Yes, this is long overdue. The quality of the chapter might suffer for it but I refuse to keep this in longer than it has been, so here you go.
Note at the end, let's begin.
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"
This wasn't the first time he had this dream, nor was it likely to be the last. Each instance played out much the same: he'd feel that cool, gentle breeze across his cheeks, bring him to consciousness lying on his back. The world around him was like nothing he'd ever seen and it left him breathless each time. The sky made up everything, though with each movement he swore that the ground beneath rippled like stones being cast into a pond.
"You'd think I'd be used to this by now," he muttered, pushing himself up into a sitting position. Clouds seemed to roll by beneath and above, further emphasizing that this was in fact a dream world. He just wished he knew why it was happening. Most of his dreams until recently had been tame by usual male standards – stuff like fancy houses, stylish cars and a bevy of faceless, albeit beautiful women. The typical dreams for red-blooded men struggling with puberty and all its curses. The only ones he could remember were nightmares involving something his mom, sister or grandmother all had him doing just to appease whatever it was he'd done to piss them off that day.
In some strange way, this felt similar to that. A feeling of foreboding that left his stomach queasy and his mind on edge, like he was being watched by some unseen force beyond his comprehension. Perhaps he was just overthinking things and the stress of recent events was getting to him. But he could swear there was something on the horizon, watching… waiting for something.
Something he had either done or was going to do.
Minato gave a sigh, running a hand through his hair as had become a nervous tick of his. Yukari made fun of him for it but he figured it was better than to start smoking like his mom did. "Not that she'd ever let me keep living if she ever caught me," he chuckled ruefully before glancing around for anything new.
To his shock, there was. Far in the distance, where all other times he'd been alone was a womanly silhouette standing with her back to him. The only features he could make was that she had long flowing blonde hair that swayed in the breeze and wore black dress that only reached her knees. If she noticed him, she didn't show it but that didn't amount to much.
Her presence here was a development and perhaps the first real sign that this dream would mean something. What else was he to think? What harm would there be in trying to get somewhere if that was the case? This was a dream after all.
Swallowing what hesitation he had, the ronin stood up and started making his way over to her. His venture was not in any way subtle, given how each step was punctuated by a sort of tinkling chime though she still did not turn his way. Getting closer though he was able to make out her hour-glass figure and slender legs seated inside tall brown high-heeled boots.
Still she did not turn, which he took as a sign to keep getting closer. Step by precious step he closed the distance and when he was within ear-shot, he opened his mouth to utter something like a greeting to her.
"State thy business at once, interloper!"
He stilled, eyes going wide as his heart hammered away in his chest and mind racing at what to do next.
What was he to say? How should he respond to her? Should he apologize?
Wait, isn't this my dream? He realized with a start.
"I… think that should be my line, actually."
The effect was immediate: she whirled on him, a flash of gold flapping about her like a curtain that settled over her face, preventing him from getting a good look at her.
Minato's breath left him in a rush, his heart thudding against his ribcage.
Gods she was beautiful. She put all the prepubescent fantasies of the past to shame and then some, sporting a figure that would make her the envy of anyone in the crowd.
"-answer me, knave!"
Oh, she was talking to him.
"Thou shalt explain thyself at once! How dare one be so presumptuous to invade my dreams!"
"Yours?" he shot back, frowning a bit. She may have been beautiful, but she had quite the surly attitude to compensate. "You're the invader here. Unless…" a thought occurred to him, one he initially thought to keep to himself but decided to air it just for the hell of it, "we're both in each other's dream."
Her tirades ceased, her silence somehow being more intimidating than her just shouting at him. Flicking her head skyward, her golden mane bounced about her head not dissimilar for the rolling of ocean waves. "Preposterous. Dreams are solely of one's ownership, thus thou should prepare a more compelling explanation."
"That's the best I have right now, unless you have a better one?" Minato returned, folding his arms smugly.
The blonde opened her mouth to fire off a retort, but she paused and was forced to settle with a slight growl.
He was very careful to keep from letting his smirk widen, even though she couldn't have seen it through that curtain of blonde hair. Even if she couldn't… it paid to be careful.
The mystery blonde gave a disdainful huff and pivoted on her feet, putting her back to him. "Tis but a waste of breath to debate this matter, it seems. Thou wouldst consider removing thyself from one's presence if thou intends to remain here." The words were meant to serve as warning for him, but she was the one walking away from him instead and clearly intended to end their interaction.
For some insane reason, the thought of her going away… frightened him. There was a tug on his heart, watching her move away in long, confident strides and farther out of his reach.
He clenched his fist tightly, swallowing his doubts and called out to her. "My name is Minato!"
She stopped though she gave no indication she heard him. Even so, he pressed on. "Look I don't know how this is happening, but if we meet again… could I get your name at least? There's no reason for us to be at each other's throats like this!"
Her response took longer than he would've liked and though she eventually answered him, her words were not what he was expecting. "Hmph. Thy name has no meaning to me thus thou wastes one's words. We will not meet again."
