

A shuffle behind the door caught her attention, and Miya immediately knew it was Yume. She could be completely silent if she tried, but Miya could feel her out and would always know when she was around.

"Yume-san." Miya said by way of greeting.

"Miya-san. Minato-san is finished cooking. Your plate is ready."

Miya sensed something close to surprise in the Sekirei's tone, though it was kept hidden, very well hidden. Miya could still sense it. Yume was surprised that she had heard that slight rustle of movement, but nothing escaped Miya's notice. She knew every movement and sound of her inn and she'd never mistake the hasty rustle of Yume's limbs.

Miya contemplated speaking further. Giving a response. It wasn't in Yume's nature to test her, and yet Miya felt like she was being tested. Felt like Yume was trying to gauge something with this simple action. It could all be just a simple misunderstanding, but Miya trusted her intuition. If Yume was trying to feel her out, she certainly chose a peculiar way to go about it.

"I'll be there when I'm finished."

"I'll let Minato-san know."

Miya kept her gaze pointed towards where Yume had been, just outside of the door. All it took was one rustle of movement and the door could be slid open, yet Yume had been discreet. The Sekirei did have modesty and could have been giving Miya her proper space, but there had been something sporadic about the way Yume spoke. Even if it sounded calm and collected.

With a sigh, Miya lifted herself out of the water and gathered her towel. She wrapped it around her body and slid the door open. She looked over her fresh change of clothes. Purple hakama, a white haori with a sash-like belt, wooden sandals and a white ribbon to partially hold her hair in place. It was the same outfit she had worn for the longest time. It brought her a measure of comfort and normalcy, wearing the same outfit every day. being consistent in her duties as a landlady.

Miya went to the kitchen, immediately surrounded by noise and chaos. It was the usual banter and arguing with Minato's Sekirei, all of them vying for his attention and to sit with him. Miya found herself at the head of the table eating some broiled fish as she watched Musubi and Tsukiumi have a stare down, eating rice with vigor.

Minato was a few seats from her laughing nervously while his Sekirei bantered and Kuruse, the only calm one out of his group, remained at his side eating her food with precision.

Miya smiled at the simple scene. It was normal to have loved ones over and to gather around. It was to commune. It was always lively and loud with Minato's Sekirei, especially Musubi and Tsukiumi bantering. Miya would let all slide until it got physical or close enough to it, then she would step in and discipline the both of them with her bokken.

This was nice. She had grown accustomed to the noise and chaos lots of Sekirei could bring. It was why she had to be so stringent with her rules and always keep them in place. Violators were disciplined by her accordingly. It kept everything nice and orderly, even if it could get loud. There was exuberance and lots of energy and Miya always basked in it.

Yume was two seats away from her, indulging Musubi in conversation that had the two of them laughing. Miya was happy that the Fate Sekirei was able to commune with her younger sister. The two were practically twins. They talked about sparring and techniques, Musubi was working on new combinations that would have her foes hard pressed. She couldn't quite get the middle and end of the combinations, and Yume was giving her pointers.

It wasn't until they were all done eating and Minato and his Sekirei went to wind down for bed that Yume approached Miya. Miya had a feeling that Yume wanted to approach her with some topic, what it could be she couldn't begin to guess, but the Fate Sekirei was being very discreet. Perhaps she didn't want Musubi and the others to hear it, after all they could be hard to control.

Yume set down a cup of steaming tea in front of her, setting her own cup down just a seat from Miya. They were almost face to face, close enough where their noses were almost touching. Miya had a nice table and Yume could appreciate it. Instead of a big and oversized table, it was low to the floor, and cushions were in the place of chairs.

"I wanted to talk to you about Ryu." Yume said, sipping her tea.

Miya stilled herself, careful to keep her composure. She had been thinking about the man recently, but she knew better than to believe Seo completely. There was some truth to what he was saying, but some of it could be exaggerated. He was trying to sway her, trying to get her to lean in a certain way that was advantageous to him.

It was disconcerting that Ryu was taking an aggressive stance. She couldn't expect anything less given how things had happened in his flock and the fact that things were moving into the third stage.

Miya took a sip of tea, not meeting Yume's gaze.

"What about Ryu?"

Yume didn't miss the slight edge in Miya's tone. "Do you think what Seo said has any merit?"

"Slightly." Miya said, meeting Yume's gaze steadily.

"Slightly?" Yume ventured.

"Yes." Miya replied.

