Sekirei: Retribution

Author Link: TitaniumBardock
[Sekirei: Retribution is the revised version of Sekirei: ԂЇЁЅҬЦЯҔ3Ԁ]
Korudosutea Shino is a child of one of the legendary Sekirei Grim Reapers. Next in line, he must not only adorn the responsibilities and skills of one, but he must also try to save his world. This is his story, his life, the retribution of his kind and of himself.
==Memory 1: Even in the Darkest of Places...==
40 years ago on the Sekirei home planet Tengokunosu, the Sekirei race was in the midst of a political and societal collapse as sins took over the major kingdoms strayed the Sekirei on the path of greed and domination. Some say it is an impending repeat of the great war that occured a very long time ago, known as the Ascension. At that point that was just mere speculation and the colapse would be avoided, but some knew what was going on more than others. One of these people was the current Sekirei Reaper at the time, Umi Shino.
She was a single parent, her husband dying from a horrible murder and having only one son, lived in a home located in Kuraiyama. The actual city itself was a place of mercenaries, crime and poverty but she had a place of her own on the outskirts of the city. The home was located up a small mountain path and on an open platform of land on the side of a mountain. The view she had was nice, depending on how you looked at it. She could see the entire city from her window but yet again who would want to stare at a rat's nest all day. As a Reaper she had nothing to fear, absolutely no one with any sense would mess with her.
As said, she had a son. A 5 year old boy with white-grey hair and piercing red eyes. A kind soul at heart and a very helping person just as his mother taught him to be. He was in line to inherit the ability of a full Reaper and harness his own unique powers. His name, was Korudosutea Shino.
10 years later when he was 15, it was time for him to go out on his own to the city to get food and other supplies. He wore a black kimono robe with a red belt and black sandals and a small bag of currency on the inside pocket. Korudo said goodbye to his mother as he left the house and made his way to the city. It wasn't a very long walk but it was enough to give you some exercise.
Umi watched him through the window as he left, having a sad demeanor on her face. As a parent she was seeing her little boy grow up and becoming more of a man but as a Reaper she knew something heartbreaking was coming. The curse of the Reaper line is that only one full Reaper can exist at one time. The only way to transfer the responsibility to the next Reaper was for the new one to execute the old one. Meaning, the child must kill the parent in a battle between them. The battle proves how strong the Reaper challenger is and if he or she is worthy or not to become the next one. Yet if they fail, in most cases it ends in death and the Reaper parent must repeat those long years of raising a child once more.
Umi was a very beautiful woman with long black hair and a gentle smile, soothing yet strong blue eyes that calmed anybody. She wore a bright colored kimono with the colors red, white, orange and other autumn colors with flower designs sewn into the fabric. Her Reaper power is the one of the Waters of Death where she could rip the water out of a Sekirei's body in seconds and even alter the waters of Tengokunosu to be poisonous or physically harmful.
Korudo entered the city through one of it's main gates. The atmosphere of this place was of perpetual darkness hence the meaning behind it's name, "Dark Mountain". The only part of it's territory to see light was by the Reaper's home and you could only barely see the dawn's light. As he walked towards the market district he kept his eyes forward to not be distracted by anything, some people looking at him and staring knowing he was the Reaper's child.
The people really didn't bother him as he knew that they would have no business with him. If someone stole from him Korudo would be obliged to teach the person a lesson. Time went on as he collected the groceries his mother requested. Everything was normal until he felt something shift within the bag he was carrying full of fruit. He looked at it and turned back, seeing a person with a fruit in their hand and walking away from him in a fast manor. He was was wearing a cloak with the hood up as a disguise. Korudo immediately knew that was the culprit and called out to him "Hey!". The person quickly began to run through the crowds as Korudo held the bag around his shoulder securely and chased after the thief. 
Some people shouted obsceneties at the two in the chase as they bumped into the crowds and made left and rights down alleyways. Korudo tried to keep up but the thief was very fast, beginning to lose him in the darkness and winding alleyways. As Korudo saw the thief turn right up ahead he took his own right down an alleyway next to him to try and intercept. To his luck the thief went straight to him as he tackled him to the ground. He held the person's shoulder to keep them pinned as his fist was raised to be ready to punch. As the hoodie fell off to show the person's face it revealed that it was actually a girl.
She had long darker shade of blonde hair with narrow gold eyes and angry expression, weaing a black dirty shirt and shortsunder her cloak. When he saw that her body had female attributes he realized this even further, clearing his throat. She even appeared the same age as him. He still held his fist up and kept his serious expression. The more he looked the more captivating her beauty was. He asked for his fruit back.
Korudo- "Listen! Give me my fruit back and I won't hurt you. We can both go on with our day..."
The girl growled and refrained from responding for a few moments but then answering him.
Girl- "Go screw yourself..."
Korudo took a deep breath to keep his anger at bay. He tried to reason with her once more. 
Korudo- "Please... Make this easier for both of us... Just give me my fruit back..."
The girl still didn't budge with the fruit firmly in her grasp, she looked back at him with a youthful rebellious expression. Yet when she knew that she was stuck there for good and couldn't help it, she let go of the fruit and it rolled on the ground. Korudo relaxed his arm and got off of her, both of them standing up and facing each other. He then picked up the fruit as she turned around to walk away. In a generous moment, he picked a clean fruit from the bag and got her attention. He said "Hey!" in a more friendly way causing her to turn back to him. Her expression this time was still a bit of anger but a hint of failure could be told. Korudo tossed her the fresh fruit and she caught it. Neither of them said anything as they parted ways.
Korudo went back to finishing up the errand. As his final stop he went to a bread stand near the exit of the city. As he went to pay for the bread he found that his bag of money was gone. He frantically searched around his kimono but it was nowhere to be seen. Korudo sighed and just left the stand without the bread heading back home. He made his way out of the city gate and down the trail, going up the short mountain path to his home on the cliff. As he approached the front door he noticed something on the ground. It was the money bag his mother gave him.
The young man set down the groceries to hold the bag of currency in his hands. It felt a little lighter so he checked and saw that a few units of the currency was gone. He would normally be angered by this but he had a feeling it had to do with that girl. Korudo rather smiled and tucked the bag of currency into his kimono, picking up the grocery bag to enter the house. Now his only problem was explaining this to his mother.
Korudo entered inside his home and closed the door behind him, walking to the kitchen and placing the groceries on the table. When he turned around, Umi was at the doorway looking at him with her hands held in front of her with a gentle smile and closed eyes.
Umi- "So, did you get everything?"
Korudo hesitated to answer her. He had to tell her the truth anyway but he was just nervous of the consequences. He cleared his throat and answered his mother.
Korudo- "I uhh... I didn't quite get everything. I'm missing a single fruit and a loaf of bread... Some money too..."
Umi's expression didn't change which to him was honestly disturbing. Korudo sensed that she was up to something or her mood was going to change for the worse. Now came the next part of her curiousity.
Umi- "Why?"
Korudo- "Well a fruit was stolen from someone and I accidentally dropped the money and lost a few coins."
Umi- "Then why didn't you get the bread? You still had some money left over."
Korudo- "I... umm..."
Umi- "I may know, Korudosutea. Maybe it was your lady friend that dropped off the money?"
Korudo's eyes opened a bit when he was told that. He had a hunch it was her but it was definitely true. When the thief girl crossed his mind he became a little distracted but he snapped back when his mother got his attention.
Umi- "Well?"
Korudo- "Yeah..."
Umi- "Then tell me the truth."
Korudo- "Well, first she stole the single fruit. I chased after her to get it back and caught her, pinned her to the ground and asked her to let it go before I would use force. She let go, we both stood up and she walked away. In generosity I gave her the fruit but by the time I went to a bread stand I noticed it was gone. Turned out she stole it, kept a few coins but gave the rest back."
Umi- "Hm... Interesting... I don't mind a few coins missing and a single fruit and no bread. We can get that easily, but I don't take kindly to you lieing to me even if it was a small one. You know I'll have to punish you right?"
Umi's eyes opened a bit with the look of disappointment and her smile went away. Korudosutea looked to the side but didn't act rebellious, rather he accepted it like any man should.
Korudo- "I know. I'm sorry for making a lie."
Umi- "Just don't do it again dear... Even the smallest lie can cause something worse to happen. Such as a snowball rolling down a mountain. It rolls down collecting more snow only to become bigger the more it descends. Soon it will become something deadly or can shatter someone's world. I can't tell you to never lie again because we all make mistakes. Just be sure to correct it as soon as possible."
Korudo- "Okay mother, I'll try my best to be careful. So what is my punishment?"
Umi- "As I go get a loaf of bread, you must clean the house okay? If you're not done or not working by the time I get back you'll have lots more to do..."
Umi gave him a smile and a scratch on his head to say she still loved him and forgave him before leaving for the bread. He made a sigh and immediately started to clean.
One year later when Korudo was the age of 16, after years of training with his powers and Umi offering all the knowledge she could, it was time for the fateful and possibly most terrible part of his life. It was time for the Reaper's Trial and it was only a week away from when Umi planned it. Korudo knew the day was drawing near and the closer it became the more saddened he became.
Korudo sat by the garden on the ground looking at the view of Kuraiyama, deep in thought on how it will be to live without his mother. What is he going to do? How is he going to get money to pay for things? Most importantly, how will it feel to live without his beloved mother after being with her his entire life. He won't be able to visit her at all, never again until he's dead himself. That's provided if he can manage to defeat her. Korudo's head began to slowly droop down before the sound of his mother's voice snapped him out of his meditation.
He looked back at her standing there with a concerned expression. Korudo stood up and faced her, unsure of what to do or how to act since they'll be enemies at the end of the week.
Umi- "Korudosutea, my dear son, I am still and will always be your mother. Even when that day comes I'll still love you. If you prove that you can carry the responsibilities of being a Reaper then that would only make me proud of you and feel as though I did my job of being a mother. If not, then I would still be proud of you because you grew up to be such a gentleman and a great Sekirei."
Korudo said nothing as he looked to her with a face of sadness and thought. Words couldn't come to him properly as this was a very heavy moment for him but her words were reassuring. This last week with her he would have to keep forever in his heart as well as all the other memories he had with his mother. When he finally got his words together, Korudo spoke to her.
Korudo- "Thank you... I'll always be your son as well. I never hated you whenever you punished me, you've never done anything against me. You were and still are a great parent. It's okay that I was never able to meet my father but I'm sure he would have been a great parent as well. Maybe one day I'll meet him and he'll be able to tell me how much he loved you and how much he wanted to love me. Regardless of feelings I'll still try my best when we fight so I can make you proud. I love you too, mom..."
Umi rarely cried but this was the only time she could. She tried to hold back the tears but after struggling they started to gently roll down her face and to her frown. With her hands clasped she twiddled them together as another way to show she was upset. Korudo saw this and he knew he had to comfort her just as she comforted him. He went up to her and hugged her, Umi resting her head on his shoulder since he was a bit taller than her at this age. As she gently wept into his shoulder, a tear rolled down his face as well.
Umi stopped crying after a few minutes and cleared her throat, backing away from him and trying to cheer up. Korudosutea never saw his mother cry at least whenever he was near her or during his life. It certainly impacted him and made him realize how much this actually hurt her. He held back his feelings as much as he could so they could stop being sad. She was the first to talk after those moments passed by.
Umi- "So... what would you like for dinner?"
==Memory 2:  ... Love can Still Shine==
25 years earlier, Korudosutea sat on the step of his house with his head down and a shade over his eyes. He was wearing his traditional Reaper style kimono robes with his personal scythe resting against him. The blade of the scythe has a red streak across the center and lines going downward as if it was bleeding. His mother, Umi, wasn't home. Rather she was gone to where she fought her own mother. The place where Reaper's become fully awakened or die trying. Today was the fateful day they have both been preparing for their entire lives.
Korudo of course said goodbye to his mother before she left but he wanted to stay behind for a bit to collect himself. His mother meant a lot to him and he didn't want her to go, but he still knows it's his divine duty. From where they live, a small ray of sunshine ever so slowly started to be engulfed by storm clouds headed their way. In the distance he could see the small mountaintop from where the battle will take place, ruins of buildings and pillars gently scattered amongst it's dark soil. Korudosutea sulked in silence until a fruit came from nowhere and landed on his lap. He looked up with his saddened expression to see the blonde girl who stole from him before.
Korudo- "What are you doing here?"
Girl- "I just thought to pay a visit to the guy who almost beat me over a fruit but was nice enough to come to his senses."
Korudo- "Tch... Stealing is stealing."
Girl- "But a fruit is a fruit."
Korudo shot the girl a dirty look but smiled right after. The girl's expression didn't change from her normal, cold demeanor with her narrow golden eyes. She sat down next to him on the steps, holding an apple in her hand and took a bite from it, swallowing it and observing him as he kept sulking. She wore an all black outfit with some leather accents that seemed like armor. Somewhat like the mercenaries in Kuraiyama wear but tailored for her. Attached to her waistband was a katana sheathe that was home to such a sword. On her shoulder was a strange mark that seemed to have belonged to something. It was of a bird similar to a raven or a crow holding a dagger.
Girl- "What are you down about?"
Korudo- "I wouldn't expect you to understand."
Girl- "Indulge me then. I haven't got anything else to do at the time being."
Korudo- "Fine then... Do you know the Reaper's Trial?'
Girl- "Yes I've heard stories of it."
Korudo- "That saves me a lot of time then. Well, if you didn't know yet, I am the son of the current Grim Reaper Umi. My name is Korudosutea."
Girl- "Hmm... I can put 2 and 2 together. So I guess you have to kill her huh? I wish I can do that to my father."
Korudo- "How can you say that? He's your father, be glad you even have one!"
The two began to become heated, Korudo having an angered expression on his face and the girl's narrow eyes squinted along with her eyebrows.
Girl- "How can I be glad of what he's done? Have you ever stayed in that city long enough to know?"
Korudo- "No I haven't..."
Girl- "Yeah, you've been out here pampered by your mother. You may be nice but you don't truly know how the evil of this world works."
Korudosutea looked to the side, making a grunt in accepting that she was right. He never did truly witness and experience the tragedies that happen. He may have to see his mother go today, but that's just one instance. The rest of the world goes on with corruption. The girl stood up and swiped her arm from right to left throwing the half-eaten apple at the top of his head without facing his direction. Korudo didn't bother reacting. She just walked away with a fast pace back down the pathway leading up to the house. Korudo sat back down and hung his head, holding a hand on his face in shame and sadness.
Part way down the path, the mysterious girl looked back at him for a moment to see him like that. She didn't go back to him, rather continued her walk down the mountain and back to the corrupted city. The skies began to darken and the air chilled. It was now the time for Korudo to step up and face the challenge. He took a deep breath and shivered from the atmosphere getting colder, bracing himself. He hid away his gloomy self and took his scythe, making his way down the path and all the way to the battleground.
It took him 10 or so minutes to get there but the effort was minimal. As he neared the destination, rainfall began to start and create the onimous sounds that rain makes as it hits the ground everywhere. It started off light and became a little more dense as he reached the top, seeing his mother's back turned towards him as she meditated on the grounds. He stood there watching her for a moment, getting one last peaceful glimpse before all of this would change. He rested the bottom of the scythe on the muddy ground, the squish echoed in his head reminding him of what he was truly up against. His mother had the extreme advantage. Being the Sekirei Grim Reaper and having the power of Death of Water, Korudo was literally surrounded in and out of by the thing that was out to kill him.
Either way this had to happen so he caught her attention.
Korudo- "Mother! Umi Shiino!"
Umi turned around with a smile on her face and her eyes closed in her own traditional Reaper kimono and holding her unique scythe. The blade was curved at the top like ocean waves but the bottom edge was completely fined. Blue splash patterns decorated the blade is resemblance to her power. She opened her eyes but this time it wasn't a gentle demeanor, they were cold and icy. As if she was a different person on the outside.
Umi- "I'm glad you came Korudosutea, my son. Thank you for coming, this will mean a lot to both of us. But are you strong enough to fight me?"
Korudo- "Yes I am. You've taught me everything I needed to know."
Umi- "Maybe so... but are you strong enough on the inside?"
Korudo- "I believe I am..."
Umi- "If you have doubt, it will certainly be your undoing. A Sekirei Grim Reaper is one of the most revered in history for a reason and with every generation we prove to be stronger than our last. It's either you are truly stronger than me or I am the best so far."
Korudo- "I understand..."
Umi- "Good. Are you ready?"
Korudo- "Yes."
Umi- "I am as well. But just one more thing."
Korudo- "What is that?"
Umi- "I love you, son."
Before Korudo was able to respond back, Umi swayed her scythe quickly into a combat stance and jumped towards him, barely giving him time to put up a defence. He held his scythe across as she swiped at him, knocking him off his feet and back a meter. He landed on his back and did a recovery roll back onto his feet, springing forward to Umi for retaliation. He made a few heavy attacks of which Umi blocked them all successfully, then caught his blade at just the right moment to where his own strength rebounded against him. It forced his arms back from the blow leaving him open for another attack but he still had a firm grip on his scythe.
Umi twirled her scythe and rammed the butt-end of the scythe into Korudo's gut, making him bend over a bit from losing his wind while Umi swayed her blade in an uppercut fashion in an attempt to end it all there. Korudo reacted at the last moment and dodged backwards but still suffered a hit from the blade, tearing a small portion of his skin on his shoulder and making him bleed a bit. He grunted from the pain but shook the affected shoulder to shrug it off. This time he waited for her to make the next move since assaults don't work too well when she's not injured.
Umi attacked like Korudo wanted her to and he quickly countered her scythe strike with his own, creating a blade struggle. Umi was actually stronger given that she was in her prime but Korudo took the initiative and broke the hold, forcing her blade downward and in a position that left her open. To keep her scythe at bay, he stepped on the handle just below the blade and and made a horizontal strike at her neck. She ducked it and successfully evaded the strike, while given the chance to use her strength and launch him in the air a but using her scythe. When he came downward and his back was to her, she kicked him hard and sent him away a few feet, crashing into the mud.
Umi twirled her scythe and took a few steps around him, waiting for him to get up. Korudo did a quick stretch while on the ground to recover his spine then kicked a bit of mud up towards his opponent to provide a distraction. To his dismay, Umi used her power to utilize all the water within the mud and turn it into sharp needle-like drops which flung out of the piece of mud. The mud itself returned to normal dry dirt and bounced off her kimono. With only a nanosecond to respond, Korudo tried his best to dodge the multiple needles and retracted his legs and squirmed away. He was too slow, resulting in one of the few needles actually striking his ankle and digging into him.
