Minato stared at his glass of water, bags drooping under his eyes, waiting for his mother to say something, anything, that could help him get over his mood. A tired sigh escaped his own. There was little doubt that she would only add to what had been absolutely horrible a horrible past twelve hours.

To start with, he had to admit that he hadn't been surprised when Yukari flung herself at Musubi. Sure, most older brothers would probably freak out if their little sister and the girl they thought they would lose their virginity to ended up… enjoying their time together. And honestly, he was a bit… but mostly because he was somewhat afraid the girl was trying to steal the Sekirei for herself, and not because of his little sister who always talked about bishounen fondling the biggest boobs either had ever seen. No, for some odd reason, Yukari had told him a few months prior that she had a very high appreciation of large racks, though Minato still wasn't sure why she told him specifically. He supposed they were close - as close as a queen was to her footstool, always there to "support" her. And yes, he meant mostly as a footrest.

But while he was supportive in her bisexualality and didn't completely mind her getting friendly with his Sekirei, she could have had the decency to at least wait until he was in a different room before her attack on the Twin Peaks. Even though she was the cutest girl he had ever seen, and probably still would be with a normal physique, Minato did find it hard not to focus in on Musubi's… watermelons, for lack of a better word. And despite how much he yearned to feel the softness of those two mounds with his own hands (and maybe even his face), there was one fact that kept him for diving in and going further: No. 88 was as innocent as a child. She really had no clue about boys and what boys wanted to do to cute girls like her, and Minato would never be the type to take advantage of someone so pure.

So, naturally, it was kind of vexing to see his sister do exactly what he wanted to do. And as much as he probably would have enjoyed the show, watching Yukari fondle Musubi was probably not the most ethical thing to do. So to escape from what was quickly turning into a very dangerous situation, Minato had elected to take a shower (quickly - yet regretfully, if he were forced to admit it - declining Musubi's invitation to join him; he told her to just enjoy her time). He returned to find both girls huffing in ecstasy, quickly telling his mind to not wander into forbidden territory, since his sister was involved. That didn't stop his quick deduction that, evidently, Musubi didn't mind some yuri action. As he slowly drifted to sleep, his mind recalled the pink-haired Sekirei that had seemingly reacted to him, and images of her and Musubi began to gather unbidden.

Of course, just as he had felt like he had purged those pictures from his brain, Musubi had sleepily crawled onto his small futon and pressed her enormous boobs against him. When that occurred, the young man gave up - sleep was not to come easily that night.

And when the sun came up and the girls started to wake up, what was he reward for not yielding to any temptation? A condescending "Pervert" from his adorable little sister! … He

"Minato, stop slouching. Haven't I taught you anything?"

The new Ashikabi seriously wanted to answer in the negative but held back. He did not need to get yelled at by his estranged mother on this day.

When the two siblings had gone to the place their mother had told them to meet her, they were shocked to find a limousine waiting for them instead. Thinking about it, they really shouldn't have been as surprised with the reception, seeing as their mother was the lead researcher at the world's most powerful company. She was sure to get some perks for the job - but since when had she started to flaunt it? The two literally grew up in a small home in the country, and they had nothing that screamed "our mother happens to be a big shot in the world's biggest company!" Hell, their mother still seemed to dress like a normal pers~

What the hell was with that dress?! Last time they checked, Minato and Yukari had known that Sahashi Takami wore casual, comfortable clothes, even if they did little to hide her physique (which was all but impossible). Now? Here she was, wearing some gorgeous black sleeveless dress that oozed sex-appeal! It was the type of dress that would make everybody in the room turn their heads when it entered the room, making every single man (and most likely several of the women, too) drool. The son and daughter both had their jaws open wide the moment they saw her, staring at the woman who certainly had the face of their mother… but what was with this "I'm rich" atmosphere?

And their mother was a smoker?! Where did that come from? And why would a lead researcher with pharmaceutical backgrounds even smoke? Of all people, she should know that that couldn't be healthy at all.