Yume nodded slightly. Seo was a freelancer and would always cover his own end. It was just how it had to be. Yet, he couldn't have simply made that stuff up about Ryu. He would've had to experience it or speak to someone that had. Killing Ashikabi was against the rules, unless they were breaking the rules, and tried to escape, and Yume knew that was one rule Minaka would always keep in place.

"I don't know how much of it I can believe." Yume said, her tone one of honesty.

"I don't either, but he wouldn't outright lie to me. Ryu was talking to Karasuba. He was chasing down Ashikabi and Sekirei. That much I am certain of. Whether Seo could hear the conversation between them or not isn't important, what is important is that they were together." Miya said.

Miya had a sinking feeling that Ryu was going down a path she couldn't agree with. There was no way she'd ever agree to him chasing down Sekirei and Ashikabi. Even if there were supposed to be fights and were fights, she didn't think Ryu would go seeking them out. She had expected him to live in peace with his Sekirei, not partake in the Sekirei Plan.

She knew he'd have no choice in the long run, but she just couldn't shake the feeling she had. She had hoped it wouldn't come to her having to confront Ryu, she hoped it could pan out some other way. Yet, she knew in her bones and in her heart, that she would need to confront the man. He couldn't pull such stunts and live in the north. She liked to keep things quiet, and nobody dared to move into the north thanks to her fearsome reputation. She couldn't allow Ryu to be the one that set the trend.

"It doesn't sound like him." Yume admitted.

"It doesn't." Miya said, a small frown on her face.

Miya nodded to herself as she sipped more tea. Ryu before the battle of the bridge would've never chased down a pair of Ashikabi and Sekirei. He would've never pushed the envelope for conflict. He had been through so many changes, suffered so many betrayals, and she had been a part of it. She lied to him and covered for Uzume. She had betrayed Ryu in her own way.

She wouldn't say that to Yume. She knew the Fate Sekirei was more than aware of what had happened or had her suspicions. It had been a long time since Ryu graced them with his presence. Miya firmed her lips into a thin line at the thought, her violet eyes shimmering as they focused on her tea. She took another sip, savoring the taste.

"Ryu could've changed." Yume said, eyes hardening slightly.

Miya didn't let out her sigh, instead she gently clasped her cup of tea, and took a sip. She savored the taste, letting the warmth course through her like a warm blanket.

"Perhaps it's time I went to him."

Yume met Miya's gaze, not quite alarmed, but still alert. "Are you sure?"

Miya furrowed her brow, taking another sip of tea. "I'm sure."

Yume could recall her talk with Karasuba and her refusal to steer Ryu on the right path. That had been after Seo came to the inn with the news of Ryu chasing down three pairs of Ashikabi and Sekirei. Yume still believed Karasuba could get through to Ryu, but for some reason, Karasuba believed that Ryu was set in his ways and wouldn't change.

The tea cleared her mind of the Black Sekirei and put her back on the present. She didn't want to linger on Karasuba too much. Her former comrade had went through some changes. She wasn't the same cold and sadistic killer that stacked bodies for sport. She didn't view Ryu as useless. She loved and adored him as her Ashikabi.

That's why Yume thought she'd understand, but instead of choosing to understand she was doing the opposite...

"I'll go with you." Yume said, turning her gaze to Miya.

Miya clasped her cup a little tighter. "No. I need to go alone. If you come with it will only make things more complicated."

Yume wanted to cut her hand through the air, but didn't perform the action. She had enough self-control to not do it. Instead, she took a sip of her tea, mulling it over in her mind.

"I still think I should go with you. What if he tries to fight you?"

Miya shook her head. "He won't."

"How can you be so sure?"

Miya looked Yume in the eye. She didn't say a word. She hadn't thought of that possibility. Certainly Ryu wouldn't be trying to fight her or makes moves against her. He'd never stoop that low to use such tactics. Yet, she tried not to fixate on the idea of Ryu confronting her. When he seen her, he wasn't going to be happy. Not even the slightest bit.

She wasn't sure if he'd know it was because of what Seo said, but he'd have his suspicions. She wouldn't come to see him out of the blue, not with the way things were going. It could descend into a conflict. Miya kept her sigh down but clasped her cup even tighter. She hadn't even accounted for Ryu going berserk at the sight of her. She hadn't been anticipating it. A part of her believed he'd be eager to see her.

Whether that eagerness was good or bad she wouldn't guess.

"I know Ryu. He won't appreciate you being with me. After all, you did interfere in his battle." Miya said.

