And so our story continues
But before that I want to thank Phen0m20 for his creative support, and Ikrani for editing and pointing out a few things while working on this chapter.
The first is that I tend to use a lot of ambiguous Japanese terms and phrases in my stories, but I realize now that a lot of that might come off as like gibberish for the unenlightened (jk). So seeing things like "Baka", "ja ne" and "Oba-san" might make a few of you scratch your heads a bit unless you're an unashamed otaku (or weeb, whichever term you prefer) like myself.
The second is sort of a continuation of the first - namely, creating a glossary for the story. I won't be creating one for the series terms since anyone who's reading a sekirei story should already understand what's what and who's who (to an extent; thank god for wikis lol). But when it comes to my writing preferences where things like font are concerned, I'll be a bit more specific. You'll see below. And as for the terms, I'll go through the previous chapters and leave a glossary at the end of each for reference purposes.
The third is that my writing style is bit...particular. When I see it, I think it sounds fine but now I see what some might mean when they see my work and say my wording is odd. It is odd, so I'll work on making it a bit more "reader friendly" in future updates.
My sincerest apologies to those who've read this and wondered what some of this stuff meant. I'll rectify that immediately.
Alright, now that all that's over -
read, review, enjoy
Disclaimer: I do not own Sekirei; if I did, the situation with certain characters would've turned out very differently and we'd have more than two seasons of the anime. It belongs solely to Sakurako Gokurakuin.
"speech"
'thought'
"phone call"
"Norito"
SOUND EFFECT
"flash back"
One last thing. This chapter contains situations of sexual violence. Viewer discretion is advised.
"Master, I've got a present for you~!"
Turning slowly in his chair, Mikogami Hayato swiveled to face the new arrivals with a wide smile on his face that never reached his eyes. "Really? I can't wait to see if it surpasses the others you brought me."
Before him were two women with beauty that outclassed even 2-D girls by miles, one of which he'd come to know quite well over the last few weeks. Calling herself Yomi, she had been the door to a expansive new world that still made him tingle with anticipation.
Because Yomi wasn't a human; with beauty like that, how could she be?
Yomi was an alien lifeform known as a Sekirei. Cut out her beauty and what remained would be an outrageously powerful being that could tear bloody swathes through lowly humans.
That was already enticing enough for him, but there had been more.
She was one of 108 others, all scattered throughout the city. They would be pitted against each other once a certain number of them had been "winged" by their Ashikabi, their master.
After that, the game was on, and the prizes were…breathtaking.
Money, power, and most of all, the ability to wish for whatever the winner wanted.
Chairman Minaka had explained all of this in detail to him, but Mikogami found the head of MBI a bit… unhinged in some areas. Brilliant, but unhinged.
But all that mattered to the young prodigy was that soon something far grander than anything he could imagine would take place (at least, as far as he'd been told) and it would all start with the Sekirei – namely, with the two women standing before him.
Yomi smiled beatifically at him, contrasting the desperate grimace of the girl she was holding firmly in her grasp. "Oh, don't say that. You know I'm always here to surpass your expectations."
"We'll see," Mikogami said even as his eyes landed on the frightened girl. "Hello, I'm Hayato. I hope Yomi wasn't too rough bringing you to me. What's your name?"
"N-number one-oh-three – Juusa. Please, let me go! I just want to find my Ashikabi," the sekirei pleaded, struggling against Yomi's iron grip to no avail.
Mikogami giggled, spinning in his chair with his arms held wide above him, "Why you've found him, silly girl!" he chastised, grin firmly in place. "And I simply cannot wait to have you."
"I said let me go!" Juusa screamed, thrashing in Yomi's grip now. "You are not my Ashikabi! I want my Ashikabi! Let me go! NOW!"
Mikogami stared hard at the girl, eyes narrowing. "Yomi."
"Yes, darling," Yomi answered sweetly, shoving the girl to her knees with one hand whilst using the other to draw forth her beloved scythe. The curved blade was then held against the other sekirei's throat, the girl trembling even more now. "You see, my master isn't someone who takes rejection well. It would be in your best interest to submit."
"NEVER!"
Yomi's grin never faltered – if anything, it grew wider. "Oh, I do so love a challenge. But you'll break – they all will. Isn't that right, girls?"
At that, three other women made themselves known from areas of the room, all walking forward to flank where Mikogami sat.
Juusa paled rapidly, her eyes widening with horror as she stared at Mikogami, "You…you forced yourself on them?! You bastard!" Juusa gasped as she felt the scythe nick her neck, drawing a bit of blood from the cut.
"Tut, tut, language Juusa-chan," Yomi chided, though the look in her eyes spelled death quite clearly.
Insulting her master was a death sentence.
"And besides, I don't hear any complaints from them – right girls?" Yomi called out once more to the assembled sekirei.
"None."
"Not at all."
"I'm as content as I could possibly be!"
The answers were all given with smiles, but the look in their eyes spoke of a different story; they screamed at her to RUN.
Juusa struggled once more, only for Yomi to clamp down more on her shoulder, squeezing hard.
"Ara, quite a fighter," Yomi giggled. "It'll be fun to watch master break you."
"You can't do this! If he's your Ashikabi, then you should want his happiness more than anything! How can you let this happen?!"
Yomi's smile could've frightened a shark. "Simple – because it is what he wants. He wants us all for his collection: every – last – one."