It was like his mother was two completely different people, and it was getting on their nerves - especially Minato's.

"So, Musubi, do you like your Ashikabi?"

Shouldn't she ask her son what he thought about this entire crapshoot of a competition?

"Oh, yes, Minato-sama is very kind. He bought me food, gave me a place to sleep, and let me play with Yukari-sama!" Oh no, this was not going to end well.

"Ah, yes, I had a feeling Yukari would have some fun with you," chuckled the mother, much to both of her children's astonishment.

"You KNEW?!"

"Quiet, you two. This is an expensive restaurant, and I wish to continue eating lunch here every other day."

"You eat here every other day? So instead of spending time with your children, like most parents want to do, you enjoy five star restaurants and limousine rides?" Ah, so Yukari also felt incredulous at her mother's extravagant lifestyle outside of their home. Of course, since her personality mirrored their mother's, Minato was fairly certain she would do the same thing in her mother's shoes - while using her brother's wallet, saying something about a brother being there to take care of his little sister. And should he argue that taking care of someone didn't mean letting the person empty his bank accounts, she would then proceed to beat him until he gave up, smiling cutely and offering her thanks.

… Okay, so it had probably happened a few times in his life already. He had already admitted he was a pushover when it came to the two women in his family. At least his mother would have the decency to look slightly bashful at her daughter's accusation, like she did at this lunch. Yukari rarely even gave him that satisfaction.

"Er, well, I… I didn't want you to get caught up in my work."

… Minato stared at his mother, trying to register her words. She "didn't want [them] to get caught up in [her] work"? She felt that by leaving them alone, without a caring parental figure, she was protecting them? The young man mentally snorted at that. No, she was just too focused on this work. And what was that work? As Lead Researcher for Mid Bio Informatics? Or as the paid mother for Musubi and her sisters? Minato so wanted to let out his frustrations of his mother's ineptness at being an actual parent… but he couldn't speak up. Not now. Not ever.

… He really, really wished he wasn't such a pathetic loser.

He wasn't really listening as his little sister took to berating their mother. He didn't pay attention as Takami never even tried to defend her actions. He barely registered his adorable Sekirei grasping his arm lightly, wondering if he was okay. No, in his mind, he looked back at all of the times he had every right to vocally question his mother's actions, and had chosen to stay silent.

He had always stayed silent.

"~to?"

He had always kept his opinions to himself.

"~nato?"

He had never stood up for himself.

"Minato?"

"Huh?" Shaken out of his self-loathing, he found three pairs of eyes staring at him. He wasn't surprised by Musubi's look of concern; despite the short time he had known her, the Ashikabi had easily figured out that his Sekirei was a simple girl who had no negative bone in her body. He was really grateful such an enthusiastic, caring girl choose him as her soul mate, even if it seemed like a waste. Still, seeing her smile made him feel a little better.

Nor wasn't he too surprised at his sister's demanding glare, one which he had received more times than he could count. Sure, it felt a little wrong to the older brother how much his sister took advantage of him. But at the same time, it felt… good - and not in a masochistic way. No, it was hard to explain, but he felt it meant that she stilled needed to rely on him, even when he wasn't very reliable. She trusted him, enough to look for his support.

But, while these two looks weren't unexpected, the same could not be said of Sahashi Takami. Her look… What was her look? Was that… fear? Was she scared of what he was going to say? This~ How was supposed to respond to that? His mother was perhaps the strongest woman he knew, and she often had an air of indifference when it came to him.

"Whatever. No doubt you were feeling guilty about your choices in the first place. It would explain why you were so anxious to help. You are going to help, right?"

His mother blinked at the 180 in her son's mood. He had been unnaturally - but justly - furious, but now he seemed meek again. Had a year away seriously changed him so much? "... You've grown quite a bit, haven't you, Minato?"