"Why not?" he pressed, oddly insistent. What was it about her leaving that made him so nervous and worried? He didn't even know her name.
When she turned, however, for the first time he caught a glimpse of something more than just a curtain of blonde hair. One cerulean orb crested that golden mane of hers, pinning him with a hostile glare as the delivered her answer.
"Thou will die."
A sharp gasp signaled Minato's return to the real world, glancing around him wildly until he registered a familiar weight snuggled up next to him. Musubi slumbered away, cute little snores escaping her lips even as she nuzzled his arm in her sleep. He sighed, his hand reaching to hover her as though to pat her head but thought better of it at the last second, choosing to pull it back.
That dream… each time he had it just became more and more complicated, but the blonde's presence this time around left him reeling… not to mention her final words.
"Thou will die."
Did it mean she would kill him? If so, then why? Who was she? Why did she appear in his dream and, if the experience was shared, he in hers? What was the connection?
Maybe mom would know more, he settled on, moving to slip out of bed only for Musubi to suddenly throw her arms around his waist.
Still she slept, mouth hanging open with a bit of drools rolling down from her lips.
Minato chuckled. Seems this was just a typical routine for them by now. Musubi never woke when he did, but she also never let him leave even in dreamland. To be so constantly aware of his presence should've worried him but all he could do was smile down at her, patting her head. "Musubi-chan, it's time to get up."
The girl's eyes fluttered, blinking open sleepily before they darted up to his face. A little frown wormed its way onto hers before she reached up and brought him back down with her. Her lips captured his a second later, her pretty pink wings bursting forth and illuminating the room.
Anyone else might have given their arm for even one chance like this, but to Musubi this was her morning routine. She never started the day without locking lips with him.
"Ohayo Minato-sama," she said, smiling widely at him with a blush adorning his cheeks.
It was all Minato could do not to blush in turn, his heart thudding against his chest painfully.
Gods she was cute… and she was his. That fact alone made his heart soar.
"Morning Musubi-chan," he greeted back, smiling up at her. "Did you sleep well?"
"Mhm! Minato-sama is always with Musubi even in her dreams, so Musubi is happy!"
Her dreams? Did that mean she dreamt about him? Normally such a thing wouldn't seem odd, but given what just happened…
"Ne, Musubi-chan?"
"Yes Master?"
"Before you met me, did you… dream about me? Even though we never met before?"
A delicate finger was held to her lips, eyes rolling up in what she likely thought was a thoughtful pose even though it just made her look cuter… despite the fact she was now straddling him. "Musubi can't remember when, but Minato-sama has been with her in her dreams for a long time now. Only, Minato-sama's face was a mystery to her until Musubi laid eyes on you."
Well, that was telling. So could the blonde in his dreams have been a sekirei like Musubi? Was she… was she going to be his next one?
Do I even want another one?
He quickly crushed that thought before it could fester; this wasn't about deciding on another pet, these were the lives and futures of young women. He couldn't be so self-centered.
"I see."
"Did you sleep well, Minato-sama?" her question caught him off-guard, his eyes widening a bit.
"You could say that, I guess," he chuckled, giving a yawn. "What time is it?"
"Just a little past noon."
Oh…
Dread slowly sapped away whatever optimism that was bubbling within, leading him to lay back on the bed with a groan and his palms placed squarely on his eyes.
I am so dead.
"He's so dead," her daughter snickered to herself, only to seize up when Takami's eyes landed on her.
She wasn't wrong, however.
He'd better have a damn good excuse other than sleeping in, she mused darkly, glaring at the door to her office.
Maybe he deserves to, the more rational side of her argued on his behalf before she smothered it.
This was his choice, so I expect him to follow through with it. All talk and no action doesn't impress me, like a certain idiot I know.
"Takami-sama, do you not trust in your own son?" Shiina questioned, breaking her from her musings.
"S-Shiina-kun!?" Yukari gasped, appalled.
Her temper threatened to emerge but with sheer will, she forced it back down with the reminder that Minaka was not within a hundred yards of her. Shiina hadn't done anything to earn her ire, yet, but his words might alter that status if she found them lacking. "Trust is subjective to this, Shiina. You should know what is at stake here, perhaps more than anyone."
Because of Kuu, his "sister". Given how close the two were during tuning, they might as well be blood relations be damned.
Shiina, surprisingly, frowned at her but on his effeminate profile, it came off as more of a pout instead. "I disagree."
She leaned against the wall, crossing her arms with a glare. "Do explain."
"In the short time I have been around him, Minato-sama has proven himself to be an upstanding and respectable individual. Of course I had fully intended to give him the bare minimum of such due to him being my master's blood, but he's earned much more than that."
"Why put such faith in someone you've only just met?" Takami demanded, drumming her fingers against her coat sleeves.
Shiina's smile was innocent and that alone unnerved the MBI researcher, never mind his next words. "Because he, a human, stood up to Miya-sama on our behalf – and earned her respect for it."
Takami stilled. Several disparaging and disdainful remarks came to her lips, but she refrained from airing them precisely because of her son's attitude. True, Minato in the past would've deserved every single one of them but things were different now.