Juusa felt bile creep up her throat, forcing herself not to puke right then, "That's-!"
"-exciting, isn't it?" Mikogami's voice sounded from the front, Juusa stunned to find the young man kneeling before her with that unnerving grin. "Yomi's been very supportive of all of it – Taki, Himeko, and Mitsuki were all brought to me after all. And now look at us! One big happy family! And soon," he leaned in close to her with a gleam in his empty hazel eyes, "you'll be part of it too."
Juusa's instincts screamed at her, making her thrash and snarl as Yomi struggled to hold her. "GET OFF OF ME! LET ME GO! NO!"
Far from deterred, Mikogami just sighed, "Taki, Mitsuki – hold her still."
"Don't- Don't do this!" Juusa pleaded, straining to break free as the two Sekirei grabbed her. "Please! …let me go. I beg of you! PLEASE! Let me find my master! I can feel them!"
"Of course you can," Mitsuki scoffed, smirking at her, "because he's right there."
"Just relax and let master's powers whisk you away to paradise!" Himeko gushed, blushing faintly.
"NO! I DON'T WANT THIS! ASHIKABI-SAMA! NOOO-!"
Tears began to pour from Juusa's face as Mikogami closed the distance, her screams intensifying until his lips finally locked with hers. Her cries instantly quieted, her struggle persisting for a few more moments before she went limp. Tears cascaded down her cheeks in streaks as Mikogami's lips left hers, a smile slowly worming itself onto her face.
"Ashikabi… my master," Juusa murmured, blinking away tears.
"Yes," Mikogami said, stroking her cheek as he gazed upon the newest addition to his family. "Now you'll always be with me. And you'll help me get more, won't you?"
Juusa nodded, before a grimace began to twist her face, "I – I-I-I – y-yes master – no, I WON'T!"
Mikogami stumbled back in shock, stunned as Juusa snarled at him, eyes burning with equal parts rage and grief.
"Quite resilient this one," Yomi remarked with a smirk. "Darling, I think she needs some reassurance. Girls, restrain her."
Mikogami for once actually looked up at Yomi, lost, "But…she didn't-?"
"Oh, that just means you didn't put enough effort into it is all," Yomi scolded. "Give it another go."
Mikogami turned back to Juusa as she snarled at him, hurling curses…then he smiled. "You're right! I just need to try harder so she understands!"
"That's a good boy," Yomi cooed. "Now show her the power of your love. Himeko, hold her back so she doesn't bite his face off."
"Hai~!"
"GET OFF ME! DEMONS! DON'T YOU TOUCH ME!"
"It's ok!" Mikogami said with an almost childlike smile, "It'll all be ok."
'NOOO-!"
His lips fell upon her again, and again she felt his influence pervade into her essence. Juusa could feel her wings shudder and threaten to burst out, wanting to express her feelings for her new master-
No! NONONONO! That was wrong! All of it wrong!
This kid wasn't her master and never would be! Her master was out there right now – she could feel them! She just needed to get away, she had to-!
Had to…had to get out, get away from here. To freedom.
But what was freedom really? To be back out there on those streets, wandering aimlessly in search of that fledgling connection that may or may not lead her to happiness. Was that freedom?
Was it something she wanted?
What… what did she want? To be loved?
She felt loved right now. She felt it pouring throughout her body, filling every pore of her being with unimaginable ecstasy.
'This…is this what I wanted? What everyone is looking for? This feeling…'
It was sublime.
This…this was what being a winged sekirei felt like, wasn't it?
Then…what was it she still sensed? That flickering ember in the distance, calling to her?
It felt…important.
More important her master?
…no. Nothing was more important than her master. Absolutely nothing. She loved him. She wanted him and nobody but him.
Mikogami Hayato was her Ashikabi and nobody else.
And that's how she wanted it.
Nothing else mattered.
'My master…mine.'
…
Grinning to herself, Yomi watched as #103 slowly succumbed to her master's power, submitting to him just as all the others had with her cobalt blue wings bursting forth. With a nod to the other Sekirei to release their new flock member, Juusa's arms came up to surround her Ashikabi, pulling him deeper into the kiss as the three watched on with equal parts jealousy and interest.
Yomi wanted to throttle them all but held back because they held their uses.
'And I'd rather not break Hayato's toys all at once, even if it would mean I'd be the only left,' she mused.
Toys, yes. That was all they were to her master, but she also knew they were enabling his twisted sense of "family". Yomi pitied her master in some way for being left alone as he was all this time, which only made it so much easier for him to wrap him around her finger.
Yomi wanted to laugh at how perfect the setup was, really.
Neglectful parents, isolated lifestyle, and a warped sense of logic and of the heart.
And once she, a beautiful maiden who had wanted nothing more to love and be loved stepped in, it had been all that was necessary to push the boy over the edge.
Now he was hers – just as she wanted it to be. And anyone else she helped bring into his "family" were mere dalliances at best. Either way, they would make the game so much easier.
After all, if nearly every Sekirei in the game belonged to her master – who would stand against them?
'All that screaming about finding her Ashikabi, and here she is cuddling with one who was never meant to be hers,' Yomi sneered to herself, delighting in the turnabout. 'What a joke. But she and all the others will serve their purpose all the same even if I have to let them be with Hayato from time to time.'
As for the wish the Professor had offered up as a prize for the game... she knew just what she'd be wishing for.
A world with only her and Hayato, and all other Sekirei – and their Ashikabi – gone.
