(Professor Farnsworth: Good News Everyone! I created a vaccine that protects the subject from all possible diseases! All you is this single injec-…..(drops syringe and shatters). Oh well! Back to the drawing board.)

Hello Boys and Girls! Here's part 2 of chapter 7, 20 pages 9350 words. This took a while longer to finish, all because of our friendly neighborhood Coronavirus. For those that remember or care, I work at a medical software firm and we specialize in genetic testing. So yeah, my time hasn't been the most fun recently, very long days and in some cases, nights. But it's finally finished! And I'm in the process of renewing my A+ certification, I should have that done shortly.

I've already started writing the next chapter, and my artist is hard at work with the preliminary sketches for Alex. had to take a back seat to get the chapter out with all that's going on. As much as I want to get it up and running, getting this out was the priority with everything that was happening it seemed more important. I will keep hammering away on it, but until this crap with Covid-19 calms down, chapters will take a priority over the P - A - T - R - E - O - N page. I will get it up and running as soon as possible, when it's ready, I'll make an announcement. As it looks, there may be one or two more chapters before I switch two the P - A - T - R - E - O - N format I mentioned.

Now enough of my blathering.

7. At A Save Point, With A Smiling Demon: Round 2

Story Arc 2: Lvl.99

Chapter 9: At A Save Point, With A Smiling Demon: Round 2 (Part:2)

Italic = Inner Thoughts

(Italic) = Media Dialog

() = Action

{} = Music Choice

* = Check end of chapter notes

Northern Area of Shinto Teito – En Route to Izumo Inn – 11:03 A.M.

The walk to the place where Uzume lived was uneventful, with the exception of when he was waiting in line at the store where they went to get a hostess gift. He was ashamed to admit this to himself; he did something he never did before, and thankfully Uzume-san didn't see him or she would be riding him, or any of the any of the other girls for that matter.

To use the language of today's youth, he saw the most "insanely hot looking girl" he'd ever seen, and he couldn't help but ogle her like a high school freshman standing by lockers.

He had seen his share of pretty girls, dated a few, his Ex's could also be considered very attractive, and all of his Sekirei were hands down some of the prettiest he has ever seen. But this one….she's the type that belonged in a magazine and if she wasn't in one, he would be genuinely surprised.

After they found a pre-made gift basket of fruits, chocolates and teas he thought would be alright, based off of Uzume's suggestions, he made his way to the checkout counter while Uzume wandered the store a little. But as he went up front, there was this girl in some kind of revealing purple cocktail/Chinese looking dress with matching purple heels. She had long violent hair tied up with a simple cord, also she seemed to be VERY well endowed, maybe more than Akitsu…..if that was even possible, and THE most amazing legs. He couldn't get a good look at her face, just a quick flash. Thinking back, he vaguely recalled a hint of cherry blossoms in the air.

But her imagine of beauty was ruined as she reached into her bag and pulled out a large bottle of what appeared to be saki and took a large drag from the bottle as she walked down the street.

It was a strange experience; he went from being half entranced to crashing back to reality in all of 5 seconds. Though the guy at the register wasn't the same case, he seemed to follow her (and probably undressing her) with his eyes even though she went out of eye sight from the store windows. It wasn't until he put the gift basket on the counter that he snapped out of it.

Still, it was embarrassing thinking that he gawked at some random girl out of the blue, that wasn't something he did and thankfully she didn't catch him. Though chances were that he would never see her again. But who exactly would drink saki in the early afternoon, in public, from a bottle the size of his forearm? "It's five 'o clock somewhere", is a valid excuse up to a point, but one of Bugs Bunny's quotes didn't get you a pass for excess.

Otherwise, the walk to Uzume's place was uneventful. They just chatted about random things, until eventually he learned that she enjoyed cosplay. This sent them into a downward spiral of the talking about what they dressed up as or the process to make their costumes.

From what she explained, she made all her costumes from scratch. Though all her costumes were limited to animals or just dress up. He told her about his cosplay for anime and game characters and she seemed interested in the elaborate design that went into some of the costumes. She said that when she was packing clothes to bring over, she would bring over some of her costumes. That actually had him kind of excited, he hoped to go to anime cons while he was living here now, so having his own personal "seamstress" sounded awesome if he was going to dress up. She could help him make his costumes, and he could inspire her with new material to make stuff for herself.

But he suddenly noticed Uzume running ahead.

"This is it." Uzume said with a smile, spinning around to face Alex and inform him.

Alex took a look at their destination. There was a tall wooden fence surrounding the property, much like his own, so he couldn't get a good look at the house. When he made it to the entryway in the fence he could finally see. It was a large maroon colored traditional Japanese two-story house, it seemed very well maintained.

"Nice place, what was your rent?" Alex asked

"¥50,000*1 a month, that covers room and board." Answered Uzume.

"That's not bad…" Alex replied, thinking you would be hard pressed to find anything this nice looking in the States for that price.

As Alex was about to walk up to the door, Uzume grabbed his left arm, stopping him and catching his attention. "Hold up, just something quick before we go in." Uzume said.

Alex looked at her intently, showing her she had his attention.

"My Landlady is a smart person, if she says something, she's usually right. You are a very polite person, so I don't think we have anything to worry about. But, if she backs you into a corner on something, and you are in the wrong, and you clearly don't have a way out, just be quiet and accept what she says. She can be a very scary person when she's angry." Instructed Uzume.

"So, basically use common sense and remember that this is her house and not to upset my host." Alex Summarized.

"Pretty much." Uzume answered.