"Let's just say that I finally realized that hiding in fear of you is pointless."

It was his acceptance of that casual statement that got to the lead researcher of the world's largest conglomerate. It wasn't resigned, as if no matter what he did, he would still be under the heel of his mother. No, even if she figured he still felt like that, there was something more in this acceptance. It was almost like a resolution: even though there would still be times when she would still treat him like the bumbling fool he often was, he was promising himself the he'd overcome it. For the first time, Takami's eyes glowed with pride at her son. She had always known he was smart - after all, he was his son after all, and she wasn't lacking in the brains department, either - but to stand up for himself? The boy was finally becoming a man.

"To answer your question, yes, I do intend to help you, Minato." A small nod, and the mask of anger was completely off, and back came the weak-willed young man. Well, maybe the mother could tease her growing little boy a little. "In fact, I tried to help you last night," she explained, hiding a smirk.

"Ah, so you sent the pink-haired girl and her bandaged friend over… you weren't thinking I'd wing them, were you?"

"Oh, aren't you the greedy Ashikabi? Already thinking about taking two other girls' virginity?" Her little teasing netted her the reward of seeing her son blush furiously, stuttering his denials. However, his effort made her wonder if there was perhaps a little truth in her small joke. "Well, to be honest, I hoped you would wing them. You'll need all the firepower you can get, if you are to stay in the Sekirei Plan."

The Ashikabi glanced at his Sekirei, who looked like she was completely lost in the conversation, unsurprisingly. A small smile sent to the bosom girl's way forced the girl's lips to turn upwards, completely pleased by the attention Minato was giving her. "I think that's already been determined." He then looked at his little sister, who also had a small smile at the cute display between the young man and his alien. "And what should we do about Yukari?"

Minato could have sworn the temperature in that busy restaurant dropped to just above freezing the moment those words left his lips. The cute smile on his sister's face had instantly morphed into a chilling one, made all the more cold from the unbridled fury in Yukari's eyes. "The girl you're so casually referring to in the third person as if she wasn't present is staying here, Oniichan."

"But it's too dangerou~"

"Too dangerous for Musubi, you mean! For all I know, the minute I'm away, you'll force yourself onto her!"

"Wh~? You know me! I have no confidence with girls!"

"Well, people have been known to get desperate in the constant company of someone of the opposite gender," stated Takami in a bored tone. She would know - that was how Minato was conceived in the first place.

"That's if those two are isolated with no other potential partners around!" The Sahashi matriarch flinched at that, since that was exactly what happened on that damn island, but thankfully it appeared he had not noticed her reaction. She quickly chose to get back on the topic of Sekirei mating rituals.

"Anyways, it's natural if you would want to copulate with her."

Her son gave the attractive older scientist a suspicious look. "... Why?"

"Because a male's usual response to seeing a girl with huge tits is a desire to bang her," deadpanned the mother, laughing softly as Minato slammed his head into the recently cleared table. Honestly, her son should have seen it coming. "Though, in all seriousness, it seems as if Sekirei release pheromones to further enhance their Ashikabi's lust."

"... Because they're a dying race and need to mate in order to survive?"

Takami gave a slight nod in the affirmative, quietly impressed at her son's quick analysis. If it hadn't been for this stupid plan Minaka had come up with, then perhaps she could have offered a job at MBI based solely off that quick and accurate conclusion. It was already leagues ahead of what most of the fools in the research labs were capable of.

Then again, if it hadn't been for the plan, then MBI probably wouldn't have existed in the first place… which still probably would have been alright.

Yukari, who up to this point was proud to keep up with the conversation, entered in a question that had been troubling her a bit. "But wait, that silver-haired Sekirei seemed like she reacted to me. Doesn't that seem counter-productive to their main goal with their Ashikabi?"

A shrug from their mother was all the recently graduated girl got in reply. It had been a good question, but there really wasn't a correct answer. Minato raised an eyebrow at his sister; after all, she should know about attraction to the same gender, what with her little escapades with Musubi last night.

