Hell yeah, first chapter of the new year. 2023 bitches. Now if New York can get invaded by the Ceph, all would be right with the world.
As always: read, review, and 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!
"flashback"
The sun nor the sounds downstairs had any part in arousing Tamotsu from his sleep. Rather, the perpetrator lay in the warm – and squishy – feeling that was enveloping him. Idly, he knew what the reason was. Mitsuha tried to talk a big game but she was a real softie at heart, and typically claimed his right arm as hers for the night. It was impossible to mistake it; the soft, pillowy folds of her breasts promised both warmth and comfort after all. But the sensation that claimed his other arm was both foreign and pleasant. Even more so, the soft puffs of hot air that tickled the back of his neck sent tingles to places he didn't even know existed.
I could lie here like this and not bother with it, he thought to himself. I should… but...
Peeking open one eye, his mind went from running on autopilot to full steam in two tenths of a second.
"U-UZUME-S-!?"
"Shhh," the brunette hissed, planting a slender digit over his lips. "I'd rather not wake up the Bee just yet."
Bee? He parroted, blinking away sleep.
Before he could ask what she meant, Uzume snuggled back into him with a content sigh and smiled blissfully. Tamotsu swallowed hard as his face shifted to crimson, his eyes roaming each part of her body, drinking in the sight as though he'd been stranded without water for weeks.
Part of him felt ashamed for ogling her like this especially with his Sekirei – his wife, he reminded himself sternly – laying just on the other side. But there was something about Uzume that he couldn't explain… He still felt something for her despite their rocky history, even if he knew nothing would come of it. But having her here was… calming in a way.
And really, he couldn't find it in himself to complain. Here he was sandwiched between two out of this world beauties who had deigned to choose him to slumber next to. It was all he could do not to pass out from a nosebleed.
Maybe… maybe just a few more minutes-
KER-CHACK!
"Ara, ara~, still abed, are we?"
Tamotsu froze. That voice wasn't anyone's he knew, but he he'd spent enough time around his grandmother to know what it promised. Turning his attention to the source, he felt fear grip him by the balls as a beautiful woman stood there with a ladle in hand… and a floating mask hovering just over her shoulder.
Wait, what?
"Do you have anything to say in your defense, Uemoto-san?" the woman asked with a smile that was both simple and terrifying. Even the ladle in her hand seemed to glow with some unspoken power, the kind that could topple small governments.
Tamotsu glanced between him, finding the two Sekirei around him slowly coming around and sighed. He turned his attention back to the demon and smiled, unrepentant. "I regret nothing."
After all, a dream couldn't hurt him... right?
"Are you sure this is the right address, Nii-chan?"
"You saw it yourself, didn't you?"
"Maybe Kaa-san made a mist-"
"I don't think you want to finish that sentence," Minato uttered seriously, glancing around as though she would appear out of thin air. "Somehow it would get back to her and we'd both end up paying for it."
Yukari wisely shut her mouth at that and turned to gape up at the traditionally-designed building, just as lost as Musubi it seemed.
"…this IS the right address, right Shiina-san?"
The effeminate Sekirei nodded. "Takami-sama's instructions were explicit, Minato-sama."
At that moniker, Minato grimaced. Shiina had proven he was quite the well-mannered individual thrice over, but it still ate at Minato being referred to with such reverence. He was just a guy after all, albeit the eldest son of one of the smartest women in Japan but still! The only reason Musubi got away with it is because it was just because that's how important he seemed to her.
"Still, maybe we should-"
"AIIEEEEEE…!"
Just then, a masculine – sort of – scream erupted from somewhere inside the building, followed swiftly by raised voices and more screams of the feminine persuasion.
"Um, what the hell?" Yukari demanded, slipping behind Shiina out of reflex.
"Sounds like they're having fun! I want to play too!" Musubi chirped, skipping forth towards the front door.
"W-wait Musubi-chan!" Minato shouted, racing after her with a reluctant Yukari in tow thanks to Shiina. By the time he caught up to her, Musubi had her gloved hand raised up to knock when it suddenly slid open.
"I can't say I didn't warn her, did I? She should've known better than to – hmm?"
They came face to face with a stunningly handsome man with ashen hair wearing only a loose white button down and a pair of blue jeans. The two males locked eyes and blinked, giving each other a once over until Yukari suddenly tumbled forth, her eyes glittering.
"O-oh my gawd! Another bishounen! I thought just one was a miracle, but this must be fate!" the younger Sahashi gushed, drooling slightly.
"…and you are?" said bishonen asked, giving Yukari a once over himself.
"I'm – uh, my name is, ergh, um-!"
Seeing as how his sister was about as useful as a floor mat now, Minato stepped in with what he hoped was a friendly smile. "She's my sister Yukari, and I'm Sahashi Minato," the ronin explained. "Sorry for the intrusion, but is Miya-san in? We needed to talk to her about something."
"Sahashi…? Oh, so you're Takami's brats," the man said with a smirk, his eyes darting once more at Yukari who squawked indignantly.
"Brats?! Listen here you handsome jerk-!"
"Thanks for noticing, spitfire," the man chuckled before turning his attention back to Minato. "Anyways the name's Kagari, and I was just heading out for work. Miya's here alright though you might want to give her a minute."
Minato flicked another glance up at the Inn, paling slightly. "…is she busy?"
"Yeah, it sounds like fun!" Musubi said excitedly, completely oblivious to the situation.
Kagari's lips tugged as if he was holding back laughter. "Oh, it shouldn't take her long; it never does. Just sit tight, and I'll let her know you're here."
And then he was gone, leaving the group glancing at each other sans Yukari who was already promising swift vengeance on the newly dubbed: "handsome jackass".
"…Musubi doesn't get it, Minato-sama. Does this mean we can't have fun now?" the brunette asked, looking at him with puppy dog eyes.
The ronin could only scratch the back of his head and chuckle nervously, just before the door came slid open. His eyes nearly popped out of his head as they came to rest on a woman who could only be described, at the very least, as a Yamato Nadeshiko. Demure, elegant and almost oozing with grace, she could capture the attention of any man just by breathing almost.
"Welcome to Izumo Inn! How may I help you?"
Minato tried his damndest to snap back to reality, but he was stunned by just how much presence this woman had.
Thankfully – depending on how you looked at it – Yukari didn't have that issue.
"Looks like that jerk didn't tell you. Our mom sent us here to talk to you… Miya-san, I take it."
The woman's eyes widened slightly. "Hmm? Oh, you're referring to Kagari. Yes, I can see why you might think that about him. He's certainly an acquired taste after all," she said with a titter.
"Geez. Not even one foot out the door and you're already talkin bout me," Kagari drawled, stepping past Miya. "See ya later Miya, and don't wait up on me for dinner tonight. Oh," he glanced at Yukari and, just to rile her up even further, "maybe I'll see you around, Spitfire. Ciao."
'Oh boy,' Minato thought, already seeing Yukari's fuse growing short.
"LIKE HELL JACKASS!"
CLONK!
"OW! W-what the hell!" Yukari squealed in equal parts shock and outrage as Miya lashed out and struck the girl on the head with a ladle.
"Foul language is prohibited in Izumo Inn."
Considering the fact he now knew of the existence of aliens – hell he was practically married to one now, his sister too – not much should've been capable of surprising him by this point. But the fact that a literal han'ya mask now floated over Miya's shoulder still made him jump.
"…understand?" Miya pressed, her smile becoming terrifying in so many unexplainable ways.
Yukari squeaked with fright and ducked behind her Sekirei who looked just as frightened as she.
But before Minato could get his two cents in however, someone beat him to the punch.
"Can we fight?!" Musubi exclaimed, zooming in front of Miya with sparkling eyes of her own, though for a totally different reason than Yukari.
"Fighting is also prohibited, I'm afraid," Miya said firmly but without clonking Musubi on the head.
"Awww!" Somehow, Musubi pouting was cuter than it had any right to be.
"So, Sahashi-san," Miya's voice snapped him back to reality, "what business do you have with my Inn?"
"Our mother sent us to speak with you," Minato said, drawing himself up to his full height.