"Anything else I should be aware of?" Asked Alex.

"No, I think that covers it." Replied Uzume.

"Alright then, here we go." Alex said, more to himself.

Alex and Uzume walked up the pathway to the door of the house, though once they reached the door, Alex hesitated.

"What's wrong?" Uzume asked.

"Well, after you built up your Landlady, now I kinda don't want to press her doorbell. Also, my hands are full with the gift basket." Alex lazily explained.

"Some brave Ashikabi you are…." Uzume Teased, then pressed the doorbell.

A gentle chime was heard, after a few moments the door opened.

When the door opened, Alex had to admit he was a bit taken back with who answered. A slender young woman, with brown eyes and long purple hair that was tied up with a white ribbon. She was wearing traditional Japanese clothing, a white haori with a purple hakama and matching sash, along with white tabi socks. While Akitsu was beautiful in her traditional clothing, but the person in front of him was the definition of a traditional Japanese woman.

"Oh, Uzume-san welcome home. Is this the person you told me about over the phone?" Said the purpled haired woman standing in the doorway.

"I'm back, sorry for worrying you Miya. Yes, this is him." Uzume answered.

Alex lightly bowed his head, "Hello, my name is Alexander Hale Drax, thank you for having me over, even under these circumstances. This basket is for you. I'm sorry, I didn't realize that you're home was so large, otherwise I would have got something bigger you could share." Alex said, presenting the gift basket to the lady in front of him. Hoping he didn't forget any etiquette and that he was making a good first impression.

"Oh my, thank you very much." The purple haired woman said, not expecting the gift. She gratefully accepted the basket, then she politely bowed her head and introduced herself. "My name is Asama Miya, as Uzume already explained, I am the landlord of the Izumo Inn." She continued and finished with a gentle smile.

Izumo Inn – Living Room - 11:19 P.M.

After introductions were made and they were invited inside, Miya told me to make himself comfortable while she prepared some tea and snacks, Uzume would show me the way to the living room.

When we both removed our shoes, Uzume gave me a quick tour of the first floor, just so I had an idea of the floor plan, she would do a more detail one later. We finished the tour with us ending at the living room.

It was very traditional, paper walls and a tatami floor, there wasn't much inside other than a low table and green pillows around it to sit on. If anything stood out, it was the flat screen at one end of the room. Otherwise, it was a very simple room, a complete contrast to his lifestyle, though he could see the appeal….he wouldn't do it, but he saw the appeal.

Right now, Uzume and him were just waiting at the table. He sat with his back to the outside, facing the hallway with his bag to the left of him on the floor, while Uzume sat on the end of the table next to him, facing the T.V.. She was telling me about some of the antics Minato was getting into, which he was definitely filling away so he could hang it over his head later.

But on a more somber note, he was glad Minato wasn't here right now or his Sekirei when he was talking with Miya. He knew he would understand and worse case, forgive him, but he didn't know if he could face anyone from his adopted family while he was being reamed by someone for the Sekirei equivalent of rape. He was putting up a front around Uzume and the others about this, being responsible for something like this was really a shock and did eat away at him, and while talking with the twins did help, but he had to watch how he acted with and around Uzume. Yes she was a very cheerful girl, but he wasn't sure if anything could somehow upset her, and in this situation he wasn't sure what to do other than offering words, and then that wouldn't be enough. Now he was going to talk with Uzume's landlady, and he had a feeling he just walked into the principal's office.

He started to feel down again and started to space out a bit. So he didn't notice Uzume sneaking up on him….

She leaned closer to him and gently blew in his ear to tease him.

This snapped him out of his depression and surprised him…..and nearly gave him a heart attack.

"Ahhh! Damn, could you not do that!" Alex said, rubbing his ear trying to get the feeling out of his ear. He jolted to his right, moving away from from where the breath came from.

"I saw an opening and I went for it." Uzume half-heartedly explained with a smile. She looked at him while leaning on the table with her elbows and rested her head in her hands.

"You do that again, and I swear your getting a wet willy." Alex warned, still rubbing his ear.

"Wet willy?" Asked Uzume, looking at him curiously.

"Just be glad you never went to school or camp so you never had to find out. But do it again, and you will." Alex said.

"Relax, besides we only need to worry if Miya catches us." Uzume explained.

"Yeah, I'm not exactly keen with flirting in the house of someone I just met." Stated Alex, finally getting the feeling out of his ear.

"I should hope not…." Said Miya from around the doorway, causing Uzume to sit up straight.

Miya entered the living room and placed a tray of cookies and tea cups and a teapot on the table, then gracefully took a seat on a pillow in front of Alex and continued to speak.

"Illicit activities are forbidden at the Izumo Inn, isn't that right…Uzume-san?" Miya informed Alex, but then sent a look to Uzume to remind her of the rules. Then suddenly a Hannya surround by a purple aura appeared next to Miya.

Uzume had the common sense to nod in confirmation.

Though Alex wasn't sure what the hell he was looking at, he wasn't sure if he needed his eyes check or a new prescription for his glasses. It vaguely reminded him of the times he gave people looks and freaked them out, people say they thought they saw some kind of monster and flames. But he wasn't sure why Uzume was so freaked out about it, it wasn't that scary. Then as suddenly as it appeared, it disappeared.

"Another thing I will not allow in my home is violence. Please remember these rules when you are visiting." Miya explained to Alex neutrally.

"That is understandable, you were kind enough to allow a stranger into your home, so I will do my best to abide by them." Alex answered and politely nodded.