If he stood up to her, his mother, then was standing his ground against arguably the most powerful force on this planet that far a stretch? And to earn her respect on top of it?
"Shiina-kun is… right, mom," Yukari let out, earning Takami's undivided attention. To her credit, she managed to not withdraw into complete silence but the grimace couldn't be helped. "Nii-chan was a wimp all this time, but he's not a baby anymore. I think you should trust in him."
Trust? Was that really it? Did she not trust him to keep his word? One could only look at how he fared in his studies to see just why her faith in him was so little, but that wasn't entirely his fault either. She and her own mother had made her children that way.
A niggling doubt wormed its way into her thoughts: was fear really the right way to go about this? It had proven an effective strategy in the past to keep her children in line, but was it necessary now? Minato, her oldest and arguably most spineless child had defied all expectations even before he'd put his foot down with her.
Yet another harsh reminder that in her desperate attempts to keep them out of this, she'd unwittingly drawn them into a far more dangerous game than they could ever know.
She barely withheld a sigh, reaching up to rub her temples.
The door suddenly exploded open and for one horrifying second, Takami had thought it was Minaka but to her relief, it was only her errant child and his plus one.
"I'm here, I'm here! How much did I miss?" Minato stammered, stopping halfway to look around the room, bewildered.
Takami exchanged one last look with her daughter's sekirei before pinning her son with a glare. "Park your ass in that seat so we can get started. There's a lot to go over."
Takami turned away from her children, staring vacantly at the screen behind her before finally letting out a sigh.
I'll mull it over. For now, it's time to show them what they're up against… what we're up against.
Sometimes, Oriha just couldn't understand her master.
Well, that wasn't fair to him, but he also wasn't fair to her most times either.
What went through his mind she couldn't wrap her head around, though she did as he asked without complaint all in order to get a glimpse of that ghostly smile of his.
Honestly, she couldn't complain in her choice of an ashikabi. Tall, handsome and loaded to boot, he was every girl's dream and not once had she taken it for granted. Sure, he was cold and distant but her feelings for him never dimmed though she did wish he'd pay more attention to her at times.
Like he did to her.
From where she stood in his office, her master was speaking to another sekirei garbed a ghostly white yukata, no skin to be shown save for that of her pale neck; otherwise, her face was obscured by that unnerving geisha mask she'd taken to wearing.
Oriha scoffed to herself.
Did she think herself cute wearing such a ridiculous getup? For someone who called herself a yuki-onna she was quite on the nose with her persona, remaining completely silent and still unless provoked.
It was beneath her to feel jealous of such an inferior sekirei – even if that sekirei was the notorious Scrapped Number – but she demanded her master's attention be on her and only her.
Everyone else was unnecessary distractions.
"…disappointing performance," her master was saying, drawing her back to reality. Oriha almost swooned coming upon his magnificent profile once more, feeling her cheeks flood with warmth that she hurried to stamp down. It would be poor decorum to let her feelings show so hastily, especially with that witch still in the room.
Higa Izumi sat behind his desk, the backdrop of the city serving to enhance his presence even more as she glared at the woman standing silently across from him. His hands were stepped into a pyramid, eyes narrowed in clear displeasure while his lips twitched in a frown. "Care to explain why you weren't able to complete your task?"
"…"
Rarely did their asset utter any words beyond bidding farewell, so this was no surprise to her. It still irritated her nonetheless.
Answer Higa-sama when he speaks to you, trollop!
"Two, no, three birds we could have dealt with and you were sent scurrying, not to mention the resources we devoted to that very initiative. They were there to ensure your mission would be a success yet you turned tail and fled because of that... oh, what do they call that one?"
"Guardian, sir," Kakizaki, Higa-sama's ever faithful servant supplied from next to him. "He's been a constant issue with our forces thus far as well as deprived us of a number of other useful assets."
"Which now includes that of Nine and One-oh-eight," Higa finished with a glare back towards the masked sekirei. "I expected more from someone of your caliber."
"…"
Higa-sama leaned forward in his seat, his expression dark as he addressed the sekirei once more, "Do not forget that I hold the key to her survival," he uttered coldly.
A sudden chill blew through the room, causing her to shudder and curl up a bit.
"...and there is little point in doing anything to me as well," Higa added calmly, unfazed by the show of power from the sekirei. True enough, the chill slowly faded but the sekirei's gloved hands remained clenched into fists. "If you want our help, then prove you can do the same for us. Those are our terms."
"…understood," the masked sekirei hissed out, tone coated in the frost she governed.
"Your current mission remains the same: eliminate any sekirei of your caliber, or any you deem a possible threat to us. Whatever resources you need, you will receive them if they are within our scope. You are dismissed."
The sekirei didn't nod at him, merely pivoted on her heel and stormed from the office, ignoring the glares on her all the way.
Frigid bitch.
"Oriha."
Her heart leapt, turning toward her master with a beaming smile, "Hai, Higa-sama?" she responded sweetly.