Nothing and no one to get in the way of their love – the mere notion of it caused Yomi to erupt into a peal of nearly uncontrollable giggling.
"Yomi? Could you keep it down? Juusa fell asleep," her master chided, holding his newest Sekirei in his arms as she slumbered.
Yomi gave a mock gasp, holding a hand to her mouth, "Gomen, Ashikabi-sama," she said respectfully, bowing so he couldn't see her wicked grin.
Oh yes, the future was indeed looking bright! The only thing that would make it better was if her master would let her go out for a bit of "playtime".
The police were still trying to figure out what happened after that, even if all the blood left behind signified a painful end for her playmates.
"Taki, take Juusa to her new room so she can rest. I'm going to go make some food for her."
"Hai, Master," the Mist Sekirei complied, easily lifting the younger girl up and walking off with her.
"Make sure you make enough for six people this time, darling," Yomi called out as Mikogami headed for the kitchen. Satisfied he was out of earshot, she turned to the remaining Sekirei, "Nice work you two. Quite the find you made. She'll be useful."
"I can't help but feel a bit envious that she's going to be Miko-kun's new focus for a while," Himeko pouted in her exaggerated manner.
Mitsuki, strangely enough, just stared off to the side out to the city beyond.
Yomi narrowed her eyes at the blonde. "Mitsuki, something you want to share?"
The blonde shook her head, meeting her gaze evenly. "No, Yomi-sama."
Yomi wasn't the least bit convinced by that. The blonde was hiding something from her. Still, so long as it didn't affect her overall plans she couldn't care less. "Then go set the table. Dinner will be ready soon. You know how uppity Hayato gets if it's not done before the meal's ready."
And she was hungry after all... in more ways than one.
But that main course would have to wait until all the nuisances were away.
A dainty hand wiped away some of the fog encasing the mirror, revealing a pair of amethyst eyes that blinked a few times. Another swipe and the full profile of Mitsuha was unveiled, clad as she was in naught but a fluffy towel.
"I really hope I'm not getting worry lines. Though given with everything that's happened, it wouldn't surprise me," the blonde grumbled aloud as she dried herself.
It still amazed her just how fast things had progressed once leaving MBI. She'd been chased down by those thunder twins, plus two scummy humans who worked for another ashikabi; literally ran into her ashikabi by chance; and had already won her first battle.
Now, here she was standing in a decent-sized sized bathroom of the passable apartment that she shared with her dork of an ashikabi.
'Yes, but he's my dork,' Mitsuha thought fondly, her cheeks flushing slightly. 'Then again, he'll be more than that before long?'
Tamotsu had proved to be full of surprises. He was humble, if a little uncertain at times, but cared deeply about those important to him. That including herself, a notion that still made her preen happily. Sure, they'd only been living together for a week now but she thought she had him figured out somewhat.
Not even close.
"Train me."
Mitsuha groaned out loud. Such a simple request but one she wasn't eager to grant, not until she saw what he could do. And, after a few days of cajoling, she gave in.
Tamotsu was no Sekirei, obviously. And, had it not been for him biting back on her behalf with that Seo guy, she would've wondered just how someone like him had even lasted as long as he did.
Not that he lasted long against her though once they stepped into the ring together. She'd even held back to a grievous extent because she was deathly afraid of crippling her Ashikabi by accident – or worse.
It had been completely one-sided, much to her disappointment. She had expected at least something out of him but much to her frustration he seemed…reluctant.
To hit her, that is. Something that should've filled her stomach with butterflies was making it twist with agitation.
"Either he's going to get over that or I'm going to beat it out of him," she growled, adding, "whichever comes first."
She wasn't choosy. But she'd be damned if her master got himself hurt because he couldn't raise a hand against a goddamned girl!
'A girl who can kick his ass three-ways from Sunday, but still!'
BR-RIIING!
Mitsuha's ears perked, shooting a look towards the door in alarm. "The heck-?" Making sure the towel was secure around her torso, she made her way out of the bathroom and into the rest of the flat.
BR-RIING!
Her hearing honed-in on the sound, finding its source within a few seconds of looking: it was the phone, specifically Tamotsu's. Hers was still dead from all the games she'd been playing on it.
'And boy was that one lecture I thought I wouldn't be getting,' she chuckled ruefully to herself with a blush. 'Still, seeing him get so worked up like that was… kinda cute.'
"Tamo-kun! Your phone!"
No answer.
"Tamo-kun!? Hey, master!"
Nothing, and no other sound was occurring in the apartment.
Just her and the phone.
'Did he leave his phone behind? Rare for him – can't wait to grill him for it!' she thought, chuckling deviously at the prospect.
BR-RIING! BR-RIING!
"Who could be calling him anyways?" she wondered aloud, walking over to the phone and picking it up to read the caller ID.
It read: Old Hag.
Mitsuha winced at the moniker. "Well, guess it's not a spam call. Still, who the hell is it?"
Then, a devious thought came to her.
Tamotsu had been awfully private regarding his past thus far, even after all the bits he'd shared with her. So far, all he'd told her about were his days in class, as well as a few misadventures his friends had roped him into. And when she'd asked about who looked after him, all he'd told her was that some "old hag" had been the one but little else.
So, wouldn't this be a delicious opportunity to learn more about her reclusive master? She'd be a fool not to take it!
'And if it is a spam call, then I can just hang up. Easy in, easy out.'