Miya only lifted an eyebrow in response. "Oh? And what does Takami-san think I can tell you?"
Minato worked his jaw around for a moment, trying to find the words to lay out before speaking. "Miya-san, my sister and I are ashikabi – these are our Sekirei," he gestured to Musubi and Shiina briefly before continuing. "We know that you are one, too."
Miya's expression didn't change but somehow Minato felt a pressure weigh down on him as if someone was riding on his shoulders. "Is that so. Then tell me, Sahashi-san, are you aware of just what you've gotten involved with? Because I will not humor immature children with no understanding of the reality they now face."
While Miya's words weren't harsh, but they weren't kind either. Minato knew full well that she was placing a lot of doubt on both his and Yukari's capabilities going forward, thus his next actions had to be measured carefully.
"I know about the Sekirei Plan… that's why we're going to end it."
For the first time, Miya's eyes narrowed almost to slits as she stared at him, the smile weakening somewhat. "Bold words from such a naïve ashikabi. You expect me to believe that you of all people can bring an end to the machinations of a man whose madness has been decades in the making? You'll have to forgive me for being doubtful."
"I'm not asking for your belief," Minato returned, and that seemed to stun the elder Sekirei. "What I'm asking is for your knowledge. What you know about the Sekirei, what ashikabi are, and what the bond between them truly means."
"…and in exchange?" Miya asked, standoffish.
At last, Minato gave a smile and said: "Nothing."
"…nothing?"
"Nothing?" Musubi parroted, glancing back and forth between them.
"Nothing?!" Yukari screeched, incredulous.
Shiina just stared, speechless.
Minato ignored them all and, stepping back a bit, bowed low from the waist before the older woman. "Setting aside the fact that no man should be allowed to play with the fate of another species, the woman next to me is someone I've grown to care deeply about. It's not just about doing the right thing, Miya-san. This is personal to both me and my family. So I ask, no I beg of you, please let us learn from you… if only so we can someday make it so Sekirei and humans can live together, no strings attached."
Miya was silent but the whole time he could feel her gaze burrowing into the back of his head. The pressure from before had been building too, mounting to the point where it seemed even gravity might lend its service to her.
But finally… Miya laughed. It was a small, quiet sound, but it still made Minato glance up in shock.
The smile had returned but instead of its previous terrifying visage, this one seemed much more pleasant and welcoming. "So I see… quite an odd man you are, Sahashi Minato. That said, I can see the honesty in your words; thus, I'll hold you to them. Now stand up straight. There's no need to bow to me."
Crisis momentarily averted, Minato stammered an apology and stood up straight, just as Musubi glomped him from the side.
"You were so cool Minato-sama!" his Sekirei gushed, hugging his arm into her bountiful breasts.
His face flared, and Miya giggled before turning to head back in.
"Well then, please come inside. Breakfast will be ready soon and I'm eager to see you live up to my expectations."
"Y-yes! Pardon the intrusion!"
Gathering his courage, Minato stepped forth into the Inn after making sure Yukari and Shiina were close behind. They gave him a myriad of looks ranging from awe in Shiina's case, to utter disbelief in Yukari's given her wide eyes. Still, he made his way in after Miya just as a few voices reached his ear.
"-were you planning on doing?"
"Not everything needs a plan, Thirty-eight."
"Bull-!"
"Ara, do I have to remind you of the rules again, Mitsuha-san?" Miya's voice came from somewhere beyond.
There was a sharp squeak of fright right after. "N-no Miya-sama!"
"Heh."
"That goes for you too, Uzume-san."
"Hrk! Sorry Miya…"
"…what the hell are we walking into?" Yukari hissed at her brother.
"...Miya-sama is just as terrifying as the stories say," Shiina marveled.
"T-that's not helping Shiina-chan!"
Minato rolled his eyes but could deny the nervousness he was experiencing either. In just a few minutes, Miya had catapulted herself from a stranger to the top two women he never wanted to cross - the other being his mother, of course.
He had to do his damndest to make sure he didn't embarrass both himself as well as his family, or his ideals.
That aside, what is this tingling I'm feeling? He thought, glancing around a bit for the source.
Something told him it was coming from inside the Inn somewhere, but he couldn't put his finger on where. All he knew was it eerily mirrored the feeling he'd had when he reacted to Musubi. Was he reacting to another Sekirei already?
I don't know whether to feel lucky or worried right now.
"Sahashi-kun, you can come in now. Please, make yourself comfortable," Miya's voice called out to him. "As for you two, one of you – ONE – should go get Uemoto-san and bring him down for breakfast."
As Minato moved to enter, two women – a twin-tailed blonde and a brunette with but one – nearly bowled him over, the blonde using him as a distraction to squeeze through.
"Hah! I win!"
"You cheated!"
"Kiss my-!"
"What was that~?" Miya's voice came out as an ominous drawl, and with it the promise of impending doom via ladle if the blonde finished her sentence.
"-Master, is what I'm going to do!" Mitsuha finished lamely, bolting up the stairs with surprising speed.
"Nice bail," the brunette grumbled before finally noticing him.
Manners kicking in, Minato offered his hand to her, "Need a hand?"
She grinned at him and clapped her hand over his bicep, letting him pull her up. "Thanks for that! I'm Uzume by the way."
"I'm-"
"Whoa, so bouncy~!" Yukari exclaimed as she burst forth, her hands zooming towards Uzume's breasts.
Minato about had a stroke right then and there as Yukari groped another woman right before his eyes, expecting the landlady to appear with righteous fury. Instead, the opposite happened.
"Whoa there, nice to meet ya too! Be gentle, these girls have been through a lot, kay?" Uzume said, not at all bothered being groped even if it was by another girl. "You greet everyone like this?"
"I am so sorry," Minato said in a rush, yanking his sister away from the brunette who laughed it off.
"It's fine, no harm no foul. Better her than some creepy old man, am I right?"
In his mind, Minato briefly imagined Yukari as that very image before shoving it away harshly. He did not need that mental image. "Anyways, I'm Sahashi Minato – that's my sister Yukari-"
"-bouncy~!" Yukari giggled, still flexing her hands with a lecherous grin.
"-and this is Musubi and Shiina," Minato finished with a sigh, the two Sekirei greeting her each in turn.
Uzume just laughed, smiling widely at the group of them. "Man, quite a lively bunch you are. Come on and grab a seat. Food should be done shortly."
Following her inside, Minato led the group into the room and found seats at the small table, sitting just across from Uzume with Musubi at his left, Yukari on his right and Shiina on hers. Miya was in a small alcove just ahead, finishing up their food.
"It's like we're back at Oba-sama's," Yukari deadpanned, looking around the room. She sniffed delicately for a second before grimacing, "Smells like it too."
"Yukari!" Minato chastised.
"We get that a lot," Uzume said in her defense, shrugging. "Takehito worked hard to keep this place as is, and it's a wonder it's still standing sometimes."
"Takehito?" Yukari echoed, cocking her head to the side.
"My husband."
"Gah!" Yukari jumped, all but flinging herself into Shiina's arms. "W-where did you come from?!
"Oh dear, did I startle you?" Miya tittered, smiling gently.
"…you're having way too much fun right now, Miya," Uzume deadpanned but smirked all the same.
"We don't have company very often so I can't help it."
"I'm starting to see why," Yukari grumbled, settling herself back into her seat.
"Trust me, you haven't seen anything yet," Uzume warned her just as a commotion from nearby drew her attention.
Minato followed her gaze, just as the blonde from earlier returned with a messy-haired young man about his age, perhaps a little younger. From the way the blonde was clinging to him and how he was blushing it was clear they were a couple, perhaps even another ashikabi and Sekirei.
"Ohayo," the young man, presumably the Uemoto Miya mentioned, greeted them.
"Uemoto-san, so good of you to join us," Miya greeted, smiling. "Both of you take a seat; breakfast will done shortly."
The young man seemed to flinch but recovered quickly enough and took his seat. "Oh man that sounds great. Feels like I haven't eaten since yesterday!"
"You haven't, Tamo," Mitsuha pointed out dully, poking at his cheek. "So you better clean your plate, got it?"