"Now, please Alex-san have some tea." Miya offered, while giving a gentle smile, satisfied with his response.

Miya reaches for the tea pot and poured tea for all of them, but offered the first one to Alex. He saw it was just green tea but it was more fragrant than what he was used too and tasted much better too. While he brewed his own tea from leaves and a strainer, but that was all earl grey.

"This tea is very nice Asama-san, is this a particular brand or did you brew this yourself?" Alex asked.

"It's my own blend of sencha, I buy the leaves at a small spice and tea shop near the shopping arcade not too far from here. I didn't know the people from the United States put much attention into the tea they drank" Miya answered.

"Most probably don't, but I like to think I can at least tell the difference between what was made with a teabag and what was done with leaves, even if it's not my normal tea." Alex replied.

"What do you normally have?" Miya asked curiously.

"Early gray, my experience with green tea is sadly limited to what comes with what comes with Chinese Food and whatever is used for iced tea." Answered Alex.

(Giggling) "Do you brew with leaves your self?" Asked Miya.

"I do. On that note, would you mind terribly showing me on my phone where your shop is? I've been using tea bags since I got here and I miss the good stuff." Alex asked.

"I would be happy to." Miya said with a smile and continued. "I understand that you are related to one of my boarders?"

"That's right, Sasashi Minato. His mother adopted me into the family. From there, I planned on visiting them for a while before making a decision on either to move here or not. Then I got caught up in this craziness." Alex explained.

"It sounds like you have kept busy since you arrived." Miya answered, taking a sip of her tea.

"That's one way to put it…"Replied Alex, taking a sip of his tea and continued. "Anyway, this is a beautiful home from what I've seen so far Asama-san, I look forward to seeing the rest. Do you manage this place yourself?"

"Not originally, I used to live here with my husband." Miya answered.

"Used to?" Alex asked.

"Before he passed, the Inn originally belonged to my husband and I assisted. Though at the time I was not as skilled as I am now." Explained Miya.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, If I was aware I wouldn't have asked. I'm sorry if I brought up any bad memories." Alex said, feeling like he stepped on a landmine. He should have asked Uzume more about her landlady.

Alex took a quick look to Uzume who was calmly nibbling on a cookie, wondering slightly if she threw him under the bus. But before he could worry anymore, Miya spoke up.

"It's alright, there was no harm in asking about my home, but thank you for your concern." Miya answered with a smile gentle smile.

Alex could tell there was a bit of sadness behind it. While she may have come to terms with husband's passing, it looks like it still weighed on her mind more than she let on. But he thought he understood what she was feeling to some degree.

"Now Alex-san, while I am enjoying your company very much, we do have other things to talk about." Miya said, suddenly changing the subject. She then reached for one of the cookies she brought out on the tray and began to nibble on it.

"Yes, that is the reason you had me come over." Alex Replied, knowing it was going to come to this eventually. At least they had a few moments for pleasantries, and at the very least she didn't bite his head off at the door.

"Miya, please go easy on him, it's not all his fault." Uzume spoke up, trying to take some of the heat off of Alex ahead of time. But she quickly regretted speaking, when suddenly she was given a cold look.

"You asked for my assistance in this matter and that is what I'm doing, and I will reserve judgment until I have heard what he has to say. But he is still a guilty party in this, and must bear some responsibility. On that note, the two of us will be talking later." Miya said firmly, while sending a stare at Uzume, not unlike a displeased parent.

Uzume silenced herself and shrunk under Miya's gaze.

There were three looks that Miya gave that people needed to watch out for. Her "Hannya" smile and her displeased look where the first two. While her "Hannya" smile was mostly used to calm situations down or make her point, it showed she was serious. But while her displeased look was rarely seen, it was just as scary. It meant she was upset and if you were smart, you did as you were told.

But when Miya was angry, and she only heard stories about this. It wasn't wise to be in her way if her mood was like this.

After Miya was done silencing Uzume, she moved her gaze to Alex, a little impressed he held her gaze. She waited a moment to let the atmosphere sink in and started to speak.

"Now, from what was explained. While a party was happening in your home, some of your guests were Unwinged Sekirei. While one of them seems to have wanted you as an Ashikabi, Uzume seemed to show no reaction to you. You then all decided to drink in an irresponsible manner into the night. The following morning, while all of you were still affected by the alcohol, Uzume-san Winged herself to you without realizing what she was doing at the time. Is this correct?" Miya summarized in a cool manner.

"Those are broad strokes, but that pretty much sums it up."Alex answered evenly.

"Would you care to explain your version of what happened or what was going through your head when you made such a irresponsible decision?"Miya asked. She had a blank look on her face, the only thing giving away her displeasure was her tone.

"Don't know if you were told or not or remember, it was my birthday. I thought it would be fine to cut loose a little, since drinking games are not the norm for me. Also, I wasn't thinking of anyone present as a Sekirei, I just was thinking of them as people. Benitsubasa-san, the other one who Winged themselves to me, I didn't realize she was reacting to me. Uzume-san, I didn't know she was Unwinged. It wasn't something I was worried about or interested in, she came with Minato for the party and was friendly, so she was welcome. When she Winged herself, I was surprised that it happened, I didn't know if she was Unwinged or if I did something." Explained Alex, getting a look of guilt on his face again, that didn't go unnoticed by Miya or Uzume.

Miya looked over Alex, to judge if he was being truthful, after deciding that he was, she went on to really questioning his character.