Grinning to herself, Mitsuha hit answer and held the phone up-
"WHAT THE HELL TOOK YOU SO LONG YOU BRAT?!"
-came the roar that damn near blew out her hearing – and she was a Sekirei!
"I've been trying to get a hold of you for the last five minutes and-"
"OI! I'm not Tamotsu so ease back, alright!?" Mitsuha shouted back, finally recovering from the ear assault.
Silence reigned on the line, and the blonde suddenly felt a chill run up her spine.
"…who are you? Where's Tamotsu?"
"No idea; I heard his phone ringing and decided to answer it," Mitsuha replied with a huff.
"That's an invasion of privacy, girl," the person admonished coldly.
Mitsuha shrugged. "We've been making strides to get past that hurdle," she tossed back with a smirk.
"We? Wait a sec… Who are you?"
"Who's asking?"
"That brat's grandmother, that's who."
All at once, Mitsuha's eyes widened marginally. Grandmother?! This was the "Old Hag" that was calling him?!
"Now you tell me who you are, girl, and where my grandson is."
But the blonde was having a bit of a mental crisis, so the woman's words fell on more or less deaf ears.
'His grandmother! Why didn't he tell me about her?! I mean, shouldn't she have come up at least once when we were talking before? We're practically married so why wouldn't he?! And I – SHIT! I just yelled at her! Stupid, stupid, stupid!'
"OI! Are you still there?!" his grandmother demanded, making her flinch.
Now very, very aware of who the other woman was on the line, Mitsuha tentatively responded, "H-hai."
"Ho? Your voice took a strange turn just now. Cat grab your tongue, child?"
"S-something like that, I guess. Sorry for yelling at you."
Expecting a laugh or something, Mitsuha was floored when the woman actually apologized on her end as well. "Bah, I'm not in the right either. I shouldn't have screamed like I did to a stranger, especially not someone who knows my grandson. And a girl at that!"
Somehow, Mitsuha felt slightly irked by that late remark. "And what does that mean?"
"Oh nothing. It's just surprising that Tamo-kun would leave his phone behind for you to get – though given what happened to the one I got him, maybe it's not. You have no idea where he is?"
"Not a clue. Maybe he ran out to go get something. He should be back in a bit if you want to talk to him," Mitsuha offered.
"I'll keep that in mind. Now might I ask your name, dear?"
Mitsuha tried so hard not to preen when she heard that and failed – spectacularly. "Mitsuha."
"Mitsuha-chan then! Such a lovely name for a lovely girl. Maybe having you around Tamo-kun will do some good for that self-esteem of his. Poor boy is in short supply of it these days."
"He's certainly in need of some improvement, but he's far from a loser," Mitsuha protested, feeling the need to defend her Ashikabi, even against his family.
"Hoh? Would you perhaps be interested in him, then?"
'Sharp old bat,' Mitsuha thought, impressed. "Actually, we're exclusive."
There was a sound like a bowl falling to the ground that made Mitsuha yank the phone away from her for a moment, worry creeping in on her as the line went silent once more. "Oba-san…?"
"…excuse me, I must've lost my grip out of shock. I honestly wasn't expecting that shut-in to snag a girl when he left on that crusade of his!"
"C-crusade?"
"He did tell you about it, didn't he? How he wanted to go to Akihabara?"
'Is that what he was griping about before?'
"He… might've mentioned it, I think."
"Mentioned it?! Hah! That otaku wouldn't shut up about the damned place once he learned of it. Drove me nutty with all his jabbering, he did!"
"That does sound like Tamo-kun," she found herself saying with a giggle. "And I take it there wasn't any chance of talking him out of it?"
The old woman let out a groan. "I would sooner be able to bring my dear husband back from the grave than talk that child out of anything he set his sights on. Stubborn brat. The most I could do was make sure he'd be able to afford the train to get there and back."
The more Mitsuha listened to the woman the more she could tell just how much the woman cared about her Ashikabi, and it warmed her heart in special ways. Before, she might've been content with the fact she alone would love him so dearly; but that had all gone out the window. And, in a roundabout way, it seemed this woman had also been responsible for making sure he made it here to the capital, and more importantly to her.
She couldn't be more grateful to the woman, really.
"Now, it seems to me that the brat has quite a bit of explaining to do, not the least of which better be explaining how he managed to reel in someone as lovely as you," her master's grandmother said dubiously.
Mitsuha blushed but didn't deny it. It was the truth after all. "Our meeting was by chance, but I knew he was the one the second we locked eyes. He…completes me."
"Ah, then I believe my own inquiry has been answered, dearie. I can hear it in your voice – you've certainly got a thing for that brat," the woman cackled to herself.
Mitsuha's blush deepened.
"Well, far be it from me to keep you from him. I'll let you go and try again later."
Mitsuha's heart leapt to her throat at that, not wanting the exchange to end so soon. "Uh, please wait! I… I don't mind talking with you more."
The woman chuckled at her, "And I can say the same. You sound like quite the catch for Tamo-kun, and maybe the right kick he needs in the rear. Kami knows I tried for years after his…" Her voice trailed off for a moment. "Well, that's the past. Just do this poor old lady a favor, would you Mi-chan?"
'Mi-chan?' she echoed to herself, shuddering with delight at how it sounded.
"Hai?"
"Look after my boy. He's very special and deserves some happiness in his life. Don't hurt him, please."