"Glaring stains your beautiful face – refrain from it, please."
Her cheeks flamed and her heart thundered in her chest, her gloved hand coming up to clench at it.
Her master was cold as ice, but smooth just the same when he wished to be. "I just cannot stand that… that witch," she spat out, unable to temper her venom.
"She is a means to an end, my dear," her master assured, his voice sending pleasant shivers down her spine. "Once she fulfills her uses, we will take the reins from there."
"Your attention is wasted on weak little girl she covets."
"Perhaps, perhaps not. After all, I aim to surpass MBI in what it prides itself on and finding out how to cure her terminal illness when they couldn't? That will no doubt put my name in the history books."
Oriha's eyes widened. "So… you intend to keep your deal with her?"
"As I said: if she wants our help, then she must prove she can do the same for us: those are our terms. I see no reason to let a valuable asset such as her be tossed aside when she can do so much more for us in the future."
"She can't be trusted!" Oriha snapped, letting out a gasp before uttering, "Gomen nasai, Higa-sama."
"For one to understand the stick, one must provide the carrot first," the man told her, seemingly unfazed by her outburst. "If we can prove able to save that little girl, then she will have no reason to turn on us. Speaking of such: Kakizaki, where are we on that front?"
"I've received word from our research partners that the first trials have concluded. The drug won't completely nullify her condition, but it should allow her a bit more freedom."
"Good. See to it that it is delivered to Dr. Orimura before the day is out. The sooner we come through on our end, the sooner we can ensure her continued cooperation. In the meantime, Oriha," he called out, getting her attention once more, "bring up the birds we snagged a few days ago. I have a special assignment for them."
A special assignment?
Before she could ask what he meant, Kakizaki butted in, "Sir, with respect, I must express caution against this action. Sending them away like this is risk."
"So is letting that boy snatch up whichever of the birds he wants. It's my hope he'll consider this a show of good faith on our part and leave what's in our territory to us. The last thing we need at this stage is to get scalped by someone who would better serve as our ally than adversary."
"As you wish."
"Good. Now run along my dear," Higa told her, offering her a slight smile.
There was no way she could resist him like that. Gripping the hem of her skirt, she offered him a curtsy in return and began thinking of ways to make the other sekirei in her master's flock submit to her way of thinking.
Perhaps it was tyrannical of her, but Higa-sama had already established he was the king of their little kingdom, and she had no intention of letting anyone but herself be his queen.
It'll be fine, it'll be fine, it'll be fine…
Tamotsu stared up at the structure, feeling his palms clam up with sweat. His mind raced, a thousand possible scenarios speeding through his brain ranging from reasonable to god-awful. For some reason, his mind lingered on the latter if only to torment his sanity.
"Soooo… are we going in?" Uzume asked, breaking the tense silence.
"Yeah… no. Yes…! ...maybe?"
A sigh from Mitsuha drew his attention, finding the blonde standing there with her arms crossed. "Honestly Tamo, you're acting like we're about to walk into some villain's lair. I thought you said this guy helped you?"
Not even a second after, he could feel Uzume's inquisitive stare boring into his back. "Helped you? When?"
"Not long after I got to the city," Tamotsu cut off, not wanting Mitsuha to answer. The blonde was aware of Sanada's actions – mostly. If she knew the whole story, she would likely try to lynch the ones who left him for dead. However, if Uzume knew, she would no doubt feel guilty about letting him run off like he had.
"Is that so," Uzume trailed off, her tone dubious.
It ate away at him to keep things from her like this, but he had no doubt nothing good would come from revealing what really happened… and he hoped Sanada would see it the same way.
Despite their rough first meeting, Tamotsu hoped that the biker would understand his situation. After all, they were both ashikabi now… wait.
Crap! Seo knows I'm with Mitsuha now, so he could've told him! That guy doesn't strike me as the type to pass up the chance to screw someone over. But if that's the case-!
"Yo."
An utterly girlish squeal erupted from him at the sudden voice, prompting Uzume to giggle at him whilst Mitsuha frowned. Kujou on the other hand latched onto his side, clutching his sleeve as she stared back at the newcomer.
Summoning what was left of his dignity, the young ashikabi turned and found none other than Sanada Nishi standing there with his three "lovelies", all of whom were staring warily at the other Sekirei. "Sanada-san, hey. Nice day, huh?"
He gave himself a mental bitch slap for that horrible opener, missing how Sanada sighed.
"Wasn't expecting to see you around, kid. Any reason you're hanging outside my place?" the biker asked, crossing his arms over his chest. His gaze traveled to the three women beside Tamotsu, lifting one eyebrow as he added, "and why one of your girls looks like she wants to string me up like fresh kill?"
"T-they're not my girls," Tamotsu managed to stammer back, flushing.
"They're your Sekirei, aren't they?"
"No, just Mitsuha and-!" As the last bit of Sanada's statement registered with Tamotsu, his eyes widened in shock. "Wait a sec! How did you-?"
"-know you were an ashikabi? Give me some credit, kid. Ain't no way three bombshells like that would be following your scrawny butt around otherwise," the man finished with a smirk.