"Hai…" Uemoto finally seemed to notice he wasn't the only guy in the room and smiled, "Oh sorry, I didn't see you there. Been a little out of it."
Minato shook his head dismissively and offered a friendly smile of his own, "No worries. You looked occupied when she brought you in. And if you don't mind me asking… Are you two together?"
Uemoto's eyes shot open at Minato's forwardness, glancing briefly at the blonde next to him before he blushed, stammering: "Y-yeah, we are."
The blonde next to the young man preened as a result but out of the corner of his eyes, Minato could've sworn he saw Uzume frown a bit.
Nah, couldn't be, he dismissed.
"I'm Sahashi Minato, and that's my sister," Minato said, gesturing to her. He shot a quick look at Mitsuha then back at the young man, "You wouldn't happen to be an ashikabi too, would you?"
All traces of exhaustion flew from Uemoto's face at that statement, bumping his knees on the table due to reflex. "Agh! Uh, yeah… Mitsuha's my Sekirei. So that means those other two with you are-?"
"Hi, I'm Musubi – number eighty-eight!" the other brunette waved cheerfully.
"I'm Shiina – number one-oh-seven," the effeminate male added with a friendly but shy smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Uemoto-san."
The young man across the table grimaced at that and sighed. "Ugh, please don't start with that. It's bad enough I'm getting it from Asama-san. Just call me Tamotsu, alright?"
"Tamo!" Mitsuha scolded.
"Does Tamotsu-kun work then?" Minato suggested, feeling more at ease with the young ashikabi now.
Tamotsu shrugged. "So long as Minato-san works for you as well," he remarked, just as Mitsuha swatted him on the back of the head. "Hey, be gentle! I'm still recovering ya know!"
"A couple more knocks won't hurt you I think," Mitsuha groused, glaring at him.
"Mitsuha-san was it? You seem to care a lot about Tamotsu-kun," Minato observed, smiling a bit. "You're very close."
The blonde glanced briefly in his direction before giving a disdainful huff, turning away from him.
Minato grimaced slightly as a result.
She reminds me a little of Yukari back when we were younger, he mused dryly.
Soon enough, Miya – with Uzume's help – brought everything to the table and set it out for them before taking a seat next to Uzume after they both sat down.
Getting a free meal hadn't been on the list of priorities this morning, but a brief glance at both Musubi and Yukari made him throw in the towel on that notion. Setting aside the monstrous appetite of his Sekirei, his sister by herself could pack it away when she wanted to.
And given how they'd been all but shoved out of the shared apartment by their mom at MBI Tower, Yukari would probably skin him if he tried to skimp out on another meal.
Well, when in Rome…
"Itadakimasu!"
Uttering the prayer along with everyone, Tamotsu let his hands fall to his chopsticks and cast his gaze over the assorted spread. It was nothing extravagant but the scale of it had him gaping; a literal tower of rice soared above them not unlike that of Mt. Fuji with a few other dishes like kelp, salmon and egg rolls to compliment it. The smell alone was making him dizzy, so he settled for gathering some rice first…
That is until Musubi scooped about two helpings' worth from the tower, decreasing its size whilst somehow keeping it intact.
"H-hey, save some for us too!" he chastised the Sekirei.
Musubi however was far too busy filling her plate with all sorts of stuff, picking from each of the dishes leaving only a few for them.
"I'm sorry about her," Minato apologized with a nervous chuckle. "Even for a Sekirei she's got a bit of an appetite."
A bit?! He snarked to himself. That's enough to feed all of Shinjuku and then some!
"Minato-sama! Don't just sit there; get something too!" Musubi scolded her master, scooping food into her mouth after every word.
"Ara, ara, have as much as you like – there's plenty more where that came from," Miya assured, and at that moment Tamotsu could've kissed the woman for that… Had his Sekirei not scooped food into his bowl just then.
The blonde huffed at him, glancing at him through the corner of her purple eyes. "There, happy?"
Tamotsu could've cried at the amount his Sekirei had graciously bestowed upon him, turning to hug the young woman with tears in his eyes. "You're an angel, Mitsuha!"
SN-AP!
The sound of chopsticks snapping in half drew everyone's attention to Uzume, whose fist was clenching two broken utensils. A thunderous look graced her lovely features as she stared into nothing, but Tamotsu could swear he saw something like anger flash in her brown eyes.
"…Uzume-san?"
Uzume blinked, snapping herself out of whatever stupor she'd been locked in. "Huh? Did you say something Tamo-chan?"
The moniker still made his face heat up, nevermind the fact that he still had the inkling of a crush on her. Shaking his head a bit, he tried to at least make conversation with her. "Don't know your own strength sometimes, huh?"
Uzume gave him the oddest look at that but after a moment she shrugged and set the broken chopsticks on the table. "It happens. We've got plenty of spares though. Be right back."
What's gotten into her? Tamotsu wondered, as Minato cleared his throat a bit.
"Miya-san, our mother seemed to think you know a great deal about the Sekirei themselves so could you tell us where you came from?"
Tamotsu's eyes widened as his mind registered Minato's words. Truth be told, he'd been wanting to ask the same but he'd been beaten to the punch. With their recent scuffle against another ashikabi and sekirei, it was time to start taking the Plan seriously if they hoped to get out in one piece.
Unperturbed, Miya ate a bite of rice before responding with a smile: "I do not know."
It was all Tamotsu could do not to let his head sag in disappointment.
Wait, wait! So what if she doesn't know? It's not like she's the first of her kind after all.
"Then, do you know when you were born?" Minato pressed, undeterred. "Who were your parents?"
"That I do not know but, before I tell you this, I presume you are familiar with the circumstances behind our arrival on your planet?" Minato nodded. "Then I can tell you that, out of the one hundred and eight Sekirei on Earth, I am designated number one or, as the Game Master refers to me: the Pillar."
Aaaaand there goes that line of thought.
That aside, a lot of this was going over his head, but Tamotsu was able to grasp some concepts. Yes, the Sekirei were aliens but how had they gotten here? Did they have a ship? And if so, were there any others? Why were there only 108 Sekirei?
Though given what some of them can do, more than that might invite an international clusterfuck.
"So what makes you so special then?" Yukari blurted out.
"Yukari!" Minato snapped again at his sister, about to chide her for her rudeness only for Miya to wave him off.
"It's quite all right. Yukari-san, was it? Did your mother explain to you how power is judged among our kind?"
"She told us to ask you about this stuff," Yukari deadpanned.
What a straightforward chick! Tamotsu marveled, blinking a few times.
"I see. Very well, then allow me to explain. We Sekirei are ranked from One to one-oh-eight not just because of power, but of age. When MBI discovered our ship, their exploration teams found one teenage Sekirei – myself – nine embryos and ninety-eight fertilized eggs. My husband, Asama Takehito and your mother were placed in charge of raising myself as well as the nine newly-born Sekirei; the others were put into containment facilities to keep them alive until their chance came. Being the oldest Sekirei alive, I became the first of what MBI would later dub the "Single Digits" which would be numbers two through nine."
Tamotsu's eyes widened, shooting a look at Uzume, recalling her designation. "Wait a sec, then does that mean Uzume-san is part of that?" he blurted out, causing all eyes to shift to him. He colored slightly at the attention, trying his hardest to become one with the floor.
Thankfully Uzume who had come back somewhere during the info dump threw him a lifeline. "Hate to break it to you Tamo-chan, but no. I may've been after the next eight, but I'm nowhere near their level."
"I would disagree, but we've discussed the issue to death it seems," Miya commented, taking a sip of her tea. "However, she is correct. With me as the Pillar, MBI labeled the first eight Sekirei after me to be the Single Digits as well as the most powerful of the Sekirei themselves."
"And…," Yukari said, swallowing a bit, "if you're the first then that means-?"
"Why of course. I'm considered the most powerful Sekirei in existence." Miya said all of this with a smile, but Tamotsu could swear he felt as if the roof had come down to slam on his shoulders. This woman was already scary enough; knowing she was quite literally the most powerful being on the planet elevated her to a whole new level of not-to-fuck-with. Suddenly Mitsuha's apparent fear of this woman made so much more sense.