Speaking of escapades with extremely well-endowed Sekirei… "So, in the end, Musubi has chosen me as a mate?" The young man eyed his still confused partner, noting how cute she was while also giving a subtle glance at her enormous chest. For a guy like him, getting married to a girl like her would have probably been impossible. Sudden visions of a wedding night started popping up in his head. Of Musubi, her divine body, lying on a regal bed, pulling her husband into her loving embrac~

"When you do bang her, I suggest using protection - this is supposed to be a battle royale, and a pregnant Sekirei will most likely become a dead Sekirei," drawled the mother, having noticed the perverted blush on her son's face. That instantly made the young man blush a deeper red.

"I can't believe we're in a upscale public restaurant and casually talking about Onii-chan's sex life." His sister voiced the thoughts that were now swimming in his head. But the tone of Yukari's comment didn't sound as horrified as he hoped; instead, it seemed … amused? Checking on who he originally thought was siding with him, Minato groaned in dismay to find the recent high school graduate trying to hold her laughter in.

Desperate for something to brighten what was quickly becoming a very cloudy, sad day - as well as someone who would actually support him - he turned to his light ball of sunshine. "Ne, Musubi, you won't ever leave me, right?"

Finally being addressed to, the bosom Sekirei could only give a soft smile that would make any man fall in love. "No, I wish to be by Minato-sama's side forever." Her Ashikabi's heart stopped for a second - this girl could say some really dangerous things! But before he could offer any kind of grateful reply, the miko-like girl pressed on obliviously. "And I also wish to keep having fun with Yukari-sama!"

… Yes, this girl could say some really dangerous things… Slightly crestfallen at the implication that she enjoyed her time with his sister more than him, the young man could only glare enviously at the youngest human in their little group who had a mischievous and lustful gleam in her eye.

"Benitsubasa, why are we still following those two?"

Across the street, hiding stereotypically behind poor disguises of out-of-date hats, fake mustaches, and trench coats, two normally cute girls spied on the small family reunion. If any of the three they were keeping an eye on had bothered to look their way, the two's distinctive hair would easily have given them away, a fact the gray-haired girl had pointed out the moment her partner had come up with this ill-conceived idea. Though, as she expected, the pink-haired pettanko had ignored her.

"Those two are meeting with Takami-sensei! They're probably blackmailing her to help fix this entire Plan, and we as the Discipline Squad must be there to apprehend them!"

"... Don't you remember Takami-sensei mentioning that those two were her children?"

"Th~ That's not the point!"

Sekirei #106 gave her partner a look that screamed her disbelief, which was ignored with a huff. Ugh, there were so many other things she would have preferred doing right now: polishing her bladed gloves, for example, or watching another horror movie. Sitting roughly a hundred feet away from her prospective Ashikabi without the chance of actually getting winged by her? That was not on her weekend To-do list.

"Benitsubasa, did you really have to drag me with you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Spying on those two really doesn't need two Sekirei, right?"

Number 106 really didn't expect an answer, let alone a logical one.

"Haihane, just shut and keep an eye out to make sure no one catches onto is.'

And she was completely right.

"Whatever," muttered the Blue Sekirei under her breath. "The sooner things click on that point brain of yours, the better." She knew her pink-haired friend was reacting to the scrawny guy, even more than her first reaction to seeing Natsuo. Of course, she too was doubting that initial attraction to the carefree young man at MBI. After a night of spying on the two Sahashi children and, as her partner maturely nicknamed her, Cowtits, the bandaged girl had determined that, yes, she was indeed reacting strongly to the girl who looked like a younger, less-endowed Takami-sensei. And unlike her tsundere partner, she wasn't in denial. Had Benitsubasa not been her usual stubborn self, Haihane would have already ran up to the raven-haired cutie… though what she would say, she had no clue.