"Oi! Caveman!" Mitsuha but in, getting everyone's attention as she strolled up beside Tamotsu. "He might be a bit on the lean side, but he's certainly more appealing than a leatherhead like you."
Sanada took the insult in stride, merely shrugging it off but his Sekirei were a different story. They, including little Shijime, were all glaring at the twin-tailed girl as if trying to set her ablaze with their gazes alone although in Shijime's case, she only came off as cute rather than intimidating.
"Now, now, let's not turn the block into a warzone," Uzume stepped in with a smile aimed at the two parties, somehow mollifying them. She turned to Sanada and offered him a friendly grin, "So you're Tamo-chan's old roommate. Nice to meet'cha. The name's Uzume, number ten," she added that last bit with some emphasis which wasn't lost on Sanada's Sekirei.
Kuzuri and Kujinka both paled slightly while Shijime clutched at Sanada's pant leg, giving the brunette a wary look.
"…you sure aim high, don't you kid?" Sanada remarked with a low whistle.
"Eh…?"
"Nothin. So, back to business – what are you lot hanging out here for? You need something?"
Tamotsu glanced down at Kujou as she met his eyes, looking uncertain. Swallowing a bit, he looked back to the biker and bowed his head. "Sanada-san… we need your help." Under Sanada's gaze, the younger ashikabi did his best not to wilt in front of the man but it wasn't easy. He could just feel the man's judgmental stare boring into the back of his head.
"…alright, come on." Tamotsu's head shot up, and the shock must've been clear as day since Sanada just sighed at him "What? Did you really think I'd tell you to fuck off? I ain't that heartless, kid. Now come on. I could use some grub."
She wasn't sure what she expected out of her master's "friend", but the pigsty she found herself in certainly wasn't ideal. Just seeing the amount of clutter and empty food containers scattered about made her cringe internally, even more when she saw how much of a slob the flat's owner was.
How this oaf was selected as an ashikabi was beyond her comprehension. He was crude, scruffy and she swore he hadn't showered in a week judging from the smell of both him and his abode.
Fortunately, apart from the littlest of the trio, his Sekirei did find issue with that aspect at least. Not long after they entered, the twins went around gathering up trash that their master had left lying around, all while the man himself cooked himself another batch of ramen.
"Is it weird I missed this place a bit?" her master remarked with a small grin as he glanced around.
Mitsuha shot a look at him, bewildered. This was news to her. "Are you saying you lived in this landfill?"
"Oi, mind not ragging on my place Blondie?" Sanada piped up, offended. "Sure it ain't the spiffiest but the roof doesn't leak, the water's hot and the lights are on. Though," he gave a few sniffs before shuddering, "might need some air fresheners."
"You said that a week ago, Master," Kuzuri drawled with a roll of her eyes.
"I told you should've grabbed some while we were out yesterday, but you just bought more beer," Kujika added reproachingly.
"And ramen, probably," Tamotsu chimed in with a smirk.
"Yeah and more-!" Kuzuri started to say, before glaring at the boy who just shrugged. "W-will you butt out!?"
"Jeez Tamo-chan, how'd you make it one day with this greaseball?" Uzume ribbed with a smirk of her own.
"Stop bullying Nishi!" Shijime shouted, pouting at the four of them.
Mitsuha turned to unleash hell on the younger Sekirei but her master cut her off with a chuckle. "Alright, alright, sorry Shijime-chan. We were just playing around."
Wonder of wonders, the tiny Sekirei beamed up at her master which caused a bout of irrational jealousy though it wasn't just from her.
Their newest stray latched onto her master with a pout of her own, locking eyes with the diminutive Sekirei who merely cocked her head to the side, puzzled.
Kujou's clinging to Tamotsu, however, did cause the blonde's jealousy to skyrocket.
"Might want to pick up the pace, Bee," Uzume sang from behind her, earning a sharp glare.
"Mind your business, Ten!"
Before long, the microwave beeped twice, and Sanada withdrew his ramen, the delectable aroma filling the cramped apartment. "Alright, now-," the man started, but wad cut off as he found Kujou hovering in front of him, her eyes glittering, "…you need something, rabbit?"
"R-r-r-rabbit?!" the pinkette exclaimed, flaring red.
Despite her frustration with the younger girl, Mitsuha couldn't help but snicker at the moniker for the wingless Sekirei. Rabbit was quite apt for her, given how skittish she usually was and how much she darted around.
"I think it suits you, Kujou-chan," Tamotsu added with a grin, causing the girl to flush terribly. "Sanada-san, could she have some too?"
"OI! That's our-!" Kuzuri snapped, but her master cut her off.
"Eh, sure."
"Master?!"
"Don't get bent out of shape, 'zuri. It's not like I don't have a stockpile of the shit. Besides, she might just steal mine if I'm not careful."
Kujou gave an embarrassed yelp, flinching from the glares Kuzuri and Kujika were now aiming at her. "T-that's not what I-!"
"So, you don't want it?"