He grunted and cursed from the shearing pain but still held onto his scythe. Umi watched for a moment as he was reacting, fidgeting on the ground. He clenched his teeth and felt it return to flowing water, somewhat seeping into the wound as blood traded it's place. If this kept up, he'd bleed to death before anything else. Being strong at heart, he got up and stood his ground again, breathing a little heavily from his body beginning to endure the fight. His kimono all muddy and partially bloody from where he's bleeding while Umi's kimono was just fine.
Umi didn't look down on him or give him a rotten look, just focused on him with the mind to keep it a long, painful fight. Korudo had to use his power at some point but he knew they both had their Reaper states to even touch. He'd have to wear her down so that she'd be forced to use it, then he'd be allowed to himself. Whoevers gives into it first would be the sign of weakness. Korudo swung his scythe behind him, over and with all his might he struck the ground and flew a large amount of mud at Umi. Learning his lesson from last time, he used the energy that reverbed back into him from striking the ground to launch himself in the air. Umi wasn't fast enough to prepare all the needles again so they all missed him.
Korudo went over her head and landed behind her, swinging his scythe at her while she quickly turned around to block it. He kept up the heat and kept striking at her defence, pushing her back a bit. Umi tried to counter after Korudo made a downward strike, twirling to his side and somewhat behind him and preparing a downward strike of her own. Korudo in gaining focus brought his scythe over his head and the blade to the ground, faster than Umi's preparation. He brought the scythe up and caught the hinge of her blade with his, using his strength to lift her up and slam her on the ground in front of him.
Umi hit the ground hard as mud and water splashed upon impact. She rolled on the ground as recovery and quickly got up, her eyebrows furrowed as a sign of Korudo beginning to be successful in wearing her down. In retaliation she used her power to alter the water in the mud and spash it towards Korudo. He jumped above the splash but there was no way he could dodge the next attack. Umi raised her hands quickly in the air and focused to make the rain much heavier. Then as a touch from her advanced power, the sclera in her eyes turned black and the blue of her iris' stood out. She shouted out her command.
Umi- "Blood Rain!"
Umi then gripped her fist to initiate the power. The rain above and around Korudo quickly turned blood red. The rain fell normally but as soon as a drop touched his body, it felt like a bullet piercing his skin. It only made it worse that hundreds of these droplets were hitting him at the same time. He quickly fell to the ground and landed on his chest. The overwhelming pain he had to endure was keeping him down. The attack didn't injure his body, rather it acted as a force of control to wear the opponent's body and mind.
Korudo only beared the immense pain for a moment before he started to yell. He shivered on the ground from the cold and his body starting to give up, gripping the dark soil and burying his face in the mud. The clash of the heavy rain and the sheering pain echoed in his head, slowly defeating him on the inside. His yells began to soften and become quiet, conciousness fading in and out. Is this really it for him? Was all his training and time in his life meant for nothing? The pain dullened from body giving way, these questions fogged his mind and haunted him.
Umi only watched him once more as her son was slowly fading in and out of conciousness, even feeling his presence becoming more weak. In the final, deciding moment of his conciousness he saw the shine of his scythe. Remembering everything he's done and what he's destined to be, what he has to do for the world and how he has to make his mother truly proud, he gained the strength to budge even just a bit. He screamed in agony while his body and mind fought back against her attack. Korudo first got to his knees while using his scythe to keep him stable. Umi saw this and was surprised, smiling just a little bit to see her son trying so hard. When he stood on his feet, he yelled as loud as he could and held his arms outward, bellowing into the sky with his eyes closed.
Korudo slammed the butt of his scythe into the ground and looked straight at Umi, teeth grit, his eyebrows furrowed and the sclera of his eyes black. It was time for him to strike back and really get this fight going. No more holding back, it was truly the fight for his life. The pain from her ability subsided even if the rain kept it's downpour. He charged towards his mother and swung his scythe with all his might. Umi caught and blocked it with her own blade but his knocked her off a bit. That's all Korudosutea needed. When they were in the struggle, they made eye contact which doomed Umi. His irises shrinked and his expression become a little wild. Umi opened her eyes a bit in shock knowing what he was going to do but it was too late to react.
Korudo- "Fatal Memory!"
No special effect of the power shown could be seen but Umi violently jolted back onto the ground, holding her hand on her head and grunting in pain. Painful and terrible fabricated memories clouded her mind, slowly breaking her will and making her whimper a few times. A few heavy breaths later, she got the strength to get up and look at Korudo. Her expression changed to seem fully angered with a few tears on her face masked by the rain. Umi readied her scythe and charged towards him, striking him with all of her might and knocking him back from his defense. It was time to step up and move onto the next stage.
She raised her forearm to waist level and turned her palm to the sky, closing her eyes for a moment to concentrate. Umi opened her eyes fast and wide while gripping her fist, showing they have become black and blue once again. A black ghostly fog rose from the ground beneath her and shrouded her just for a moment. When it faded away, Umi was revealed in her Reaper form levitating in the air by just a foot and her Reaper kimono pure black with splashes of blue. Her skin became dried out like a mummy and her teeth sharp. Every breath she took exhaled a deathly cloud.
Umi- "Korudosutea! Show me that you deserve to be the next Reaper! Give it your all!"
Korudosutea stood back up to see his mother's other self. He was only striken by fear for a moment yet regained himself. She was still his mother, nothing to truly be afraid of. He responded by transforming himself. He lifted his scythe and closed his eyes, standing tall with good posture. He then slammed the butt of his scythe into the ground and opened his eyes, showing the piercing sharp red and black eyes he was given. The same dark fog rose form the ground up, covering his body and floating away to reveal his own Reaper self. His kimono had streaks of red similar to his scythe, his eyes full widened and feral and his teeth sharp like hers. Every time he opened his mouth, drops of blood would seep out.
Umi made eye contact with Korudo in his form and squinted from the active effect. She managed to shrug off the attack he used before but when in this state, even making eye contact slowly drives you mad. The world around you turns apocalyptic and a loud screech can be heard. Korudosutea readied his scythe, giving her a smile with furrowed eyebrows as if he's gained confidence.
Korudo- "Same to you, Umi... Let's go!"
Umi growled and rose her scythe in the air, making a downward arc that swept across the ground. Actual water formed and made a sharp fan-like blade. The water blade flew towards him but he attacked it with his scythe to block it off. She did this a few more times as Korudo did the same, taking a step forward each block. As he got close enough to Umi, he made an attack for her and she quickly intervened it with he rown scythe. The attack was strong enough to send a concussive shockwave for a short distance, making the rain stop falling in that place for a moment and the droplets on the ground rise up. Taking advantage of the droplets, Umi made them turn into needles once more but there were hundreds more this time and quite larger. She held off Korudo in the struggle with just one arm and used the other to summon her power.
Umi- "Water Maiden!"
The spikes all formed in a spherical pattern around them but a little distance away. All at the same time they launched towards Korudo like being engulfed in an actual Iron Maiden. With nowhere to go since he was completely surrounded, he braced himself for the pain. All of the spikes entered his body at the same time, making him grunt loudly and grit his teeth. When he opened his mouth to yell, blood splurt out and covered some of Umi's kimono, only to be washed off by the rain. He took a deep breath as the spikes all dissipated. Blood streamed out of him but he toughened up. He looked straight at Umi and made his next move.
Korudo retreated his weapon and made for a few more strikes, keeping her occupied as he quickly moved to her side and made a slash at her hip. The scythe dug deep and ripped her skin and muscle, causing her to hold it in pain but become more angered. Umi slammed her scythe down where Korudo was but he dodged it, backing away to gain some distance. She struck back by creating a massive scythe out of water in the air. Korudo looked up to see it and prepare for it's attack, and as it came down he rolled out of the way. To his surprise, a second was formed without him seeing and made a sideways swipe at him. He struck it just in time to counter it but this time it didn't fall apart. Due to her new power strength, her water seems solid and strong.
He held it off but didn't have much leeway. The first scythe came back for another blow and came from the other direction. Korudo have no option jumped in the air with his scythe still locked with the 2nd water one. Now that he lost his bearings on the ground, Umi motioned the 2nd scythe to pull Korudo along with it and slam him furiously on the ground, then swiped towards a stone ruins and crashed him into it. Dust and rubble fell on him as the water scythes retreated to the air above her. She awaited to see if Korudo would climb from the rubble. Inside of it, Korudo could actually see out of it towards his enemy. A quick plan popped in his mind to see if he can use his power here.
Umi stared at the pile of rocks patiently watching for any signs, but knowing this battle had to end at some point she closed her eyes to concentrate on moving the water inside the rubble to move towards the body heat emitting from Korudo. He saw this and recognized what she was doing from seeing a few droplets in front of him move towards his body. He narrowed his eyes waiting for the right moment to strike. Then as Umi quickly opened her eyes finding out he was sitting still, she raised her arm out in front of her and firmly grasped her fist. At that direct moment before the droplets would turn to needles and impale him, he bursted out of the rocks and jumped straight for her.
Without her guard up she was open to any attack, but instead of slashing at her he grabbed the wrist of her extended arm and hit her in the stomach with his knee, then spinning around to kick her hard. This knocked her onto the ground flat on her back and before seh could get up, Korudosutea stomped on her stomach to keep her down. He widened his eyes to show more of his piercing stare, Umi making the fatal mistake of making eye contact with him gave him the chance he needed. His pupils shrank and a rumble occured around them but no vibration could be felt, which indicated he prepared his next Reaper attack.
Korudo- "Mind Desolation!"
The mental strike hit, making Umi's head slam against the ground in reaction. The attack had no physical force itself, but the sheer psychological effect acted as such. Korudo stepped off the Reaper of Water as she screamed in mental torture, her head being faintly shrouded by a dark aura. All she could do was imagine horrors, terrible fates beyond the worst imagination. Fates that could only be witnessed in The Abyss. Along with that, she had little control over her emotions so she began to heavily weep. Struggling to get up she tried to hold in the crying, using her scythe to help stand her up.
Korudosutea just watched waiting for her to be ready to fight again. Umi was fine physically but the mental breakdown was taking it's toll. She could barely speak, closing her eyes tightly before growling at him. He knew it was practically over and wanted to put her out of her misery. He couldn't bare to see his mother like this, let alone from his own doing. So he gripped his scythe, making a running charge toward her but as he just reached her, she raised her face to him with a livid expression accompanied by tears down her ghoulish Reaper face.
She raised her hand swiftly, pushed him back far with a wall of water. He landed on his feet with his hand assisting for grip on the ground. As Korudo looked up he saw Umi already charging furiously to him and ready to strike. He had no time to counterattack so he put his guard up. She made a hefty slash followed by a barrage of faster attacks, slowly forcing him to walk backwards on the battlegrounds. He began to fatigue from taking so many energetic hits, he couldn't hold on for much longer. Then before he knew it he made one last step before he felt the heel of his right foot tilt downward.
Korudo looked behind him, panicking as he began to fall while luckily dodging Umi's strike. In an attempt to bring her down with him he raised the blade of his scythe up to hers and hooked them together, yanking her down and successfully have her lose her footing. The two began to fall down the side of the cliff while only the rain fell faster. Korudo caught a quick glimpse of how far they had to go and it was a decent distance, definitely survivable if he landed right. Yet this was a ruthless fight and his opponent was no less of it. Even if the fall seemed dire, Umi still warranted a fight. With her scythe still caught in Korudo's blade, she quickly jabbed the butt end of the staff into his gut, causing him to lose a bit of breath.
With his eye in a wince and his body poised to hit the ground first, he quickly used his strength to pull Umi down to his side and then below him. She was too smart to let this happen obviously so when she felt his strength lessen, she immediately used her own to try and reverse the position, yet she was too late by the time they were evenly in the air. As the ground neared rapidly, she quickly got her scythe free of the lock and quickly pushed herself off, making Korudo fly away as well. Since the force was great enough, it broke most of the fall speed only making them hit the ground hard yet not becoming injured. Mud and water splashed upon their landing. They both grunted loud and rolled a few feet, dazed from the hit and struggling to get up.
Umi started to weaken physically, as well as Korudo yet not to the same extent. She knew this would be the final stage of their fight so she had to make it guaranteed to be the end. Rising to her feet, she used her power to summon the collective rain on the cliff above and form a waterfall of the needle-like droplets of water. Encaved in a smaller arena, it was either fall into the wall of water and be shredded or hit the cliff and suffer lesser damage. Either way, Korudo stood up and noticed there was no way out. This was it.
The young man took in a deep breath and centered his focus on his opponent. Umi slammed the staff of her scythe into the muddy ground to act intimidating but her true plan was to create more needles. Korudo noticed this, ready to dodge them as they would be launched but they just remained suspended in the air. Umi and Korudo stood still yet did not stare each other down, since would leave him to the advantage. Suddenly, Umi moved her index finger on the hand facing the cliff wall towards it. Korudo noticed this and then saw needles coming at him from his left. He quickly dodged out of the way rolling towards the waterfall, but as he stood up fully he noticed Umi already at his left side.
Korudo realized what her plan was, but it was too late to push her away so he had to make his footing as best he could by digging the bottom of his scythe into the ground behind him, just shy of the waterfall. A second later Umi threw an open palmed wet hand against his chest. The actual brute force didn't hurt too much, yet just before the hit she converted the water droplets into miniature spikes as if it was spiked knuckles for the palm. This caused terrible stabbing pain into his chest and nearly knocking him backward. Unable to retaliate and still on the heavy defensive, he dealt with the pain and groaned loudly. Umi persistant on pushing him into the flow of water needles, she swept away the dug-in scythe with her own blade to make him lose his stability. His eyes opened wide as he felt it, but before he could do anything she twirled around and slammed him with the broadside of her weapon.
To his luck, he slipped in the mud which made him go less closer to the water but he still fell onto his back. Since he was at a different stance, he was able to retaliate. Gaining  abit of her strength back, Umi took her right hand and attempted to grab him by his kimono and throw him in, but he raised a hand up to stop her from doing so. Korudo then raised his right foot and jammed it into her stomach, brought it upward and over him with force to throw her into the waterfall. She actually did fall into it, yelling in pain as if she was caught in the needles. And just like that, she was gone. It was calm yet the waterfall still flowed and roared. The young man stood up slowly onto his feet and brought his scythe with him. He took a few deep breaths, taking in that she might have actually died. He rested his hand on his face.
Abruptly, he heard her growl and speak from behind him. He quickly turned around to see her.
Umi- "Do you really think I'd let my own power kill me!? Always check the body to see if it's dead! Now this is your punishment!"
Korudo utterly shocked to see his mother still alive, attempted to attack but she was too fast. She swatted away his scythe with hers and let her own float in the air on standby while Korudo's fell to the muddy ground. Using both of her hands, she gripped him by his side and attempted to throw him into the waterfall but he struggled to do so otherwise. It was a contest of strength, almost like two sumo wrestlers pushing each other. Umi having the upper hand, managed to push him a foot and nearly entirely into the waterfall. His arm reach into the water, his kimono shredding violently and his skin breaking apart to nearly his muscle. The pain was extremely severe, nothing like he'd felt before. This made him yell out in shear pain while still holding himself to fight back.
Seconds turned to long moments as he was tormented by the waters of death. He only had one chance to break free before he would die a terrible and ugly death. Quickly, he raised his right hand to her face and held it, turning their eyes to look at each other. Umi forgot to close her eyes which led him to being successful. Using his power, he shocked her mind with mental pain. This loosened her grip and enabled him to push her away and onto the ground. Distracted by pain and her hands on her face, she didn't notice Korudo walk and fall to his knees to get his scythe. His breath heavy, he gripped his scythe and stood back up. Bearing the unbelievable pain on his ravaged arm, he still had his muscles work and keep up the pace.
Having his weapon, he made his way over to the mentally pained Umi who was at her end. Korudo was barely able to keep himself up, nearly limping every step he took. Korudo got closer to her, and that she noticed. In a last effort, she created small blades of water in the air and threw them at him. He dodged two of them by swaying to the right but took one of them hard to the shoulder opposite of his shredded arm. A loud sharp ringing of a sound clouded his hearing as he grunted yet still moved forward. Before Umi could prepare another strike, Korudo raised his scythe and brought it down with force as he blared out a yell. She had no defense against it, instead taking the perilous blade into her stomach. Her eyes widened in shock but didn't yell. Korudo then lifted her up and slammed her on the ground on the otherside of him, tearing her body in half afterwards. Then at that point, she made a loud and heart-wrenching yell of defeat and excruciating pain. He closed his eyes as he knew this was the end. A moment later, he heard her stop and opened his eyes.
It was probably the worst sight he'd ever see. With the gloomy atmosphere and the waterfall still roaring, he saw his mother's organs and blood spewing onto the ground as her body seemed inanimate. Her body itself returned to normal, back into it's young and beautiful self. She was still breathing, albeit she was having trouble. Her willpower must have kept her alive through this. They both knew it was over, especially Korudo. He resided his power and returned to normal, bending on one knee beside her and placing his hand on the top of her head. Her skin became deathly pale, the final moments of her fleeting life. The light in her eyes began to fade as well, which made this worse for him to see but he stayed strong for her.
She managed to lay her left hand onto his cheek as his tears rolled down his face. Her voice was soft and weak yet he could still hear her. He spoke softly as well, to ease her mind.
Umi- "K... Korudo... thank you... you've made me so proud... know that you have what it takes to become a Reaper..."
Korudo- "But is it really worth this?"
Umi- "It has to be... Stay strong for me... protect the Sekirei just as I have... do what is necessary..."
Korudo- "I will..."
Umi- "I know you will... I won't ever leave you, be assured. I am water. I am the tears you cry. Remember me when you see these things."
Korudo- "I...I will, mother..."
Umi- "Good... It's time for me to join your father now. The Goddess of Life beckons me."
Korudo- "I love you mother... say hi to dad for me..."
Umi- "Certainly..."
Umi's hand became weak, and slowly slid off of his cheek and onto her chest. Eyes closed, open mouth into a closed smile and her breath flowed no more. She was off into the afterlife where she could be at peace. Korudo tried to take solace in this but it was just too much. He lost the last person who loved him, who cared for him all his life. He was alone now. In this, he cried aloud to the heavens as the waterfall ceased to continue. The water became normal as it fell down onto the two in the final moments of his descent. His verbal pain echoed through the small valley as he remained close to her.
Minutes passed of emotional pain he couldn't fathom. Eventually he calmed down and so did the rain, the sun peeping out from the parts scattered across the sea of clouds. Korudo held his head down in silence before holstering his scythe onto his back and gathered the two halves of her body into his grasp. With her blood dripping onto him, he carried her back up the cliffside and on top where they fought. He searched around for a proper place to bury her and one came to mind as he looked towards the direction of the sun. It was away from the view of the town of Kuraiyama, showed only a view of untouched mountains and a beautiful landscape leading to the expanse of the rest of Tengokunosu.