Mitsuha clenched the phone with an iron grip, declaring with steel in her voice, "He's mine; with that comes immunity to whatever gets thrown at him."
"HAHAHA! I think you and are going to get along just fine, Mi-chan! Tamo-kun is a very lucky boy!"
"He's not the only one," Mitsuha murmured, clenching a fist over her heart as it pounded hard in her chest. "Arigatou, Oba-sama."
The woman made a strangled noise just then. "Ack! None of that formality, young lady! You will call me Oba-chan or Hikari – are we clear?!"
Mitsuha couldn't help the peal of giggles that escaped her then, struggling to keep her voice even. "No promises, Oba-chan."
"How rude! Young people these days… You're going to break this old maiden's heart!" Chuckling again, Hikari settled down and sighed, "Thank you for that my dear. With most of my friends gone from this world, I haven't enjoyed myself like that in ages. In either case, do let Tamo-kun know to call me back later when he gets a chance. He's probably freaking out now that he's realized I was supposed to call."
Mitsuha giggled a bit, rolling her eyes fondly at that notion. "Probably."
"Quite, so you let him know that I'll be expecting my great-grandchildren from you both in the very near future!"
This time, Mitsuha dropped the phone as her face flared red, her heart pounding like a drum in her chest. Her face burned as her mind whirled from the woman's latest remarks, pawing around to reclaim the phone. Once she did, it took her quite a minute to get her bearings – which was not helped by the cackling she heard seeping out of the speaker. "Y-you-!"
"Ara ara, I think I broke something fufufu," Hikari snickered.
Mitsuha opened her mouth to fire off a retort but was interrupted by the sound of a door opening, followed by a panicked shout, "Where is it, where is it?!"
"That's my cue then. Ja ne Mi-chan!" Hikari said quickly before she could so much as utter a reply, the line going dead.
BOOP!
"Where… where is the-?! Eh? Mitsuha-san? What are you doing… Wait is that my phone?"
Mitsuha started trembling, clutching the phone with a shaky hand as she heard Tamotsu edge closer to her.
"Mitsuha-san-?"
"Baka…" she hissed slowly. Her head shot up with a quickness, pinning him with a teary-eyed glare, "Baka! Baka! Baka!"
"Eh? Wha-?"
"Here, take it! I don't want it!" Mitsuha roared, all pitching the device at him as she stormed past her thunderstruck ashikabi as he fumbled to catch it. "I'm going to take a shower."
"W-wait!" Tamotsu stammered, scrambling to catch it. "Didn't you just-?"
"I'm taking a shower, Tamo-kun! End of discussion! And don't even think of kids!"
"KIDS?! What-?!"
THWAM!
Mitsuha slammed the door shut behind her, leaning up against it as she breathed heavily, her chest climbing and descending with each pant.
"That cheeky crone," Mitsuha growled to herself as her face burned.
This time, the shower would be ice cold – she'd need it if she could even think of getting in the same bed as her Ashikabi.
"And these are accurate?"
"For the third time, yes," one Sahashi Takami replied, irritably. Standing in her employer's obscenely large office – it took up almost an entire wing of the building! – she tried to manifest the long sought-after ability to glare someone to death.
Attempt #45 failed, as usual.
The right hand of MBI's chairman, Takami held impressive influence over the corporation as a whole but ultimately had to report to this clown for a boss.
Not that Minaka was in any way an idiot… in the traditional sense at least. Much as she hated to acknowledge it, her boss and old flame was likely one of the smartest humans on the planet, as well as the most influential. Thanks to their discovery of the Sekirei ship all those years ago, he'd taken the world by storm as the head of Mid-Bio Informatics. Within a decade, the man had all but conquered the world in terms of economic and political status.
It was such a shame then that the man turned out to be a colossal dumbass when it came to common sense.
"I'll have to give a raise to the one who runs our intelligence division – this is quite the juicy development! Granted, it is a bit disheartening that we've got rulebreakers so early in the game but variety is the spice of life, I say!"
Takami could feel the familiar twinge of a migraine coming on. "Chairman-!"
"Ah, ah!" Minaka cut her off, swiveling in his ludicrously large office chair to face her with a pout. "Takami-kun, haven't I told you countless times to not be so formal with me? Call me Minaka or idiot, like you used to – I never got tired of that one, hehe."
"Chairman," she stressed once more, all but growling out the words even as his pout grew more pronounced, "before the initiation of the Sekirei Plan, we agreed that all radical elements would be removed from it before they could do any damage."
"Hm? Oh yes, we did agree to that, didn't we?" Minaka remarked, scratching at his chin. After a moment, he gave a shrug and flipped gestured dismissively. "Disregard that then. This development is far more intriguing."
Takami gritted her teeth, "Sir, that's too big a risk. If we allow an Ashikabi to wing too many Sekirei, that all it does is turn them into a security hazard."
Undeterred, Minaka just grinned at her. "Nothing the Discipline Squad cannot handle if things get too feisty. You worry too much, Takami-kun!"
Takami slammed a hand down on the desk, making Minaka jump a bit as the woman glared daggers at him. "I worry more than you do, you idiot – and rightfully so! If it wasn't for me, you would've let them out there all at once without the proper tuning. And don't tell me I'm wrong."
Many a man – and woman – had been cowed into submission by Takami's switch being flipped, which had offered her a great deal of elbow room in her earlier years.