Fortunately, the Red Sekirei failed to hear that last comment, too busy spying on the three and comparing the wimpy - though admittedly cute - ronin with her beloved Natsuo-sama. Whereas Takami-sensei's son looked more degenerate, the MBI clerk had an air of confidence. Sahashi-san was always on pins-and-needles, trying to figure out a way out of conflict, while Natsuo-sama thought the Sekirei Plan was fun. The poorly dressed young man in the restaurant seemed like he generally cared for the well-being of Cow-tits, but the presumed Ashikabi of the Disciplinary Squad never had shown any sort of affection to anybody...

"What are you two doing?"

"Eeeppp!" Startled out of her musing by a rich voice that sounded neither make nor female, Benitsubasa threw herself where she subconsciously determined was the safest place available: behind her fellow Disciplinary Squad member.

"Real mature, washboard."

"Shut up, Haihane!"

The two young Sekirei continued bickering, to the silent astonishment of their disrupter. It was almost as if they had forgotten that he was there. Face hidden by a mask, the mysterious stranger couldn't help but sweatdrop at the antics of the two. "Um, I'm still her~"

"You always make cracks about my breast size! Can't you come up with anything else?! Or are you too stupid to come with anything clever?!"

"That doesn't change the fact that you need a magnifying glass to even find your breasts."

"Yeah, well your head's full of ash!"

"That's real clever wordplay, working my name into it."

"Hah! That's right! I'm the clever one!"

"I'm pretty sure she was being sarc~" The masked person tried to interrupt, but the two young Sekirei weren't listening. Nope, like two teenage sisters caught in that time of the month the two quarreled, and nothing in the world could stop them.

RING! RING!

Nothing, that is, but a cellphone.

RING! RING! RI~

"WHAT?!" Benitsubasa screamed into the receiver, not caring whatsoever about the poor sap who was forced into calling her. "... What are you talking about? … Number 7? Isn't that the Scrapped Number? … WHAT?! Who~ How~ You better pray we find her, or she will be getting an early birthday present!" And with that ominous threat, the pinkette furiously ended the call. "Haihane! We've got work to do!"

Behind the mask, the stranger's mouth dropped as the pinkette jumped into the air, followed begrudgingly by her gray-haired partner. It wasn't the physics-defying athleticism that had caught the mysterious figure off guard - no, it was purely the fact that, despite having tried to interrogate them five minutes previous, not one word had been sent in the stranger's direction. Teenagers… no, check that, teenaged Sekirei: the most hormonal creatures in all of existence. And it was the androgynous person's duty to protect them - at least until they found their precious chosen master. How that stranger sometimes loathed his job.

"Whatever. Takami's waiting. Best get over there as soon as possible," huffed the masked figure. He really hated being late.

Homura took his seat next to his long time associate/accomplice… Truth be told, he wasn't sure how he would describe his relationship with Sahashi Takami. The only thing he truly knew about her was that she did not support Minaka Hiroto's insane plan to make the Sekirei fight each other. And in his books, that made the MBI head researcher his ally. Though perhaps it was more along the lines of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend."

Still, working with her had helped him guide several of his brothers and sisters to their respective - and true, which was more important - Ashikabi. She was the informant, letting him know whenever a little bird was released into "the wild," and he would track the young one until they got their wings. Among the aliens he became rather famous, often referred to as the "Sekirei Guardian," a title that, while embarrassing, was still held with a measure of pride. Of course, there were always the odd little birds that preferred to fly solo, but they were usually strong enough to take care of themselves. And then there were the ones who just got unlucky; the moment Homura turned his back, the big bad wolf would find them and gobble them up. Those failures haunted him, but fortunately there were more successes that his heart could cherish, if not envy.