He walked some distance towards the cliff's edge and rested her on the ground beside him. He began to dig a proper grave, using his scythe as an ineffective shovel. It took quite a while but he managed to make the rectangular hole. He then went and grabbed a few broken slabs from the ruins nearby and cut them so they were perfectly squared off. and placed them to form an incomplete box in the hole. Then, he laid her body down into it slowly and carefully. Once it was in place, he covered the remaining top of the cement box with another slab. It should be good enough to stand at least 100 years, he thought to himself as he decided it was enough. He then shoveled the dirt back into the place as he still cried. Not only did he have to kill his mother, but had to dig her own grave as well.
He said a quick prayer for her, holding his scythe in his right hand and holding his open palm to the grave.
Korudo- "Umi Shino. Mother. Wife. Daughter. Sekirei. Know that you were loved until your last moments and even onward. I will always remember you for what you've done for me. May your journey to Paradise be quick and your arrival welcomed. Rest in knowing that now it is my turn to pick up the duties that you once had, and that your time spent training me and raising will not be wasted. I love you. Thank you..."
Korudo then stood up, his eyes somewhat red from crying and his expression calm, turned around and started to walk away. His shredded arm felt no pain as his mind couldn't be bothered with it at the moment. A short time passed as he reached his now lonely home, entering it before realizing he had to bandage himself up. Yet he just had no more energy, was too tired. His senses nearly fading, he heard his door open behind him. Korudo slowly turned around to see who it was, and it only surprised him.
==Memory 3: The Raven==
The person standing at the door was one he least expected, the girl who he talked to before. Wearing her usual black leather outfit, she stood there holding a small bag over her shoulders. She just looked at him as he fell silent for a moment. He then looked to the ground remembering the little spat they had before he left. Concerned of it, he opened up their meet with the subject.
Korudo- "Why are you here? I didn't think you'd come back after what I said earlier."
The girl stayed silent, tilting her head a bit after hearing what he said. Her narrow eyes trailed towards her right, to the arm that was holding the bag. She then turned around a few degress, making as if she was about to leave. She responded to him, her face unchanging.
Girl- "Well then, if you want me to take these medical supplies elsewhere I can. Be a bit rude considering I had to steal these under a foul doctor's nose. Maybe I can sell these on the market..."
Korudo raised an eyebrow, making a slight smile knowing what her game was. He indulged her, motioning her to come into his house. He still didn't know why she wanted to come here with such things. It was as if she knew he was going to come back heavily injured and in need of attention.
Korudo- "Fine then, I won't let your time be wasted. Come in, you can patch me up at the dinner table."
Girl- "Who said I was gonna fix you? You have to do it yourself."
Korudo- "What? Ah well whatever. Just come over here anyway."
The girl smiled a bit as well but only for a moment as he wasn't looking. He turned around and made his way into the kitchen, pulling out a chair for himself and sitting down. He made a groan knowing he could finally relax, while there was still a lingering pain in his heart. He hid away the emotions mostly, knowing he had company. The girl came in shortly after he sat down, pulling a chair for herself beside him to make sure he could tend his wounds right. She sat with her back against the chair and her one leg crossed over the other. Korudo took the small bag and opened it, taking what was inside of it out so he could use it.
He then took off the torso half of his kimono, rather just slipping out of it and the cloth draping to his sides. His whole torso revealed to be just a newly constructed monument of pain. With many bruises, cuts and wounds dotting his whole skin. The girl's face did not change but her thoughts were of slight curiosity. Watching as he began to patch himself up, he gently kicked his elbow with her foot.
Girl- "You're forgetting something."
Korudo- "Oh, yeah. Thank you for bringing this. I guess I'm indebted to you."
Girl- "Oh really? Well then. I'll think of something you can do for me..."
Korudo- "Tch... great... well I should get to know your name right? What is it, if I may ask?"
Girl- "Hmm... I suppose it can't hurt for you to know it. Better than calling me 'girl' all the time. My name is Karasuba. Say it fully or I'll slit your throat."
Korudo lightly chuckled at her comment but grunted as he sanitized and wrapped a bandage tightly around his shredded arm. The injury wasn't major on the contrary and his skin would grow back, it would look as if it was a scar for the rest of his life. He worked on the other injuries as he responded to her, looking back at her for a moment. She eyed his Sekirei symbol on the upper right part of his back. It was natural for every Sekirei to have one located on their body. It wasn't just a tattoo drawn on.
Korudo- "Well I'm glad to finally know your name. Nice to meet you Karasuba. I can imagine you already know my name, I'm unsure of you ever said it before."
Karasuba- "Korudosutea."
Korudo- "Yeah, correct. But I have to ask, why did you want to help me?"
Karasuba- "I'll be straightforward. Knowing you'd feel indebted to me, I'll have a favor to ask of you when the time comes. That's all I'll say for now."
Korudo- "I get the feeling I won't like where it'll head..."
Karasuba- "It depends on how you look at it. Does the world mourn over a bug being squashed? Rather, a problem is a problem and it needs to be solved. Even eradicated."
Korudo- "Where are you going with this..."
Karasuba- "You'll see Reaper... you'll see."
Karasuba gave a smile, but it was offsetting. As if it was part devious, part sinister and part genuine happiness and mental relief knowing of what might happen. It was all vague to him though, but he would think about it later since it seemed sketchy. For now he'd focus on possibly getting to know her more and hang out with her. If she'd even entertain the idea, all the times he met her she left as fast as she arrived. He soon finished bandaging himself and checking up on the bruises and wounds. It'll take a little while to heal but there was nothing truly threatening to his well-being.
Karasuba sat and watched as he stood up, staying in her seat unless motivated to do otherwise. The young man stretched, aching while doing so yet it felt good at the same time.
Korudo- "Ahhh... well I think I should go rest. Been a long day..."
Karasuba "Tiring out already? You're not weak are you?"
Karasuba merely teased him with a smirk as he turned his head around and shot her a questioning look.
Korudo- "What? I came back after a brutal fight all bloody and injured and I can't rest?"
Karasuba- "You are a Reaper, no? You have more will than that surely. The day is still young, it's not time for bed yet. Why don't you come with me to the Kuraiyama Markets?"
Korudo- "F... Fine. Let's go while I still have the energy..."
Korudo sighed as Karasuba stood up and left the chair out in the open. He pulled both their chairs under the table and brought up the torso half of his kimono before sheathing his scythe on his back and walking with her to the door. With the pain subsiding and only a lingering soreness to his body, he could walk much easier and not feel stressed of it. As they walked outside, Korudo locked the door behind him and Karasuba stopped a few steps ahead of him to wait. She looked up at the gloomy, dull sky; making a remark in subtle humor.
Karasuba- "Ahh... never get tired of the sunny weather here right? No wonder we're such a successful city, people can't resist this place."
Korudo- "Yeah gee, can barely get into the city without hoards of people filing in. C'mon, let's go."
He said as he turned around to walk down the path from his home and back down to the darkened city. Karasuba remained at his side, with her katana on her hip and her demeanor returned to normal. Nearing the entrance to Kuraiyama, the goliath wall that guarded the entrance to the inner sanctum of the mountain cluster began to grow larger in their view. The only entrance it had, at least to the public, was a giant wooden gate that opened in two parts like a double-door for a house. With some metallic parts added for strength and durability, a complicated mechanism of gears held it in place as it was opened or closed. For most of the time it was open, but if there was some sort of emergency, it would close.
The two of them didn't talk for a bit once they reached the gate and entered the city. It wasn't so much of a city but rather a large collection of shanty towns with only one or two wealthy districts. Settled into the basin of a massive cauldron, anyone can see that the more fortunate were nestled into the inner sides of the mountains Since it was always gloomy or dark in the region, lights were always on, blanketing the urban landscape in a false beauty. As said before, Kuraiyama is a place of crime and darkness. Where the crimes you see everyday were only the tip of the iceberg.
As Karasuba and Korudosutea walked through the streets, they came to an open restaurant area with many stalls and small shops in grouped buildings. Karasuba quickly placed her hand on Korudo's chest without looking at him, nearly smacking him with the back of her hand. They both immediately stopped as she said to him.
Karasuba- "I'm sure you're hungry after fighting like that. Maybe you'd want something to eat?"
Korudo- "Y-yeah, sure. I could go for something to eat. I forgot to bring my money though..."
Karasuba- "No worries, I got this covered. What do you want to eat?"
Korudo- "Uhh... I could go for some grilled fish maybe? Been a while since I really had it."
Karasuba- "Hmm, okay. Take a seat anywhere, I'll be back shortly..."
Karasuba had a sly smile on her face and her eyes focused over to a nearby seafood stand. Korudo did what he was told and sat down at the table a few feet away from him. Putting his arms on the table, he just watched Karasuba speak at the food stand. The courtyard area was too crowded and noisy to really hear what she was saying but he paid attention to their facial expressions. Rather only the shopkeeper's, he could only see the back of her head. Moments passed as they seemed to bargain but something was off.
Korudo concentrated a little more and noticed the shopkeeper seemed a little threatened, as if he saw a ghost. Considering that Kuraiyama is a tough place, nearly every merchant or owner would guard their belongings and property on a moment's notice. Yet this man was intimidated by her presence and began to cook immediately. Karasuba looked back at Korudo as the man was busy cooking, her eyes shut and her smile still on her face. When he looked at her, it was as if everything became silent and a sharp cold wind rushed by his body. It was as if her aura changed at that very moment, a glimpse of what she possibly gave to the shopkeeper.
Korudo's eyes widened a bit from the sensation. It would only last a moment before she turned her head back to the shop. He then broke from the subtle trance and began to think about what just happened. There was something about her that was odd; first what she had planned for him to do and now this. He wanted to know who she truly was but it would be wrong and strange to just ask her out of the blue, especially since they are just now really talking to each other. Minutes later of waiting and looking around, Karasuba came back holding a plate of grilled fish with chopped cabbage bits on the side as a salad. Since Kuraiyama was located on the edge of the continent and was bordered by the sea, fishing was a popular trade in the food market.
Category:TitaniumBardock
Category:Story
Category:Fan Fiction
==>>>Section Separation<<< Content past this should not be seen until finishing of the past section.==
==(Ch1-ModernWIP): Awakening==
Fifteen years ago, a man stands on the edge of a rocky cliff overlooking the distant sea on a bright summer day. He is of a taller, built stature wearing a special black robe with short silver hair and red eyes. In his hands is a scythe standing as tall as he. To his right is a figure of a person with a thinner but taller stature. The person slowly walks behind the man with the scythe and the unsheathing of a blade can be heard.
Person- "I'm sorry but I have to do this..."
Then, the sound of the blade slashing at a body echoed through the air. The man with the scythe fell to his knees as his hamstrings were cut and bled heavily. The same blade that cut his legs abruptly stabbed through his back and out the middle of his chest. The man looks down and sees a katana with his own blood coating it . He then grabs the blade in an attempt to get it out of him, but a bright flash appeared. His vision became blurry and his body became weak. Soon, he let go of the blade and closed his eyes. The person with the blade put his foot on the man's back and pushed the body so the blade was free. The man's unconcious corpse fell down the steep cliff and made a loud splash.
The same man awakens 15 years later to the sound of a muffled but loud bang from above. Constrained vertically on a metallic crucifix naked, punctuated by multiple tubes and bleeding slightly from wounds on various places around the body. With his vision clearing up he notices that only a third of all the lights are on and some of those are flickering. Two people in lab coats run by and both seem to be in a panic. They disappear into the darkness beyond the window from the constrained man's room.
Using his faint strength he struggles to break himself free. The steel shackles around his wrist barely budged at all and he became frustrated and tired. Then, another loud bang echoed through the room and corridors. A piece of ceiling fell as well as a chunk of piping and hit the control panel below. The panel sparked electricity and ended up shorting out the lock on the man. A small jolt of electricity ran through the shackles and into his wrist causing a little pain, but ended up freeing him. The man falls a few feet to the hard metal floor, with the tubes ripping out of his body causing some blood to pour out and as well as plenty of pain.
The man with his face buried in the ground grunts in pain and grips his fists tightly. After a moment of gathering himself he looks up. He sees the exit right in front him and is determined to get out of there. He slowly but painfully pushes himself up from the floor and gets to his knees. Finally, he is on his feet. He walks ever so slowly, leaving small puddles of dripping blood behind him. When he gets to the door he rests against it, but actually he's trying to push it open with his body. Yet another thunderous bang occurs and ends up loosing the bearings of the door, causing it to fall and taking the man with it.
Now it's time for him to try to get up again. Luckily this time he could do it faster now that he's more awake. When he's upright a sharp pain in his abdomen causes him to hold it and hunch over. He looks at his hand and it's covered in blood. He begins to walk down the dark corridor but due to his strength becoming more faint he holds his bloodied hand along the wall. As he walks a trail of blood thinly lines the wall and floor.
The walk seems endless and nothing can be seen, until a heavy rumbling shakes the entire complex. Then a large part of the ceiling breaks down and what remains is a hole revealing a rusty orange natural light gently shining down. The man shields his eyes from it because it's the only natural light he's seen in a very long time. The rubble created a steep but climbable way out. He approaches the rubble and begins his ascent. Using every last ounce of strength he has left, he pulls himself up into the light. The man yells a little out of great pain and attempt. At last he reaches the top of the rubble and pulls himself onto the surface.
The man rolls on his back with outstretched arms. He notices how soft the ground felt but was puzzled as to what the ground was covered in. He starts to realize that it's... grass. He looks around and notices trees and flowers, things he hasn't seen or felt in a very long time. He looks up and sees a rusty sky with shaded white clouds hovering above. The man out of his newly found freedom smiles and a tear forms in his left eye.
This heaven gives him the strength to get up once again and walk. With every step he feels the gentleness of the grass helping him through the small forest. As he continues he sees a clearing of the trees and black pavement. The man steps onto the concrete alongside the pavement and feels the hardness of it as compared to the grass. He looks to his left and widens his eyes at the sight of a giant tower. The tower is breaking and rumbling as bits and pieces fall from it. This is what must be causing the chaos underground.
Then after the last few moments of it's stability, the tower collapses causing a huge roar of screeching metal throughout the city. The man held his hands on his head from the sharp noise that pierced it. Being as weak as he was he couldn't take it anymore and passed out. He fell to the pavement face first unconcious, still seeping puddles of blood around him.
Moments later he opens his eyes only to discover he's back where he was before, except everything bright and normal. He looked to his left and right and tried to break free.
Man- "NOOO!!"
Then, a square opening appeared on the wall in front of him and a red laser aimed at his chest. He noticed and he began to panic. Before he could think of anything a boom went off and a steel ball shot at him. He pounded straight his chest and went straight through him. Blood sprayed everywhere and he puked blood violently. The man yelled with a gargle in sheer pain.
Suddenly, his body jolted forward from the pain he woke up again. Only this time he wasn't back in the containment room, rather this one was smaller and the walls were tinted blue. He laid on a hospital bed wired to an I.V. Also he was no longer naked, and actually wearing a hospital gown. For some reason he felt a little better than before when he was on the verge of death. Must be the liquid from who ever's pumping it into him. The man sits up in his bed and looks down his gown. All of his wounds are sown up and not bleeding anymore.
He turns so his legs are off the side of the bed and slides off, he stands upright with only a little pain at his side. He walks around a bit but a slight tug at his right arm alerts him. He sees the tubing in his arm is part of the I.V. He grabs the I.V with his right hand and walks with it to the door in the room, turns the doorknob and gently pulls back the door. What he sees beyond the doorway are people in white walking around and a few people wearing gowns like him. One of people in white, a female nurse, walks up to him and greets him.
Nurse- "Hello sir, nice to know you're finally awake!"
The man is confused and takes a quick look around. He brings his attention back to the nurse.
Man- "How long have I been here? How did I get here in the first place?"
Nurse- "You've been staying here for about 3 days. One of the ambulance's going to the MBI Tower after it fell discovered you lying in the street naked and unconcious. We brought you back here to Shinto Teito Hospital and you've slept in a pseudo-coma ever since."
Man- "Strange... When can I get out of here?"
Nurse- "Whenever you feel better but we recommend you stay for just a while longer. We would like to do just one more blood test to see if there's anything else wrong with you."
Man- "Alright I guess..."
Nurse- "Great! Oh, sir, we couldn't catch your name. What is it?"
Korudo- "Korudosutea Shino."
Nurse- "Thank you..."
The nurse writes down his name on a notepad she had grasped in her right hand.
Nurse- "... Aaalllright. Well, it's nice to meet you Korudosutea. My name is Nurse Aiko."
The nurse bows and Korudo does the same.
Nurse- "Now it's time for the blood test if you're up to it."
Korudo- "Yeah sure, go ahead."
Nurse- "Okay, let's go back in the room."
Korudo- "No I can do it right here."
Nurse- "Okay then, just go over to that counter and I'll be right back."
Korudo- "Alright."
Korudo walks over to the counter and leans against it. He continues to look around and notices two odd looking people walking down the hall. They were both dressed in black military uniforms and carried assault rifles in their hands. Korudo watches them walk by in the corner of his eye. Then, the nurse came back with a needle.
Nurse- "Okay, I just need you to hold out your left arm and so that your palm is facing up."
Korudo does what she asks and holds out his arm in the particular way. The nurse sanitizes it with a wipe then pushes the needle in. She drawed enough blood to make a decent sample out of it and pulled it out. The nurse then took out a band-aid and put it on the puncture so that it would be infected.
Nurse- "Thank you sir. We'll have your results in a few hours. Until then wander around the hospitable or rest in your room, it's your choice."
Korudo yawns and turns back to his room.
Korudo- "I'm just too lazy, wake me up when it's done."
Nurse- "Okay."
Korudo goes into his room and shuts the door behind him. He slowly walks toward the bed and plants his I.V next to it. He crawls onto it and dozes off.
==(Ch2-ModernWIP): Wanted==
A few hours later Nurse Aiko returns to Korudo's room. She knocks on the door to let him know she's back and he wakes up.
Korudo- "Huh... What?"
Nurse- "You're set to go when you're ready. We didn't catch anything bad about you."
Korudo- "Great."
Korudo gets out of the bed and stares out the window.
Korudo- "Hey uh, I need to ask for something..."
Nurse- "What is it?"
Korudo- "Clothes hehe... I have none..."
Korudo puts his hand on the back of his head and looks back at the nurse laughing quietly.