"NO! I mean-!"
"Just take the ramen Kujou-chan," Tamotsu told her, putting his hand on her shoulder. "Consider it a gesture of goodwill from the guy. It's more than I got when I got here. All I got were a bag of chips that I couldn't even open because of my shoulder."
"Really~? And what was wrong with your shoulder, Tamo?" Mitsuha asked sweetly, leaning in towards her master with a smile that promised nothing but misery if he lied.
Her master's eyes darted away guiltily, sweating nervously. "Ehe, t-that's not important right now. We're here for Kujou-chan, remember?"
Don't think for one second I'm letting that slide, Master.
Despite knowing most of what happened to him when he get to the city, he failed to mention he'd been severely hurt because of it. Oh, she knew that someone had dared go after her beloved ashikabi and when she found them, she'd string them each up by their balls-!
"Eek! Hot!" Kujou yelped, her face screwing up with displeasure.
"Might want to wait till it cools down, rabbit. Even Sekirei can't eat food fresh like that," Sanada advised, before taking a seat on the floor. "So… let's hear it, kid."
Tamotsu glanced back at Mitsuha, his gaze so intense it made her face heat up a bit before he turned back to Kujou, who planted herself right next to him, tentatively nibbling at her piping hot ramen. "Well, a lot of things happened. But it's like this…"
Wonder of wonders, Sanada didn't interrupt even once though his loud slurping did cut him off at times.
"…so bottom line, Blondie's imouto," Sanada began, ignoring Mitsuha's protests at the unwanted moniker, "has been after the jittery rabbit over there," he gestured to the pinkette, who briefly flinched at being addressed, "and you got in the way of it. Icing on the cake, you took her in and want to keep her safe now, right?"
"In a nutshell, yes that's an excellent summary," Tamotsu admitted with a nod, trying to keep a straight face but it was hard. Over the course of the story, both Mitsuha and Uzume had joined him and Kujou, the brunette having pulled his arm into her breasts at some point. It was all he could not to flush, especially since Kujika and Kuzuri were alternating glaring at both the older Sekirei and him.
Sanada took a long sip of his ramen bowl before setting it back down, looking blankly at the younger ashikabi. "…so, what do you want me to do about it?"
What, indeed? Truth be told, coming here was something he'd rather avoid until he felt confident enough. But with the cat out of the bag, there was no point in backing out of what could be a potentially valuable ally in the chaos to come. He had to try at least.
"The Sekirei that came after Kujou-chan, Mitsuki, isn't alone. According to her, Mitsuki is one of a few others that have been hunting Kujou-chan for a while now, only getting away due to sheer luck. If Mitsuha and Uzume-san hadn't shown up when they did, both her luck and mine would've run out… and something tells me that they aren't going to stop, even with them knowing Kujou-chan is with us. We need help."
"You wanna make an alliance with me?" Sanada guessed, narrowing his eyes at Tamotsu. "Sorry, but I ain't interested."
Being rejected right off the bat wasn't something Tamotsu expected, but he wasn't about to give up. There were still a few angles he had to work with after all. "Any reason why?"
"Because I'm going to crush the competition and get that wish, that's including you, kid," the biker stated confidently. "I don't give a rat's ass about who's right or wrong in this, only being able to live peacefully with these three," he embraced the two Sekirei at his side as they blushed, clutching at him with hearts in their eyes. Shijime was also beaming like the sun at her ashikabi, blushing cutely. "That's my reason for doing all this. I ain't in it for any pissing contests between the others."
Neither was he, but the Sekirei Plan had proven to be occupied by some people who would gleefully step on others to get what they wanted. So as much as Tamotsu wanted to keep his thoughts to himself, the words came out anyways. "Then you should know why I'm here asking you this."
Sanada merely stared at him, his lips pursed into a thin line. Taking that as his cue to continue, Tamotsu went on.
"In the short time you looked after me, I could tell just how important your Sekirei were to you and vice versa. I know you would move heaven and earth for them in a heartbeat, no matter how much of a slacker you come off to others. I don't want to do anything to get in the way of all that, so you should understand why we're even talking about this. It's because I have people now I would do the same for, even if it meant putting myself at risk."
"And if you end ruining others in the process?" Sanada questioned, narrowing his eyes to near slits.
At a loss, Tamotsu merely clenched his fists in his lap, gritting his teeth until he felt a pair of hands cover his left. Glancing to the side, he found Kujou sitting there looking at him with worry written across her face. He sighed, turning back to Sanada. "I want to avoid doing that of course, but that may not be up to me. Because when they raise a hand against these girls, they become my enemy and from there, it's fair game. Wouldn't you say the same?"
Tamotsu waited for Sanada's response with bated breath, watching the man for any sort of cue as to what he was thinking. But the man had a hell of a poker face; even his Sekirei were still looking at him as if expecting him to give the order to throw them out.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the biker let out a low chuckle. "Couldn't have put it any better myself, kid. You've got balls, I'll give you that. Going up against a Sekirei is pretty ballsy in its own right, even if you got a little maimed in the process," he added, glancing at Tamotsu's bandaged arms. "But it's nothing you aren't used to, I guess."