That is, until she met Minaka Hiroto who seemed to be either a man with absolutely no fear or no social awareness.
"Anyways, Takami-kun, what we should direct our focus on is the snow woman. She is quite clearly a threat that must be dealt with posthaste!"
As per usual, she leaned towards the "fearless idiot with no social awareness" conclusion.
Takami rolled her eyes, pinching her brow briefly before deciding to acknowledge that ludicrous statement. "A snow woman. Would you mind running that one by me again, Chairman?"
"I have proof!" Minaka said in a rush, quickly tapping his desk which brought up a holographic keyboard that he typed a flurry of commands into.
The massive ceiling to floor window that provided a panoramic view of the city suddenly when opaque, flaring to life as a set of images appeared at once. The images were all focused on one distinct figure clad in a flowing white yukata… and a disturbing geisha mask.
Takami felt a chill run down her spine just looking at it, and she was inside one of the most secure buildings in the world.
Minaka frantically pointed at the screen, shouting, "See! See?! A bonafide snow woman has infiltrated the game! At least two Sekirei have fallen to her already! She'll disrupt everything! We absolutely must find her at all costs before she wreaks anymore havoc!"
'Ok, time to pump the brakes a bit,' she decided with that ever-growing headache. 'The idiot has a point here, but I need to stop him for doing something catastrophic – like dispatching Karasuba.'
"Minaka," she said in a deliberate attempt to get his attention – which worked like a charm, unsurprisingly, "let me look into this snow woman first before you do anything. No need to cause a panic in the city over one phantom."
"B-but she's a yuki-onna! Haven't you ever heard the stories?! She-she'll kidnap me and eat my soul or something!"
Takami gave her boss a hard look, blinking a few times before she just barely hid a smirk.
'Is this crackpot seriously afraid of those folk tales? Oh, I'm so going to milk that later,' the researcher thought with no end of amusement.
"You do realize that most of those stories came from travelers lost in blizzards right? And we're in the middle of the largest city on the planet, so I sincerely doubt a yuki-onna could get through a legion of armed guards, tanks and of course the frigging Discipline Squad."
Minaka, who had been close to bawling like a kid who just had their candy swiped, sunk with obvious relief in his chair. "Right, right… Yes, you are right! I'm perfectly safe here! Of course! No snow witch can get me, no siree! Hahahaha-!"
Making her escape while the idiot cackled to himself, Takami shut the door behind her and gave a world-weary sigh. Every time she had to deal with that man for more than 5 minutes she wanted a drink or a smoke, usually both.
Still, this meeting did shed some light on another growing headache that had nothing – or well, almost nothing – to do with her jackass of a boss.
A couple of tuners for the last round of Sekirei to be released into the city were keeping their noses to the grindstone on the subject of which ones they tuned. Normally that wouldn't raise any red flags save for the fact that at least one of them wasn't accounted for. That alone was disconcerting but when she had tried to access the files, she found them locked behind a layer of encryption that even her clearance couldn't get past.
So, that meant one of two things: either someone had duplicated her clearance, somehow; or someone had duped Minaka into sealing the file without hardly having looked at it. All disturbing possibilities, though she wouldn't bet a year's salary on the possibility he hadn't had something to do with it. That idiot was notorious for signing papers without actually looking at them.
Even with the file sealed however, she had a few theories on who it could be. She'd just need to do some process of elimination is all.
That mask though…
'Wonder who came up with that twisted design?' she mused as she walked off to beat in some skulls.
"Well?"
"Another one has been dealt with, Higa-sama."
The zaibatsu heir leaned back in his chair, subtly smirking to himself. "Quite effective to have a single number in our ranks, wouldn't you say?"
His secretary frowned at him from where he stood at the front of the desk, "It's a big risk baiting her like this, sir. A single number could trounce most of our Sekirei before we even knew what hit us."
Higa's smirk grew. "All the more reason to make sure we keep our promise, ne?"
Kakizaki's frown deepened, but he kept his silence on the matter.
"What about the other matter?"
Taking the subject change in stride, Kakizaki cleared his throat before issuing his report. "Our agents in the South haven't witnessed it, but I believe that an Ashikabi of considerable power has been snatching up Sekirei left and right, regardless of who they're reacting to."
"Likely by that one's own birds, no doubt," Higa scoffed, snorting disdainfully. "Still, inform our own Sekirei that they are to steer clear of the South for the time being. No need to lose our pieces this early in the game after all. In the meantime, keep me updated on any developments as well as our new… associate's progress."
"Yes, Higa-sama."
Higa leaned back in his chair, letting his eyes shut for a moment before he spoke again, "That reminds me. Regarding that hiccup from before, have we learned anything new?"
Kakizaki pursed his lips, shifting his glasses further on his nose before replying. "We made a breakthrough last night. Kochou finally managed to decrypt the surveillance logs that detailed Sai's battle. It appears that number thirty-eight, Mitsuha, was responsible for her termination. Any other info after that was scrambled by MBI's subroutines."
"Is that so."
"What do you want to do?"
Higa hummed in thought, laying his elbows his desk, and resting his chin on his steepled hands. "Find out who her ashikabi is, then I'll decide. For now, find and have her watched. It may not just be the South and West areas we have to worry about. Furthermore, we can't rule out anything in the North either."
"Sir."
The next morning on their way to the gym they'd been training at, Mitsuha barely said a word to him. Somehow, her silence hurt way more than any of her punches ever could; hell, she wouldn't even look at him hardly!