Minato's sister appropriately blanched, sinking lower in her seat as Miya smiled at her while Minato for his part managed to restrain his fear – mostly. He certainly looked a bit paler than before.
"I understand, but I must ask. Does that mean that the Sekirei afterwards are considered weak?"
Miya looked thoughtful for a moment, tucking a slender finger next to her chin. "By MBI's understanding, yes. The Game Master does consider the Single Digits to be trump cards in this Plan he's arranged, and there's no doubt that any other ashikabi with even one of their number are forces to be reckoned with."
Underneath the table, Tamotsu could feel Mitsuha trembling slightly but whether it was from frustration or fear, it didn't matter. Surprising even himself, he reached over and ran his hand over her clenched fists. The effect his touch had on her wasn't immediate, but a quick glance and a blush was more than he needed. After a few moments, he felt her scoot closer.
Across the table Uzume watched him – or rather Mitsuha like a hawk, and something in her eyes unsettled him in ways he couldn't narrow down.
"Then what about yours?" Tamotsu asked, trying to change Uzume's focus.
Miya took the interjection in stride, smile firmly in place. "Who, me? MY standards aren't quite as stringent. I believe each Sekirei is a force to be reckoned with, especially the Double-Digits as MBI refer to them as. In fact," Miya flitted her gaze over to where Minato's sekirei sat by him, "I would go so far as to say that some could be a match for any of the single numbers – under the right circumstances of course."
"That's right!" Musubi shouted gleefully. "Musubi is stronger than any other Sekirei! Musubi will do all she can to protect Minato-sama!"
Minato's cheeks darkened at the declaration, clearing his throat a bit even as Yukari prodded him with a small teasing smirk.
"Stronger than anyone, you say?" Mitsuha grumbled, aiming a glare over at the busty brunette. "Care to put your money where your mouth is?"
Musubi however titled her head to the side, as if puzzled. "But why would we need to do that? Are we going to eat it?"
Tamotsu barely – just barely withheld a snicker as Mitsuha face-vaulted onto the table, Uzume doing the same albeit with a bit more restraint.
At the other end, Miya giggled into her sleeve while Yukari was trying hard to hold in her own laughter. Her Sekirei, Shiina he recalled, was palming his face with a strained smile.
Minato ended up being the poor bastard to explain to Musubi what the blonde actually meant. The way she seemed to take his words almost like gospel should've unnerved Tamotsu, but that did bring up one question he had.
"I've wanted to ask this for a bit, actually: how does the bond between ashikabi and Sekirei work anyways? Just how deeply does it connect them, and can it be used to hurt each other?"
All eyes, especially Mitsuha's, shot to him in alarm as Miya leveled a stoic glare on him. He tried very hard not to fidget in his seat, but Miya was something else. The fact her smile never wavered only unsettled him further.
"Such a question to ask – why do you wish to know such things?"
Tamotsu paused, trying to find the right words before stating as his intent as clearly as he could. "If you recall why I ended up here, you'd know that there are ashikabi who don't care for anything except themselves and will do anything necessary to win. If the connection to my Sekirei can be exploited, then I need to know how I can prevent it."
"But if you knew how, wouldn't you do the same?" Yukari drawled.
"NO!" His response made Yukari – and Musubi – jump in their seats. "What little I've learned about this bond is that it's sacred, so anyone who tries to exploit it would be a total shitbag. I already met one and I want to make sure I never become like him," saying that, he turned to Miya and added, "does that suffice for an answer, Asama-san?"
Miya held his gaze for a long tense moment before her eyes softened, her smile returning. "It will. You surprise me Uemoto-san. I hadn't expected you to be an individual of such conviction at your age."
Clenching a fist under the table, he schooled his features into an appropriate mask to hide how he felt. "Let's just say I've seen what a lack of it can do to a person." At that admission, he could feel Mitsuha's questioning gaze lingering on him but he forced himself to maintain eye contact with Miya who nodded approvingly.
"To answer your question, yes it can be. You should've already felt at least some inkling of it being shared between you and Mitsuha-chan; that is but the basic connection you can share with your Sekirei. The strength of the bond is an emotional one as well as mental, meaning that the greater your trust in one another becomes so too does the strength of the bond. That connection eventually can become a sort of pact, one where you both support each other through spirit alone."
"In Japanese, please?" Yukari stressed, staring blankly.
Miya coughed into her hand, turning to address Yukari. "In other words, there could come a time where even injuries you take could be healed just be being near your Sekirei – which, might've been the case for you Uemoto-san, if your bond was strong enough."
Tamotsu cursed under his breath, suddenly feeling every eye on him in a way that made him feel like insects were crawling all over him.
BANG!
Mitsuha slammed her hand down on the table, glaring at the landlady. "Are you trying to say our connection isn't strong?! What would you know anyway? I don't see you with an ashikabi, One!"
Uzume, who had been frantically trying to signal Mitsuha to stop running her mouth, glanced nervously to Miya who had since gone quiet, her smile erased.
When the landlady opened her eyes again, for a split second, Tamotsu swore they glinted like freshly polished steel.
"You are right," Miya's voice was soft, almost quiet. "I do not have an ashikabi nor do I need one. I have already found my destined one and couldn't be happier, even though he cannot sit with me like you can with Uemoto-san. Nevertheless, I can still feel that same connection because what unites us is the same that unites you – the bond between husband and wife, the same as the bond between ashikabi and Sekirei."
Tamotsu glanced up at the blonde next to him, gripped his fists briefly then set his hand on her shoulder gently. Her head snapped to him immediately, gazing at him with an intense look in her eyes but he forced himself to hold her gaze. Finally, she sighed and sat back down, ducking her head in shame. With her placated, he turned to Miya and bowed lowly before Miya.
"Gomen nasai, Asama-san. We're still figuring everything out and meant no disrespect."
Miya blinked a bit, the pressure fading as her smile reclaimed its place. "So long as you understand, Uemoto-san. I don't blame her for her lack of belief. That said…" On cue, the pressure returned full force, but Tamotsu could feel it wasn't directed at him. Rather, it was leveled on poor Mitsuha with that damned han'ya mask coming out to leer over Miya's shoulder, "Know that if you raise your voice to me again in this Inn, you will be disciplined. Do. You. Understand?"
"Y-y-y-yes, Miya-sama!" Mitsuha whimpered, all but diving into his side clinging to him like a frightened child.
"Then all is well," Miya declared, the mask departing along with the pressure it brought. "Oh dear, it seems we've run out of tea. Please wait while I fetch more."
As the demon went about her task, everyone at the table breathed a sigh of relief.
"You've certainly got your hands full with that one, Tamo-chan," Uzume remarked with a half-lidded gaze at the duo.
"Yeah," Tamotsu murmured, glancing down at Mitsuha as she clung to him, glancing nervously over her shoulder where Miya went. "But it's worth it."
"Is that so..." Something about her expression rubbed Tamotsu the wrong way, but he decided not to comment on it for now.
"Tamotsu-kun," Minato called him, getting his attention. "How did you get roped into the Plan… If I can ask, I mean."
Tamotsu studied the older ashikabi for a long moment, scrutinizing him. He'd long since learned how to read people to see if they were genuine or not, and for now at least, Minato seemed genuinely curious. He couldn't fault him for that.
If anything, I'm being wary of the wrong type of person, he mused, Junichi's sadistic smile flashing briefly in his mind before he shoved it away. All else aside, he hasn't been a dick to me or Mitsuha yet so he can't be all bad.
Allowing himself to relax was tougher than he thought it would be – which he chalked up to the newfound knowledge of a literal alien goddess being in the vicinity. But he managed to offer Minato a friendly smile and chuckled. "That is a bit of a long story really."
"I think we can spare some time," Minato replied with his own grin.
Yukari, who had slumped onto the table with her head pillowed on her arms, huffed grouchily. "Speak for yourself, Nii-chan."
