He'd just left the Tokyo University, though now that the city was called Shinto Teito maybe the college was due for a new name, as well. Or maybe they'd keep it, so the alumni wouldn't have to change their alma maters.

But that wouldn't be a problem for 19-year-old Minato Sahashi, oh no. His dilemma came after rigorously skimming the results board on campus, looking through the hundreds of numbers posted, trying to find his own. Students around him had cheered and cried with equal abandon, and the whole time he'd prayed that his exam results would land him among the first group.

But, to his lack-of-surprise, his number wasn't listed. No number meant no entrance, and no entrance meant Mom and Yukari were going to have a field day with him again.

Minato groaned audibly. His hands left his black trouser pockets and lifted to his black hair, running his fingers through the salwan locks. He knew that he knew all the answers; he'd studied for this thing until he could recite them from memory backwards. He'd shut himself off from the outside world for almost two months, coming out of his tiny apartment only for food, air and the occasional ray of sunshine.

But as soon as he'd arrived, his nerves began to shake. As he'd sat down at that desk, he'd been trying to keep his fingers from fidgeting. And once his name was on the front of that test, his paper-thin confidence had gone to absolute pieces with every right answer he had.

It had only gone downhill from there. The wind had picked up the instant he'd set foot outside of campus, chilling him to the bone despite the blue jacket he wore. He'd stopped for coffee, to reward himself for making it out alive, though that might change once his mother heard the results.

And she would. If not by phone, then by popping in on his apartment to give him his shout-down in person.

The stop at the coffee shop went horribly awry, as while mentally preparing for his trip to the guillotine, he'd brought his latte away from his lips without righting it, sending a few globs of hot brown drink to splat against his white shirt. At this point he couldn't be bothered to wipe it off, just staring absent-headedly while it soaked into the fabric.

A tap on his table caused his eyes to drift from his newly-dyed attire. And in an instant, he was snapped from his pity party, because the ongoing tapping came from the chape of a scabbard.

Looming over him was a woman who wore a tight black leather top, miniskirt and stockings, while over her shoulders flowed a grey haori. She had grey hair tied in a ponytail to match her narrow grey eyes. The sheath, judging by its immense length, looked like it held a nodachi.

Who the heck carries a sword like that-

Minato's mind derailed as he couldn't decide what to be more alarmed about: that this woman was standing in a coffee shop with a sword, or that she was wearing said sword, a weapon so large that samurai sometimes brought a servant to help draw it, at her waist. The woman seemed to look a little anxious, and was visibly shocked when he looked back at her. She stood frozen on the spot, her eyes bucking. The woman narrowed her eyes further as she examined his body and face. She bent down toward him and poked his cheek.

"You... why am I reacting so easily... to you?"

"Uh, what are doing?" Minato asked with fear in his voice; the woman was freaking him out a little.

"Hello there, young man," she said with a soulless smile. "I'm going to kill you now."
Minato took one look at her and ran for his life, the woman grinned and chased after him, sword in hand.

'Shit! Shit! Shit! Who the hell is this girl?!' Minato was sprinting with all his speed, but the woman kept up without so much as a pant. Her legs were moving with what Minato could only describe as sonic speed, her face still plastered with the malicious grin, not even showing a hint of tiredness.

"You can't escape, Ashikabi," she said simply. Within seconds she was beside him, swinging her sword with all its deadly force. Minato jumped to the side, narrowly dodging the overhead slash that made a small crevice in the concrete.

What the hell is this girl?! Minato thought as he tried to pick up his speed.

Huh, she thought, pulling her sword from the split in the sidewalk. He actually dodged it...
The woman once again caught up with Minato, this time jumping in front of him. With a cold look on her face she swung her sword to the left, with a speed that could cut through a lamp post.

Minato knew this because it did just that, the light teetering over and hammering in the roof of a nearby car. More amazing was that he somehow managed push off his heel to jump back and avoid the strike, landing on his ass in the process. He looked up at the woman who gazed at him with a passive look, before she flipped her grip on the handle and drew her hand back.

Feet, help me out here! And they did, Minato off and bolting the other way. The woman reversed her grip again and slid the sword into its sheath.

That was all Minato caught before he rounded a corner, looking along the street for a place to hide. He didn't get very far, though, because seemingly out of thin air the woman landed in front of him. Not a single murmur escaped his lips as she thrust her sword straight at his heart.

He felt something punch his shoulder, then a warm feeling began trickling down his side. He looked over to see blood, his blood, the last thing he saw before he slid off and passed out cold.

The woman flicked her sword, spattering the blood off of the tip on to the sidewalk, ignoring the gasps and antsy murmurings from the humans around her. His panicked flailing had caused her blade to miss its mark. He'd survive the wound.