"I'm under the assumption that the importance of Winging to a Sekirei was explained to you. Do you have any idea what Winging a Sekirei that is not meant to be yours can be like for them? How they still feel the drawn to their real Ashikabi, but at the same time feel pulled toward you. How their emotions can be thrown into chaos. No matter what happens, while they will do whatever is commanded of them from who Winged them, but they will be compelled to be with their true Ashikabi?" Miya stated, making sure he understood what he done.

Uzume was finding it difficult to listen, besides getting the "cold shower" for her situation. She found it hard to sit there and listen to Miya tear into Alex the way she was. He was already taking this very hard, this was just unnecessary. He had already apologized and tried to take on more blame that was his, as far as she was concerned, he was forgiven in her book. He had been a good friend, and offered to do what he could, to her, that was enough. She knew very well what would happen now, though she didn't like hearing it, but if Alex was going to help her then she was confident she could get through this. She wanted to stand up for him, but she was afraid of Miya after how she reacted to her.

She shifted her eyes to Alex and saw he was getting more and more frustrated with hearing what happened and now some of the things she was going to experience. Because a number of things he was hearing from Miya, she neglected to mention to him herself. Because, if he was going to help her, it didn't seem all that important, but she could feel his emotions starting to come undone and didn't realize just how hard this was hitting him.

All they could do was wait until Miya let them speak, though Alex didn't seem like he could wait much longer.

"Do you know what kind of life you subject-" Miya continued to lecture before Alex final cut her off. He just couldn't take it anymore.

"Alright! Alright already, I get it, I screwed up!" Alex said loudly, closing his eyes and hung his head in his hands with his elbows on the table while threading his fingers through his hair.

Miya was a bit caught off guard by Alex's sudden outburst as was Uzume, though for her it was more how he decided to speak to Miya. However, Miya was interested in seeing where this would go, as she was trying to provoke him into a response, so she allowed him to continue.

"I already know I screwed up and no matter what I do for Uzume-san, it probably won't be anywhere near enough to make up for what I did. This is something I've been thinking about almost non-stop, I don't need a stranger to tell me more details or lecture me about it….If I had bar that showed my shame, it would be full right now." Alex said aloud, more to himself. He sunk further into the table hoping he could just disappear.

Hearing more info about what Uzume was going to be going through, all because he wasn't being more careful and had a few drinks was making him feel lower than he ever been. He honestly can't think he's done anything that basically ruined someone's life before, especially someone he was quickly enjoying their company. How she was able to look at him without some level of contempt was beyond him. He did everything he could to bury the guilt, but Uzume's Landlady basically took a crowbar to the walls he put up for himself on this subject and somehow made him feel worse. Just hearing everything that she was going to go through just made something in him snap. He was very in control of his emotions, except when it came to Melody, but he never had to deal with something like this before. If Uzume was a regular girl and this was just drunk sex, she would probably laugh it off. But because she's a Sekirei, this could be considered somewhere between drunk sex and rape, and he just didn't know how to take this.

Uzume looked at Alex and genuinely felt bad at all the times she was teasing him since he Winged her. She knew he was taking this hard, and she appreciated that he worried about her wellbeing. But it seemed like he felt like how she should be in this situation, in addition to his own feelings. She felt a little depressed about the whole thing and the thought about being unable to be with Chiho was sad. But she wasn't angry with him and was making the best out of the situation. She knew things could be worse, but she liked Alex, all things considered, she really couldn't ask for a better Ashikabi considering the situation.

How he was able to guard his feelings from there bond so well until now she had no idea, but she had not felt anything this strong in their bond since he broke down with Akitsu, and while no where near as bad, this was still a very bad feeling. But she didn't think anyone could care about their Sekirei like this, even if that Sekirei wasn't truly theirs. But she also felt her heartbeat increase a little, if he worried about her this much when he intended to let her go and do as she pleased, then what would it be like if she embraced being his Sekirei along with her sisters or was meant to be his from the beginning?

Miya looked at the young man before her and was surprised how he was acting. Her goal was to provoke him into reacting by making sure he knew everything about Winging a Sekirei that wasn't his, and see how he would react, as this situation would almost certainly never happen unless it was forced. Seeing how he would take the news would tell her exactly what kind of person he was and what she could expect from him in the future. Even if he seemed polite when he entered her home and brought a gift even when it wasn't expected, it all could be an act. From what Uzume told her about him, she didn't think he would be irresponsible or expect the same things out of her as his other Sekirei. At most, she imagined him apologizing or getting angry because he was getting lectured. But she was not expecting him to be this upset, he absolutely looked racked with guilt and shame. But she needed to press on with her questioning.

"While you may regret for what happened, it won't resolve it." Miya stated neutrality.

"Believe me, if I could crawl into a hole and disappear to solve this, I would gladly do it. But I don't know what more I can do except to make this as easy as possible for her." Alex answered quietly.

"Do you really believe allowing Uzume to visit her real Ashibaki and giving her the freedom to do as she pleases will help?" Miya asked.

"I don't know, but I don't know how else fix this. If there is a way to undo this, I'd do it or depending on what it was I would at least consider it." Alex answered, trying to think of another answer.

Miya looked him over once more, and saw his sincerity in what he said. She decided that was enough, it seemed that Uzume's assessment was correct of him and for now she would be in good hands. Though she did feel bad for how hard she had to go on him. She was going to try undoing what she had done, and at least make the rest of this visit pleasant.

"Well, for now, you seem to be doing all you can and that's what is important." Miya spoke, having a kinder tone to her voice.