Deciding to ignore her for now – and noticing that Mitsuha seemed to perk up at the mention of his own backstory before their meeting – Tamotsu cleared his throat before he began. "I came to Tokyo, or well, Shinto Teito I guess, to go see Akihabara. I'd wanted to go for years but my grandmother wanted me to focus on my studies first. I finally managed to convince her to let me go early and hopped the first train here, only to find out that MBI," he growled out the company's name, "had gone and demolished the place. An entire district of historical heritage – GONE!"
Minato chuckled awkwardly at that while Yukari just rolled her eyes, unamused. "That's rough buddy."
Tamotsu sniffed, his heart wailing at the loss of his dream. The pain was still fresh after all. "I cut my losses and tried to take the train back home only to get told the entire city's on lockdown. No one in or out save for those on MBI business, whatever the hell that meant. I know now it had to do with this game that crackpot came up with."
"Crackpot? You mean… Minaka-san?" Minato broached cautiously.
Tamotsu clenched his fist, eyes narrowing with frustration. "Yeah, that loon," he spat, ignoring how Yukari scoffed at that moniker.
"HEY! The Professor is NOT a loon!" Musubi, of all people, defended the deranged ruler of MBI hotly. Stunned silence reigned for a moment before Musubi blinked thrice, turning to her ashikabi and asking, "Minato-sama, what's a 'loon'?"
THUD!
In complete sync, both Tamotsu and Mitsuha's heads fell onto the table with a groan.
"She's a complete ditz!" Mitsuha hissed from beside him.
"I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing though," Tamotsu remarked back, stifling a chuckle before pushing himself back up. "In any case, MBI has the city locked down so I can't leave even if I wanted too."
"Well then how did you end up with the twin-tailed terror next to you?" Yukari drawled, flicking her index finger at the blonde who bristled.
"Well," Tamotsu started, trying to find the right words to explain. Truthfully, their first meeting had been a whirlwind of events from running into each other, being chased by those goons and nearly getting killed by another Sekirei.
"Destiny," Mitsuha said plainly, as if that explained everything.
The others gaped at her, blinking even Tamotsu.
"Destiny?" Minato parroted, puzzled. To his credit, he didn't flinch as Mitsuha's sharp gaze leveled itself on him.
"How else do you explain your Sekirei ending up with you two?" Mitsuha challenged, smirking even as she leaned into Tamotsu's side, causing his heart to skip a beat. "We're drawn to those who complete us and this guy might be a bit of a dork," she went on, making Tamotsu pout a bit until she reached over and squeezed his hand softly, "but I wouldn't want anyone else. Isn't it the same for you two?"
She was directing the question to both Musubi and Shiina, both of whom aimed glances at their respective ashikabi. Musubi shook her head with a blinding grin, hugging Minato's arm into her breasts while Shiina smiled gently at Yukari with a soft blush of his own.
Both ashikabi flared red at the blatant affection of their Sekirei, proving Mitsuha's point.
"Destiny…" Uzume murmured just loud enough for Tamotsu to hear. The brunette had been listening intently for a while now, her gaze lingering on him until she realized he was looking at her. "Excuse me, I need to go talk to someone."
With Uzume's retreat, Miya returned with another batch of tea and deposited herself back in her seat. "Mitsuha-san is right, though. Setting myself aside, Sekirei are drawn to those who complete them both emotionally and spiritually. An ashikabi is our other half so to speak and without them life is meaningless to a Sekirei, especially after they've already been winged."
"Hold on a sec!" Tamotsu interrupted, aiming a sharp look at Miya. "Doesn't that mean an ashikabi can do whatever they want to their Sekirei because of that!?"
"You refer to Tanigawa-san, I presume?" Miya asked calmly.
Tamotsu clenched his fists, gritting his teeth with a terse nod.
Miya closed her eyes solemnly, pursing her lips. "It's true. While we are drawn to our ashikabi, it is another beast altogether once winged. By then it becomes almost impossible to go against our masters and their commands are absolute, even if they personally dislike it."
Hence why Yashima had been hesitant to attack them but had gone through with it anyways. She had no choice.
Tanigawa you bastard… Tamotsu swore in his mind.
"Is there any way to help them?" Minato asked suddenly, stunning Tamotsu.
But Miya shook her head sadly. "Sekirei and their ashikabi are bonded on a spiritual level; anything that tries to tamper with it can result in disaster for both parties. I have no doubt there are more than a few of our kind that have ended up with less-than-desirable ashikabi for masters, and it is regrettable. However, there is nothing we can do because their matters are already beyond our means of getting involved in."
Tamotsu knew she wasn't lying, but it still pained him to hear that there was nothing that could done to help Yashima. She was such a sweet girl and didn't deserve an utter bastard like Junichi for an ashikabi!
"Tamo…" Mitsuha murmured worriedly next to him, squeezing his shoulder softly.
"Uemoto-san, both you and Sahashi-san have good hearts," Miya remarked, snapping Tamotsu out of his funk. Miya's gentle smile had returned but there was a sadness to it that there wasn't before. "While there will be many who will suffer until the Game Master has his fill, your Sekirei will not. I believe that you will find a better path than the one most will walk upon, and perhaps even better the ones others walk down."
Tamotsu stared at Miya, glancing at each of the Sekirei in turn before his eyes finally landed on his own. Her amethyst eyes studied him intently, not harsh but not soft either. Just like her – stern but fair.
In that moment, he made a choice. No matter what it cost him, he would see to it they would both make it out of this.
Uzume made her way up stairs, coming to a stop just outside Matsu's room. But instead of barging in like she usually did, she paused. Mitsuha's words had struck a chord within her and the vibrations it caused rippled through her mind and soul.
Destiny… It was destiny that she and Tamotsu had met that day in the alley. It was silly but what other explanation could she come up with? What else made sense?
That thrum, that warm tingle within that burned to life every time she saw that boy's face still had her heart beating like a drum.
Tamotsu was her ashikabi; the signs were all there.
So… why couldn't she just take him? She had met him first after all, way before that blonde had weaseled her way into his arms. They had a connection, they had history, and they had all the reason to be together so why couldn't they?
Here I am torturing myself with what I already know, she thought sadly.
The sad fact was Tamotsu believed he'd never had a chance with her, and thus he'd moved on – to Mitsuha. Uzume could pine for him all she wanted but unless they were together more, like last night, it would never be.
Did she want it? Hell yes, more than anything.
Did she feel she could do it?
Uzume clenched her fists, biting her lips so hard it nearly drew blood.
No… I don't. Not yet.
Guilt had eaten at her for so long now and with things the way they were, it would feel unnatural to worm her way in without good reason to.
But there was one silver lining – Tamotsu still felt something for her. His words hurt, but that look in his eyes last night wasn't something she imagined. They would've kissed had Mitsuha not butted in but the fault wasn't entirely hers. And then this morning, he'd relaxed in her arms as though he felt he belonged there until Miya had shattered their happy moment.
It was true that Mitsuha had her beat for now; after all she knew Tamotsu, really knew him and could connect with him because of that. It was the blonde's sole advantage and the reason why Tamotsu naturally leaned towards Mitsuha instead of Uzume.
But Uzume had an advantage of her own…
Thirty-eight wants him? Fine. I won't stop her… But that doesn't mean I'm giving up on him. It'll take time, but if I know things she doesn't… That will give me a door to his heart even she won't be able to get through.
Mitsuha had been right after all – Destiny had led to their meeting, so it would be foolish not to follow up.
Her resolve set, she pushed her way into Matsu's room. "Matsu, I need – URP!"
The smell was the first thing that hit her, pungent but sweet all the same. After all it was one she had since become familiar with on those lonely nights after meeting Tamotsu. But the sight was another matter entirely.
Completely naked, the Wisdom Sekirei was splayed out on her back in her futon, panting heavily with her face flushed. Moans of varying tone escaped her lips as she fingered herself over and over. Given the dark spots on her sheets, it hadn't been the first time she'd climaxed either. But this by itself wasn't too much of a shock. After all Matsu had often tried to drag her into a few "research sessions" with her when they both got horny.
What was a shock was that each of Matsu's monitors was showing a certain ashikabi's face in varying angles was enough to make the brunette do a double take.