Nurse- "Well let's get you some! We always have spare clothes just in case of such an emergency."
Nurse Aiko motioned Korudo to follow her down to the clothing storage. She let him in by himself and said to only take what he needed. Korudo closed the door behind him and saw the multiple racks of hanging clothing in the decently sized room. He searched around looking for anything that would fit. About ten minutes of searching later he came out wearing a red and white button down shirt, blacks jeans with a white belt and brown shoes. He happened to pick up and put on a gold pendant with a ying yang symbol engraved into it.
Korudo- "Ugh man, feels good to wear clothes again! It's been nearly 15 years!"
The nurse stares at him a little freaked out but regains her composure.
Nurse- "Well good! Have a nice day sir and make sure to come back if you have any problems."
Korudo- "Yes and thank you..."
Korudo bows and the nurse does also.
Nurse- "No problem."
They both raise and Korudo walks out of the hospital. The automatic door opens and closes behind him as he steps out into a bright and windy day. He shields his eyes from the sun as he looks around and sees all the people walking around. All these humans are just normal people. Yet when he looks a little further he sees a few soldiers guarding the gateway, one with a laptop set up in a booth. They look just like the ones he saw in the hospital. He gets a bad vibe from them but he doesn't know why.
Since there was no other conventional way off the hospital grounds he had to go through the gate. He began to walk towards it with his hands in his pockets and his head down hoping they wouldn't see him as anything important. Unfortunately the one guard spoke out to Korudo.
Guard- "Stop sir, we need to see your I.D."
Korudo- "I don't have one..."
Guard- "Then what's your name?"
Korudo- "Korudosutea Shino. I have done nothing wrong, what do you need me for?"
The guard in front of Korudo told the guard in the booth to put the name into a search bar on the computer.
Guard in Booth- "He's one of the targets, get him!"
The guard grabs Korudo by the arm but he shakes him off and kicks him in the face outcold. Korudo then dashes away with the other two guards chasing after him, the crowd around disperses quickly in a panic. Korudo runs down the street repeatedly bumping into people while the guards plow through the crowds. He knocks down a few trash cans to slow down the pursuers but it doesn't work as he had hoped. Korudo then sprints across the street, jumping over a parked car and into an alleyway. The guards are a little slowed down but it was just enough.
Korudo runs around a few corners in the alleyway but it ultimately led to a dead end. As he came to a halt he looked behind him and heard the guards yelling and running down the alley. He was trapped and had nowhere to go but when he looked around he saw a fire escape leading to the roof of the building. He jumps up to it and clings on, pulls himself over the safety railing and starts running up the stairs.
As his steps made a clanking sound he was about halfway up before the guards got to him. He looks down and notices them aiming their weapons at him. The one guard shouts "FIRE" and they start shooting their guns. Korudo curses to himself and hustles up the fire escape stairs as bullets ricochet around him. Luckily he reaches the top with no problems. He runs and jumps across the rooftops for a few minutes trying to put as much distance as he can between him and his pursuers.
After a few blocks of running across rooftops he decided to drop down into an open trash dumpster in the middle of an alleyway. The clumped trash broke his fall as he landed on his ass. Korudo then quickly jumped out of the dumpster and ran out into the street. He looked around and saw no guards in sight. In relief he slouched over with his hands on his knees breathing heavily with a single sweat drop descending down his face. After a moment of rest he stood up straight and started walking down the sidewalk.
As he was walking he noticed something strange, there was no one around. Was there just people at the hospital? If so, why? This is a city, shouldn't it be at least a little bit busy? He didn't completely argue with it, at least there was no one around to catch him. Korudo walked another solid 10 minutes until he came to a small park with a monument prominently placed in the middle of a fountain. He stared at it as he kept walking until he bumped into a stranger. The stranger became a little upset.
Stranger- "Hey, watch it!"
Korudo apologized.
Korudo- "Eh, sorry, I'm new here."
Stranger- "Whatever, just be careful next time. You never know who you'll bump into. It may be lethal..."
Korudo- "Yeah, I've noticed the hospitality of those dark suited guards at the hospital."
Stranger- "Dark suited guards? You mean the MBI soldiers?"
Korudo- "MBI? That's who they are?"
Stranger- "Yeah... Hey, my name is Seo Kaoru. You seem to be headed the same way I am, go ahead and walk with me."
Korudo- "Alright, my name is Korudosutea Shino. You can call me Korudo for short."
Seo- "Nice to meet you."
Korudo- "Likewise. Hey can I ask you an odd question?"
Seo- "Uhh yeah sure."
Korudo- "Are you a human?"
Seo- "Yeahh... Then are you what I think you are?"
Korudo- "What do you think I am?"
Seo- "Hope I don't get shot for this but... a Sekirei?"
Korudo- "Yep."
Seo- "Phew.... So have you found your Ashikabi yet?"
Korudo- "Yeah but we were separated 15 years ago. It's more like I was taken away and she doesn't know where I am."
Seo- "Oh."
Korudo- "I really miss her but I think she's fine. She's capable of defending herself. Anyway do you have a Sekirei for yourself?"
Seo- "Yeah, I have two. They're twins, Hikari and Hibiki."
Korudo- "Nice. Do you treat them well?"
Seo- "Of course."
Korudo- "Good, that's always good to hear."
Seo- "What are your powers?"
Korudo- "Well I don't really have them anymore. I used to control Death and Psychological Death."
Seo- "Woah, you sound like a grim reaper or somethin'."
Korudo- "Yeahh hehe... Well that's not my job anymore. It's probably my son's job now."
Seo- "You have a son? Who?"
Korudo- "His name's Shiina. I loved him to death before I was taken away."
Seo- "That name seems familiar... I've heard from my Sekirei that he has a certain aura to him. He's controversial amongst everyone on this island. Some witnessed him wipe out and entire forest in one attempt. Also, a friend of mine's Sekirei named Kusano said she misses him and looks up to him as a big brother."
Korudo- "That's great! Did he find his Ashikabi yet?"
Seo- "Yeah but I don't know her exactly."
Korudo- "Good to hear."
Seo- "I forgot to ask, who's your Ashikabi?"
Korudo- "Her name's Karasuba..."
Seo- "Karasuba? You can't be serious..."
Korudo- "What's wrong with her? Got a problem?"
Seo- "Well... she's a little psycho. She killed multiple Sekirei and hundreds of humans. Everyone's afraid of her except for a few."
Korudo- "Damn... I swear she wasn't like that the last time I saw her. She was very nice and loving... What happened to her?"
Seo- "I dunno but that's gotta suck for you."
Korudo- "Yeah.. Well where is everyone?"
Seo- "Most people evacuated the city by enforcement of MBI. Only Ashikabi, doctors and other important people stayed. That's why you may have seem some people around the hospital."
Korudo- "Sounds reasonable. Where are you headed?"
Seo- "I'm headed back to my apartment to check up on the girls. Then the girls and I were going to head to a friend of mine's house. Where are you headed?"
Korudo- "I don't know. I don't have anywhere to stay or anything."
Seo- "Hmm... Well when we get to my friends house she may have a room. Her house kind of acts as a hotel for Sekirei and Ashikabi."
Korudo- "That must be nice..."
The two walked for another few minutes until they reached Seo's apartment. They walked in the lobby area ad he noticed it wasn't too shaby. They rode the elevator up some amount of floors as they listened to "fantastic" elevator music. A ding noise happened and the door opened up. They then walked down the white hallway to Seo's apartment. Seo took out his apartment key and opened it. As he did he let his Sekirei know he was home.
Seo- "I'm back..."
Hikari- "Alright..."
Seo- "Would you two mind coming to meet our new friend?"
Hibiki- "Hold on..."
A moment later they walked out of another room drying their hands with towels.
Hikari- "Oh hello. What's your name?"
Korudo- "My name is Korudosutea Shino, Korudo for short. You must be Seo's Sekirei, nice to meet you."
Hikari- "Yes, I'm Hikari..."
Hibiki- "and I'm Hibiki..."
Hikari- "... it's nice to meet you too."
Seo- "Korudo here is an old Sekirei..."
For a little bit the four talked amongst themselves about each other, but mainly about Korudo. Afterwards they set out to go to Seo's friend's place.
==(Ch3-ModernWIP): Old Friends==
Korudo, Seo, Hikari and Hibiki were walking on the sidewalk heading towards Seo's friend's home. It was a sunny but partly cloudy noon, with the wind giving a slight breeze against the trees scattered along the side of the street. They continued normally until a MBI Helicopter slowly floated above them, passing by as if it was looking for something... or maybe even at. Korudo stopped, looked up at it and stared, giving it a cautious and ready eye. As the helicopter was at a good distance he looked in front of him and was caught by Hikari, Seo and Hibiki. Seo grew a little concerned.
Seo- "You alright?"
Korudo- "Uhh.. yeah, sure. Let's just keep going, shall we?"
Seo- "Yeah, okay. Is there anything you'd care to share with us?"
Korudo hesitated for a moment, would it be a wise idea to tell them? They'll probably find out eventually, right? Yeah most likely but he didn't want to tell them out in the open like this.
Korudo- "Hmm, yeah I do actually but you'll find out in due time. Let's just get to where we're going..."
He walked up to Seo, about to pass him, when he raised his arm halfway and his hand pointing down the sidewalk saying to lead them on. Seo nodded his head and walked onward as Korudo prompted. They all followed behind him closely, yet Hikari and Hibiki were a little... cautious about Korudo. He seemed unusual and maybe even potentially dangerous. Dangerous to them or dangerous to someone else? They didn't know. A few minutes later down the street Seo stopped and diverted his attention to an old wooden house, seemingly preserved nice and well.
Seo- "Well, this is the place. Let's hope you find who you're looking for here."
Korudo- "Nice... Thanks a lot for bringing me here. I owe you a lot."
The four walked down the path to the entrance of the path and Seo knocked on the door.
Seo- "Nah, don't mention it..."
The door opened with a creek, a cute adolescent brunette girl answered the door. She looked curious at first, but when she noticed who they were, her face brightened up and helds her arms out in excitement. She then hugged Hikari and Hibiki together and squuezed them both with her unreal strength.
Musubi- "Hikari-chan! Hibiki-chan! How nice it is to see you!"
She let them go and backed up a little, smiling at Seo with her eyes closed.
Musubi- "Trash-chan!"
Hikari and Hibiki silently laughed to themselves looking at Seo. He made a not amused face and replied back with a simple hello. Musubi looked at the stranger, she's never seen him before. Being the nice and out-going person she is, she decided to open up to him on the spot. Musubi turned to him and greeted him.
Musubi- "Hello! I've never met you before. My name is Musubi! Sekirei #88, Fist Type. Who are you?"
Korudo smiled from her vibrant youthfulness, something he's happy to see after so many years of darkness.
Korudo- "Hehe, hey. I could have guess you were a Sekirei from a mile away. My name is Korudosutea Shino, Korudo for short. I'm a Sekirei as well. My powers are gone but, I guess you can say I'm retired."
Musubi- "Well it's nice to meet you Korudo-chan! Come on in, all of you. We're just eating dinner at the moment."
Musubi happily walked back into the house and the grouped followed in. Korudo fell to the back as the others went on ahead of him. He looked around the house and was amazed by how nice it was. They all stopped at a doorway leading into the dining room. Everyone said their hello's and greetings until it was Korudo's turn. Hikari, Hibiki and Seo went into the dining room and to the sides, giving Korudo an easy way in. He came to the doorway and said hello to Miya, Kazehana, and Matsu. He was a bit shy at first, scratching the back of his head and smiling with closed eyes.
Korudo- "Uhh, hey Matsu, Kazehana and Miya... Long time no see, eh?"
The three were shocked, looking as if they saw a ghost. Miya held her food in the middle of the air on a chopstick, Kazehana spit out a little of her sake and Matsu dropped her chopsticks. Everyone, including Minato, Musubi, Tsukiumi, Kusano, Homura, Seo, Hikari & Hibiki, were puzzled and shocked themselves that the 3 most powerful Sekirei's were stunned by some stranger, yet he was no stranger at all.
Miya- "K..K... Korudo?"
Kazehana- "I might be drinking too much sake..."
Matsu- "......."
Miya- "Y... You're still alive! How!? Where have you been?"
Korudo- "I was stabbed in the back... literally... Had my powers taken away, then tortured and experimented on for roughly... meh... 15 years. If you want to see what they did to me I can. It requires taking off my shirt though. Don't want to scar the younger ones..."
Miya- "Uhh.. umm.. sure, they can handle it."
Korudo was given the green light to show it. He unbuttoned his shirt and took it off, revealing all of his scars, tears and the large circular indention at the top of his chest. His build was still amazingly fit, but he took plenty of damage during the time. These were his scars, the scars of his betrayal. Everyone looked in shock and horror, Kusano retreated her face into Minato's chest and Matsu looked away instantly. No one has ever seen such a terrible thing upon one man.
Korudo- "I escaped from the underground facility where they kept me just maybe a few days ago.... yeah sounds about right. I'm fresh from the loony bin I guess you can say."
They all got themselves back together as Korudo put his shirt back on. Miya put down her chopsticks and Kazehana set down her cup. Miya cleared her throat and realized the grim reality that everything might not be what it seems. She doesn't know the truth yet, but she gets the feeling that by Korudo being here, fate has started a chain-reaction that will determine the end of this whole situation.
Miya- "I see, Korudo. I sense that you have some questions that you might need answering. I'll let you know now, I guarantee that you won't like any of the answers..."
Korudo chuckled to himself a bit, the room was unsure of his meaning.
Korudo- "Oh Miya, nothing good has come to me in the past 15 years. So where's my wife? What has become of Karasuba?"
Miya- "She's become a killing psychopath that killed countless humans and several Sekirei just for fun. I've exiled her from this house until she comes back to her senses and at the very least sincerely apologizes for what she has done."
It was Korudo's turn to be shocked as he heard something that seemed very unlikely. His eyes widened and his mouth opened just a bit, scratching his head trying to figure it out.
Korudo- "... but how? She used to be so nice and sweet before, that isn't her!"
Miya- "I know it's not but it's what she's turned into. We believe it's because of your death since she actually died as well, but through the medical tecnhology of MBI she was able to be revived and so were you. When she came back to us she seemed normal but there was nothing to stop her violent tendencies. You, Korudosutea were the only person able to suppress her anger and outlook on life. Over time she became worse and began to kill Sekirei during Minaka's game."
Korudo- "Damn... is there anything else you need to tell me about her?"
Miya- "Well, she is the leader of the 3rd generation Disciplinary Squad, with only two other members in it. She's staying with... what's his name... Natsuo Ichinomi. He's the Ashikabi of the two other Sekirei's within the squad, and unfortunately Karasuba. After the incident with the MBI Tower, he was forced to relocate to somewhere. We don't exactly know where that is."
Korudo- "So she already went for someone else huh?... Damn... I had a hint that our bond was gone but I didn't want to believe it. Anyway, there's a 3rd generation squad and I knew the 1st, but what of the 2nd?"
Kazehana- "Obviously the 1st was you, Miya, Matsu, me, Karasuba and Matsu. After you left, we got disbanded for quite a few reasons... The 2nd generation was just Karasuba and Yume. The rest of us were taken in for private studying, you know, stuff about Earth. You'll find that the 3rd generation wears the same black dress as we did, Karasuba still even fits in her old one... lucky..."
Korudo- "How much did I miss over these years... What of Yume? And speaking of... this girl here... She looks exactly like her but she's not..."
Matsu- "Yeahhh... that's a little difficult to explain. Difficult as in pain to the heart... While Karasuba and Yume were trying to save Musubi as an infant, Musubi went into a critical state. Yume being the kind heart she is, gave Musubi her Tama so that she can live. So is Yume still here with us? Yes, she is in a way. Sometimes under great stress Yume comes forth from Musubi and kind of takes control of her body. Musubi is basically a living replica of her too. A fist type and everything, very powerful, yet young and needs lots of training."
Korudo looked over at Musubi. Musubi gave him a nice smile with her eyes closed and waved her hand saying a quick hi. He looked back at Matsu.
Korudo- "Yep, sounds about right. How about Takehito? Where is he?"
All of the adult Sekirei, including Seo looked downward and their faces became gloomy. Seo cleared his throat to get Korudo's attention.
Seo- "Takehito is dead, Korudo. Minaka had him take a look at the Jinki's while they were malfunctioning... Takehito tried to get them under control but ended up sacrificing himself to calm them down. I think you know what happens..."
Korudo ran his hand through his hair and took a deep breath. He looked at Miya feeling bad for her.
Korudo- "I'm sorry..."
Miya- "D.. Don't be... It's not your fault. Nobody truly knew he would have done it, there was no preventing it..."
Korudo- "True... well, how about my son, Shiina?"
Tsukiumi and Homura knew who he was talking about. Shiina has been a buzz around the Sekirei and Ashikabi community for his powers. They both looked at each other and Tsukiumi noded her head, letting Homura know that she can go ahead and say it.
Homura- "We didn't know his name at first but it's clear now. There's a boy who looks sort of like you. His charm is a bit feminine but... apparently his Ashikabi made him wear a dress due it. He's popular due to that he decayed a whole thick forest within seconds. We don't know where he is, nor who his Ashikabi is."
Kusano popped up in the conversation, happy and bright. She talked directly to Korudo.
Kusano- "Oh! Mister! I know Shiina-chan! Him and I are really close! We've been trying to find each other for a while."
Korudo- "Oh really? That's really nice! Thanks for telling me, it's a big relief to hear that."
He smiled at Kusano, all cheery and relieved. He turned his attention back to Matsu, Kazehana and Miya.
Korudo- "So, anything else?"
Matsu- "Yes actually. You need to learn one more thing. It's what has been going on for about the past month or so. Minaka started this thing called the 'Sekirei Plan' where he lets all 108 Sekirei loose into this city. That's the first stage actually. The 2nd is where this city becomes enclosed and no one is allowed to leave. When the full security lock down has been completed, then the 3rd stage starts. The 3rd stage is basically a death-match. Sekirei against Sekirei. Whatever Sekirei and Ashikabi get the most Sekirei kills within the time limit wins a Jinki. That's basically what we're in now, nobody has won yet. There's supposedly 6 stages in total, the grand prize is the chance to live with your Ashikabi happily."
Korudo listened to every word she said and became more angry as she explained more. Sekirei fighting for their lives just to be happy? No, he can't let this slide.
Korudo- "That's ridiculous! Sekirei NEVER fought to death as a SPORT. First Minaka gets Takehito killed, then he probably had something to do with me getting betrayed and tortured for so long, then he has the GUTS to make pawns out of us!? What's stopping us from doing anything?"