Yume narrowed her eyes at the reminder. If she hadn't intervened Koto and Ryu would have dealt death blows to each other. An Ashikabi being felled couldn't happen on her watch. The Ashikabi was everything to the Sekirei. She hadn't expected Ryu and Minato to stand up against the Discipline Squad. They had gotten Kuno and Haruka out of the city with assistance from Kazehana.

It had been a long and ferocious fight. One she had watched from the shadows until she made her presence known. She could've kept herself concealed, could've kept her presence a secret, but Koto would have lost his life. He wouldn't have had the chance to find love.

"If I didn't...Him and Koto would've ended each other..." Yume paused, looking at her tea with a slightly hard gaze.

"I know..." Miya said, nodding slightly.

Yume sighed softly. "Fine...I'll let you go alone."

Miya knew it must have been hard for the Fate Sekirei to concede to that point, but it would've been the end result anyways no matter how their conversation went. Whether it got more emotionally charged or remained diplomatic, like it was right now, would matter very little. Miya already made her decision and wouldn't hear anything of it.

She wouldn't upset Ryu further by bringing Yume along. Even if it was a good idea to have someone watch her flank, she was plenty strong enough where she'd be able to cover everything. She would just have to remain on guard and not let herself relax around Ryu, if she relaxed, she was letting down her guard, and if she did that now, she wasn't sure what the man would do.

Miya looked at her tea. It was so placid and calm. She wanted to be like her tea, calm and placid. Yet the more she thought of Ryu the more uneasy she became. He had been through so many changes, and if he was listening to Karasuba...Well, Miya hoped that he wasn't, but if she were to believe what Seo had to say, things weren't looking well.

Takami was counting her lucky stars. Far away from Minaka and MBI tower she collected her thoughts, trying to press down on the alarm that coursed through her body. She exhaled softly, feeling her shoulders relax. She turned to the side, watching cars and trucks passing her by, no doubt it was those who weren't a part of the Sekirei Plan leaving Teito.

Takami pursed her lips at the thought. With no one in Teito the battles were going to be even more fierce. There would be no need for secrecy and deception like there had been to this point. It was all going to culminate into one explosive chaotic storm. While it was true things were moving into the third phase, there were still a few Sekirei that had to be winged.

Once again, Takami counted her lucky stars. She knew the third round was supposed to be a battle royal organized into rounds. That's what it had been at least before Minaka completely lost it. Now she wasn't sure if it was going to be rounds or an all out battle for Teito. Minaka had yet to make any announcement or send a text to all the competitors. He hadn't given her the order to send a text to everyone either.

Takami exhaled again, watching her cigarette smoke disperse in front of her. She pulled out her phone, dialing a number with precision.

Takami-san?

Takami could've sighed in relief, but instead she just smiled. "Thank you for answering, Homura-san. I need you to meet me outside."

Right now?

Takami took a drag of her cigarette, exhaling after a few seconds. "In twenty minutes."

Okay. I'll be ready.

Takami ended the call, pocketing her phone. Homura, one of her few allies. She could always count on Homura. He had been the guardian on unwinged Sekirei during the first phase and second phase of the Sekirei plan. He had done fine work and she couldn't have asked for more. She didn't want to heap stress onto the Sekirei, but she would need Homura to be in her corner once again.

Whatever Minaka had done before, it left her completely helpless. He could've crushed her like an insect if he had wanted to. Takami wasn't sure what made Minaka hold back and show her mercy, but he had done it. She wasn't going to take it for granted however. She'd need to be more discreet about the moves she was making and even more discreet about the moves she made against Minaka.

Her car stopped in front of Maison Izumo and Homura was there, dressed in a suit despite the cold weather. She could credit it to his fire ability keeping him warm, which wasn't far fetched, but Takami thought he'd at least wear a scarf. Homura ran to the car, opened the door, and swiftly stepped in. Takami shut the door behind him and the driver pulled off.

It was a few minutes before Homura spoke.

"Everything okay, Takami-san?" Homura asked, brown eyes settling on the woman.

"How are your duties coming along?"

Homura arched a brow at the question.

"Things are quiet, but tense at the moment. Most of the Sekirei have been winged. The ones who haven't been winged are being searched for at this moment." Homura said, his expression stoic.

Takami nodded.