"C-close…the d-door," Matsu whimpered, shuddering with arousal.
Uzume briefly debated getting a gas mask or something to cover her nose since the smell was so strong, but she swallowed hard and dove in, doing as she was told. "So THIS is why you were squirreled away in here. I should've known."
"Believe… me… I- AHHH – didn't e-expect t-this either," Matsu stammered, her voice shuddering the more she fingered herself. "But his… damn… I never expected he… he'd feel like this."
Uzume stared, managing to offer a lopsided grin to her friend. "So, how does it feel? Miya would probably kill us both if she knew you were getting off to her one of her guests, right above their head even."
"S-screw - AHHHH - you!" Matsu hissed without any venom as she orgasmed once again, muffling a brief scream into her futon. "Gah… damn it. I'm not going to make it if he stays here much longer."
"You realize you're missing the chance to let him wing you, right? Why let him go? Didn't think that was your style."
Head whipping up, Matsu glared at her with such intensity it made her flinch. "Believe me," she all but hissed, "it is taking everything I have to keep from throwing myself at him like this, Miya's rules be damned. But that face won't go un-surveilled from this point forward, even if I have to hack MBI's mainframe again. I'll find a way to see that handsome face of his as much as I want and – HYAAAHN!"
With the initial shock of finding her like this gone, Uzume just rolled her eyes at her fellow Sekirei's antics as she climaxed once more. "I had no idea you'd be this hopeless, Matsu."
"Like you're any better!" Matsu shot back, having finally regained some aspect of control as she pushed herself up. "Speaking of which, I got what you wanted."
"You found his file?!" Uzume all but squealed, leaping at the perverted Sekirei. "Show me, show me!"
"Uzume-tan," Matsu suddenly said, pushing her off with a serious look. "Are you sure you want to see it?"
Uzume stared at Matsu, a little unnerved by how hesitant she was. The Wisdom Sekirei who prided herself on being the smartest being on the planet actually worried about knowledge? Even if it wasn't about her ashikabi – or future, in Matsu's case – the fact that the bespectacled beauty wasn't putting on airs was disturbing. "What did you find?"
Matsu sucked in a breath before releasing it again in a sigh. "Nothing good. Your boy toy? He's been through a lot; how he's able to smile like he does is beyond me. Any other human let alone someone his age would've cracked like an egg long ago."
Uzume could only stare, incredulous, trying to find the words. Of all things she'd expected to heard from Matsu, this was about the last. "Matsu… what happened to him?"
Matsu didn't say anything, except reached over and plucked a USB drive from her system, holding it out to Uzume. "I'm not going back into it – it's already depressing enough just thinking about it, and that's coming from me. If you want to know, see for yourself. But I wouldn't yet."
"Why not?"
Matsu's gaze seemed to pierce right through her soul just then as she asked, "If you're trying to get closer to Tamotsu-tan then I don't think digging through his dirty laundry would net you very many points."
Uzume's eyes widened, glancing down with shock at the drive in Matsu's hand. "I…"
"Look, I'm just giving you some free advice. You can take it or leave it. You know him better than I do after all, so maybe he might be ok with-"
"NO!" Uzume shouted, cutting her off with her bangs covering her eyes. "No… As much as I want to, I can't. It would mean betraying everything I want to build with him."
"I can erase the files if you want," Matsu offered softly. "…but that's not what you want, is it?"
"No," Uzume uttered miserably, struggling to hold back her tears. "I want to know about him so much it hurts. I want to know what he likes, what he hates, what he's been through and how I can protect him from it. I nearly lost him because I ran from what it could all mean - from what he could mean to me. Even now I want to be there with him, but I can't because he's with HER!" Uzume threw her head down and wailed into the futon, railing against the unfairness of it all but most of all her own stupidity in letting him go in the first place.
"Who says that has to be the end of things?"
Uzume's eyes widened as her mind registered those words. Shooting a look at the glasses wearing Sekirei, she felt slightly unnerved by the glint in her eyes. "What do you mean…?"
"kukuku~! Just leave it all to Matsu-nee, Uzume-tan. Have I ever steered you wrong?"
Despite the emotional mess she was going through, Uzume managed to quip: "Well, there was that one time-"
"Can it, or I can keep my fabulous plot to myself."
For better or worse, Matsu had never steered her wrong when it came down to it.
"I'm all ears."
Minato and company had left shortly after Uzume did, saying that they had some important meetup with their folks. And while he had nothing against Minato, Yukari was a different story.
I'd hate to see who she took after, he mused with a shudder.
Still, they'd exchanged phone numbers and bid each other goodbye so that was good.
"How do you feel, Uemoto-san?" Miya asked, regarding his injuries.
"My head's been through worse," he grumbled.
"Ara? You wouldn't happen to be referring to the just punishment this morning, now are you?" Miya asked, a threatening aura wafting about her along with that damned mask of hers.
"O-of course not!" Tamotsu rushed to say, waving his hands frantically as if to ward off the impending doom. "In fact, I feel better than ever thanks to you! Tip top shape, really!"
The mask retreated – for now – and with it Miya's ire. "Then I trust you and Mitsuha-san will be heading off soon?"
Tamotsu gave a sigh of relief, offering her a small smile. "That would be for the best, yeah. I really hope none of our food spoiled…"
"It's only been a day, Tamo," Mitsuha reminded him dryly with a poke in his ribs.
"Right, right," he chuckled, and noticed Uzume return with an unfamiliar woman - likely another tenant of the inn. First thing he noticed was that she was a real beauty, but the appeal to her wasn't as obvious as Uzume's. Rather, her charm lie in how confidently she carried herself as well as how she seemed to know everything with just a glance.
Probably another Sekirei, but she's got an exotic vibe to her too, he remarked to himself idly, entranced by her beauty.
"Ah, Matsu-san. So nice of you to join us," Miya greeted with a smile that seemed to grow colder with each passing second. "I certainly hope you weren't up to your usual antics. I'd hate to have to give you yet another reminder of this Inn's rules."
But the Sekirei in question merely scoffed and shoved up her glasses, smirking. "Please. You should know me better than that, Miya-tan. I'm a perfect angel."
"Hence why I'm asking."
Matsu started to pout at that before she caught Tamotsu's gaze, her eyes soon twinkling with mischief. "Oh~? So, you're the infamous little neighbor Uzume-tan's been keeping from me." Before he knew it, Matsu had planted herself just next to him, close enough that he could pick out how the light shone upon her silky hair. He heard Mitsuha squawk in indignant protest, but his vision was dominated by the braided beauty. "I'm Matsu, number Two. You must be Tamo-tan."
"T-Tamo-tan?" he stammered, trying his damndest to keep a straight face and failing. Number 2?! This was the second most powerful Sekirei on Earth, and she was literally in his face. What was her power? More to the point, how screwed was he?
"Just roll with it, Tamo-chan," Uzume deadpanned unamused by her fellow Sekirei's antics, gripping the her by the collar of her dress and dragging her away from him. She retook her seat next to Miya with Matsu planted right next to her, cowed into submission by the look both Uzume and Miya sent her way.
"Ok…?" Tamotsu said, at a loss. Part of him had to marvel at the fact that his friend had just yanked away one of the most powerful beings on the planet like a misbehaving child. Then her words caught up to his brain: she knew him. Had Uzume talked about him? Should he even ask about it?
Thankfully he didn't have to. "How do you know about my ashikabi?" Mitsuha demanded, putting emphasis on her mention of him as she hugged him like a toy she didn't want to share.
"I have my ways," Matsu said smugly, light gleaming off her glasses as she pushing them up her nose.
"She has cameras planted everywhere," Uzume stated, throwing her friend under the bus.
The glasses wearing Sekirei whirled on the brunette, squawking: "OI! That was-!"
"Oh? How interesting," Miya - the bus in this case - drawled, as the han'ya mask came forth again, glaring daggers at Matsu. "I do recall telling you to remove them, but it seems you need a reminder."
"W-wait Miya-tan, I can explain-!"
"Excuses are for the guilty~!"