Matsu points her finger upwards, motioning to the sky.
Matsu- "There is a MBI satellite hovering above Japan in Earth's orbit. Not only can it see whatever is buzzing around Shinto Teito, but it can annihilate anything that goes against the plan and poses a serious threat. So far it only has attacked rogue Sekirei or those trying to flee the city. I can temporarily operate it but it's been kicking me out faster and faster every time I get myself into it. I may be a powerful brain-type Sekirei but... somehow MBI found a way to stop me."
Korudo- "Huh... we at least you can get into it. If you managed to get into it before then it must have proved useful. Having a destructive satellite that is unreachable in a sense. In the end we must find a way to bring it down. We need a plan overall to stop this whole plan. Minaka's smart but he gets a big head, he's bound to have made a mistake somewhere, and I'll exploit it lethally. Thank you everyone for filling me in and being so friendly. It was really nice to catch up with you Miya, Kazehana and Matsu. Missed you guys a lot. Nice to meet you younger Sekirei as well, good to know we're not completely dead. But it's time for me to go, before I can do anything I need to get my family back. Miya, I'll bring Karasuba back so she can apologize genuinely, and Kusano I'll bring back Shiina. G'bye everyone, I'll stop by later."
Before everyone said goodbye, Miya made an offer.
Miya- "Korudo, you can stay here if you want. I can imagine you have no where to go."
Korudo- "I'm afraid I can't. When Minaka figures out that I'm back and angry as hell, he'll send a lot of heat after me. It's better if I stay away, I don't want to endanger any of you."
Miya- "Alright then, at least be safe on your travels. Please stop by often! We miss you a lot too... Old friend."
Miya, Kazehana and Matsu all smiled at Korudo, and Korudo did the same back at them. Some of the nicest feelings come from just meeting an old friend of yours. Korudo left the room, every said their goodbyes and resumed on with their day. Yet the thought of Korudo being back echoed through the adult Sekirei's minds. Maybe by Korudo being back, things will change for the better and no more Sekirei's will be killed. They could only hope for it...
==(Ch4-ModernWIP): A New Home==
As Korudo left the Izumo Inn he noticed he still had some hours left before it got dark. It was sunny and fully clear skies, with a gentle breeze brushing against the trees. He should minus well get used to the area and take a walk, maybe even find a place to live for the meantime. Korudo walked past the privacy fence of the property and took a right down the sidewalk, his hands in his pocket and his eyes wandering. This part of the city didn't look too shabby, mainly residential buildings and a few stores.
Korudo passed a few blocks down the road until he couldn't help but notice an apartment complex on his side of the street. It was large with what looked like 2 floors and 2 additional wings to the main building. It was painted a bold but slightly worn white, with greenery and plant vines scattered along the walls. The lawn was due for some mowing but it had a nice pond area and one beautifully aged tree. There was even a vintage steel fence and brick guarding the property with a 2-person wide gate at the entrance. Best of all... It seemed abandoned and no one has been there for a while. He decided to have a closer look inside the house.
He walked up to the gate and tried to open it, but it didn't budge. He saw no use in jumping over the fence since it would be more practical for multiple reasons just to go through it. Using his brute force he smashed the old lock with his elbow and it immediately swung open. Korudo chuckled and walked into the property, using the concrete pathway leading to the door, and looking around to see how great this place could really be. As he got to the door he tried the knob, surprisingly it wasn't locked and he walked right in. The place was a bit dark without the artificial lights on, so he looked around for some sort of switch or chain. It was actually easy to find a switch, the thing was just to his right on the wall. He slid the tab up with his hand but nothing happened, it has to do something with the power... He slid the tab back down and thought to himself how he could fix it. He took a peer outside and noticed that there were power lines succesfully connecting to the apartment complex so it couldn't be that.... maybe the power box downstairs?
That sounded like the only possible solution to him but he didn't know where to find the basement, much less navigate in the dark. He looked around where he could and stumbled upon a cabinet hidden in the shadows. Using his sense of touch he felt his hand up and found a knob. He pulled on it to open the drawer, then sticking his hand in and searched for anything that could give light. What do humans usually use for mobile light?. Oh yeah, flashlights. To his delighted surprise he touched something with a cylinder like body with a plastic texture. He took it out from the drawer and held it in the light. To his luck It was a flashlight.
He flipped the switch on it and luckily there was at least some juice left. The light illuminated the darkness wherever it pointed and now Korudo could make his way to the basement. He kept it on and searched for a door that wasn't on the side like every other one in the place. He continued down the right wing until he got to the end of its first hall. Beside the door read "Basement" and simple enough Korudo found his way. He opened the door and the stairs down was the first thing he saw. Korudo slowly stepped down the stairs, brushing away and avoiding cobwebs. He reached the bottom; luckily it wasn't too deep of a cellar. There was only a single light on the ceiling, barely providing much light.
He looked around and only saw a bunch of piping for the boiler, yet when he peeked around a corner he saw the fuse box. He walked to it and opened it, only to see a confusing bundle of flips and switches. Doing it the only way he knew how, he randomly flipped a few switches until something happened. When something did happen, a large spark flew out and Korudo quickly retracted his arm from the sudden pain. The basement light went dark and he turned around to check. He only saw completely darkness... but there was something off in the distance, as if the basement was a lot longer than it really was. The "thing" looked as if it was the only illuminated object in there. It started to get bigger and bigger as the moments went by. When Korudo was able to identify what it was, he was shocked. It was... himself. Himself as his Reaper form.
Charging at him was the pale skinned, sharp toothed, red eyes with black sclera, black robed, sinister scythe wielding death Sekirei form of himself. The scythe was to his side ready to do a sweep for the head, just like Korudo used to run into battle. As the death lord drew nearer he let out a yell that was a vocal contortion of how normal Korudo sounded and a demon. A screeching sound went off in his head and Korudo started to panic. He slammed himself against the wall and tried to run away but he couldn't. The death lord drew even closer and then came right in front of him, his scythe's blade right to Korudo's throat. He blinked and as his eyes saw again it was all over. The basement was fully lit from the power activation.
Korudo sat there in shock, what in hell's name was that all about? His breathing began to slow down and the pumping of his heart could not be felt anymore. He recuperated himself, pushing against the wall to move forward and move. He walked through the basement and went back upstairs. The 1st floor was still unlit since the light switch was flipped to "Off". Walking back down the hall to the entrance the flashlight illuminated the shadows. There was an orange-ish gold gold along the walls where the windows allowed the sun's dusk light in. When he got to the switch he flipped it as it got into arm's reach. The entire first floor of the building lit up with a nice yellow-ish tinted light. It comforted him actually, Korudo never knew he'd be afraid of the dark.
Since it was nearing night time and he'd have to get plenty of sleep for tomorrow, Korudo decided to go to bed... but what exactly was his "bed"? Well it was time to figure that out. He started to walk back down the right wing, checking each of the rooms. Whether they were locked or not wasn't an issue. Time went by and he checked every room in the right wing. None of them were fit to be a worthy suite, lacking appliances and furniture. He completely checked the left wing and it was the same deal. People must have really packed when they left... There was only one hope left, the 2nd floor. Korudo made his way to the staircase, which both of them can be found at the first ends of each wing.
As he got to the 2nd floor Korudo flipped on the power switch. He noticed it was just a little bit more nice, saying that it must have been an add-on at some point. Other than that, there was one more thing that was different about the floor. In the center wing, what would be the space above the lobby, was actually the end of the hallway. There was a door that lead into it. Curious as to what the room was, he approached the door and opened it. The door creeked open and the inside of the room was still dark. He looked for the light switch again and saw that it was right next to the door. As the lights went on and he took a look at the room, it turned out to be the master suite as you can guess. In the middle was a slightly elevated platform for the bed and there was still one or two cabinets left. The mattress and the frame of the bed was still there but the pillows and covers were absent. Guess it was too big for the owners to move. Bad for the owners, good for him.
Another fine feature of the room was a decently sized window that could be opened like a double door. He went up to it and opened it, leaning on the window sill and taking a look around. He had a pretty nice view actually, can't see past the rooftops but it'll do. He closed the windows and locked them, then walking to the power switch and turning it off. The moonlight shined through the window and somewhat lit up the room with a blue-ish grey glow. The bed made a creeking sound as Korudo plopped his body on it, ready to get some sleep, not even bothering to take off his clothes. He drifted off into unconciousness, letting his body relax.
Korudo woke up in the morning with a small puddle of drool on the bed next to his mouth. His eyes managed stay half open as he squirmed his body to get up. The bed was just too damn comfy... He sucked it up and raised himself onto his arm, taking a deep breath and looking out the window to the bright sunshine. Judging by the position of the sun it was about 11:00 A.M. One thing was unsettling though, both of the windows were open. When he noticed this it shocked him and his eyes became wide open. He got up and walked to it, but halfway there something caught his attention in the corner of his eye. Korudo looked at it and saw that there were Japanese characters carved on the wall. He went up to it to get a closer look and it said, "I know you are alive...".
The man backed away and decided to get out for a little while and try to find his wife or something. He couldn't have cared to properly exit the building so he climbed up onto the window sill and jumped down to the ground. He landed perfectly on both feet with his knees bent. Then a loud crack could be heard from one of the knees and Korudo held it.
Korudo- "Damn... Need to get these old bones back in shape..."
He got up and started to walk, stretching his arms and shaking his legs with a yawn. Korudo opened the gate to leave the property but suddenly a large grumbled could be heard from his stomach. He looked down at it and held with a sad face. The man's hungry and needs some food, he hasn't eaten since the hospital. Knowing the only place he could go to was Miya's. Hopefully she could spare him something. Some time later he got to her house and knocked on her door. This time Homura was the one to answer. She looked at Korudo with a slightly happy face.
Homura- "Oh hey Korudo, come on in."
Korudo- "Hey Homura, thanks."
Korudo walked with Homura to Miya but she kept walking and left Korudo to her. Miya and Kusano were playing a little card game at the table. Korudo leaned against the door frame and watched as they both took turns giggling.
Korudo- "Aww how cute hehehehe..."
Miya and Kusano both looked at him wondering who said that but instantly recognized Korudo. Miya set down her cards to stand up and bow. Kusano did the same thing but more cute. Korudo bowed as well.
Miya- "Hello Korudo, I'm glad you can stop by! Is there anything you need? Can you stay for a chat?"
Korudo- "Umm yeah I was going to ask... would you happen to have any spare left-overs? I haven't eaten for a couple days. It would be much appreciated."
Miya- "Oh please! I'll make you a fresh meal right now! Come, have a seat. I'll get the food made up. Ku-chan, would you like to help me?"
Kusano- "Yes Miya-chan!"
Kusano followed Miya into the kitchen as Korudo took a seat on the floor. Waiting for Miya and Kusano to get done cooking he looked around the room. In front of him on the wall was a case and a stand next to it. In the case was a sword and it's sheathe. As he took a closer look at it there was something strange about it... no it couldn't be... It was exactly what he thought it was. The sword was the legendary Totsuga no Tsurugi, the blade Miya used back on the home planet and the same blade that chopped down multiple battleships of the international army. The only other non-Reaper blade that can even compare to it's lethality is Karasuba's.
On the stand was a portrait photo of a grey haired man in a lab coat. It wasn't Korudo obviously... As he squinted his eyes to see more clearly, he noticed it was Takehito Asama, Miya's late husband. He was a good friend to Korudo, actually fun to talk to. It was a shame he died, he didn't even get to wing Miya yet...
Korudo then sat and waited patiently seeing as though there was nothing else of interest. Some small amount of time later Miya and Kusano came back to him with a plate full of food. Miya set it down in front of him and gave him a pair of chopsticks.
Miya- "It's cooked rice with simple curry bread. It's basic but fast to make. Feel free to stop by for lunch or dinner, or both!"
Kusano- "Enjoy!"
They both gave a smile and so did Korudo, he thanked them for their generosity and picked up the chopsticks.
Korudo- "Thank you both for the food, very very kind of you. I might even stop by later too."
Miya- "Oh that's great and no problem. Just glad to see an old friend."
Miya and Kusano both sat down on the other end of the table, continuing their card game as Korudo ate. The food was delicious, so much better than anything he's eaten in a very long time. Kusano played the game silently as Miya broke the verbal silence, seeing as thought the only sounds in the air were the cards gently tapping onto the wooden table and the man eating. She was genuinely curious as well anyway.
Miya- "So what do you plan on doing today Korudo? I'm sure there is a lot to accomplish. Yet, don't rush all your plans at once, otherwise your plans will all rush to you."
Korudosutea made a "hm" and finished chewing, giving his attention to her and not to be rude.
Korudo- "I wonder how you could tell that I had so much to get done... There is a lot, yes, but even I know that a battle must have a plan and must take time. There's no breathing room for possible errors, not that I can afford them anyway. I just plan on taking it easy today, maybe take a walk and see what the city looks like. Hopefully it's more beautiful up here than it is in the dark and cold corridors of where I once was."
Miya smiled but there was a slight amount of pain inside her to hear that, no friend would want to hear of their friend's suffering and take it lightly. Carefully choosing a card, she put it down and won the game. Kusano looked at the playing surface and had a look of disappointment, relieving a sigh. Miya patted the top of her head but spoke to Korudo.
Miya- "Well whether you wanted to fight the wolves, it's leader or even walk by the river, I wish you luck and safety for your day. If you bring trouble here you'll find that I won't be too nice to you either..."
Korudo smiled and finished off his food, savoring every last bite before cleaning his mouth with a napkin for courtesy. He neatly put the chopsticks on the plate, held the plate and stood up, only to be stopped by Kusano.
Kusano- "I'll get it! A guest shouldn't put away the dishes!"
Kusano got up and scurried over to him, taking his plate and walking into the kitchen. Korudo said to himself that it was so sweet and polite of her to do that. Most certainly Miya is teaching her manners, not a lot of people know how to be courteously. Korudo cleared his throat and bowed to Miya, who in turn bowed to him while sitting on her knees.
Korudo- "Thank you for the food once again Miya, I promise to repay you someday, regardless of what you say."
Miya- "Oh well then, I guess I can't say 'it's what friends are for' then right? But if you succeed in your plans then maybe I'll wipe the slate clean. I just hope the slate will actually be cleaned for the right purpose."
Korudo- "Don't worry Miya, freeing the Sekirei will happen one way or another. If I live then that's all the better. Goodbye and take care, I'll see you around."
Miya- "You as well, stay safe."
Korudo- "Can't promise that..."
Korudo left with a chuckle and Miya smiled from his humor. Even if it was a joke there was a hint of truth in it. Trouble would either eventually find him or he would find it. He would be prepared for it though, there's nothing that will stop him from doing his duty, regardless if he had his powers or not. He left the Izumo Inn once again only to be greeting by nature with a soft breeze and the rustling of leaves on the trees. The sun was shining bright up above just as before with no upset clouds in any distance. Korudo walked out onto the sidewalk and wandered the streets of the Northern district.
Some time passed as he kept strolling around the streets, taking in everything and remembering where all of this is. He then came to the one main street in the area where there were lots of places to shop. He didn't bother to go into any of the stores seeing as though he didn't need anything at the moment. As he turned around the corner he bumped into somebody without noticing. To his misfortune, it was a soldier wearing all black with a large faction tag saying "MBI".
==(Ch5-ModernWIP): The Prototype==
Korudosutea ducked his head away from the eyes of the soldier but this one wasn't a happy camper. The soldier put his hand on Korudo's shoulder and forcefully turned him around. He yelled at him about watching his step with an added obscenity yet after a moment he realized that this person was more than just the average pedestrian. He took out his pistol, a model similar to the Beretta M9 and held it to Korudo's head. Korudo knew exactly what he was in for and he was better off putting up a fight and dying.
He quickly swung up his right arm from his side and caught the soldier's wrist that held the gun, forcing it up into the air as the man fired it. Down the street was the rest of his small squad, two men residing by a pure black military jeep having a smoke. Yet when they heard and saw what was happening they assumed the worst. Both of them drew their guns, one another pistolier and the other wielding a sub-machine gun that was the MP5. Before they fired, Korudo stomped on the soldier's foot and turned him around to use him as a shield. The two other soldiers opened fire and the human meat shield took the bullets perfectly. Meanwhile, Korudo took control of the pistol and used it against them.
Korudo using the best of his ability and seeing how guns work, aimed for each of their shoulders to disarm them at least for a moment. When they were injured he dumped the bleeding, lifeless body on the ground and ran towards them. He kicked the MP5 soldier in the gut and grabbed him by the collar and arm to throw him towards the pistolier. They both fell on the ground but the sub-machine gunner seemed out-cold. As the pistolier was on the ground, Korudo brought his knee down on the soldier's chest and began to beat him in the face until he was unconcious.
Before he finished, he heard the faint voice of a man calling for help and announcing Korudo's presence. He was a high priority threat, Minaka must really want him out of the picture. From making Korudo's day worse, he gave a heavy punch to the guy he was on and got up to deal with the other soldier. He grabbed the guy by the back of his helmet and smashed his face into the radio equipment, the parts short-circuiting and crumbling apart. Both of the unwise soldiers were out for the count but Korudo had much more to deal with now. He had no idea of what was coming but due to the resources MBI has now it must be brutal.
Before Korudo had any more time to dilly dally the roars of heavy trucks and other higher-tier vehicles. Deciding to play it safe he scavenged both of the unconcious bodies of their weapons. He took the pistol and a couple clips to put them in his pockets while he would carry the MP5 and keep two spare clips in the waist of his pants. Afterwards he ran down the street into the cul-de-sac of apartment buildings. As the roars drew near he busted through the door of the apartment, consumed in shadow and emptiness. He ran up the stairs to the top floor seeking an apartment room with a good view of down below. He found one and closed the door behind him. Korudo crouched and hid himself up against the window.
He then peered up and out the window, looking down at the street to see two military trucks carrying platoons of soldiers drive up aggressively and stop. The largest threat was an intimidating tan tank rolling up in the middle with it's barrel still pointing forward. All the soldiers poured out of the personel carrying beds and formed up in standby positions. A man in the center, dressed a bit more differently and decoratively pointed in the directions of the apartments and ordered the soldiers to investigate them. As they did, he took a look around himself and raised his voice to talk to Korudo.
MBI Commander- "Korudosutea, you're a wanted man by MBI! To be wanted in such force you must be a very powerful person! If you don't resist and come out peacefully now, I'll order my men to only incapacitate you and not end your life. Do we have a deal?"