That's the third time he's escaped a killing blow, she mused silently. Perhaps he is my Ashikabi...

-Somewhere windy-

Minato woke up under a cherry blossom tree, the small, pink petals falling gracefully from the tree's branches and a breeze curled around him. He saw the figure looming over him, her grey hair flowing in the wind.

She knelt down, her eyes narrowed. It was the girl who stabbed him. Now that he got a good look at her, she was beautiful.

"Um…" Minato edged back a little "Wh-Why were you ch-chasing me?"

The woman didn't look very pleased; in fact she looked rather disappointed. Like in the coffee shop, she touched Minato's face, causing him to recoil out of fear.

The woman sighed. From just a few short actions, he had proved himself to be a bit of a wimp. She touched his chest, on the now bandaged wound she'd inflicted. Minato flinched at the wound and yelped, his body finally noticing the stinging pain and he held his shoulder.

Karasuba almost giggled. For how truly pathetic he was, she found it rather amusing.

Is this truly my Ashikabi? This weak and pitiful little insect?

Karasuba sighed, she looked up at the tree and murmured, "I hate things like this, so beautiful… It's disgusting."

Minato dove out of the way of Karasuba's blade, as it came toward him at lightning speed. He noticed that the blade wasn't intended for him but for the tree, staring in awe as Karasuba cut it to pieces. His face amused Karasuba; it twisted into even further shock as she closed her eyes and cut a blossom out the air.

She sheathed her sword.

"Come on, Ashikabi. We have a lot to discuss." She didn't offer her hand so much as grab his own. After the fright he'd just had, Minato wearily went along with it.

"My name," she said, still gripping Minato's hand, "is Karasuba. What about you, Ashikabi?"
"S-Sahashi Minato..."

Karasuba looked at him, a little surprise showing amidst the frost in her eyes.
"Take me to your house, Minato, and I'll fill you in. I'd explain here, but I want to see what kind of place I'll be living in."

Minato gulped. Just what kind of mess had he gotten himself into?

-Minato's apartment-

Karasuba was even less impressed with Minato's apartment: a grubby, messy old place with a absolute dick as a landlord. Karasuba had to scare the little midget bastard into submission when he tried to chase them off, screaming obscenities at the two of them, even going so far as to call Karasuba a slut and attack Minato with a bat.

Her impression of Minato's apartment wasn't much better: messy, old take-out boxes littered around the room. The wallpaper seemed to be rotting, as well as the actual brick and stone that she could see from exposed pieces of wall. Needless to say she would definitely be getting better accommodations.

Nevertheless, it did not waver her feelings in the slightest. She sat across the meter-long "table" from Minato, who was looking very nervous. It almost made her chuckle a little.
Oh Minato, you're so innocent, she thought to herself. How is my Ashikabi this weak?
"Now then," she began, "you remember what my name is?"

Minato nodded. "K-Karasuba-sama."

"Very good." Maybe there's hope for him yet. "I'm a Sekirei, competing in what's known as The Sekirei Plan."
"Sekirei Plan? What's that? And what are Sekirei?" Minto asked.
"Might as well start at the beginning," she said, rolling her shoulders and stretching her neck.

"A long time ago, Sekirei came from the sky and crash-landed on this planet. We were discovered by Minaka Hiroto and your mother Takami Sahashi."

"Wait, my mo-!" Minato stopped as he felt Karasuba's eyes spear him as surely as her sword had. "I'm sorry."

With that aside, Karasuba continued. "These Sekirei were taken by MBI and eventually The Sekirei Plan was born, a plan to make all Sekirei fight each other. In the end, when only one Sekirei and their Ashikabi are left, they can ascend to Kouten to have their... 'wish' granted."

"O-Okay," Minato stammered, finally able to sit up straight again. "So what's an Ashikabi?"

"An Ashikabi is a Sekirei's destined one, the one who can fully unlock our powers."
Without warning, Karasuba leapt over to Minato and pinned him to the floor, her smile turning to a wicked grin. She licked her lips.

"Guess who mine is."

Karasuba kissed Minato deeply on the lips, surprising the poor boy. Yet he felt a sudden connection to Karasuba and kissed back with passion. When Karasuba broke away, her black wings had emerged and she spoke "Pledge of my blade, exterminate the sworn enemy of my Ashikabi."

She let out a moan of pure ecstasy when she finished her prayer, and fell on top of Minato.

"K-Karasuba-san, are you okay?" Minato asked.
"Yes, I'm fine." Karasuba lifted herself up and touched Minato's face. She was expecting him to somehow look different now that they were bonded, but no, he was still the same gutless child.