"Alex-kun, it's alright." Uzume said lightly. She gently reached out with her right hand rested it on his left shoulder.

This caused Alex to slowly lookup and look at Uzume to see her give him an uncharacteristic gentle smile he had not seen before. He then looked at Miya, and saw that she had a gentle smile as well.

Slowly, Alex started to get his emotions under control though for the moment he couldn't bring himself to look at Miya in the eye, until she called him.

"Alex-san, I apologize for being so harsh, but I had to be certain of the type of person you were. But from what I can see, I can safely say that you can be trusted. While there is a measure of fault that is shared between the both of you, I believe you will be thinking of what is best of Uzume-san, and if something allows you to free her, I know you will consider it." Miya said in a calm and gentle voice.

All Alex could do was nod in response.

After a moment, Miya continued.

"Please know, that you have my trust and you are welcome in my home. As long as you continue act as you have toward Uzume-san." Said Miya with a gentle smile.

It took a moment for Alex to find his voice.

"Thank you Asama-san." Alex said, feeling a bit better after hearing that he had the landlady's approval.

"And regardless of what happens, I don't blame you for this. It was an accident, and I know no matter what happens, you'll do everything you can to help." Uzume said in a thoughtful manner.

Uzume then reached out with her right hand and grabbed his left hand firmly, to reassure him that she meant what she said.

"Thank you Uzume-san, hearing that helps out more than you know." Said Alex after a moment, feeling better.

He received one of Uzume's signature carefree smiles, showing him that everything was alright. While he was still worried about what would happen with Uzume, after airing everything out, for now, he felt like he could make peace with this. He still felt a little guilty, but with time he could start to get over it. Though there was something else he wanted to know….

"Does this mean you're going to throttle back on the the flirting?" Alex asked curiously, trying to crack a joke for himself, if only to lighten his mood.

Uzume's full smile returned.

"Yeah, I doubt it." Uzume answered cheerfully.

"Terrific." He replied sarcastically.

Miya smiled warmly at the sight before her. Even though these two were bound only by an accident, they seemed to understand one another and were quickly becoming close. After hearing about this, even though she heard this was an accident, she was worried Uzume and about what type of relationship she would be in. But it seemed like she had nothing to worry about. Though she was worried about what the future would hold for them, as even she didn't know what would happen between them. All she could do is hope for the best and wish that happiness somehow found both of them, regardless of what they chose. Though they we're getting a little too close for her taste right now…

She observed Uzume was still holding Alex's hand.

"Alex-san…I believe I already mentioned this to you. Illicit activities are forbidden at the Izumo Inn." Miya warned with a friendly smile, an image of a Hannya surround by a purple aura appeared behind Miya.

Uzume quickly pulled her hand away in terror of the Hannya appearing once more, though after a moment, she noticed that Alex looked indifferent.

Alex still wasn't sure what he was looking at, he could swear he saw a Hannya again. This time it was floating behind Miya. But Uzume seemed freaked out, so she must see it too. Though he was still unclear what was so spooky about it, yeah it coming out of nowhere unnerving, but it wasn't doing anything. If anything, it sorta reminded him of the the episode of the Venture Bros. where Doctor Venture was possessed by an "oni" and it was following him around. But one thing was for sure…it pulled him out of his mood.

"Isn't that a little harsh, Asama-san? All she did was hold my hand, it's not like she was feeling me up under the table." Alex said, earning a look from Uzume that just screamed for him to shut up if he knew what was good for him.

Miya was a little surprise that Alex wasn't afraid like everyone else was when she "released" the Hannya. She made sure she was focusing solely on Alex now and released her Hannya once again, only larger to emphasize her point.

"Alex-san, flirting of any kind is inappropriate in my home, unless you are in a committed and married relationship." Miya explained with a smile, along with the Hannya floating ominously behind her.

Alex was starting to get a little weirded out.

Now the Hannya was larger and looking right at him. He finally realized that this had to be something that the Landlady was doing, though what he had know idea. It wasn't really scary, but suddenly having a Japanese demon face appearing out of thin air was a bit curious.

"I know it's your house and your rules, but no holding hands is a tad strict and you should really tone it down. I find it hard to believe someone as good looking as you has never flirted or at the very least held hands." Said Alex, calling her out as a possible hypocrite.

The Hannya seemed to grow three times its size and the purple aura around it intensified. Miya seemed to gain a purple aura as well.

Uzume seemed to shrink away and tried to hid behind Alex at the sight of the Hannya. She had only seen it that big a few times. How Alex wasn't terrified by Miya was beyond her, but she was going to make it a point to use him as a shield from now on. But then she thought she noticed something behind Alex. What she saw gave her her fill of monsters. She snuck away and hid behind the door frame leading outside, leaving the two creatures to haunt the room.

Miya was surprise he was challenging her. The last person to ever challenge her in an argument and the only one she ever lost to was Takehito. Though she would give him points for the compliment about her looks.

"Ara, ara, Alex-san where would you get such an idea? I'm just a young widow, and I assure you I would never do such a thing, and when I met and dated my husband, we were always proper even when we were alone." Miya replied with a friendly smile, with the Hannya still floating behind her.

She then noticed what looked like a wall of flame with a silhouette of a man with piercing red glowing eyes staring right into her soul, all the while it was growling like some inhuman monster. She was unsure what she was looking at, as far as she knew, Takehito was the only one who could manifest a demon….after he showed her how. Apparently, the the young man in front of her was more impressive than she realized.