As Matsu tried in vain to forestall her punishment, Uzume looked at Tamotsu with a disheratened look on her face. "So... I guess you're going to be heading out soon?"
Tamotsu grimaced a bit, cursing himself for upsetting her. "Yeah, I suppose. We can't exactly stay here forever, and we've imposed on you all long enough."
"I'm in the same boat," Uzume revealed, causing him to look at her sharply.
"What?! I thought you lived here," Mitsuha questioned, narrowing her eyes at the older Sekirei.
Uzume rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, sighing. "I do, but it's not free. And I'm behind on the rent I owe Miya. She's been patient but I can't keep doing this to her. I'll have to find somewhere else."
"But… do you have anywhere else?" Tamotsu pressed, his heart hammering in his chest at the thought of her on the streets.
Uzume's sad smile nearly broke his heart, shrugging her shoulders. "Not really, but I'll manage. I'm strong."
That… That wasn't right. None of this was right!
"Oh, oh! I have an idea! How about she moves in with you?" Matsu suggested, just barely fending off a smiling Miya as she loomed over the Sekirei with her ladle of doom.
"WHAT?!" the other three exclaimed in shock.
"I mean, it's not like you can't. That one over there wouldn't shut up about your digs, even if she complained most of the time," Matsu explained, directing an accusing finger over at the blonde.
"Hey, how did you-! Wait…," Mitsuha shot a look over at Uzume, "...those cameras you mentioned, right?"
Uzume nodded bitterly.
"Damn it. But wait, couldn't we help her out with what she owes? It can't be that much, can it?" At the brunette's silence, Mitsuha's glare intensified. "…can it?"
"Uzume's rent…? Oh dear, I'm afraid it's quite the steep amount," Miya threw in, forgoing Matsu's inquisition for the moment.
"We can pay for it, I'm sure," Mitsuha asserted albeit with a sour look at Uzume.
"Oh! Well in that case if we take into account her personal finances as well as any loans she took from us… Ah, then the total comes out to about fifty-two thousand yen owed," Miya delivered with her most innocent smile which, in her case, was quite terrifying.
Dead silence reigned immediately afterwards with only the sounds of the cicadas outside thrumming their songs.
Tamotsu blinked once, twice, thrice before looking slowly over at Uzume. He worked his jaw around for a few moments before finally broaching the topic. "How...?" he all but whined.
Uzume's face burned crimson, fidgeting in her seat.
"You saw her room, right?" Matsu butted in with a leer at her friend, Cheshire grin firmly in place "How much did you think those stuffed animals cost, anyways? Oh, and she made all of them. "
Her room had been filled to the brim with dozens of the things, some even serving as his pillow when he was still cooped up in her bed. Just one of them could've sold for a solid 5,000 yen, and he dared not even consider the amount of all of them. And when you took into account what the cost for materials would be for all of them...
He paled - rapidly.
"WHY?!" Mitsuha shrieked in part frustration and disbelief.
"I like sewing, ok!? Don't judge me!" Uzume snapped, blushing redder than a fire hydrant.
"Some self-control would be a good start, Ten! Kami!"
While the two went back and forth, Tamotsu tried to work out something, anything, he could to help her.
On one hand this had nothing to do with him. Uzume had made this bed – literally, in the stuffed animals' case – so she had to lie in it. Reasonably there was nothing he could or should do. After all she was an adult and could handle her own problems.
But that didn't sit right with him. For her, the first person he'd met in this damned city that actually seemed to give a damn about him at first, he couldn't just leave things at that, now could he? There had to be some way this could all work out.
And Matsu had a point: they could take her in. After all the only real hurdle would be convincing their landlord to let another resident stay there with them, which would only hike up their rent a bit. But with Mitsuha's MBI card they had that aspect covered.
There was also a veritable benefit to doing so. Not only was Uzume a Sekirei he was familiar with, but she was one that undoubtedly had to be familiar with the Sekirei Plan as a whole. The debacle with Junichi and Yashima had been a wake up call of sorts; they were in this for the long haul so it was time to start taking it seriously. If they stood even a remote chance against those two or, hell, even the other Sekirei and their ashikabi, then they needed help.
Despite his rough history with Uzume, he felt he could trust her as she could very easily have left Mitsuha all on her own while he was bleeding out in an alley. And of course he still felt a strong bond with her but whether it was the lingering effects of his one-sided crush or some other link, he didn't know. All that mattered right now was helping his… friend?
Yes, she was his friend. And if there was one thing he'd long since resolved to do in his life, it was never to turn his back on them when they needed help and he could do something... Even if his had already done the same to him long before.
Uemoto Tamotsu clenched his fist, breathing out slowly and spoke: "...alright."
The bickering that had been slowly intensifying suddenly came to an abrupt halt, leaving a tense silence in its wake.
"'Alright', what?" Matsu asked, lifting an eyebrow at him.
He sucked in a deep breath, looked Uzume in her brown eyes and repeated firmly: "Alright. We'll take her in."
"HUH?!"
"Wait, you will?!"
Uzume stared, thunderstruck by his response while Mitsuha grabbed him roughly by his collar and started shaking him.
"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND MASTER?!" We can't take her in!"
"Why not?" Tamotsu pressed, directing a questioning look at his Sekirei after she stopped roughhousing him.
The blonde fumbled for a believable excuse, her eyes darting this way and that before answered: "Well… we don't know her enough for that! Right?"
"She helped you save me, didn't she?" Tamotsu deadpanned, raising an eyebrow at her.
Mitsuha's jaw shut with an audible click, turning to glare at Uzume who returned it. "This should be your problem, not ours!"
"If I could do anything about it I would!" the brunette shot back hotly before flicking a sheepish look in Tamotsu's direction. "And I don't want to impose..."
Oh he knew he was going to catch utter hell for this, but he couldn't ignore her if he could do something about it. "We have plenty of room. So long as you can stomach my cooking, you're welcome to stay."
Uzume's eyebrows shot into her hairline, her eyes glistening with wonder. "You can cook...?"
He chuckled at her enthusiasm, scratching the back of his skull a bit. "So-so I guess. If you ask Mitsuha here," he gestured to his Sekirei who huffed grouchily at him, "you'd know I'm not a chef by any means."
"That's because your taste buds died a fiery death long ago!" the blonde hissed at him. "I swear my tongue still stings from that curry you made!"
"But it seemed fine to me-?"
"MY POINT STANDS!"
Deciding to handle the debatale matter of his culinary skills at a later date, he turned back to Uzume and offered her a welcoming smile. "So, how about it?"
And for the first time in a long time, a true blue face-splitting grin alighted her face as she all leapt at him from across the table, without knocking anything over in the process somehow. "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!"
"Oi! Hands off Side-tail! Mine!"
"Oh come on roomie! Share a little!"
And thus began the tug-of-war between Mitsuha and Uzume with him as the prize being yanked back and forth from one pair of breasts into another. Idly, he wondered if this was what heaven would look like to some and hell to others.
To him though? Compared to the road he'd walked to get to this point, all the trials he'd gone through - and would undoubtedly face going forward - he was home.
Today had been such an interesting day for Asama Miya.
Not only had two fine young men proven themselves as such, but she was also able witness the birth of a beautiful new connection between her dear tenant and said young man. Admittedly, she hadn't thought much of the young Uemoto when he had been brought in by his frantic Sekirei and Uzume. But his conviction and spirit couldn't be denied any longer.
In time, he would be a splendid ashikabi. Those two couldn't be in better hands.
As for the young Sahashi… Miya would be lying if she said she wasn't eager to see what he would do. Already she could feel just how much potential he had as an ashikabi, so much so that he'd managed to attract Matsu – a Single Digit, and for all intents and purposes the closest thing she had to a little sister. And while she could do without the bespectacled beauty's perverse antics at times, Miya was still delighted that the Wisdom Sekirei would hopefully be with her destined one in the near future.
…that is, so long as their union didn't disrupt the peace of her Inn.
"The bedroom, his shower – oh yesssss, especially there! What secrets will he unveil, kukuku!" Matsu giggled perversely, as they were sitting together in the main room of the Inn after everyone had left.