Beside him, he felt Uzume flinch for some reason, but Mitsuha's protest derailed that thought.
"Listen you oaf-!" the blonde started to rage on her ashikabi's behalf.
But Sanada merely held up a hand, glancing back down at his lovelies then back to Tamotsu. "I ain't getting into some alliance with you, kid. Not budging on that."
The boy felt himself deflating a bit at the declaration, but he couldn't blame the older master. After all weeks had gone by since they last interacted, so him showing up out of the blue only to ask for help would've been too much.
"But I could get you in touch with someone who can help ya," Sanada added, breaking Tamotsu out of his dejected musings. "And you already know him."
It took a few moments before the boy caught on, giving an explosive sigh as he muttered, "…Seo-san then?"
"SEO…?!"
Tamotsu and everyone else whirled on the side-tailed brunette, watching her eyes widen to almost comical proportions. "Uzume-san?"
"Tell me you're joking. That deadbeat can barely take care of himself let alone his Sekirei, so how's he supposed to help us?" Uzume demanded, scowling.
"Do you… know him Uzume-san?" Tamotsu asked, blinking.
Uzume's face darkened, her eyes darting away with a scoff. "Unfortunately. He liked to drop in for a quick meal at the Inn, dragging poor Hibiki-chan and Hikari-chan along with him. Miya despises him and given that he's a notorious pervert, neither me or Matsu are big fans of his."
That was alarming. While Miya-san's temperament seemed to balance depending on how much she respected an individual, to think that Seo had all but earned her hate was… frightening to say the least. He'd only caught a glimpse of Miya's darker side but that was both to discipline and guard herself.
He shuddered to think of how she'd act towards anyone she actively disliked.
"Not gonna argue that," Sanada remarked, pulling his Sekirei close to him. "I already had to bust his ass when he tried to make a pass at these two. Guy's a horn dog but he's not all bad… I think."
"What a ringing endorsement," Mitsuha deadpanned, her eyes rolling.
"How could Seo-san help us though?" Tamotsu asked, getting back on topic.
"Seo's ex-MBI. He got the boot from the place after some shit went down, but he won't say what and it's none of my business anyway. But the point is if anyone might have an idea on who the Sekirei that're after rabbit over there might be, it'll be him."
"Because his Sekirei are out hunting down unwinged Sekirei, right?" Mitsuha stated, glaring at the biker.
Sanada just stared at her, but his silence was telling.
Tamotsu winced. So it was true then. Mitsuha had told him about her run-ins with the twins not long after their explosive encounter in the mall, but she hadn't gone into detail as to why she was being hunted. Now though it made sense… and as scummy as it was, the idea had merit.
From what he gathered, Sekirei could only reach their full potential after they were "winged" by an ashikabi they were drawn to. When that happened, they received an incredible boost of power since they could utilize their noritos so that made getting a free win quite a challenge. The twins were getting a leg up in the competition because they were using their winged status to crush the others.
Ethically, it was about as low as things went. Tactically speaking, however? It was a sound strategy.
Sanada scratched the back of his head a bit, sighing. "Look I don't agree with what he's doing, just so we're clear. His girls only go after unwinged Sekirei, which might be a problem since you've only got the one right now. But," his eyes shifted to Uzume who folded her arms, lifting an eyebrow at him expectantly, "if you've got Ten here with ya, then things might not turn to shit so quick. Even Eleven and Twelve know not to screw with the top rankers, especially her."
"Is Seo-san our only option, though?" Tamotsu pressed.
"Unless you've got the name of the other master, then pretty much," Sanada answered, folding his arms. But even then all I got is what I've heard on the street."
"I think it was Mikogami…?"
The second the name left his mouth, Sanada stilled, and his Sekirei did too. Poor Shijime gave a tiny whimper, burrowing herself into the man's side. As for the ashikabi himself… Tamotsu was stunned to see the makings of a snarl form on his face.
"That guy, eh? I guess he's really trying to start a collection. Greedy little shit…"
"S-Sanada-san…?"
But the man held up a hand, making a visible effort to rein in his temper before it got the better of him. "Kid, you weren't kidding about needing help. That guy is a nasty piece of work… but I've got my own problems. Seo's your best bet since he's already got beef thanks to that kid's Sekirei running around abducting others. Hell, he might not even charge you for it this time."
"C-charge me?!" Tamotsu yelped.
"He's a freelancer kid; they don't work for free. Speaking of free, he should be getting out of whatever job he's landed himself soon, so now would be the best time to bring it up to him. Actually, lemme tag along too – I've got something I need to talk to him about. Let me get this crap cleaned up and we'll head out. Just hang around outside for a sec."
"Sanada-san, would you mind if I lent a hand?" Uzume asked suddenly, stunning Tamotsu and the other Sekirei.
"Knock yourself out. We'd get going sooner if it was done faster anyways. Kujika, mind locking up the bike for me?"
"Yes, master."