"Then why do I seem to have the image of you being the lovey-dovey devoted type of wife, and the prim, proper and quiet look may have been something you only started recently, Asama-san?" Alex asked, trying to bait her. At this point he was now unknowingly surrounded in flames and had a monster awaiting his command.

Little did Alex know he had hit the nail on the head with his last comment.

It took a some effort for Miya to keep herself from blushing. While she was quiet and shy when she first moved in with Takehito, especially when she made mistakes doing chores. But after a few months, she loved to cling to him and they did everything they could together, short of bathing together, though they would sleep in the same room, but in different futons. She especially loved it when he would brush her hair. But she refused to have someone she just met know he could read her or reveal the little details about her time with Takehito that others didn't really need to know, or that he could get away with teasing her.

"Oh my, that is quite the imagination you have Alex-san." Answered Miya once more with a friendly smile, with the Hannya still floating behind her.

"Yeah, I hear that a lot." Replied Alex, still surrounded in flames with his monster growling, awaiting his command.

They both started laughing light heartedly. Which was a complete contradiction to the supernatural scene with the two demons in the living room.

Uzume just watched on, wondering just who was Alex?

"I have never seen anyone that could summon a monster like Miya before…..now I'm not so sure I should keep teasing him…." Uzume said to herself, looking around the door at the scene unfolding.

This went on for a few minutes, until they heard the front door open and close.

"We're back!" Said a cheerful female voice coming from down the hallway.

Instantly breaking the two masters of the supernatural from their "duel".

Miya turned to greet them before they could come into view.

"Welcome home, were you able to get everything?" Miya asked.

"Yes, we found everything on the list." Said a familiar male voice.

A few moments later, the familiar faces of Musubi and Minato came into view.

Alex looked up and past Miya to focus on his adoptive brother and his Sekirei. Feeling better than he did before.

"Alex-san! It's nice to see you again!" Musubi said cheerfully. She was still dressed in the Miko outfit he saw last time.

"Hey, Alex what you doing here?" Asked Minato asked, surprised to see his adoptive brother.

"I came here with Uzume-san, she wanted to show me where you all live." Alex answered.

"And we had a few things to discuss with Miya." Uzume continued, choosing to omit what their conversation was about for now.

"Why are you hiding behind the door?" Minato asked.

"Hiding from their difference of opinion." Uzume said dryly. She then joined Alex once more on his left.

Minato and Musubi just looked puzzled at the response.

Alex and Miya chuckled at how lost they seemed.

"Well Alex-san, this has been enjoyable, but I need to start preparing lunch, would you care to join us?" Miya asked, rising from where she sat.

"I would be happy to, thank you for the invitation. Is there anything I can help with?" Answered Alex.

"Oh my, how kind of you. But no, please relax, maybe Uzume-san and Minato-san can give you a tour of….Minato-san, aren't you missing someone?" Miya asked, as she was preparing to make her way to the kitchen.

"Oh….um…." Minato tried to explain, but was interrupted by Musubi.

"She said she could find her way back herself!" Musubi spoke up.

A moment later the front door flew open.

Standing in the doorway panting was a girl carrying a bundle of bags in each hand. She was well endowed, had long blond haired girl and crystal blue eyes. She was wearing a rather unique black dress, with a short white white underdress that was dangerously too short and showed far too much of her cleavage. She had a dark brown leather choker around her neck, and on her feet, black stockings that just went above her knees, covered by dark brown leather boots that went just below her knees.

"From now on, when we are out shopping, you shall stay together with thy wife!" Said a familiar voice that Alex couldn't see.

"But you said you could find you way back on your own…" Minato answered timidly.

"You said you could get here faster than us!" Musubi exclaimed cheerfully.

"Fine! Then next time we do the shopping for Landlady-dono, thou shall race me fairly! The winner will get an hour alone with Minato!" The familiar voice declared.

"I get to be alone with Minato-sama!" Cheered Musubi, raising her fist into the air.

"I WILL BE THE WINNER!" The familiar voice said loudly, emphasizing every word.

"No, I will." Musubi said happily, oblivion to her companions frustration.

At this point, Uzume and Alex had already stood up, and were making their way to the hallway, Miya allowing them to meet the latest addition to the Izumo Inn, but still standing just behind the doorway to the hall. Minato was about to try and deescalate the the situation between the both of them before he noticed Uzume and Alex getting closer. All the while the person in the doorway argued with Musubi.

"Oh, nether of you have met my other Sekirei, I only met her the other day. This is …" Minato started to introduce the person in the doorway.

The Sekirei in the front doorway was indifferent when Uzume came into view, but when Alex entered the hallway….well, it was a moment for popcorn.

Tsukiumi had nearly lost her temper thanks to Musubi, only the memory of the harsh lesson Landlady-dono gave her about violence reminded her to keep her anger in check. But after seeing the man from the Tower come from the living room, she didn't care anymore and be damned the consequences. She was only coming to terms with being with Minato, but this man! It was only after he left Tower that she found out only from overhearing from one of the soldiers that he….VIOLATED HER WITH HIS EYES!

Upon seeing "Player One", she forget all about Musubi and was shocked at seeing him here of all places. Then as soon as the shock wore off, she dropped the bundle of bags in each hand and point at him.

"YOU!" Tsukiumi declared.

Everyone's eyes went to Alex, while he himself looked confused.

It took him a moment, and while he didn't know her name or who the Sekirei was exactly, he had a feeling saw her before at the Tower, and it was enough to make an impression.

"Oh…hey… you…. were one of the Sekirei I met at the Tower right?" Alex asked, trying to put his finger on who the angry Sekirei was. Though he was indifferent to her temper.