"Though you're a lot more powerful than I pegged you for, so much that you'll probably attract more Sekirei," Karasuba said forlornly.

"Wait, more Sekirei?!"

Karasuba smiled and nodded. "Of course. With such a powerful aura and strong scent, Sekirei would flock to you. I can imagine the rest of the First Discipline Squad coming to you to be winged."

"The rest of what?" Seems Karasuba forgot about that one.

The Sekirei's chilling smile widened. "My old unit."

All of a sudden, Minato's T.V turned on. On the screen was a man with pure white hair, about as white as Minato's face was at that moment, with a matching suit and cape. A pair of glasses rounded out his "mad scientist" look.

"Hello Sahashi-kun! I am Minaka Hiroto!" he proclaimed, like a child about to play with some new toys. "And hello to you, No. 4."

"Hello again Minaka, I'm surprised. I thought Takami wouldn't let you anywhere near any of your-"

"Hush Karasuba!" To Minato's surprise, Karasuba complied. Minaka then re-addressed him, like the man knew exactly where he was sitting. "Now then, Sahashi-san. As you've been made aware, you are competing in the Sekirei Plan. 108 Sekirei have been released to fight and reach Kouten; whoever's love shines the strongest shall win the game!" Minaka bellowed a half-crazed laugh, and Minato could tell the man was about as well-hinged as a sliding glass door. In a warzone.

"But what is a game without a few rules?" Minaka continued. "The first is that you must not tell anyone about the game! I'll have the Plan revealed to the world on my own terms, thank you. The second is that you must never try to escape! Those who try will be brought back or have their Sekirei terminated by the Discipline Squad."

At this, Minaka looked directly at Karasuba, who smirked. "I resign, Minaka."

"I thought you would. I suppose I'll have to accept, considering your situation." Minaka said, albeit reluctantly. "That is all I have to say Sahashi-san, Karasuba will explain the rest. I wish you good luck!" Minaka disappeared and the TV turned off.

Minato looked around his apartment, not only did it not have enough room for the two of them, it was disgusting where it wasn't outright falling apart. 'We should get a new place to live.'

Karasuba rubbed her chin. No doubt Minaka would cut off her MBI card for leaving the Squad, if his tone was anything to believe. Most places in Shinto Teito only accepted MBI cards, since they owned the whole damn city. But Karasuba knew of one place that didn't accept MBI cards at all…

Miya.

"K-Karasuba-san, we should find somewhere else to live..."

"I plan on it. There's a little inn in the north of Shinto Teito, place called Maison Izumo. It doesn't accept MBI cards so we'll have to work to pay rent. I don't mind though," Karasuba said, her eyes filling with anger.

"Okay, Karasuba-san. I'll get a job and use the rest of my money to pay for a few months. How much is it?"

Karasuba smiled. "Only ¥50,000. A week's wage for a decent job."

Minato sighed. "If I could get my deposit back then I could pay for a room for 6 months at least!"

Karasuba's grin widened and she stood up, making for the door. "I'll be right back."

-Out on the sidewalk somewhere-

Karasuba came out of Minato's old landlord's office with some blood on her knuckles. Minato was scared, not by moving, or his life problems or even his landlord. No, by Karasuba (surprise surprise). Not only was his deposit completely refunded, but the last two months' rent were, too! And on top of that, his things were pre-arranged to go to Izumo Inn by his landlord and confirmed by his own eyes.

But he didn't question it, he had his money and he was happy, sort of. The two were both on their way to Izumo Inn, with Karasuba walking with a slight spring in her step. Minato couldn't tell if she was happy or not, but he somehow knew she was… unsettled. Just a little, and she'd probably skin him alive if he brought it up, but a twinge of anxiety was definitely there.
The pair arrived at Izumo Inn, there things waiting for them outside the door. There was also a lady waiting for them. She had a small smile on her face which quickly washed away when she saw Karasuba.

The lady was a slender but shapely woman, with fair skin and brown eyes. She was holding a broom in her hands, likely from doing some chores before she went out to greet them. She wore her purple hair long, all the way down to her waist, with her bangs clipped shorter in a classical hime style. About her person was clad the traditional attire of a miko: a purple hakama, a white haori with a sash-like belt, wooden sandals and a white ribbon to partially hold her hair in place. In short, she was the spitting image of a yamato nadeshiko.
A shine that diminished somewhat as she approached the pair. "Karasuba. It's been a while."

Minato's eyes went from one woman to the other. The woman's flat tone reminded him of the distinction between a greeting and a welcome.

"Indeed it has Miya," Karasuba replied, less unnervingly since, for her, "mildly threatening" seemed to be the default setting. "However, you'll be happy to know I no longer work with MBI."