That was a fair and good report. Once things went into the third phase, Homura wouldn't need to watch over the unwinged Sekirei any longer. He had done an excellent job so far, even if it taxed him at times. Takami was always grateful for Homura and his work. Without Homura there would've been more Sekirei forcefully winged by an Ashikabi that wasn't their true Ashikabi. The very thought made Takami frown, and she rubbed the scar over her eye, where Hayato's Sekirei had struck her when they were chasing Kusano.

It was just a reminder that there was real danger in the Sekirei Plan. While some considered it a game to be played and won, Takami wasn't of the same mindset. It was the furthest thing from a game. How and why Minaka called it a game, Takami would never begin to guess, rationalize, or ponder on it too much as it'd do her no good. She had to do her part with due diligence.

"I don't want to heap it on, but I'm going to need you to watch over the last remaining Sekirei that have yet to be winged. In addition to that. I'm going to need you to keep certain Ashikabi in check."

Homura smiled slightly, chuckling. "That's quite the task."

Takami interlaced her fingers, exhaling a cloud of smoke. "I know you're up to the task."

Homura could handle it, he always did. He didn't really have a choice. In his mind he didn't. He'd always be a guardian of the Sekirei. He would reach all of them and do everything in his power to reach all of them. There were complications along the way with the Discipline Squad, forceful Ashikabi who would do anything to wing a Sekirei, and complications with Miya at times, but he did his best to avoid those hounds of MBI.

His duties would still remain the same which meant late nights and early mornings. He wasn't sure how he was going to fit his host job into all of this, but he'd manage to find way. He always did. Things were going to be pretty stacked for the foreseeable future.

"I'm going to need a list of the unwinged Sekirei. I'm also going to need a list of problematic Ashikabi, I'll likely be encountering their Sekirei and I want to know what I'm up against."

Takami rummaged through her pocket and pulled out her phone. She began to glide her fingers across the screen, and Homura found himself surprised with how precisely and swiftly she was moving.

"Do you have it all on your phone?" Homura asked.

"Of course I do." Takami replied, giving him a smile, pausing in her finger strokes. "I'm always prepared."

"Of course." Homura laughed in good nature.

Takami smirked to herself as her fingers glided across her phone's screen. "You should be getting two text messages."

Homura rummaged through his pocket, pulling out his phone. He opened up the text message, reading through it. His eyes widened for a brief instant before he schooled his expression. "Is this really accurate?"

Takami stared Homura in the eye, taking a drag of her cigarette. "It's up to date."

Homura sighed softly, reading through the two messages again. One was about the unwinged Sekirei. The other text message was about problematic Ashikabi. He was surprised to see a few Sekirei and Ashikabi on both lists, and he had to say, he had his work cut out for him. Of course, Hayato Mikogami was on the problematic Ashikabi list.

Homura arched a brow, scrolling through the names. "Ryu? He is on the list?"

Takami nodded. "He's been taking an aggressive stance."

Homura crossed his arms over his chest. "That's surprising."

Homura looked out the window, recalling how goofy Ryu could get at times. It had been quite some time since he seen Ryu. The man had definitely went through some changes. Homura couldn't begin to guess, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to guess what caused that change. It could be losing three Sekirei at once, suffering a betrayal from Uzume and Hari, or Minaka's sheer madness that made Ryu change. But, that wasn't important. What was important was handling his duties.

So he'd just need to keep an eye on Ryu.

"There's also Karasuba." Takami said, her tone direct. "She's been actively searching for the unwinged Sekirei to terminate them."

"That hound." Homura nearly spat out, having no love for the Black Sekirei. "Are her and Ryu working together?"

Takami met Homura's gaze with a calm one of her own. "It doesn't appear that they are. At this moment at least. Ryu wants to wing the unwinged Sekirei."

Homura sighed softly. "I have my work cut out for me...How many Sekirei does he have?"

"He has seven."

"Seven?" Homura blinked in surprise, not expecting that response.

He knew Ryu winged quite a few Sekirei before, but he hadn't expected the man to have seven right now. That meant if he never lost his three Sekirei he'd have ten total. It was almost beyond comprehension. Only Higa and Hayato had more than ten Sekirei and most of them were forced wingings. They weren't from a natural reaction that the Sekirei had to the Ashikabi.

Still, to have seven Sekirei was nothing to scoff at. Ryu was immensely powerful, and he'd only grow stronger if he winged more Sekirei. Perhaps he was simply following that logic, but if that were true...Ryu would be the one he'd have to be watching the most.

"I'll handle it." Homura said with a tired smile. "It never ends."

Takami smirked slightly. "You always do excellent work."