"Explain why thyself is here now, or thy life is forfeit!" Yelled Tsukiumi.

"Uh….one of my Sekirei has a room here, she wanted to speak with Asama-san. That and my adopted brother lives here." Explained Alex, trying to remember who she was, and kinda surprised at the sudden death threat.

"LIES! I don't believe someone so vile could be related to my husband!" Tsukiumi yelled, looking ready to snap.

"Husband? Minato….in the course of a day, between getting another Sekirei, when did you find time to get married?" Alex asked looking at Minato.

Minato could only laugh nervously, while Uzume look on curious as well, why such a dominating Sekirei would be Winged by someone like Minato. At first glance, they seemed like night and day.

"Thee dare ignore me and my anger, thou vile cur?!" Yelled Tsukiumi.

Now everyone was now looking at Alex, making them wonder what happened between. Though Uzume was the first to speak up.

"What did you do? Date her and forget to call?" Uzume asked, curious as to the relationship between the two.

"I'm willing to bet it's something along those lines, but I don't a clue." Answered Alex.

Upon hearing this, Tsukiumi was seconds away from attacking Alex.

"How…DARE YOU! YOU VIOLATE ME WITH THY EYES AND FORGET ABOUT IT!" Tsukiumi screamed.

Everyone looked at Alex in a questioning manner at the accusation, and Alex's eyebrows raised, wondering what she was talking about until something finally clicked.

"Girl, I don't know what the hell your….wait…you're the Sekirei that gave me that free show and said that she would kill me out of nowhere. Look, you lunged at me while wearing a medical gown while you weren't wearing anything underneath, that's your fault. I'm not sure what your problem was with me, but everything that happened was on you." Alex explained, unsure why she was was upset with him, when it was all her fault in the first place.

"She did what?" Minato asked, a little surprised that she attacked him unprovoked.

"Yeah, she lunged at me for no reason, and in the process I ended up seeing things I shouldn't. Even though it's her fault, I can understand why she would be upset, but why she did it in the first place I'm a little lost on." Explained Alex.

"Free show?" Musubi asked curiously.

"That's not something you need to worry about." Minato answered uneasily.

"I don't know, you seem like the type that would sneak a peek." Uzume teased.

"This coming from the person that openly flirted with me here when she knew better and hung her breasts out to dry first thing this morning for me to see." Alex shot back.

Uzume could only laugh at the accusation while rubbing the back of her head.

"STOP IGNORING ME!" Tsukiumi screamed and lunged at Alex.

Alex started to wonder if maybe he went a little too far with teasing her, even if it was her fault. Though Uzume, Minato and Musubi didn't seem worried at the Sekirei charging at him.

As Tsukiumi started to pass the doorway, a ladle came down and landed squarely on her head. The power behind the impact was enough to stop her dead in her tracks.

Alex looked and saw Miya was hiding just inside the doorway, it seems she decided to wait around before heading off to make lunch. It was impressive that she was able to land a hit on someone without even looking at them. Then she spoke up making herself known to the charging Sekirei and once again she reminded everyone of the rules of her home.

"Tsukiumi-san…..violence is forbidden." Miya said simply, with a gentle smile on her face.

Tsukiumi looked at Miya, aware that the Landlady was more than a match for her. But she couldn't just let him off without any consequences.

"But, Landlady-dono….surely you cannot be siding with…." Tsukiumi started to explain, but was cutoff with the appearance of a Hannya surround by a purple aura appearing besides Miya and her speaking once more.

Causing everyone, except for Alex, to wince back in fear.

"Violence….Is….Forbidden." Miya emphasized, while smiling.

"Yes, Landlady-dono…." Tsukiumi answered, understanding that that doing as she was told was the wisest decision.

"Now, if there is no more excitement, I need to start making lunch. After you take your boots off, help Musubi-san bring the groceries that you dropped on the floor into the kitchen. Then when your done, you can make sure the parts of the floor you walked on are clean." Said Miya casually, then made her way down the hall to the kitchen.

Tsukiumi did as she was told and returned to the entrance and removed her boots. Then started to help Musubi gathered the groceries, though by this point she already picked up most of them, then they both obediently made there way to the kitchen. Though Tsukiumi was still fuming internally and glared daggers at him as she passed him.

From there, Uzume grabbed Alex by his left arm and started to drag him down the hall.

"Come on! I'll finish showing you around before we eat!" Uzume said excitedly.

"Whoa, Easy!" Yelled Alex, feeling his arm getting yanked off.

"H-Hey! Wait for me! Tell me what what happened!" Minato said, following after the pair.

Izumo Inn – Living Room - 12:12 P.M.

He wasn't a fish eater, not that he couldn't eat it, just in general he wasn't a fan of the smell. Also, depending on the dish, the fishy after taste was a bit much for him. So a general rule of thumb, he didn't eat fish. Though that put him in a bind, considering the country he was living in, and what his host served him.

But…this was phenomenal.

Nicely cooked and spiced, and the side dishes complimented the fish very well. Hands down, Miya had to have some of the best cooking he ever had out of a restaurant. While he wouldn't eat this regularly, but if it was in small amounts he could get used to this.

One of these days he would have to return the favor with his cooking, though he was sure she still had a few years on him before he was at her level.

But it was difficult to really enjoy his lunch while the Sekirei named Tsukiumi staring at him.

If looks could kill, he'd be dead fifty times over. She simply scowled at him while eating her own meal.