All in all, the partnership between Homura and the MBI head researcher was a prosperous one, and that left him happy. Plus, it helped that the older woman was quite easy on the eyes - hey, he might have supposedly been a Sekirei out looking for his soul mate, but he was also a host, and his time there had helped him gain an appreciation for the female body. And Sahashi Takami definitely had a female body - frankly, if it wasn't for the fact that she had been one of the two humans who had discovered the spaceship, he would have thought she was a fellow alien.

Turning his attention away from the MILF next to him, he found three young people around his age, obviously confused about who he was and why he was disturbing their lunch break. The youngest one was Takami in miniature, so he assumed she was his ally's daughter. She was definitely a cutie, the type of girl that many of the hosts back at his job would hope pick them. Judging from the lovestruck look she had, he privately reasoned she would have potentially chosen him. Perhaps he should talk to her a bit more later on - if he was right and she was indeed Takami's daughter, there was definitely a chance that she had the potential to be an Ashikabi.

Next to her was someone familiar, though from the blank look the miko-clad Sekirei gave him, she obviously didn't recognize Homura. Just the day before he had been stealthily tracking her and the two Disciplinary Squad members he'd just met across the street, making sure all three of the unwinged Sekirei were out of harm's way. He'd almost stepped in to stop the twins from erasing them from the tournament before ever really being part of it. He'd then gotten a laugh when he found both the pinkette and brunette falling on top of some random squishy human.

Speaking of the human, there he was, next to the alien girl. So she ended up choosing him as her Ashikabi? Good for her! Ignoring that sudden little twitch (he reasoned he was somewhat jealous that she found her soulmate), nothing explained why the three of them were here with one of the smartest women on the planet. Perhaps he was Takami's probable daughter's boyfriend?

Thankfully, the scientist among them spoke up. "Minato, Yukari, Musubi, meet Kagari. Kagari, these are my children and their 'friend,'" introduced Takami, stressing a bit on the last word. Homura was privately grateful that she called him by his pseudonym. And that stress was to just make the two human children think he was just like them. The Sekirei Guardian smiled softly at his ally's considera~ "Kagari here works as a host at a nearby bar."

… That… that seemed off somehow. It… it sounded like she was saying she met him at his job. Sure, it didn't sound that bad - Homura was pretty sure Takami was single, and older single women weren't that uncommon where he worked (none of them looked half as stunning as the MBI queen, but that was neither here nor there). But to tell that specific fact to her children… Oh gods! She totally made it sound like he was her boy toy!

"Er, yes, Takami~" He grimaced, realizing he called his ally by her first name, which probably sounded rather closer that what was comfortable in front of the two. But would correcting himself help him in this case? Probably not. "Takami and I are… er… acquaintances." … Yeah, that didn't sound suspicious at all. Why did he have to explain their relationship with "acquaintance" of all words?

"... Right…" The probable Ashikabi sounded out, though Homura seriously doubted the young man really believed that shady explanation. "So, er, Homura? How long have you known my mother?"

… Forever? No, that would only dig his grave deeper. So maybe a half-truth was necessary? "We currently work together. We often keep tabs on each other." That… probably shoveled more dirt out than in. Ugh, this was painful! He was smarter than this! Calmer, too!

"He's #1 on my speed dial," chimed in the source of all the misunderstanding, not helping whatsoever. Homura just mailed it in - let the two think whatever they wanted.

"Mou, Mom! You were already popular with the guys in high school! Save some for me here in the city!"

"Yukari, our mother's dating a guy our age and that's what's bugging you?!"

"Our Mom's hot, onii-chan. Only gays wouldn't be attracted to her - and I'm sure a few would convert if she offered them."

"But do you really want her to be in love with someone young enough to be her son?"

"Ah, is that so, Takami-sensei? Congratulations!" Shockingly, Musubi had actually been somewhat able to follow the conversation, though she probably didn't realize whom the the head researcher was "in love" with.

Homura was crying now - maybe not visibly, but inside, he was shedding great fat drops, and not manly at that. He turned pleadingly to the culprit of this entire misunderstanding, trying to convey to her to stop this madness at once.