That did indeed shock Miya, and made her a little happy to some degree. Though not enough to turn off that spine-tingling dread she was exuding. Minato could see quite clearly that Miya wasn't pleased, her fists tightened on the broom and Minato saw it begin to crack. Miya's knuckles, pale. Her eyes may have been thin from her sweet smile but Minato could sense the anger within them.

"And you want to stay here with your Ashikabi?" Miya asked, gesturing to Minato.

"Yeah. I know you aren't one to turn people away," Karasuba said with a slight smirk.

"You're right, I am not," Miya stated, a small flash in her eyes betraying the protest she was under. "However, you must follow the rules Karasuba: no illicit relations will be had at Izumo Inn, nor any violence."

Karasuba smugly raised an eyebrow.

"Outside of training," Miya added, a translucent han'nya mask appearing behind her, scaring Minato, and to some degree Karasuba, shitless.

"D-Don't worry Landlady-san, if we do that we'll go to the privacy of a hotel," Minato stammered, his face rapidly losing color.

"Well then," said Miya, "I would like to welcome you to Izumo Inn. Enjoy your stay." She led them both inside; Minato and Karasuba picked up a few boxes of his stuff before heading in.

"You'll both be staying in room 203; remember, no illicit relations." Miya put her hand on her cheek. "But the odd bit of kissing here or there never hurt anyone."

Minato blushed. Karasuba adopted the same smile she'd worn when she tried to lop off his head.

Minato took the boxes into the room and unpacked, setting up everything they needed. He let out a sigh and smiled.
Outside the room, Karasuba and Miya were staring each other down, both with looks of pure hatred on their faces: Miya's on full display, Karasuba's focused entirely through her eyes.

"I still haven't forgotten that day," Karasuba stated.

"Neither have I, Karasuba. I will accept you living here, but if you put a single toe out of line, I will kill you and your Ashikabi," Miya threatened.

Karasuba felt a pang of fury toward Miya, threatening her was one thing, but her Ashikabi… Would Miya really use him to keep her in line?

And why am I even thinking about it? He's just a human. Karasuba felt the anxiety in her chest get bigger and bigger as she thought about Minato dying by Miya's hand.

Oh right, because if he dies… Karasuba would've breathed a sigh of relief if not for the person facing her. She refused to give Miya the satisfaction. Still, the mystery was solved.
Karasuba glared at Miya, before disappearing into her new room. There she found Minato, who had finished fixing up the place, making it their own little slice of heaven.

Karasuba took stock of Minato. He was just so... weak. Vulnerable. He looked like a strong breeze would snap him in two. Sure, he dodged her strikes but it was luck. All Minato was, was a blushing, skinny weakling!

Karasuba grinned. "Minato~"

Minato turned to Karasuba and instead found a ravenous puma eying him.

"My new pet..." it drooled.

Karasuba pushed Minato back onto the futon. She kneeled on him, putting her knees on his chest and forcefully restraining his hands above his head. She lowered her face down to his and licked his cheek, drawing her tongue up his face over and over again as her breath grew heavier, more ravenous each time. He winced as she bit his lip, drawing blood for her to suckle on. She felt a flare shoot through her body as her wings emerged from her back, savoring the coppery tang of her prey before swallowing the red nectar.

"Mmmmh, you taste good. At least you're not a total coward." Karasuba forced her lips against Minato's, pushing her tongue into his mouth and smacking down his own. He got a taste of his own blood, like some barbaric offering on a pagan altar. She pulled away from him and felt another bolt of power course through her, causing her to suck in a shuddering gasp as a wicked grin split her face. She then looked down at Minato, with a look that was pure nightmare fuel given a face.

"I hope this clarifies our relationship," Karasuba breathed, drawing her nails down his cheek.

Minato gulped. What have I got myself into?

The ronin was eventually saved by, of all people, his new landlady. Miya called upstairs to request they help with chores, and to silently remind them it was the least they could do since he was paying waaaay less than typical Teito rent. Karasuba went out the back, trimming the grass and watering the plants while Minato tidied up the front step. As he was sweeping up stray bits of foam and cardboard, he felt a presence behind him. He saw a woman standing there, smiling at him. She wore Chinese dress which was so short it was scandalous. In addition to her toned legs the dress showed off her huge cleavage and a small part of her lower torso. Her face was as mature as her body and radiated such serene beauty. Like the landlady, she too, kept her raven-colored hair partially tied back.

"Hello~. Are you Minato Sahashi?" she said with a sweet smile, though her voice carried a hint of whispery nonchalance to it.

Minato nodded quickly. "Uh-huh. Who are you?"