Of course, it wasn't hard for him to figure out the reason; the very fact that she'd had his phone last night already tipped him off to one damning conclusion. But the final nail in the coffin had been when he checked the recent call log, and found his grandmother's name squarely at the top of the list.
'Damn it. What the hell happened with those two?' he thought, frustrated. 'What did that old hag tell her?'
Whatever it had been had effectively turned Mitsuha against him until now and with the way things were going, that wasn't going to change any time soon.
Despite having next to no experience with the fairer sex, common sense, and a lifetime of watching anime had long since taught him that when women were upset it was best to let them cool off. And given that Mitsuha wasn't exactly a normal girl, that ultimatum got elevated to new heights.
But this couldn't stand. Sekirei or not they were partners in this, and so they needed to be on the same page if they wanted to get through this mess in one piece. There was no telling what could happen tomorrow, or hell even within the next hour.
"Mitsuha-san!" he called out to her.
"Yes, Master?" came the blonde's cold reply.
Wincing internally at that, he steeled himself for whatever would come from his next words. "I don't know what happened between you and that old hag, but I'll apologize for it anyways."
Mitsuha suddenly came to a stop ahead of him, her back still to him but her shoulders had tensed.
Taking her silence as his cue to continue, Tamotsu pressed on. "She's always been a tease and can be a nag at times, but she means well so don't let whatever she said bother you too much."
"…Baka!" Mitsuha hissed all of a sudden, much to his bewilderment.
"Eh?"
Blonde tails swishing, she whirled on him and stormed up to him, amethyst eyes flashing with outrage. "Baka! You think that's what's bothering me right now? I'm not that feeble, Tamotsu!"
Ignoring the strange pang of guilt that surged through him at his given name being used, Tamotsu tried to rally. "Then what-?"
"Why didn't you tell me about your family?" Mitsuha cut him off, getting in his face.
Tamotsu felt as though he'd been doused in cold water.
The word by itself brought back a few memories he'd thought buried, and it was only by sheer will he managed to shove them away. One stood out above them all, one of an elderly woman scolding him but her eyes were understanding.
He swallowed hard, trying hard not to show it on his face.
He failed.
"Why didn't you want to tell me about her?" Mitsuha pressed him, her eyebrows knitting together with a frown. "Were you embarrassed by me?"
Tamotsu's eyes widened in shock. "What?! No!"
"Then why...?"
Tears. There were tears in the blonde's eyes as she glared at him, her lips trembling slightly even as she tried to keep a furious expression.
Tamotsu clenched his fists, forcing himself not to be swept up in the memories of… them. It wasn't as easy as it used to be, but he managed to drag himself back to reality. But that left him at an impasse all the same.
What could he tell her? The truth? Absolutely not. She'd be disgusted and horrified with him, damning him for it.
A half truth maybe? There was one reason he had been reluctant to have the two meet and it was sort of the truth… in a way.
But more importantly it would settle the misunderstanding she'd come to. Embarrassed by her? What a joke.
Forcing a smile on his face, he scratched the back of his head, chuckling a bit. "Actually…it's the opposite."
Mitsuha's eyes narrowed at him and crossed her arms, unconvinced. "What do you mean?"
Grimacing slightly, Tamotsu felt his face warm a bit at the admission. "I thought you would be embarrassed by her, or more specifically she'd make you embarrassed to be with me. I'm not exactly the most strapping bachelor around, you know? So I wanted to keep you two from meeting right away."
Mitsuha's glare faded, but that was more because her eyes had now been covered by the blonde curtain her bangs provided.
Tamotsu swallowed hard, bracing himself for the incoming tirade…
"Pfft!"
Wait, was she laughing at him?
"Hehehe, hahahaha!"
The blonde doubled over in front of him, clutching at her stomach as she cackled like a madwoman. Others around them shot disapproving looks their way but Tamotsu's attention was focused solely on his hysterical sekirei.
"Uh…"
"You absolute Baka!" Mitsuha finally managed to eek out, raising herself back to full height to flash him a sassy smile. "True, you aren't the most handsome guy I've ever met, certainly not the strongest and you're a real dork most of the time."
Each remark felt like spears being stabbed through his skull, making him flinch at each one hurled at him. "H-hey now-!"
Then she raised herself to cut him off with a kiss, her golden wings bursting from her back in a dazzling display of light that left him speechless – in more ways that one.
Parting from his lips softly, Mitsuha's blushing profile filled his vision. "But I'm not in any way turned off by all that," she added, locking eyes with him. "It just means our lives aren't going to boring, even when we're not fighting for them."
Not since that first morning he'd woken up to her that Tamotsu felt entranced by the creature in front of him. Left at a loss as to how he ever ended up with someone like her, all he could do was return her smile with a weak but no less genuine one of his own. "So… am I forgiven?"
Mitsuha held a finger to her lips, rolling her eyes in thought. "Only if you can land a hit on me today," she declared with a smirk.
Tamotsu paled. "Y-you ask the impossible, Mitsuha-san."
"Mitsuha."
"E-eh?"
"Just call me Mitsuha – none of that honorific stuff. We're past that, don't you think? Plus, it makes me sound old."
"But-!"
Mitsuha got up in his face again as an ominous pressure surged in around her. "Oh, is there something you'd like to add, Master?" she asked with a sweet smile that made him want to run for the hills.