Minato once again asked what happened between them. But before the angry Sekirei could respond, he just said it wasn't his place to say. Though if Tsukiumi wanted to say anything, then she was free to do so, but if she said anything inaccurate, he would correct her in front of everyone. He wasn't about to let a drama queen paint him to be a pervert when it was her fault.

Otherwise, besides being reamed by Uzume's Landlady, this afternoon wasn't so bad. He got to tour of a beautiful home that was probably the best looking example of a traditional Japanese home, and being an otaku was only a small factor of having an appreciation for Japanese architecture, the home had a very peaceful atmosphere. The kitchen was a little old fashioned for his taste, so he couldn't picture cooking in it. But trying out their bath at least once would be a nice experience.

Though honestly, his favorite part of the tour of all this was Uzume's room. When she showed him her closet, he was floored at all the costumes she had inside. A maid, some kind of bird, an exotic dancer, and plenty of others, and she made them all herself and by hand. She had talent, if she wanted a job as a seamstress, she could definitely find one.

Though in all of this, the most bizarre thing was seeing Minato sitting between two beautiful girls. One Sekirei, sure. Two was just a little difficult to picture considering his personality, especially one like this, he barely knew her and he already pegged her as a tsundere. But if he was happy and they were happy, then that was the important thing.

He started to take a drink of water, while continuing his thoughts, until he felt a hand on his thigh. It made him jump slightly and cough while he was drinking. Looking to Uzume who was sitting on his right, with a somewhat annoyed look.

"Would you stop doing that!" Alex said, after getting his coughing under control.

Minato and his Sekirei were too busy with themselves to pay attention to what was happening right now.

"How else am I supposed to get your attention?" Uzume asked innocently.

He gave her a blank stare….

He was so going to get her back later on.

"The things that come out of your mouth…..called words." Alex explained emotionlessly.

"But you make it too easy." Replied Uzume, knowing it was a flimsy excuse. Then again, she wouldn't have done this if Miya was still at the table, she was currently up getting a refill for the tea.

"Alright, starting when we get back, your ass is pranked. I'm pranking you." Declared Alex.

"Looking forward to it." Uzume teased.

"Well, you say that….." Alex answered and continued, "Now, what is it?"

"After lunch, can you help me pack up some of my stuff I'm bringing back to the house? I could use a hand and it would be much faster." Uzume asked.

"I thought that was a given? Don't worry about it, I would have helped anyway." Alex told her.

Uzume smiled back in response.

The rest of Lunch was quiet.

Alex decided to help Miya with the dishes, she tried to tell him no, but he insisted. He said to blame it on his upbringing. She was grateful for the help, while Uzume said she would head up to her room and get started packing.

Minato went to his room to do some studying, while Musubi and Tsukiumi decided to go take a bath.

Uzume made her way upstairs and went into her room, opened her closet and moved aside her costumes so she could reach the back, where there were two bags, a medium sized rolling luggage travel bag and a large duffel bag style suit case.

She went to her dresser and started to fill her travel bag, but after a few minutes she received a call on her cell.

She sat on the floor unceremoniously and pulled out her cell, it was nothing but a old clamshell, as she didn't think she needed anything else. When she checked the caller ID it read "Unknown Caller", while she would have denied the call, something told her that she needed to answer.

Though she wasn't sure who it could be, the only ones that had her number were Miya, Homura and Minato. She didn't have a chance to give her number to Alex yet, but the number of people that should be able to call her could be counted on one hand, so who could it be?

Uzume flipped open the phone and hit 'Talk' and brought the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" Uzume asked.

("Good day, you are Sekirei Number 10 am I correct?") The voice over the phone asked.

Uzume quickly got up and shut the door to her room.

"Who is this!?" Uzume hissed quietly. Shocked that someone knew who she was.

("Now, now, there is no need for alarm, but I will take your response as a yes. Is your Ashikabi also one, "Hidaka Chiho"?") The voice over the phone asked once more.

Uzume's blood went cold, someone knew about Chiho, though they seemed to be unaware of her current situation. While the smart thing would have been to play dumb and keep her mouth shut, she couldn't help herself.

"I don't know what game your playing, but I suggest you get to the point!" Uzume threatened.

("Number 10 please calm down; we only wish to help.") The voice reassured, speaking in a calm business-like manner.

"What do you mean?" Asked Uzume, still feeling uncomfortable about this whole thing.

("We understand she is suffering from TS-17, and while there is no cure, there is a treatment. And while Hiyamakai Hospital is one of the best hospitals in the country, we would like to make sure that she receives the finest care possible regardless of cost.") The voice answered.

This sounded way too good to be true to Uzume, and while she couldn't put her finger on it, but just the way he spoke gave her the feeling he couldn't be trusted.

"Can we skip ahead to the part of what you want from me and who you are?" Uzume asked, feeling uncomfortable with all this.

("Oh of course, how rude of me, I got ahead of myself. I represent Izumi Higa, CEO of Hiyamakai Enterprises. You may call me Kakizaki. And in return for your Ashikabi's care, we would simply like you to run some errands for us.") The voice over the phone answered.

Uzume was uncertain about all of this. Someone calling her out of the blue that knew she a Sekirei and about Chiho, though they were wrong about her relationship and didn't seem to know about Alex. She wanted to ask Miya or Alex for help, but she wasn't sure what would happen if she did. All she could do was play along, hopefully they could really help Chiho. After all, how bad could errands really be?

After a few moments, she responded to Kakizaki.

"Ok….what do you want me to do?" Uzume answered uneasily.

End of Chapter