"I'm Kazehana. I've been a resident here for a while now. In other words," she said cheerfully, leaning on the stair railing, "your new neighbor."

"Kazehana-san... nice to meet you." Minato held out his hand toward her, and upon shaking it she shivered with sheer delight from his touch.

Kazehana hadn't felt like this in a long time, her heart began thumping in her chest at an unbelievable rate. Her cheeks became flushed, she looked like a blushing bride on the first night with her groom.

All of which Minato missed, of course, due to his lack of experiences with the fairer sex.
Kazehana had to resist the urge to jump Minato right now and wing herself, then do some things that Miya would surely kick her out for. She'd fallen into that trap before, and just like that a host of nagging doubts beset her. What if that comely, boyish face was just a facade? What if he was just another handsome bastard pig, disguised as a caring soul?

What if… What if she was rejected again? She wasn't sure if her heart could bear it, not a second time.

And then there was Karasuba. The boy already had her, why would Karasuba even think about letting Minato wing another? Kazehana internally sighed, but maintained her smile.

"So, you came with Karasuba?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Yeah, I met her yesterday in a coffee shop. Two seconds later, she was chasing me down." Minato chuckled a little, scratching the back of his head.

"Yeah, that sounds like Karasuba. What next, she drank your blood?" jokingly asked the woman. Kazehana then noticed the mark on his lip, and her humor dimmed. "Hate to say I'm not surprised."

"I was more surprised that such a beautiful woman was so... dominant," Minato laughed nervously.

A twinkle entered Kazehana's eye, like a cat's in the dark. "And how was it?" she purred.

Minato turned completely red at her inquiry. "I-I, well, um…"

Oh god, he's adorable! Kazehana squealed, though she did her best to keep quiet. It wasn't easy, because every failed attempt to find his words only made her that much more convinced of his honesty.

"... I, I think I'm more a 'hug-and-kiss' kind of guy."

Kazehana grabbed Minato and pulled him into a big hug, pressing his face between her massive breasts.

"Like this?" she breathed seductively. She felt hot at his touch, wanted him so bad! Her nags about his integrity were being buried as deep as his face was in her cleavage. He was like an innocent little puppy, utterly and completely clueless but oh, she didn't care, she just needed to have him!

"Kazehana, what do you think you're doing?" The buxom beauty felt a sword on her shoulder. She spun around so fast it ruffled Minato's captive hair.

"Karasuba!" Instantly, Minato was free from her embrace, disappointedly gasping for air. "I was just saying that he's lucky to have you and that he's really cute."

"Cute?" Karasuba looked over to Minato, her faced flushed. "Yeah, I guess." She shook her head to get rid of the blush.

Karasuba lowered her sword. She narrowed her eyes at Kazehana, who was still smiling nervously, then grabbed her by the dress and dragged her inside.

"Are you reacting to Minato?" Karasuba demanded, once they were in the kitchen.

Kazehana nodded quickly. "Just being near him is making me horny as hell. We're not even in the same room anymore and I still can't resist him…" She let out all of her pent-up fear in a ragged sigh. "But for everyone's sake, I'll try."

Karasuba let out a sigh in turn. She knew Minato would attract other Sekirei but she didn't think it would be this fast.

To Kazehana's surprise, the Black Sekirei smiled. "You can wing yourself," she said to her counterpart. "But not today. I want some time alone with him." Karasuba grinned maliciously, thinking about the fun she and Minato could have, and how he would squirm under her grasp.

"Fine." Kazehana folded her arms around her bust. "But if I can't to control myself, you only have yourself to blame."

Karasuba leveled a paralyzing stare at Kazehana. "No," she said simply, empty smile still plastered across her face. "If you can't control yourself, I'll blame you."

Kazehana flinched, ever so slightly, before reaching down into her cleavage and pulling out a bottle of sake.

How did she do that? Karasuba shook her head and went back to the front step, where Minato was sweeping up the last spots of detritus.

Karasuba snuck up behind Minato and roughly grabbed Minato by the waist, spinning him around and grinning. Minato could feel the powerful grip from Karasuba crushing him; his bones felt as though they could crack at any moment.

'Just how strong is she?'

"Done with the step yet?" she asked calmly, her eyes like grey storm clouds, rolling with pent-up lightning.

"Al- Almost," Minato winced. "How strong are you, Karasuba-san?"

Karasuba was taken aback by the question, her clamp on his pelvis loosening. "I'm the second or third strongest Sekirei." She decided to forgive him for reminding her of those two, but he'd get a very stern, very brutal lecture on them later.

"What?! Seriously?!" Minato stood agape. How had he managed to wing a Sekirei of her power? "Who's the strongest?"