The commander obviously could tell Korudosutea was a threat and that ony made Korudo smile. He almost wanted to taunt the man back but knew that would be a costly mistake. He didn't want to be on his level anyway. Below him he could hear the soldiers breaking down doors and inspecting each of the rooms quickly. It would only be a matter of minutes before they would reach him, he had to prepare himself. Korudo stayed low and moved over to the door. He hid himself on it's side so when the soldiers came in he could surprise them.
After a few moments of listenening they were finally here. He could tell by the silence outside that the commander had no intentions of further negotiations. He stood up just before they bashed in the door, aiming the MP5 at head height to adjust for the first man. As a soldier stepped through he quickly put a bullet in the head instantly cutting off life to the body. He swept across the door using the dead soldier as cover and held the gun over the man's shoulder, shooting another infiltrator in the neck. Both of the bodies hit the floor and he hid on the other side of the frame. There were still quite a few more soldiers backing them up and they opened fire without hesitation.
Automatic bullet fire ripped the walls and doorframe apart making Korudo retreat into a dark corner. He was lucky enough that he had the speed to get away from all that without a scratch. When it stopped he could hear they were moving in. It was going to be very tricky but he had only one chance to pull it off, if he made one mistake it would be fatal. He hid very well in the shadow of the corner, letting a few of the soldiers pour in and begin to investigate. A split second went by and one went toawrds Korudo but didn't notice him yet.
Before the soldier could see, Korudo lept from the shadow and punched him in the gut. He then grabbed his throat and threw him over to one of the men and toppled him over to distract them. Korudo then quickly kicked a soldier in the neck causing him to fall over and choke while he crouched and tackled the other into the wall. There were only 3 soldiers for him to deal with in total. Most of the force was diverted to the other apartments luckily.
The soldier that was punched in the gut came back to reality and pulled out his pistol, taking a shot at Korudo but barely missing only to make a tear on his sleeve. Korudo growled and kicked the soldier's hand so the gun would fly to the other side of the room. The soldier grunted in pain only to be greeted by more. Korudo punched his face with a left-right hook and lifted him by his collar to throw him out the window. The soldier met the ground over 3 stories of falling. All Korudo could hear was a morbid crunch and turned back to deal with the two other men.
To his surpsise they were both up and pointing their pistols at him, ready to fire at any moment and glad to do so. Korudo put up his hands and smiled, looking back and forth at the both of them. On the inside Korudo knew he was done for and was riding on a chance that one of them would slip up and give him an opportunity. Luckily one was dumb enough to do so. In a mood of triumphant revenge a soldier stepped forward with his arm extended to Korudo's head.
Korudo dodged to his side and used his left hand to hold the gunman's wrist and the other on his chest and push him towards the other gunman. He was protected because he dodged to the side where the other gunman's sight was blocked by his squadmate. As they were both down on the ground again Korudo pulled out his pistol that he had in his pocket and aimed it at them. He tilted his head and smirked to let them know that getting a big head only makes a headshot easier. He then shot them both in the forehead and blood began to pour out.
The room was a mess but it was about to become much worse if he didn't get out of there. He didn't bother looking out the window as he dashed out the door and went up one more flight of stairs to the roof. A breeze greeted him as he rejoined the outside in the daylight, it causing his shirt to flap a little and the longer parts of his hair to sway gently. He stayed low and went up to the end of the building that faced the street. There was a solid 3 foot high barrier structure that was attached to the building so he could use it as cover.
He peered over once more to see every one of the soldiers lined up like a firing squad in the street circle, aiming at the entrance of the building in expectance of him. He tucked back down to think of something but it started to seem like the end of the line even if he didn't want it like that. After a few moments of silence you could guess the commander would be on edge and impatient. Without looking, he heard one final vehicle show up. It had a very distinct rumble to it as if it was an Alpha Male among lions. Korudo peered over once more to see a sleek and technologically advanced design tank take charge, forcing the normal tan tank to back off to the side. It was black with a clean sheen and a turret that set in the back with a long barrel.
The barrel actually bent upwards and exposed what would be a smaller barrel modification, and then aimed towards the center height of the complex. Korudo began to stress a bit thinking this tank was going to be a major problem. His suspicion was confirmed when he heard "Fire!" and very, very loud rapid blasts came from the streets and impacted the building. Korudo could feel the prowess of the tank's shells as it was dealing a massacre upon the structure.
The building began to shift and the top half caved in towards the street where all the troops where. Korudo held on and saw as the building tilting over showed him. Right before the structure crashed Korudo jumped off and landed behind a car. Rubble and structure pieces rained beside him and a few very small pieces of concrete and dust rained on his back. He grunted as he braced himself for the debris but luckily that was it for him. Just a cloud of dust and rubble particles passed over like a cloud. On the ground he looked under the car seeing the shifting feet of the soldiers. Telling by what he saw they panicked and backed off a little but didn't go forward yet for a body.
They didn't know he was there, probably lost sight of him in the debris cloud. This gave him the perfect opportunity to be stealthy so he slid under the car, barely fitting but loose enough she he could move quickly. The dust settled and all the soldiers came forth and checked the destroyed building not noticing Korudo at all. The only threats on the other side were the commander and that powerful tank. He had to think of something fast that would be able to let him escape. Instantly an idea popped into his head. Best way to hurt MBI's military and get away easily is to steal a certain piece of hardware...
Korudo slipped out the right side of the car onto the sidewalk, speedily crawling down the right side of the circle only protected by cars and public mailboxes and such. When he sneaked to the flank and no one noticed him, he got closer to the black tank being sure as ever to be silent. Just as he was a foot from the tank a soldier spotted him as he turned around from searching the debris. Korudo noticed and immediately jumped on the tank, searching for and quickly opening the hatch inside of it. Before their gunfire could tear him apart he jumped into the cabin and had to deal with two tank operators instead.
Kneeling down in the cabin he punched one in the face and then the other but the first pulled out a gun and shot Korudo in the arm. He grit his teeth and made a very angry expression, smacking the pistol out of his hand and grabbing his jaw to thrust it forward and down to break it. He took the pistol quickly and shot the other in the heart. He closed the hatch above him and tried his best to lock it, then lifted the bodies with his good arm and threw them in the small space in the back.
Korudo sat in the driver's seat only to be introduced to a high-tech interface. It was no Sekirei technology but it was based off of it surely. He tried to read it as best as he could but only to be stopped by a voice from nowhere. It has a special accent, as if it was a tint of British and had an automatronic voice.
Voice- "Please identify yourself. Are you friend or foe?"
Korudo- "Who's side are you on?"
Voice- "Whoever is controlling me."
Korudo- "Well you have some wit to you. Who are you?"
Voice- "I am this tank's host A.I or Artificial Intelligence. My manufacture name is TF-49714 but they call me 'Hector'. I do not know why they chose such a name but I have no say in it. Who are you?"
Korudo- "Korudosutea, a very wanted man as they call me. Nice to meet you, I guess. Any way you can help me out?"
Hector- "Concerning your wound or the situation?"
Korudo- "The situation?"
Hector brought up a window on the interface to show what was going on outside. All the troops were gathered around it and waiting for it to move. All they could do was stand and wait since the tank could easily run them over and wring out their insides like a bored child to a worm. Korudo wanted to think of a plan but he had no idea how to drive the tank.
Korudo- "Hey Hector... I uhh, I don't know how to drive the tank. So is there any possibility you can do something?"
Hector- "Yes, I already have a plan ready but it requires your approval. I have one other question beforehand."
Korudo- "Shoot."
Hector- "If only I could right now... Yet, MBI installed too much of programmed human artificial intelligence and gathered Sekirei artificial intelligence into my processing system so not only can I interact but I have my own free will if I am granted. I have something organisms would call a 'heart'. This is odd, I know, but it was a mistake on their part. So, Korudosutea Shino, what is your mission?"
Korudo- "To save my race as well as my family. To kill Minaka and bring an end to everything he's put the Sekirei through. I will do so even if I must die. Not only is it my duty as a member of the line of Reapers but also a father, husband and friend."
Hector- "A noble cause for a hectic man. Now do I have full control of the tank and my intentions?"
Korudo- "You are authorized..."
Hector- "Command recognized... There's a medical kit to your right, covered by blood stains courtesy of you. Patch yourself up while I take care of things."
Korudo- "Thank you..."
Hector- "No... Thank you..."
Korudosutea smiled and opened the medical kit to start healing himself. Meanwhile Hector shut off the interface systems and only left the outside cameras on. The tank began to shift and the insides moved around. The cannon fired a single high explosive shell at the group of soldiers causing blood and body parts of the ones that were instakilled to go spreading outward like a blood grenade. A few others were horribly injured and the remaining ones panicked from the site. The commander lived and was angry as hell, jumping onto the tank before Hector reversed it and pulled out from the cul-de-sac.
The MBI commander held on and climbed his way to the hatch, trying to open it as best he could. His movement could be heard inside the cabin and Korudo looked up as he fastened a bandaged around the treated wound. Hector notified him of the angered leader.
Hector- "Korudosutea, watch the hatch. There is an identified MBI commander trying to breach. He is carrying firearms of high caliber."
Korudo- "Thanks Hector, when you reach the street face the tank right and go down the road for a minute. I'll deal with this asshole!"
Before Hector swinged right to follow Korudo's instructions, the commander took out his two high-caliber revolvers and shot the locks on the hatch. It busted open but could be easily fixed by basic mechanic skills. Korudo saw him and gave him an angry stare while the commander gave him a smirk. The commander aimed and shot a round but Korudo dodged to the right, grabbing the commander's wrist and bringing him down into the cabin for a melee fight. Both of the commander's revolvers fell on the floor from him loosing grip.
Hector made the tank face right and did it fast making Korudo and the MBI Commander sway and fly to the right side of the cabin. Korudo hit the cabin wall hard which the man took advantage over, punching Korudo in the face a few times. Before he could do too much Korudo blocked him and headbutt him in the face, sending the man back against the other wall. He then stood up and held his hands on some holds on the ceiling to give a powerful kick to the gut to the commander.
The commander let out a loud groan of pain but lifted up his leg to hit Korudo in the balls, causing him to lean over and hold his area with a single hand. The man gave an uppercut which sent Korudo against the wall in turn. Outside, Hector gave the advanced tank some acceleration with engine roaring and the treads screeching from their struggle to relay their intended speed.
The tank was considerably fast, definitely having double the speed of any normal tank human kind has had before. Up ahead on the street about 30 seconds away was a heavy blockade of MBI troops behind transportable bulletproof barriers and 3 armored APCs parked sideways to block the entirety of the road. Each of the APCs aimed their anti-armor turrets towards the advanced tank. Hector noticed this and prepared the cannon.
Hector- "Korudosutea, MBI Military Blockade up ahead. Prepare yourself for I'm going to take offensive action."
Korudosutea was too busy dealing with the commander to give a response so Hector assumed he understood. While they were trading blows, Hector straightened the cannon so it's longer section came back into place. Around the hinge of the two cannon extensions, parts twisted and tightened for security. The turret adjusted to aim at the direct center of the blockade as the mechanics of the inside auto-loader shifted and picked out a shell. The shell that was chosen was labeled STc-HE or Sekirei Tech class High Explosive. The shell was in place and was in place at the bottom of the launcher, ready to be fored at any moment.
Hector announced "Firing" and Korudosutea acted instantly. He punched the commander in the face hard to stun him and grabbed him by the side of his head and collar, then pressed his ear up against the backside of the cabin and the shell fired. The shot bellowed extremely loudly throughout the cabin but the commander had the worst of it, making the man scream in pain and cringe his eyes. Korudo took this opportunity to grab both of the revolvers that belonged to the commander on the floor and aimed them at the man.
Korudo only gave him a smile and shot both guns at the same time and blew the MBI Commander's head apart into nothing but a dome of blood and destroyed brain matter. The body rested with the other two dead tank operators, Korudo will have to clean them out later. He holstered both of the revolvers into his waistband. Just as he finished the tank shell met it's target. Outside on the road the shell hit the center APC directly in the middle and broadside causing the metal to bend violently.
That was just the shell but the real strike was about to unfold. A very potent and strong explosion came forth from the shell, the explosion expanded to where it nearly consumed the entire blockade. The second part of it's attack was that a fast shockwave of high voltage electricity spread out and finished off anything that was still operational or even alive. More blood and guts rained from the site and a few soldiers scramed in agony and seizured on the ground from the electricity.
Hector didn't hesitate whatsoever and just kept his speed at full acceleration as the tank went into the blockade and ran over the eviscerated dead bodies and scrap metal from the APCs. The smoke and blood mist cleared away from the tank and it drove by. They were almost home with only the need to turn left and stay out of MBI's sight. Korudo ordered Hector to go left and he did so perfectly. It was the home stretch now but there was one last trick up the military's sleeve. They didn't call in the Disciplinary Squad because they were busy with the Sekirei Plan but they had their own "winged" attacker.
Korudo sat in the operator's seat once more to take a break, breathing a little heavily from the battle with the commander. He investigated all the outside situation cameras and saw nothing on the ground but something caught his eye in the sky behind them. When he recognized it was an assault helicopter he thought the let Hector know.
Korudo- "Uhh..."
Hector- "I know Korudosutea. Another Sekirei-Tech prototype assault vehicle is on it's way. It is of high danger and we should take the most extreme measures. I do not know of it's armaments but I assume it is highly volatile."
Korudo- "Yeah, I can assume so too. It's getting closer, what do we do?"
The helicopter drew much more near as moments passed. Hector activated the auto-loader and chose a STc-EMP shell. Once the shell was in place the turret rotated at a decent pace to aim behind them, the cannon shifted upwards and adjusted to be able to have a direct strike on the helicopter. Hector was able to drive and operate the turret at the same time as the blockade situation proved.
Hector- "We attack before it can reach us..."
Hector then launched the shell and it shot right out of the cannon making a loud thunderous bang that echoed throught the city.  Only a split moment passed before it reached it's target but before it could make contact the helicopter activated it's defense system. An invisible surge of electricity shot at the shell and deactivated it as well as reducing it's velocity considerably. Hector saw this and thought as fast as he could to solve the situation.
Korudo felt a little helpess but he knew only Hector could solve this so he sat there and kept his eyes on the airborne threat. After a few seconds passed Hector loaded in another shell, this time it was called the STc-NB or Napalm Bomb. This shell did not have to have contact to activate it's true attack rather to just have contact with anything and it will rain fire and psuedo-lava.
The helicopter was within attack range and opened fire with it's anti-armor minigun. The minigun was place at the forawrd tip of the helicopter while 4 missile launcher pods were stationed on it's armory wings, two hellfire and two high explosive. The bullets began to shred at the tank's armor, scrap metal tearing off and being left on the road starting to expose the insides of the vehicle.
Before the helicopter could do any more damage Hector fired the shell at the enemy. As Hector fully expected, when the shell came too close the the aircraft it activated it's defense and hit the projectile. Yet this time the shell delivered it's payload and did it menacingly. Napalm and fire spread out and fully consume the aircraft, napalm getting in the rotor base and melting other parts instantly.
Very soon the aircraft began to fail and burst into a fireball causing the rotors to stop and fall off. The fireball came down to the ground and exploded upon impact with surviving parts and smaller fireballs to spread out and liter the street. Korudo held his forearms up and celebrated.
Korudo- "Hahaha! Excellent job Hector! We would be dead if it weren't for you! Thank you!"
Hector- "No need to thank me Korudosutea, I only ask one thing in return."
Korudo- "Yes?"
Hector- "I am going to help you with your cause without a doubt but I ask for you to help me as well. In turn this will help the chances of Sekirei surviving even more."
Korudo- "Of course as long as we have similar goals. I appreciate your help a lot. First thing I can do to help you is get you repaired, you took some nasty hits."
Hector- "Me? Do you mean the tank? I am a separate entity from the tank. All I do is commandeer it just as a human drives a car. My existence can be transfered to multiple platforms on secure channels. Right now I am cut off from MBI, I did it myself knowing they would try to hack into my programming. That's why I asked you for your permission to give me complete control."
Korudo- "Interesting... Well we'll get the tank fixed either way. I think I have someone you'd be interested in meeting, the Sekirei Matsu. She's the Sekirei type that can handle technology and electronics. I think she can even repair you... err... the tank as well."
Hector- "Running database check... Yes, I know who you're talking about. An old friend of yours I see. Well I look forward to meeting the Sekirei. It will be a nice step towards reaching our goals. Now where is your place of residence?"
Korudo- "Certainly, and it's just up here. I think we already passed the Izumo Inn on our way here but luckily the helicopter crash was nowhere near it. Miya would be pissed beyond belief if it was in front of her property."
Hector- "Database check... Oh yes, Miya Asama. The only Sekirei to rival her is Karasuba with only you being superior. Karasuba is your former wife as well."
Korudo- "You seem to know a lot don't you? Oh stop just up here, the greyish white apartment complex is my home. But... What can you tell me about Karasuba?"
Hector- "Yes I do, I have an entire independent database of MBI locations, people and Sekirei Classified information. There isn't much on her concerning anything after 1999 to 2002. Other than your son being born and her becoming 'different' after your disappearance. All I have is that she resides with a known Ashikabi named Natuso Ichinomi. There are no traces of a sexual relationship or any romanticism at all. Though they are in an Ashikabi/Sekirei bond. She purely resides as an MBI servant and leader of the 3rd Generation Sekirei Disciplinary Squad."
Korudo- "That's a relief to hear honestly yet troubling still. It could be a lot worse... I already know of Natsuo, I was told back at the Izumo Inn but no one knows where he is now ever since the tower collapsed."
Hector stopped the tank just outside of the privacy fence to the property. Korudo opened the hatch and stuck the top half of his body out, looking around to see where the tank could park and reside in from the public. When he looked at the left wing he remembered there was barely anything there that was worth keeping. Or in this case worth keeping in one piece. Korudo decided to make a rash decision and just have Hector drive it into the side of the building.
Korudo- "There, the wall that's facing us on the left wing. Just drive right through it and make some room for yourself."
Hector- "Are you sure Korudosutea? It won't compromise the structural integrity of the left wing if I go in but it would be unattractive."
Korudo- "Hector I'm giving you a place to stay and hide, not trying to win the best home of the year. Now get in there..."
Hector didn't question him any further as Korudo went back down the hatch and drove right through the left side of the privacy fence, over the shrubbery and through the wall of the left wing. He went in a good distance and turned around, rotating and making more side room for the tank. Once the tank was facing towards the hole Hector killed the engine to conserve power.
Korudo- "Excellent. Yet I hear that human vehicles need fuel to keep the engines running and whatnot. What do I need for you?"
Hector- "The Black Paladin Prototype has a high-powered energy battery that is self-sufficient. When it is not in use the battery recovers whatever energy that has been lost. It is also extremely efficient, losing only .01% total battery capacity every year's worth of activation. This is thanks to the Sekirei technology harvested by MBI."