… She just continued chuckling, which was kind of unladylike in his opinion.

The two Sahashi siblings kept bickering for the next few minutes, sometimes drowned out by Musubi's loud ramblings of true love and what not, all the while driving the normally cool and collected male Sekirei closer to the brink. This was not how Homura was thinking this lunch was going to be.

Luckily, Takami decided enough was enough. "Relax, Minato and Yukari. I didn't come here to introduce you to my boy toy. No, instead, I've brought Kagari here as your future neighbor."

… Seriously, this older woman was dangerous. First she makes it seem like Homura and she were in a relationship. And then she flips the ship and informs everyone present that they'll be neighbors. Wasn't she supposed to ask beforehand whether it was okay for them to move in? They were her children, meaning they were connected to MBI, and Homura knew that MBI and his landlady did not mix. How would she ever consider allowing the children of the conglomerate's second-most important person to stay at Izumo Inn? What next, was she going to tell them he was actually a Sekirei?

… Shit, he'd done it now. He'd tempted fate. He was screwed. Where was the nearest exit? Perhaps he could escape before the conversation was fully steered in that direction.

"Err, Mom," Minato broke the stunned silence that had lasted while Homura was silently eyeing the windows. "Do you think that's … er… wise? You know?" To help explain what his mother should "know," he motioned extremely unsubtly with his eyes at Musubi.

"Oh, don't worry. Kagari here is a Sekirei, too."

… And now the cat was out of the bag.

Homura could only sit there, glaring at the woman who claimed to be working with him, wondering if just looking at her long enough could set her on fire. The shouts of surprise stemming from the siblings, the challenge issued by the battle-obsessed alien girl, the shrieks of outrage and annoyance from the other customers - none of this mattered to the black-clad Sekirei as he silently saw his entire world burning down in flames.

There were very few people in the world who could potentially compare to the bundle of joy that was Musubi. She was Happiness personified - though "alienified" may have been more appropriate. She was, after all, not a human. Maybe that was one big reason why she was so cheerful.

No matter the reason, Sekirei No. 88 loved life. She loved food. She loved fighting. She loved the fact that she found her Ashikabi-sama, and she loved Minato-sama for being such a kind one at that. She loved the fun she had with Yukari-sama, even if it had felt a little weird in the beginning. She loved knowing that her Ashikabi-sama and his sister were the children of a woman she knew who loved them enough to try and help them win the Sekirei Plan. She loved having a rival, even though she still wasn't too sure what that exactly was yet. She even loved a certain Sekirei who held the personal opinion that the whole world would look better dyed in blood. She loved, well, love!

She was also cheerfully oblivious to how nauseating that could be to normal people who weren't overwhelmed by the whole Sekirei battle royale thing going on. Or it might have been their astonishment that a single breast of hers was roughly the size of their heads. Did it really matter? She was, after all, cheerfully oblivious to practically everything.

So it had come to little surprise that the human-ish Energizer bunny hummed along happily amid a dark cloud of grief, fear, and - in the case of a certain recent high school graduate who was surrounded by a genuine bishounen, the busty-to-the-extreme Musubi, and the brother she still had a nonsensical crush on - lust that was present in the limo they were all riding. Though, in her defense, neither of the two male companions were aware at all of that last attribute, either.

"So, Minato-sama, we're going to our new home?"

Her winning smile proved to break through a little bit of the cloud which hung over her Ashikabi-sama. The boy who lacked confidence lifted the corners of his lips a bit. "Yes, Musubi-chan, Homura-san here is taking us to where we're going to live from now on."

The silver-haired young man, who had drained some bad-smelling drink from a bunch of cans the miko-clad Fist-type was unaware of, choked slightly at the sound of his name, earning a giggle from the alien girl. Musubi had just learned that he had pretended to be a normal human named Kagari in his search for an Ashikabi, though the winged Sekirei hadn't understood why. Shouldn't the Ashikabi-sama that a Sekirei reacted to know who the Sekirei really was? But though she couldn't fathom why Homura-sama was keeping his identity secret, she still found his reactions kind of funny.