"Sekirei No. 1, Miya Asama. In other words, the Landlady." For Minato's mouth to drop any lower, it would have needed an anvil, and a whole lot of duct tape.

"Miya-san! She's the strongest Sekirei?!"

A cold chill ran down both Minato and Karasuba's spine.

"Karasuba, I don't like that you're revealing things about me." Both Minato and Karasuba turned around and saw Miya, han'nya mask behind her, with a cute smile on her face.

"I was just informing my Ashikabi here of what he deserves to know, Miya," Karasuba informed the landlady, her tone completely disconnected from the aura of dread No. 1 was exuding. "Since it's going be me and him fighting you atop Kouten."

Miya's hands tightened a little on her rug-beater. "And you will lose, Karasuba."

"But I can't lose, Miya," Karasuba said simply. "Since I'll be training with you, I'll know all your moves."

Miya chuckled, which finally put Karasuba on edge.

"You'll try," she said with her sweet smile.

Within seconds Miya vanished, leaving Karasuba alone with Minato. Her wicked grin gracing her face again, at this point Minato thought it suited her better than any other expression.

"Minato-kun you would do anything for me, correct?" Karasuba asked, her grip tightening on his pelvis.

'I don't think I have a choice' Minato mused. "Um, sure I would."

"Good, you're already making a wonderful new pet, perhaps you'll survive me after all."

"Y-you aren't going to kill me are you?"

The Black Sekirei merely laughed. "Fortunately for you, suicide isn't on my to-do list."

Minato visibly stiffened.

'Suicide? No, it couldn't be...'

-Later that evening-

The night was still young, the black sky had just began to settle and the stars come out. The night breeze made the leaves on the trees blow slightly in the wind; an amiable sight for Minato as he was lost in his train of thought; out in the back garden of Izumo Inn. If what Karasuba said was true, then Minato would have a harem of Sekirei at his disposal. A harem of superpowered women, using and abusing him as readily as Karasuba did. How the hell was he supposed to survive that when he could barely endure one? The thought made him shiver.
On the plus side, if Karasuba was in the top 3 strongest Sekirei, she had to be his secret weapon. No doubt that other Ashikabi had ties or connections with people in MBI and knew of Karasuba's winging, and they must have multiple Sekirei.

Karasuba is a single-numbered Sekirei. Minaka said she was No. 4, Miya is No. 1. So, the higher the number, the stronger the… Wait, then she'd be fourth-strongest. So, the single numbers in general are stronger, but not in any kind of order to one another? Minato shook his head. How the heck was he supposed to figure this out knowing only two of them?

He was taken from his thoughts when someone sat down next to him. She was a well-endowed young woman with long, dark brown hair, brown eyes and a knockout body that almost matched Kazehana for development. Covering said figure was a pink and violet belly top with a golden star on the front and a golden ten on the back. A pair of capri jeans hugged her luscious legs and showed off her beautiful ass.

"Hey there!" she said, holding her knees up to her chest. "Haven't seen you around. You must be the new tenant. I'm Uzume!"

"Minato," he replied, trying his best not to sneak another peek at her outlined boobs. "What are you doing up this late?"

"I could ask the same, thinking about Karasuba no doubt," Uzume said with a grin.

Minato blushed. "I am not!"

Uzume laughed. "Hey, I'm not judging. I would love it if my Ashikabi thought of me constantly."

"I don't know how, but I had a feeling you were a Sekirei." Her feminine gaze latched onto his own, and for some reason he was the one blushing. "So, um, what's your Ashikabi like?"

Uzume wistfully sighed and looked up at the stars. "I've been wondering that for a while now. Hard to talk about someone you haven't met yet."

"Oh…" Minato felt sorry for her. She seemed completely different from Karasuba, like to her, an Ashikabi was more than a handy tool. "If you don't mind me asking, what would you want in an Ashikabi?"

Uzume was not expecting that sort of question "Well, that's a bit personal... though I wouldn't mind the gender, y'know; most Sekirei are bi-sexual."

"Every Sekirei must be different." Every Sekirei has different quirks to them, but mostly all have the same sexual preference. It seems that not all Sekirei are like Karasuba and Miya, maybe some are just… ordinary. Or maybe that's just wishful thinking.'

"Whatcha thinking about?" Minato regained his grip on reality and noticed that Uzume was very close to his face, her cheeks a little flushed.

"Ahh, nothing. I was just thinking about Karasuba again, anyway, I better go. See ya!" Minato hurried off.