…and far, far, far away from anything Miya could remotely feel.
I might have to remind her after all, Miya thought with mounting irritation.
"I'm surprised you caught on so quickly though," Matsu stated suddenly, rolling her eyes to look at Miya. "Normally you skip to the beat of your own tune than somebody else's, One."
Miya calmly sipped at her tea, not even fazed by the barb before speaking: "Yes, well Uzume-san made her feelings painfully clear even before I'd met the young man. I simply went along with your methods since they were most likely to succeed, nothing more."
"Really? Not even going to preach about how it was 'underhanded' or 'deceitful'? I thought you were supposed to be the honest one here."
"Hence why I left the trickery to you, Two," Miya remarked with a sly grin. "Thus my hands in this matter are clean."
"Yeah, yeah, you got me," Matsu grumbled before her eyes fell to the table. "…she really loves him, Miya. I thought it was just a passing fling, like something Kagari has from time to time but I was way off. And I think he needs her more than she does him."
Miya lowered her cup at that admission, flitting a searching look over at the twin-braided woman. "Am I to understand that you know about his circumstances?"
She knew well enough by now that the Wisdom Sekirei could be quite nosey when she felt inclined. It was part of the reason MBI had managed to gain a foothold in the world in its early days, allowing the fledgling corporation to grow to where it was today. Matsu considered it a hobby of hers to know everything there was to know, so Miya expected much the same kind of response as always.
So it came as a complete shock to her to hear Matsu actually snarl about that.
"I'd thought I'd seen just how petty humans could get when we were still in the Discipline Squad, but nothing like this. Tamo-tan... If it hadn't been for his grandparents, his life could've been over. Hell it still is depending on how you look at it... and it makes me sick to think about it."
"...I don't follow."
But rather than elaborate, Matsu just shook her head with a disgusted sigh. "Call me crazy, but that's one bit of info I don't want to share. I may be the Sekirei of Wisdom, but there are some pieces of knowledge that should just remain buried. It's all in Uzume-tan's hands now."
There was more that Miya wanted to ask, especially with the startling picture that had formed in her mind. Uemoto had been through a tribulation of sorts? What had happened? Why hadn't he spoken of it? Did his Sekirei know?
No, of course she doesn't, Miya decided with a shake of her head. He kept his composure for the most part, but the mask still slipped. Whatever happened to him is his burden to bear it seems. That will have to suffice.
"I see."
"Do you think I overstepped my bounds?" Matsu asked suddenly, perhaps feeling insecure about her actions.
Miya turned a reassuring smile on the bespectacled Sekirei, cupping her tea as she stared out at the city beyond. "All is fair in love and war, so they say. And given that this game is a volatile mixture of both, I would say you did what you felt was necessary. Whether or not it was entirely needed will be for Fate to determine."
Matsu stared at her at a loss, the sight of it eliciting a giggle out of Miya. "Ugh, why do you have to be so damned cryptic sometimes."
"I wonder."
Matsu groaned aloud, pushing herself up and stretching her arms high above her head. "Welp, I'm heading to bed."
"Don't you mean to 'spy on your future husband'?" Miya corrected, making Matsu flinch.
"Ehehe, well, you know – OHWAITMYANIMEISSTARTINGGOTTAGOBYEEEE!"
Gone in a flash, Miya was soon left by her lonesome in the room as the cicadas sounded their song outside. "Well then, I suppose that will do for today. I better get everything set up before I turn in."
After retrieving making herself another tray of food, she took it upstairs to her room and balanced it while she opened the door. "Pardon the intrusion," she said softly as she stepped in, shutting the door behind her. For several moments, all that could be heard was the sound of a certain device until Miya made her way over to the set of futons.
BEEP...BEEP...BEEP
Her room was spartan in appearance but apart from the futon that belonged to her lay another. This one was occupied by a man who lay motionless under the covers hooked up to an IV and a heart monitor. His face was pale but he was at peace, the rise and fall of his chest barely noticeable to the naked eye - but not to hers.
She set the tray down, settling herself in right next to the man who didn't even stir at her approach. Miya smiled down at him, reaching out to caress his face. "Things have gotten rather lively around here recently, and I can only imagine what the future holds in store for us. I wish you could see it, but I know what it's like for you."
He didn't answer her. Of course he didn't. Ever since that day she hadn't heard his voice since, even though it still played on a loop in her memories. That and the knowledge that was he was not yet gone gave her the strength to carry on.
But it was so, so hard. Only being able to sit with him like this, to not be graced with that gentle smile or that playful gleam he had teased her, or the way he said her name... The name he'd given her.
With only this man as her witness, Asama Miya let that demure mask of hers slip as she clenched the folds of her robes, staring down forlornly at her husband, her eyes starting to burn with unshed tears. "I've kept my promise. I've laid down my sword as you asked me to. So... I expect you to hold up yours. I don't care how long it takes – I'll wait until this world dies out, and it's just us remaining. I'll wait for you. Anything to see your smile... to hear you say my name again."
Yes, she didn't need an ashikabi. She already had hers, winged or not.
Japanese Glossary:
Ara, ara~ (Literally: "my oh my." Made famous by Onee-san or "Big sister" types, but it's not exclusive.)
Kukuku! (a sort of devious giggle in Japanese; the kind that characters like Matsu are known for)
-sama (I used this in Chapter 10 but forgot to make a note; a special address of an individual, denoting either importance or reverence that the speaker has for the individual; in Musubi's case, she's deferring to him as her master while Shiina refers to Takami with deep resepect.)
-san (a formal address of an individual, basically like calling someone "mister" or "Miss")
Itadakimasu! (Literally: "Thanks for the food.")
-chan (an affectionate way of addressing someone, usually between close friends or relatives; Matsu's -tan works the same way but in a cuter fashion)
-nee (basically a way of saying "sis"; Matsu is calling herself "Big Sis Matsu" here)
AND DONE! This took way longer than I thought it would, but what else is new right? XD
So what was meant to be a filler chapter turned into a filler/character development chapter. Here we got to see the two major forces of the story meet face to face, which will lead to some truly incredible things going forward. It pays to have powerful friends after all and the Sahashi siblings are definitely power players.
To start off with, yes Kagari/Homura will not be one of the Minato's Sekirei but instead one of Yukari's. I have nothing against what Homura represents but I do feel that his angle of wanting to be male should be explored. Plus I'm astonished that there wasn't flock of nothing but guys in the series. I mean come on. I get it was supposed to be primarily an eechii series, but missed opportunity really. And giving Shiina some competition won't hurt, right? Yukari IS Minato's sister after all, so why shouldn't she have her own harem? :P
Then there's Miya. I really, really took some creative liberties here giving her a more eloquent way of speaking, since she's supposed to be refined and elegant. But I didn't dare miss out on the opportunities to give her dreaded mask some action. And speaking of masks... one could call it breaking her character when she breaks down near the end, but she's away from all prying eyes. And I think even Matsu would give her big sister some privacy when she needs it.
Poor Uzume. It was hard to write her with that internal conflict of hers and making it believable. I think I succeeded and if I didn't, please let me know how to improve. But all else said, I can now safely say that she will be making an active attempt to ingratiate herself in Tamotsu's world.
*angry Mitsuha noises*
Will temptation get the better of her and have her find out the dark secrets of Tamotsu's past? Also, she's not in the flock yet - sorry. There's still a lot I want for her to do before that happens. But rest assured that our favorite Veil will get her chance to shine.
And then we have our poor protagonist. I tried to keep things vague again, but his past will be coming to light before long. Matsu is the only one thus far who knows apart from him and his grandmother. There's already been hints of it in previous chapters but that's just the events leading up to what culminates in his trauma. Let's just say it's a doozy.
And I haven't forgotten about Chiho, Akitsu, Higa, Mikogami or any of the other players in the game. The just aren't necessary to the plot right now. This arc is about getting Tamotsu's flock set up (sans Kujou; she'll come soon) and establishing his place in the game. It's coming to an end soon, so stay tuned. Next chapter things are going to heat up.
That's about all I got. I'm eager to see what ya'll think, so leave some thoughts!
Till then,
Take care.