Korudo- "Oh... well that makes my job easier. Good to know. I guess I should clean you up now huh?"
Hector- "Yes, please. I prefer not to have dead bodies and human body matter stuffed and plastered in the back of the cabin like an evil secret."
Korudo- "Tch, yeah really..."
Korudo began to lift the bodies out starting with the two tank operators. He opened the hatch and used his strength to throw them out onto the floor, the bodies rolling down the side of the tank. When he got to the commander Hector stopped Korudo.
Hector- "Check the Commander's pockets for something. I've done some research on him and he seems to carry specialized ammunition for his magnum revolvers. If you find them keep them and be sure to take them to Matsu. She could possibly fabricate duplicates for you for when you need them."
Korudo- "Good idea, thanks!"
Korudo searched the commander's body for any extra ammunition or even special ammunition. After a minute of searching every pocket he came to the inside of the vest and there was a few cartidges that were labeled with colors. Korudo took them out and there were a total of 3 different types. The light blue was listed as "Nerve Killer" which acted as a lethal tranquilizer. Once it penetrated the body it would immediately work to disable the organisms nervous system and eventually the brain itself.
The second cartridge with a yellow color was labeled "Anti-Personel" which suggested it was useful against light armors and highly effective against flesh. The bullets had a drill tip to them so they would tear up more of the guts. The 3rd was labeled as "Anti-Armor" and color coded with a steel grey color. Although useful against all armor types it was suggested to be used against vehicles. It was described to have a touch of explosive chemicals so upon impact or at the latest penetration it would make a miniscule explosion to cause more damage.
Korudo thought this was very interesting and put the cartridges in his back pockets. Now that he had no more use for the body he dumped it out with the other two, climbing out to get some fresh air from the stench of blood and sweat. He put both of his feet on the ground and stretched, hearing a little crack in his knee and shaking it off. He looked around to see where he could dump the bodies and found a manhole to the sewer system.
He groaned and one by one he dragged the bodies over to the manhole. Once they were all over to it he lifted the cover and set it aside. He dragged the first body and dumped it down hearing a thud and splash but couldn't see it since it was too dark down there. He dumped the second body and wiped the sweat from his forehead. When he picked up the third body and held it over the manhole he heard a female voice behind him. Turns out it was Miya and she had a broom in her hand. She had her usual closed-eye happy face complexion.
Miya- "Hi Korudo..."
Korudo was a little frightened and dropped the body into the sewer as he turned to look to her.
Korudo- "Oh hey Miya... hehe..."
==(Ch6-ModernWIP): The Demon, The Psychopath, The Murderer that is My Wife==
Korudo felt a little embarassed from being startled like that but shook it off. He cleared his throat while lifting the manhole cover back over the hole.
Miya- "So what have you been doing today? You look like you went through a war..."
Which in a way was true. There were tears in his shirt in multiple places and each revealing little cuts. Dirt and other particles were caught in his clothes and gave it a roughed up and dirty look. Some dirt even stained his cheek and blood was all over his hands and head. Miya seemed happy but a lingering angered presence started to appear.
Korudo- "I uhh... I did some things... MBI got involved..."
Miya- "Then maybe would you have to do with that blazing fireball that crashed near my house?"
Miya stepped to the side and revealed the downed helicopter just barely near her property far down the street. From what he could see nothing was damaged besides the pavement. Tsukiumi used her powers to put out the fires and cool down the metal. Igneous rocks were even formed from the water meeting the napalm. Kusano, Musubi, Minato and the others just watched and wondered what as going on.
Korudo- "Oh... Well then... I was being attacked and that was the only way to bring it down before it could kill me. I didn't intend for it to be so close to your home..."
Miya- "I appreciate the thought Korudo but you should be more careful. You have more dangerous things to worry about."
She then tapped the top of his head with the wooden end of the broom causing Korudo to flinch and rub the area. He chuckled and apologized.
Korudo- "Ehh, I'm sorry Miya. I'll be more careful next time..."
Miya- "Good, now I need to get back to the young ones. Would you care to join us for supper later? Maybe help clean up the mess..."
Korudo- "Oh, of course! I'll be over once I clean myself up. I don't want to show up covered in blood and dirt, that would be poor manners."
Miya- "Excellent. See you later and watch what you do with that tank."
Korudo- "Yeah hehe, I'll try to. See ya."
Miya turned around and started to walk back to the Izumo Inn with the fires completely disappearing. With Korudo's body disposal chore finished he went back onto his property and walked down the stone walkway to the front door, opening it and closing it behind him. He wiped another sweat bead from his face as he went downstairs into the basement. With nothing else to wear he had no choice but to go naked and put all of his clothes except for his shoes into the washer. Most likely by the time he's done in the shower will the clothes be ready to dry.
He went back to the first floor and all the way upstairs completely naked, looking out the windows constantly to see if anybody was peeping. When he stepped into the master suite's bathroom he noticed there were still some towels left behind. Korudo picked one up and unfolded it to lay it on the ground for when he gets out so the dripping water doesn't make him slip and fall. He then turned on the shower and let it warm up, wanting a nice and relaxing heat so soothe his body of all the tension.
When the shower was ready he stepped in and some time passed, roughly a half hour. He got out and dried himself off with another towel, once he was finished with it he wrapped it around his waist and left the bathroom to go get his ready-to-dry clothes in the basement. As he made his way downstairs he started to hear faint voices of a group of people. His eyes widened as he stopped and silently opened the door from the stairs to the master suite and saw into the lobby room.
Turns out Seo and his Lightning Twins decided to stop by and pay a visit without warning. He couldn't help but make a sigh yet luckily they didn't see him yet. Bad part is the stairs to the basement were on the other side of them and Korudo didn't want to go out half naked. He had to find a way over there without being caught. He went back upstairs to think of something.
Korudo re-entered his bedroom and went up to the main window, catching some fresh air to think more clearly. As he looked at the view he noticed in the corner of his eye that the window had a ledge that connected the entire length of the walls outside. He could use it to sneak to the other side and hopefully climb through a window to get back inside. He lifted his leg over the window sill and got a foot down on the ledge, holding the sides of the window frame to keep him steady.
As he climbed out fully into the ledge he pushed himself up against the wall and began to strafe down the side of the building. Only a few steps in did he encounter his first problem when his towel began to loosen. Korudo quickly caught it just as it fell off, leaving him exposed in public view. It was bad enough he was already trying to scale a building half naked. He needed to find a way to keep it securely on him as he did acrobatic moves and deal with the wind.
He thought of the only way it was be securely on him was the most embarassing, a towel diaper. He groaned and his face grew miserable as he intertwined the towel between his legs and fastening it into the appropriate fashion. Once he was done he began to scale the ledge again, getting closer and closer to the end of the wall. He looked out to the street for a moment and luckily there was no one walking by.
At last Korudo was over the window he needed to climb through. He turned around on the ledge so his chest was facing the wall and slowly let himself down, only holding himself up by his hands on the ledge. He then let go and landed his feet on the ground perfectly, the green grass and dirt cushioning his fall. He looked inside to see where his uninvited guests were and they weren't within sight.
Korudo grabbed the little fancy lever on the window and turned it and pushed it upwards silently. He then climbed through it looking around a lot to be sure he wasn't caught. He could still heard the talking though, the change between male and female as it echoed through the halls. He couldn't see them in the main lobby from where he was so he had the perfect chance. Korudo tip-toed towards the basement door and held the knob, slowly turning it but only doing so made a loud creeking noise.
The voices heard this and quickly came to check it out. With the sounds of footsteps coming around the corner Korudo looked back at the door and ripped it open but felt a chill run down his spine. He whipped his head right to look behind him from sixth sense and he just froze in place. Seo, Hikari and Hibiki looked dead at Korudo and his towel diaper. Korudo's face made a shocked and horrified expression not moving an inch. After a moment of silence Seo bursted out laughing as the Lightning Twins just looked in a mix of dissapointment and disgust. Seo could only mutter words since he was laughing so hard.
Hikari- "So this is the guy that's trying to save everything?"
Hibiki- "And is the husband of Karasuba?"
Korudo broke out of his embarassment and sighed, donning a more serious look.
Korudo- "Yeah yeah yeah whatever. You can thank me later for killing 30 or so soldiers and an advanced attack helicopter. Don't believe me? Ask the tank in the left wing or go check out the crash down near Miya. Until then I'll be back in 10 minutes. I gotta go get my clothes, my only set of clothes."
Seo calmed down and the twins were wondering what he was talking about concerning the tank. Hibiki looked around the corner to the left and saw an inactive tank down the left wing's hallway. You could see how it made it's way in here and made itself comfortable. Yet to ask a tank something? Tanks normally don't speak.
Seo- "Tehehe, alright. Whatever you say. After you get back we're gonna get out of here. We just wanted to come by and see the new digs you got. It's a pretty big place... I can imagine it would get lonely."
Before Korudo went downstairs he thought of something. Being the nice guy he was and knowing that Seo had a tough time getting money, he made him an offer.
Korudo- "Hey Seo, you've been good to me so far. You've helped me meet most of my old friends again and I can't pay you enough for it. Yet as a way to try, would you want to move into one of the apartments here? Completely free. All I ask is further help in future plans."
Seo was a little shocked by Korudo's generosity seeing as though things are hard enough for everyone in this town. Being trusted so much is a good thing. Seo sighed and gave him an answer.
Seo- "Well I wish you could have asked me while fully dressed but... I don't think I'm in much of a position to deny you. I think it'll be better overall if we moved here. Besides, we'll be able to pay for food finally."
Korudo- "You sure? I must seem like a stranger to you."
Seo- "Like I said, I have no option really. Anything's better than the setup I have now. Besides, even though you're shady as hell and came out of nowhere, the older Sekirei know you and trust you especially Miya. That definitely says something. So when can I move in?"
Korudo- "Teh, thank you. It means something to hear that. And anytime you're ready, just pick whatever apartment you want and move in. I'd help move your stuff but I have a lot of plans to keep."
Seo- "Great and no problem at all. I just... I just have to thank you a lot. I uhh... I'm not usually the one to get sappy but I owe you just as much as you owe me I guess. You've helped me able to buy food for my girls... We don't quite have to worry about money as much anymore. Maybe even pay back what I owe for Miya."
Korudo- "Don't mention it. I already appreciate the fact that you try hard to care for your Sekirei and you treat them well. That's all I've ever hoped from humankind. I'll be headed over to Miya's after I get my clothes dry so go ahead and check out the place. Oh, tell the tank that you're a friend of mine. When it sees Hikari and Hibiki it'll assume you're an ally anyway. Now can I go get my damn clothes?"
Seo- "Yeah hehe, sure. See you later."
Hikari- "Thank you sir, you seem to be really shaping up to who you say you are."
Korudo smiled as he felt more appreciated for his efforts and generosity. The only thing that truly mattered to him was his wife's, son's, friends' and all of the Sekirei's well being. Seo and his Sekirei walked away to where the tank was as Korudo went downstairs for his clothes. He stepped down the now more clearly lit stairs and went towards the washing machine to take the load out and transfer it to the dryer. He just stood there and patiently waited while thinking of how things were going upstairs with Hector, Seo and the twins.
Back on the first floor the Ashikabi and his Sekirei went up to the black and sleek battle tank that rested silently in the newly excavated garage. Each of them looked at almost every detail as they walked up by it's side and went in front of it. They didn't know how it was self-aware and were surprised to see the tank cannon quickly aimed to them and the engine igniting. Hikari and Hibiki stood in battle stances while Seo remained in between them and held out his hands to hold them off. Seo trusted Korudo on his word of the tank. It was now time to be tested as the voice spoke to them.
Hector- "Are you friend or foe?"
Seo- "Friend."
Hector- "For what reason?"
Seo- "Korudosutea sent us to talk to you, we're friends of his and wanted us to speak to each other. We also share the same goals in most ways. I too want the Sekirei to be safe, at the very least my own."
Hector- "Running database check... You are Seo Kaoru and the two females standing beside you must be Hikari and Hibiki. Sekirei/Ashikabi status confirmed. A pleasure to meet you Seo, Hikari and Hibiki as well. I apologize if I startled you, MBI is everywhere and wants us dead."
Seo- "Likewise."
Hikari and Hibiki- "Agreed."
The Lightning Twins loosened up and went back to standing normally as Seo rested his arms at his sides and put his hands in his pockets. Hector "loosened up" as well and returned the cannon to it's forward and straight position. Seo was curious as to why a tank was helping out Korudosutea. Now was his chance to find out. He began to ask questions concerning what happened but nothing too deep as Hector's origins.
Soon later, Korudo's clothes dried nicely and he wore them straight out of the dryer. He had that nice freshly cleaned clothes smell on him and he kinda liked it, stretching to make sure the clothes still fit him as they did before. He then walked back upstairs and saw Seo, Hikari and Hibiki talking to Hector and was glad to see no one misunderstood each other. Korudo waved to them announcing his departure.
Korudo- "Hey! I'm gonna head over to Miya's now, I'll be back afterwards or at least later. Good luck moving in and have a nice afternoon."
Seo- "Yep!"
Hikari- "See ya!"
Korudo then left out the front door and down the pathway to the street, making his way down to the Izumo Inn to accept Miya's invite. On the way there he began to think of things with his hands in his pockets and nothing to bother him. Immediately what came to mind was was his wife Karasuba. He missed her a lot and wanted to see what was going on with her. He knew that she knew that killing the Sekirei was very wrong, especially since there are so few compared to the millions on their home planet. Something must have really tipped her over the edge.
His thoughts continued but were kept in the back of his mind now that he arrived at the Izumo. No one was outside since most likely they were preparing for dinner. He knocked on the door gently and awaited to be accepted in, he's not one to just allow himself entry. The door slid open and Minato was the one to greet him this time.
Minato- "Oh hey Korudo! Thanks for stopping by, go ahead and take a seat at the table in the dining room. Supper will be ready very soon."
Korudo- "Ahh, Minato! Of course, I couldn't resist seeing my friends again.... and a free meal *cough*"
Korudo and Minato laughed as he came inside and closed the door behind him. They both went ahead into the dining room and took their seats at the table, sitting comfortably on the floor. Minato sat across from Korudo as they were the only ones there for the moment. Miya and the others were busy doing other things for the moment. This was a good time to ask Minato one of the burdening things he has to think about.
Korudo- "Hey Minato, can I ask you a question?"
Minato- "Yeah, what is it?"
Korudo- "I think it's obvious what the answer is but, do you treat your Sekirei well?"
Minato- "Of course, I care for each one of them. I owe them so much..."
Korudo- "Good, that's what I wanted to hear. I also hear that Matsu and Kazehana are winged because of you. I hope that you're treating them nicely as well. As you might know by now, they're my old friends. We've been through a lot together, enough to last a person an entire life of war. They are truly powerful but don't just use them as weapons. I know you know not to Minato, but after all this they just want to stop and be happy. That's what I'm fighting for."
Minato- "And that's what I am too, Korudosutea. I would have tried my best to keep them safe and happy either way, knowing how much they went through or not. I already think it's a lot for what this Sekirei Plan is putting them through. Especially for the younger ones like Musubi."
Korudo- "Very true Minato. I won't be the person to say that the older Sekirei have much more problems than the new generation. When facing death and threats to love and prosperity, we all are in the same boat."
Minato- "Korudosutea, I'm glad we have your help. I've heard some things about you from Miya, Matsu and Kazehana and each thought that was said was great. Even though the situation must be an emergency or very well planned out to ensure safety, you have the support of my Sekirei. If we work together and not just be allies by word, the liberation of the Sekirei will be just that much easier. Although already it is quite a challenge."
Korudo- "Then I say likewise, I thank you a lot for what you do. I wouldn't endanger your Sekirei until I very much need them. Trust me, I know when to call them."
Minato- "Your welcome and thank you. Oh hey guys!"
The rest of the residents of the Izumo Inn entered the room and said their greetings to another. Miya and Kusano came in with the food and they all began to eat, engaging in conversations and laughing about their day. Korudosutea sat and ate a little more quietly, seeing this made him nostalgic and miss the feeling of this kind of unity. The days of when he was young like most of the Sekirei and had good times with his friends.
Towards the end of the meal when everyone was finishing up and returning their plates, Korudosutea took one last bite before standing up and stretching. Miya was already finished and had returned her plate allowing him to properly thank her and say goodbye.
Korudo- "Thanks for the meal once again Miya, I'll try to find my own food somewhere so I can stop bugging you."
Miya- "Oh no it's fine, if I have to repeat myself I will. It's what friends are for Korudo, you can stop by anytime. So what are your plans now? Rest hopefully?"
Korudo- "Hehe, alright Miya. And no, I can't rest if there's still things need to be done. Right now I need to walk around again, hopefully this time without an army trying to kill me..."
Miya- "Whatever you're going to do, good luck."
Musubi- "Yes, Korudosutea, be safe!"
Tsukiumi- "I hope not to put out another fire again..."
Korudo- "Teh, yeah I'll try not to bring anything here. Goodbye everyone."
Everyone said their goodbyes one after another as Korudo left the Izumo Inn. The color of the sky showed that it was becoming evening and hopefully not as many hostile Sekirei and Ashikabi will be out, maybe MBI soldiers as well. He began to walk down the street again and take a stroll around the neighborhood.
Surprisingly for a while no one was around which made Korudo suspicious and cautious. Even looking down the streets carefully as he passed by them he saw absolutely no one. He knew all the residents that didn't have jobs in grocery stores had to be evacuated and even those who stayed hid nearly all day and stayed in their homes or stores. Reason why only those stayed is because the Sekirei and Ashikabi need food too. MBI wouldn't waste resources transporting food for free.
When Korudo came to a smaller street that seemed more like a larger alleyway he felt a chill up his spine. It had been a couple hours after the escape and maybe MBI was planning something, or maybe already has. When his sixth sense kicked in he looked behind him, only to see a young female with lightish red hair in a ponytail and red eyes standing twenty feet away. When he noticed that she was wearing the Disciplinary outfit he knew what steps they took to get rid of him.
She stood there with a grin as Korudo turned around to face her. He could already sense she was strong but didn't know what her power was specifically. Yet if she was from the Disciplinary Squad and under Karasuba's leadership, she was going to be brutal and fast. Korudo felt his sides and felt nothing, meaning he forgot to bring his revolvers to help protect himself. He didn't want to kill a Sekirei anyway provided he could survive.
Korudo- "What do you want?"
Disciplinary Sekirei- "If you can tell who I am then you'll know exactly what..."
Korudo- "Alright young Sekirei, what's your name?"