Uzume smiled to herself, she placed a hand on her chest, then her breasts as she began to blush deeply. 'Gotta wonder…'

Minato, meanwhile, had only one thing on his mind. An Ashikabi. It was something that was boggling his mind, he wanted to know why a Sekirei needed one and what caused the reaction and the affection. Furthermore, why only one half of that equation factored into Karasuba.

Minato decided to back upstairs and sit in his room. Karasuba was training with Miya in a secluded area somewhere, so they wouldn't destroy the surrounding street. Thus, he was left in the house with Uzume and possibly Kazehana.

In his room, he sat in a disassembling chair that he'd never gotten around to building in his own apartment. He looked around the place, particularly at the futon. A drop of blood rested there, from when Karasuba got a bit bitey. What he found strange was that his blood had activated her wings, something he'd thought was supposed to be done with a kiss. A kiss (or blood sample) from a special someone that to Minato's human mind was only known as an "Ashikabi".

Minato's brain was banging around his head in frustration over the enigma that were Ashikabi and Sekirei.

Sekirei were aliens, for lack of a better term, that needed a partner. The partner was the Ashikabi, but that's what got to Minato the most.

Why?

Why did they need Ashikabi? Aren't they already so powerful?

Why do Ashikabi feel the connection? Aren't they just simple humans?

Are Ashikabi predetermined, or can Sekirei react to multiple people?

What happens if an Ashikabi is unfaithful? Would it affect the Sekirei?

What happens if the Sekirei is unfaithful; is it even possible?

Was it possible to have multiple Ashikabi? Assuming an Ashikabi could have multiple Sekirei, as Karasuba implied, is it possible for a Sekirei to have two, three or even four Ashikabi?!

And the last question Minato had... Why did Karasuba mention suicide?

Questions, questions, questions! Minato felt as though they would consume him! But, he decided to get it off his mind for now. He needed a rest, and so he closed his eyes and leaned back... before he was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Hello~. Are you awake, Minato-san?"

Minato opened his eyes to see Kazehana, with a small blush on her face, sitting next to him on his futon. Her cobalt blue nightdress was loose; it looked like it could fall off her shoulders at any moment.

"Hey, Kazehana-san. What do you want?"

Kazehana looked down at herself, only seeing what she thought was disgusting. "Nothing much, Minato-san. I just want some company is all."

Minato frowned skeptically; her expression and that liter-sized bottle next to her were telling him something else. He decided not to pry and sat up, as he had about a million other things on his mind.

"Kazehana? Is it possible to react to more than one person?" Kazehana was a bit intrigued by the question, but she couldn't help but smile.

"What gave me away?" she asked.

"I, uh, may have overheard your conversation with Karasuba," Minato said, scratching the side of his face awkwardly.

"Oh, I see," Kazehana smirked.

"Yeah, I probably would have figured it out anyway. You and Uzume look and act so similar that it's scary." Minato smiled a little. "And there was the whole suffocation thing…"

"Oh, don't lie," she smirked, that glimmer re-entering her eye. "We both know you loved it."

"Alright, I won't," Minato replied. The ronin rested back on his hands. "Honestly, that's what got me thinking, about you being a Sekirei. It felt..." Warm, soft, sexy. "-like something Karasuba would do, if she wasn't so…"

"Aggressive?" Kazehana offered.

"Well, 'Karasuba'," Minato finished, prompting a chain of chortling from her. "Besides, if you were human you'd be the most unique and beautiful woman I'd ever seen."

Kazehana's subdued laughter ceased and she felt her heart pound. Beautiful, unique. No one had told her that before, never so honestly. Her heart fluttered and she felt a small weight leave her chest…

"But anyway, could you answer my question, please?" Minato asked.

"Well, since you're such a sweet boy," Kazehana cooed, earning her a blush from him. "A Sekirei could react to one person weakly, only feeling the connection close by. Meanwhile, they could react to another strongly and feel their love from across the world."

One of Minato's one million questions was confirmed.

"W-Would it be possible to have two Ashikabi?"

Kazehana looked at Minato confused, then tapped her chin in thought. "I don't think it's impossible. Maybe if the Sekirei had strong reactions to both people."

"But, how would it work? How would the winging and the relationship go?" Minato asked, curiosity lighting his eyes ablaze.

"Hmm, perhaps if the Sekirei were to kiss one then the other. Or both at the same time. As for the relationship..." She smiled seductively. "Lots of threesomes."

Minato simultaneously blushed and laughed. "I wish I could test this sort of stuff, but that would make me no better than MBI."

"You certainly think a lot, don't you?" Kazehana teased, taking a long swig from the nearby bottle.

"Yeah, can't help it. Thought and theory are just natural for me." Minato scratched the back of his head. "What about you? You think much?"