But it was not polite to enjoy someone's embarrassment. Or, at least, that was what her adjustor had said. Instead, it was better to show him gratitude for his actions. "Oooh! Thank you so much, Homura-sama!"

"Ah, it's no big deal, Musubi," the slight young man replied, somewhat flustered at the praise.

"But it is! Homura-sama is helping unwinged Sekirei find their true Ashikabi-sama! That is a true mission of love!"

"... Is that so?"

Unfortunately for the alien boy, he had gained a new… admirer in the form of Sekirei No. 88. Though unlike all of the women who stopped by his bar to see if they could bring him home with them for the night, Musubi was an admirer not of his looks, but of his actions. She had heard rumors of a "Sekirei Guardian," and naturally saw that person as a hero for all Sekirei. To meet him in person… she had literally squealed in excitement with stars in her eyes. The miko-clad girl had quickly stated her ambition to be just like Homura-sama, protecting all Sekirei in the name of love! Naturally, she failed to realize how impossible that would be if she wanted to end the Plan as the winner.

The girl was also fascinated by her new friend's powers. Even though it was fairly obvious thanks to his name, according to her forgotten Sekidex that Takami-sensei had returned, Homura-sama had fire-based powers! And he was a single digit! Homura-sama would be another obstacle to overcome, but she was excited for any potential fight against him. It would only make her stronger! Minato-sama also seemed excited for the upcoming battle! At least, she thought he was. He kept muttering "single digit" and "fire" over and over again while glancing in Homura-sama's direction...

With a final lurch, the limousine stopped just outside of what looked like a traditional Japanese home. With a cheer of delight, the girl hopped out, practically skipping to the door. There, at the front door, was a beautiful woman in a miko uniform, just like her! Well, it wasn't as short and it was purple, but it was still a miko uniform! Musubi just knew she was going to love this place.

"Ara? Who are you?"

"I'm Sek~" The cheerful girl started, but her words were suddenly cut off when a hand covered her mouth.

"Her name is Musubi," her Ashikabi-sama answered, before urgently whispering into the Bear Sekirei's ear. "We're not supposed to talk about the Sekirei Plan to strangers, rememb~"

"New Sekirei spotted!"

Minato-sama was suddenly interrupted by a mechanical voice. Musubi watched the brown-haired boy glance down at the Sekidex attached to his belt, a weird sound coming out of his mouth. It reminded her of the meowing of the stray cats in alley ways mixed with the loud sirens of police cars that seemed to follow her a lot before she was winged.

The Sekidex continued. "Sekirei No. 01 Miya, the Sekirei Queen. Miya is a Swordsmanship Sekirei, able to send powerful shockwaves with just a slash of her blade. She exudes a calm manner, but beneath that hides a true demon. Stats: 87-56-87."

Everyone stood in the front yard, shocked at the information. Everyone, that was, except for Musubi. "Yay! The Leader of the 1st Generation of the Disciplinary Squad! Karasuba-sama spoke highly of you!"

"I~Is that so?"

"Yep! You're my hero! I'm going to one day beat you in the name of Love!"

Her words were accompanied by several different actions. Minato-sama fell, and Musubi bent over him, concerned if he was weak from hunger. Homura-sama had for some reason slapped his face, though she wasn't sure why anyone would hit themselves. Miya-sama hid her face behind her hand and giggled. And Yukari-sama … well, Yukari-sama was drooling. Maybe she was also hungry?

Suddenly the front door opened, and another girl peaked outside. "Hey, Miya," the girl moaned, rubbing her eyes. "When's breakfast?"

"New Sekirei spotted!"

Another weird noise came from Minato-sama. Musubi really couldn't explain that one.