Tamotsu glanced back at Uzume as he, Mitsuha and Kujou were led outside by Kujika, watching her form until the door finally separated them from view.
There was a small part of him that was just a bit nervous being in the room with one of the most powerful women on earth. Kuzuri was nearby in case anything happened along with Shijime, but they wouldn't be able to do a damn thing if #10 decided to put him through the wringer. Still, he had an image to keep up and the place could do with a bit of cleaning, so he got to it whilst keeping his ear open for anything the Sekirei wanted to say.
Because she hadn't stopped glaring at him since the minute she set eyes on him.
"You've got an interesting taste in men, Ten. Could do better for yourself I mean."
"Tamo-chan is special, just as you are to your Sekirei."
"Considering you wiped out most of a street gang for him, I'd say so."
A pin drop in that moment might as well have been a bomb going off, given how silent the room became.
"…how long have you known?"
"You weren't anywhere near as subtle concealing your aura as you thought. Shijime might not be the best fighter, but she's one of the sharpest Sekirei in this damn city. That all being said, you got something you want from me or are you just here to make threats?"
"Yes, actually," Uzume replied, and Sanada braced himself for what came next…
What he was not expecting was for her to give a deep bow to him.
"Tamo-chan is alive because of you, Sanada-san. I didn't know who it was that took him in that night but when I saw you, it clicked for me. You saved him."
Most guys would've been blushing messes being thanked so sincerely by a babe like her.
Sanada, however, could only feel disgust and irritation at her words.
"…and you left him. The kid could've bled out in the streets if I hadn't come around, but you still had options. You could've got him to a hospital, taken him back to that Inn of yours, or just patched him up yourself."
Each mention made the brunette flinch as if she was being struck, but she bore it all with a certain stoicism he couldn't help but privately admire. Girl had thicker skin than he thought.
"…you're right. I was afraid to face him, and leaving you to handle him was the coward's way out for me."
"So, why're you here now? You ain't winged yourself on him, obviously - otherwise you would've shoved the rabbit and blondie out of the way earlier."
"Not yet. I have my reasons for holding off, but just know that I'm taking responsibility for him now."
"That so? You know, Kei and his cronies are still out there, Ten. He made a real mess of their gang. If they find out the kid made it-"
"I'll gut them."
Up until now, Sanada Nishi could honestly say he'd never heard someone speak with such venom in his entire life. There was absolutely no hesitation in the girl's response, nor did she crack a smile; she meant every word.
A chill ran down his spine as he found himself being swallowed by those opaque brown orbs.
"…that kid has no idea how lucky he is to have his own guardian angel," Sanada remarked with a chuckle.
"And I intend to keep it that way, Sanada-san," Uzume stated, her face cracking a frigid smile. "Tamo-chan doesn't need to know about all the ugliness of this world when I can just smother it. Personally, I'd like to think you aren't cut from the same cloth as others, wouldn't you agree?"
Having grown up on the streets, he'd learned a thing or two about recognizing danger. This girl screamed it, all with the promise of annihilating him and his lovelies if they stuck a single toe out of line. If it came to it, she would gleefully tear them all apart to protect her prospective ashikabi.
No, not a guardian angel. A shinigami… he corrected privately with a hard swallow.
"Yeah, sure. I get it."
"Well then, let's go see what Seo-san has to say," Uzume said, beaming at him before she turned on her heel, walking out of the flat. The second she was out the door, Sanada all but sagged with relief.
"…are all of them like that?" he muttered aloud, catching Kuzuri's attention.
"The Thunder Twins both fear and admire her for a reason, master. Now you know."
"…ya think it's too late to ally with the kid…?"
"Second thoughts already? That's not like you."
"Nah, just nerves. Come on, let's go."
One goddamn year and this is all I could come up with. I apologize to you all, sincerely.
The new job hit me and didn't even bother to leave its information - it just kept on driving, dragging me along kicking and screaming. Granted, the pay is certainly better than my last job but the people... Sweet Christ I have never felt a more distinct desire to murder some of these jackasses. The utter lack of common sense and decency is mind-boggling.
School has been its own brand of hell, but I'm managing. Between that and work I barely have any brain power left to devote to writing, and what I am able to write is stuff that even I consider cheap and cliche. Anyone who's read my latest fic Court Adjourned can see that, though if you are coming off that, thank you again for devoting your time to it.
Tl; dr: Last year was horrible for me and this year hasn't turned out to be any better thus far. But I'm not letting that kill me - not yet.
I won't lie to you; the next update will take some time. I don't get anywhere near as many chances to write like I did before; it'll likely be this way till I graduate from college, which hopefully will be sometime next year. Even so, I'll still devote as much time and power to this as I can spare in between my rest periods. My plan right is to A, release chapters with smaller word counts but more frequent updates or B, write a usual-length chapter and have it ready to go by the end of the year, which is the only window I get decent time off.
To anyone who has stuck on this long, once again I apologize for the overdue update. I realize some of the more accredited will pick this thing apart and I welcome it. I could use some proper feedback.
Till then,
Take care.