Kazehana finished her drink and leaned back to rest her head on a pillow. "Nope. Most of the time I'm usually chugging a bottle of sake with Uzume."

"Oh come on," Minato prodded playfully. "You can't honestly tell me you never think!"

"Sure I can," Kazehana countered, equally as jovial. She pouted a little. "You're not calling me a liar, are you?"

"N-No," Minato stammered, "just, maybe, you're not, erm, not remembering everything?"

"Well, that does happen when you're drunk!" the Sekirei laughed. However, as his words simmered in her mind, she realized he did have a point. "I guess… The only time I really think is when I fantasize about my perfect Ashikabi."

Kazehana's cheeks turned red with a lustful blush and her eyes eased shut. "Someday…" she sighed.

The wistful sigh that escaped from her lips compelled Minato to look at her. Really look at her. By day she'd been a bouncy, friendly eyeful, but by night, she seemed a lot more mature and beautiful; her night gown especially showed off how sexy she was, even in its haphazard state. The moonlight highlighted every supple curve on her body, alluring him even more than her usual skin-tight dress. Minato was in awe of her. Within the last few hours he had met some of the most gorgeous women he'd ever seen in his life but Kazehana was on a new level. What's more was that, from what he heard from Karasuba and Kazehana's conversation, she was absolutely crazy about him. That alone was almost enough to drive him over the edge, and as the moonlight shone on her Minato thought he was looking at Tsukuyomi in female form. He decided to go back to the conversation, as thinking about her was sending blood to the wrong areas.

"Do all Sekirei have a perfect Ashikabi?" Minato asked.

"Not all of us. Some will take what they get, some have rough idea. Most of the older ones, I'd say one through fifteen, have an ideal Ashikabi." Minato nodded and chuckled to himself.

"Oh? What's so funny?" Kazehana inquired.

"Nothing, it's just... I can't be Karasuba's 'perfect' Ashikabi."

Kazehana smiled in turn. "You'd be surprised. She always said she'd like someone to dominate."

'I guess I'm not a total disappointment' after all, Minato thought, a small silver lining in what was otherwise a very… diametric relationship.

"You got any other questions, I'll do my best," Kazehana said, close to passing out from the alcohol in her system.

"Just one more: what happens when a Sekirei is... unfaithful?"

Kazehana was very surprised, and a little intrigued.
"That's a good question. There has been a case of that, when other ships went to planets similar to this one. According to Miya, in the history logs on the ship, it says: 'On one occasion, the pure love of a Sekirei had been shattered. One, who was unsatisfied by her Ashikabi, slept with another person. The girl lost her mind and became a sex-crazed devient, until about a week after the initial betrayal."

"What happened then?" asked the young ronin.

"Her heart stopped."

Minato stared at her, aghast; she said that like it was simple as flipping a lightswitch. If this was how serious most Sekirei took their bonds, he was glad it had only happened once.
"So, you get what you want, but then have it taken in the ultimate punishment. That's, um…" He coughed. "That's a little harsh, don't you think?"

Kazehana shook her head. "To shatter the bond of love between any being is unacceptable. You would deserve any form of punishment, even more so between a Sekirei and an Ashikabi."

"Well, my heart goes out to the people who were rejected," Minato mused, staring up at the ceiling. "I know how much it hurts, even more when it's someone you care about."

Kazehana realised that her question had been answered. She looked down at herself, her garnet eyes starting to water over as an old, painful echo resurfaced in her mind.

I'm sorry, but I already have someone I love.

Kazehana felt the urge to vomit, not from the alcohol in her system. The memories came flooding back, more and more as the hole in her heart grew bigger and bigger. She had to fill it, and the person who could was lying no more than two feet away from her! But she stayed her ground. As magical as it would be, on a soft, moonlit night such as this, to roll up to his side, kiss his lips and make love to her new Ashikabi, twin blades of wrath hovered over her head, and ousted her back to her own privacy.

"Minato-kun, I enjoyed our little chat. I would refer your questions to No. 2 if you meet her." Kazehana left the room in a hurry, rushing back to her own and sliding the door shut behind her. She tore her dress off, burying her head into the pillow of her futon. Lying stark naked on the bedspread, she thought about her perfect Ashikabi.

It was said every Sekirei was led to their destined one by fate, one that would forever entwine the pair in an unbreakable matrimony. Even now, she felt that missing part of herself expand, a yawning void that could only be closed by the one so precious she called them "my Ashikabi".

But only Minaka would come to mind, returning her to those awful memories... Her new feelings pushed back, but there was only one way she could think of to banish them for good.

Tears began soaking her pillow, the cotton muffling her sobs.

I want you… Oh, Minato, what am I going to do?