"N-no, of course not!" Tamotsu uttered hastily, waving his hands frantically, adding with a blush, "...Mitsuha."
Like a switch had been flipped, the blonde beamed at him with a mega-watt smile and took his hand, starting to tug him along with her. "Then let's get going! I want to get in at least a few rounds before lunch."
Even as he let her drag him along, Tamotsu gave a mental sigh of relief. Disaster had been avoided, both for obvious reasons and those only known to him.
For one awful moment he had feared that Mitsuha had been told about his past… about what he'd done. He'd dreaded the possibility that his grandmother had broken her promise to never tell anyone about what happened that day.
But she hadn't, thankfully, and thus he could continue going on as he had. Deep down however he knew that it wouldn't last.
He shook his head.
'No. Long as I'm breathing, that'll stay buried. She can't know… No one can. It-'
Unbidden, one of those same memories broke free from the mental prison he'd locked it in.
"MURDERER! GET AWAY FROM MY SON!"
His stomach clenched up, bringing him to a halt as his heart raced.
Mitsuha shot a look back at him, frowning. "Hey, what's-?" Whatever she'd been about to say was cut off as she looked at him, her eyes widening, "Tamo-kun?"
"I'm fine," he answered, trying to keep his voice even. "Just felt a slight cramp is all. Might need to take it a little easier today just in case."
Mitsuha just stared at him, searching his face for… what, he didn't know. But in the end, she nodded and began tugging him along with her, though her grip tightened ever so slightly.
'It wasn't my fault,' he recited to himself while they walked, as he had done a thousand times before. 'It wasn't my fault…'
…
Outside of MBI's headquarters, a lone youth stared up at the impressive building that was MBI's headquarters. People passed him by, never giving him more than a cursory glance before going on their way. Cars beeped and honked as they zoomed past, the background noise doing little to assuage the young man's trepidations.
'She's going to kill me. She's going to kill me. Oh why am I doing this?'
Once again he'd failed but instead of texting the results to her, he'd chosen to come to her in person this time – as if that would've lessened the inevitable fallout.
But no matter how he approached it, there was only one outcome though the other way less cowardly. So now here he stood, outside of largest building in the capital and a long way from home.
Swallowing hard, he made his way up the stairs and into the building at large. Once inside, after gawking briefly at the opulence of the interior, he headed for the main reception area where a quartet of officials were typing away at their terminals.
"Um…excuse me."
"One moment sir," one of them, a pretty raven-haired woman in a crisp gray MBI uniform told him as she finished her task. "How may I help you?"
Fear once more crept up on him and screamed at him to run while he still had the chance, but he managed to call upon that same steel that had allowed him to come here. "I'm here to speak with my mother."
The receptionist's eyes narrowed slightly in disinterest, but she maintained a professional attitude through it all. "Of course, sir. Could I have your name please and I'll see if I can arrange an appointment."
"It's Sahashi Minato."
Glossary:
Ara - (literally "Oh my")
Oba-san, Oba-sama, and Oba-chan - (honorifics, with the first two being more formal and the last one being one of endearment; basically the difference between grandmother and grandma, or granny)
Baka (stupid or idiot - take your pick)
Hai - ("Yes" in Japanese)
Arigatou - ("Thank you" in Japanese)
-kun - (essentially an honorific denoting someone younger than you in either age or status)
zaibatsu - (a large corporation or conglomerate)
Yuki-onna - (a snow woman from Japanese folk lore that is often viewed in a horror aspect)
And there, done.
This one was a pain to write simply because I couldn't tell what I wanted to happen next. The first thought was to bring Kujou in, but I'll bring her in next chapter if I can squeeze her in. Rest assured getting her involved will be the next step, as well as bringing Uzume around to meet Tamotsu again. Just need to figure out how to do that.
But then I remembered that this fic isn't just about Tamotsu and Mitsuha - it's about each of the Ashikabi. We already met Seo and Sanada, so the next logical step would've been Higa and Mikogami, right?
And hopefully the glossary will help a few others with understanding certain terms. I went into this under the assumption that many readers would understand most of these off the bat, but that's on me. I'll make sure that isn't a problem going forward.
So, chapter 11. We finally brought in Mikogami and he's...well he's not doing well. My iteration of him is going to be extremely fucked because of Yomi's interference in his life. I had wondered when writing this just how drastically his life would be changed if Mutsu hadn't been the one he encountered. This is the result - a yandere Yomi and a sociopathic Mikogami, with the intent of forcibly winging literally any Sekirei they can get their hands on. Of course, he never does it in the series (that we know of) but this is an AU and things are going to be different this time around. Many things will play out as they did in canon, but in different sequences.
For instance, Minato's knowledge of Takami's real job. He's still a ronin but he's not going to be as blind to everything as he was in the series. Will that carry over to women? Guess we'll see. But expect a Sahashi family reunion of sorts next time.
Some might say I'm making Yomi OOC but to that I say I'm just expanding on her character. She was willing to hurt a little girl just to make her master happy, and even tried killing another Ashikabi (I might have that last one wrong, so correct me on that experts if I am). The way I see it, I'm taking some liberties with her character based on established pretenses. And also because Sekirei didn't have an yandere so I'm fixing that :P
A little more of Tamotsu's past comes to light and the picture isn't pretty. Something happened back then and is it something he'll kill to keep hidden? We'll see.
Till then,
Take care.