Benitsubasa- "I am Benitsubasa, Number 105. One of the three Sekirei in the Disciplinary Squad 3rd Generation, and most likely the last person you'll see."
Korudo- "Right. Like I've never been told that before."
Benitsubasa became irritated a little and wasn't very good at holding back her anger."
Benitsubasa- "Listen you old piece of crap! MBI wants you dead and they called for us to take you out! I can make this quick and simple if you just stand still!"
Korudo- "Old!? Don't go throwing age accusations around like that when you look like you're still in elementary school!"
Benitsubasa- "WHAT!? That's it! You're in for a really bad day grandpa!"
Korudo- "Oh ho ho! Little girl's gonna grow up! Show this old dog some new tricks eh?"
Benitsubasa growled n completely anger as she charged toward him with immense speed, pulling back her right arm to prepare for the first blow. Korudo only had a split second to decide on what to do since he could already tell she was a fist type. Luckily he trained under Yume for a while so he would be able to hold her off until he could figure out a way to get out of this. As she reached him Korudo dodged left and attempted a punch to her stomach.
Benitsubasa was a Fist Type in the Disciplinary Squad for a reason, immediately reading his movement and block his fist with her left hand. She then threw him to the left hard and smashed him against the wall. Since he wasn't a fully powered Sekirei anymore or even have any powers his body is weak compared to the new generation. After the smash he landed on his knees and made a cough, rising to his feet to only see her charging at him once again. Noticing it to be a head blow he quickly ducked and shifted right.
Not letting him attempt another punch, Benitsubasa kicked him in the gut and roundhouse kick him in the face for another strike. Korudo stumbled back fast and almost lost his foothold, grunting and holding his hand over his mouth for a second. He then looked at her with a bit more fierceness and prepared for her next move. She somersaulted back to get some distance and jumped in the air to attack overhead. As she plummeted down Korudo waited for the right moment to make his move. Just as she drew near at the quick speed she was going Korudo moved to the right again dodging her right downcoming punch. In return Korudo brought his fist fast up into her gut. Her attack was powerful but was open to anyone smart enough to see where she was vulnerable.
Hitting her hurt his hand but the damage to her was a lot more than an ordinary punch. Korudo used her momentum against her to make his attack more potent. Benitsubasa let out a loud grunt and held her stomach which gave Korudo the opportunity to make another strike. He made a strong right hook that aimed straight for her face but she was quick to react too. She blocked him with her left hand again yet Korudo brought up his left leg to kick her up the chin. The blow didn't land once more as she caught the ankle with her right hand and flipped him back. He tried to land on his feet but wasn't successful as he landed hard on his back.
From the impact on the ground, Korudo lost his bearings and became dizzy for a second with his hands close to his face. Benitsubasa made no hesitations as she walked up to him and brought her foot down hard onto his stomach. He let out a short and loud yell out of the pain as his eyes squinted and teeth grit. She had a smirk on her face that was a mix of anger, annoyance and a boastful triumph.
Benitsubasa- "Aww, I was hoping you were going to last longer since you were so confident in yourself. It's time for this old dog to be put down right? Too bad I can't make it quick for you, hahaha!"
She then mercilessly began to beat him down, beginning by kick his side hard to turn him over on his chest. Knowing he tried to get up she let him get on his knees and then kicked him in the gut once more. He fell to the ground immediately yet still struggled to fight back. Ultimately he was helpess to only get beaten more and more until his body couldn't take it. He was rolled onto his back as Benitsubasa slammed her knee into his abdomen and began to beat his face. Taking right and left hooks to each side as he was being used as a punching bag. More blood came from his face the more she went at him, bruises already forming on his cheeks and his conciousness fading away. He tried to fight back but when he punched her face in only made her skin shift, no real damage could be seen.
Just when his body was about give in, a deeper and more mature voice said "Enough!". The command echoed in his mind as Benitsubasa stopped beating his face to a pulp and looked up to where it came from. He was too out of it to move yet his mind was racing from the voice. Only one person came to mind that could match that voice, the only person that had that much anger and hatred stained into her demeanor. Benitsubasa argued with the voice but the woman only became more angry. The sound of clacks from a heel landed near and came towards them fast.
An unknown hand grabbed the red-haired Sekirei's shoulder and threw her off of Korudo. He tried to look towards the female that took charge and could barely tell who it was since the sun was in his eyes and didn't give much detail to her body. He put his elbows on the ground and brought his chest up slowly to sit up. Benitsubasa jumped onto a building and went out of sight, now it was just him and the woman. The woman's attention went back to Korudo and showed her face well. When he saw who it was his eyes opened wide out of shock.
Korudo- "K-Karasuba!?"
Karasuba- "Get up..."
Karasuba, his beloved wife and terror among the new generation of Sekirei used both hands to grab him by his collar and lift him up to his feet. Her expression was nothing but coldness and detachment as she now could see her former husband back from the dead after 15 years. Korudo stumbled as his body was weak and tried to keep his focus on Karasuba. He had mixed feelings but most of them were of worry and care. She obviously didn't seem to share the same thoughts. She stood there staring at him until he opened up first.
Korudo- "Karasuba... I... I'm sorry..."
Karasuba- "Say sorry to yourself. You died 15 years ago because you let yourself become vulnerable. By you dying, so did I and I became detached from our bond. That's what happens when the other spouse dies right? Since our bond was broken and I was revived by MBI I was able to make a new bond with that Ichinomi kid...
Korudo- "Karasuba..."
Karasuba unsheathed her katana and held the end of the blade up to Korudo's throat, giving him the eyes of heartlessness and death. Before she slit his throat and leave him to bleed to death, Korudo asked her a question.
Korudo- "... Do you have feelings for your new ashikabi?"
Karasuba- "... No... I don't... we're empty together. I was winged by him but there's nothing between us. You were the only real love I had...
Korudo- "Even if you still had feelings for me, it doesn't matter now does it?"
Karasuba- "I guess not, Korudosutea. I guess not...
Karasuba kept the blade to his throat and moved to his side to stop behind him. She turned the blade away from him so the handle of the sword faced his back. Her head bowed slightly so a sorrowful shade covered her eyes. Even if her nature was to kill she still couldn't harm Korudosutea. There was a reason she allowed him to be. So instead of ending him, he gave him a second chance. She hit Korudo in the back of the head with the hand of the katana in a flash. Sending him to the ground face first and knocked out. Karasuba looked down at him with an expressionless face but there was a lot going on inside her. She just walked away and let him be.
==(Ch7-ModernWIP): The Next in Line==
Korudosutea came back to his senses and woke up from being knocked out. With a headache that bothered him the moment he awakened, his vision cleared and all he could see was a plain white ceiling above him. At first he thought he was in the hospital due to the damage he took from Benitsubasa but realized there wasn't an I.V in his arm. He looked around and saw Seo and himself back in his apartment complex in Seo's residence. Korudo groaned and tried to get up but felt sore all around his body. Seo smirked and walked up to him to tap his shoulder.
Seo- "Hey go ahead and rest, you took a pretty bad beating. I'm genuinely surprised that you aren't dead right now considering that I heard you went against the Disciplinary Squad out of nowhere. How did you survive anyway?" 
Korudosutea rested back and sighed. A few bandages were wrapped around certain parts of his body that had heavy bruising such as his abdomen and face. As he was about to tell how he lived he looked out the window to see that it was morning but around 12:00 PM. The dream and meeting Karasuba once again made his heart sink from knowing that their bond is gone. Korudo then looked to Seo to give him the answer.
Korudo- "Karasuba intervened the beating Benitsubasa gave me and spared me. From it I learned that she actually has formed a new bond with someone, that Natsuo Ichinomi person... So I have no bond with anyone while the only person I want to be with is taken. I don't think there's a way to get her back either..."
Seo- "Well I can say you're lucky yet unlucky. I'm just glad you're alive and not in the morgue. Maybe someday you'll have a connection with her again, even I can tell that her sparing you means that she still has feelings. By her sparing you, that says you actually mean something to her. If you were anyone else your corpse would be in half."
Korudo- "Yeah, you're right... I just need to figure out what to do. The plan of getting Karasuba back is gone unless something happens to prove otherwise. Only options I have left are to either find my son and see how he is or cause some disruption within the MBI's military."
Seo- "Whatever you do, just let me know if you need help. Otherwise at least rest for a few hours, your injuries should at least be managable and let you walk around. I need to go out with the twins to get some things, we'll be back soon."
Korudo- "Alright man, take care."
Seo- "See ya."
Hikari and Hibiki said their goodbyes as well when they came from the other room and left with Seo. Korudo was left alone to rest on their couch until his injuries were to get better. Out of boredom he looked around and saw that Seo was doing good for himself. He was keeping the apartment clean and tidy and there was even some food that doesn't need to be refridgerated lying around like bread and fruit. He didn't want to peep in the fridge but he could tell that they were able to buy more food. From what Korudo learned before, that was a luxery even Seo couldn't have. From Korudo's generosity Seo was able to provide for his Sekirei which made it all worth it. Amazing how fast it improved as well, it's barely been even a day. Maybe Korudo caught Seo at a good time.
As some time went by in personal thought and meditation, Korudo tried to get up but his bruises still hurt and kept him from moving freely so he had no choice but to keep himself down. He looked over to the table and saw his two revolvers that he snatched the other day. As he stretched his arm to grab one of them his side hurt which made him groan a bit. To his prevail he grabbed one and brought it to himself, inspecting it and realizing he never really got to use them. Korudo really wanted to try them out but obviously it would have to wait. He wouldn't waste a bullet and just fire it at a wall or in the air.
While aiming it at the ceiling a random thought crossed his mind but this thought was actually very troubling. The love of his life, Karasuba, is not within his grasp anymore. She's already gone with another man and it hurts him regardless if her and Natsuo's relationship is void. It's a bond that's lost forever and it would take a miracle never known in Sekirei history to fix everything. Even if now that Karasuba will most likely be an enemy that won't have any mercy for him anymore, his mission was still to save his child Shiina and all the other Sekirei. That was his duty as a Sekirei Reaper, to protect his race at all costs.
Korudo put the revolver back down on the table and draped his arm over the couch staring at the ceiling. As the relaxation of his body and mind got to him he began to fall asleep again. Time went by once more and it came to 3:00 PM, Seo and his Sekirei still weren't home yet but that didn't bother Korudo too much. He woke up a bit faster thanks to his bruises healing up and his sore muscles recovering from their fatigue. Even if he didn't have powers, he still had a strong recovery system like any Sekirei. He got up and moved around to loosen up his body, walking out into the open courtyard while putting back on his shirt and his revolvers tucked into his pants. He learned the lesson of always carrying them otherwise things may get ugly again.
Korudo stretched and heard a crack in his knee, definitely feeling it which made him groan and shake it. He began to walk again towards the street and pass through the gate. Deciding to go the other way this time, he made a right so he was going away from Miya's house and to the part of town he hasn't gone to yet. As he walked down the street, he noticed there were much more residential buildings than stores. Rather there were barely any at all, just a game store and a comic book one.
He walked a few blocks and took in all the scenery and silence, it seemed as if there wasn't any commotion going on in that sector. After all it is the North, all of the Sekirei and Ashikabi know of Miya's strength and intimidation. Amidst the silence an earth-breaking rumble disrupted the peace. Korudo felt the ground beneath his feet shake a bit and immediately became curious of the situation. Due to the circumstances of the city it could be a building that is coming apart or a Sekirei in battle. The only time the MBI military comes into play is when Korudosutea gets discovered, otherwise they'd never hunt Sekirei.
Korudo judged where the quake came from and ran towards it, dashing through the street and a few alleyways until he sensed another shift. He continued to spring in the direction until as he turned the corner, a young man hit his shoulder along Korudo's. Korudo stumbled a bit to the right and almost fell over as the young man with silver-white hair and grey eyes went against the wall. He was wearing a black outfit and somewhat resembled a kimino but leather-like and modern. Korudo then heard a female voice but it's portrayal was sassy and angry.
Female- "Watch out you idiot! We're trying not to get killed here!"
The girl tended to the young guy, most likely an Ashikabi-Sekirei couple. Korudosutea noticed that she was also wearing a black outfit with black hair and in the style of what humans call emo, punk or gothic. He couldn't really tell the difference at first. The young man looked at Korudo and he looked back. Within a split second Korudo felt a connection, but not like a bond for a lover but something else. His heart beat hard as he realized who it truly was. He couldn't help but say his name loudly with surprise.
Korudo- "Shiina!"
Shiina immediately held his hand up to Korudo with his palm facing the older man. He gave him a stern look as well as the girl, not wanting Korudo to continue in case he was trying to kill him too.
Shiina- "Listen, I don't want any trouble with you. I don't know if you're after me but stay away. I don't want to kill anyone..."
Korudo- "No I'm not after you so don't worry, please trust me. I actually only want to help you and your Ashikabi."
Shiina's eyes widened a little in disbelief and curiousity, looking over to his Ashikabi to see what she was thinking. Being the spitfire she is, she had an answer immediately.
Yukari- "I'm Yukari and this is my Sekirei, Shiina in case you didn't know already. If you want us to trust you then how can you prove that we aren't wasting our time? Please hurry up, we managed to lose that Single-Number for a bit."
Korudo- "I'm Korudosutea and I definitely know who Shiina is. I'll explain that later but who's after you?"
Yukari- "Okay then... It's #5 Mutsu..."
Korudo- "... I can see how that's a problem. I'll intercept him on the condition of you go where I tell you. I know that seems creepy and untrustworthy but hey, we're having a building exercise right?"
Yukari raised an eyebrow and Shiina didn't know how to react. She sighed and gave in to the thought of trusting Korudo.
Yukari- "Okay fine, you hold off Mutsu while we go where you want us to. You better take us to a safe place..."
Korudo- "Good. If you head down that alleyway and make it to a street where there's a game store and a comic book store. Then dash down the street and you should come to an apartment complex in the shape of a square U. Go ahead and enter it but if you see anybody be sure to say, 'Korudo sent us.' got it?"
Shiina- "Yeah, gotchya. Thanks a lot mister, I hope you're able to survive."
Korudo- "I've been around for a while, I know how to deal with these things. Now go! I can sense he's near..."
Shiina and Yukari left quickly without saying a word, holding their hands together as they ran down the alleyway and out of Korudo's sight. He made a gentle smile as he saw that Shiina was doing well for himself, most importantly he found his Ashikabi. He became serious after having the moment of reassurance and looking around for any signs of his enemy. Korudo held his hands on his revolvers as he heard a sound but then he looked above to see Mutsu coming down with his blade ready to split Korudo in two. Having strong reflexes Korudo somersaulted back and took out his revolvers, his aim set directly on Mutsu.
Korudo- "It's been a while Mutsu, glad to see you're still okay..."
Mutsu flicked his sword down to the ground while standing still, his eyes dead set on Korudo's.
Mutsu- "It certainly has... I'm personally amazed you're still alive. Everyone thought you were dead, even Karasuba. Well, she thought that shortly before she died as well. So... does that make you and Karasuba... ghosts?"
Korudosutea knew fully what he was talking about. As said when the Ashikabi dies so does the Sekirei. So when one of the spouses in a Sekirei relationship dies the other does as well. It's a holy bond that is kept sacredly. Normally they stay dead but somehow MBI has found the technology to revive and give back Sekirei their life and powers. This was exempted from Korudo of course, only given life and spared his abilities. Yet since they both died and the bond was broken, Karasuba was able to choose another Ashikabi. Korudosutea on the other hand can't but he can still love and care for a special person. He still strives for Karasuba even if it may be a lost cause.
Korudo- "Maybe it does but we can still effect this world. I'm trying my best to make as much of a dent I can before I move on..."
Mutsu- "Hm... Well I don't know how long you'll last but I know you. You're not easy to take down... to humans anyway. Yet to me, it's a different story... Let me pass or I will use force."
Korudo- "Maybe if it was for a different reason, but I know you're after my son and that's inexcusable. I know that you know that the young man was Shiina. I only just met him after being gone his whole life and I'll be damned if I miss him any longer! Go back Mutsu or I won't be afraid to kill you either..."
Mutsu's eyes narrowed and the grip on his katana tightened, knowing that he would have to fight Korudosutea to complete his mission. He then scraped his blade fast on the ground to create a little spark and ready himself for a fight.
Mutsu- "Fine then. We're going to fight right here. Good luck trying to kill me..."
Korudo- "So be it..."
Both of the men stared each other down as they awaited for the other to make the first move. Having the advantage of ranged weaponry, Korudo opened the fight with a shot from his right revolver. The bullet came from the barrel like a bat out of hell but Mutsu brought up his sword in an upward strike to cut the bullet in half. With the blade already up, he positioned it so it was like a spear and dashed towards Korudo for his retaliation. Mutsu was fast but Korudo knew the instant he fixed the blade, at the right time he quickly shifted his body right to dodge the strike and performed a roundhouse kick aimed for Mutsu's head. Mutsu ducked from the kick and thrusted his sword up to Korudo. Korudo responded by blocking the blade with the underside of his right revolver and moving it away from him.
Korudo then pointed his left revolver at Mutsu's stomach and almost pulled then trigger when his opponent headbutt him. This sent Korudo stumbling back a little and grunting at the pain. This gave the opportunity for Mutsu to kick him in the gut and get more distnce been himself and his enemy. Deciding to take the abilities approach, Mutsu stabbed his katana blade into the ground and flicked it forward and up as he did before to make the spark, but this time pieces of earth erupted from the ground and raced towards Korudo. He was able to recover just in time to jump onto the rock pillar that came up just in front of him and get a boost for a larger jump.
As he was in the air and coming down, he shot four rounds total from both of his revolvers as Mutsu deflected each one. Korudo was counting on that to distract the Sekirei and it did. He still has six more shots left in the cartridges. At the last moment before he reached Mutsu, he extended his leg into a kick and landed it perfectly on his face. Having brought them both down to the ground, Korudo rolled as Mutsu's head hit the ground. He turned around to see Mutsu already getting up and holding his head with his face down. Korudo took a deep breath and held his revolvers up to Mutsu once again to prepare himself.
Mutsu shot Korudosutea a scowl and raised his hand to him, motioning him to continue the fight and make the first move. Korudo grinned and dashed towards his enemy but Mutsu stopped him in his tracks with a quick swipe of his sword that was followed by a rock pillar which landed a strike on Korudo's side. This sent him flying to the left from Mutsu's perspective and into a pile of trash. The clunking sound of cans and crinkling of the trash came from Korudo's landing. He scuffled in it noting how disgusting it was while Mutsu laughed silently to himself.
Mutsu- "Is that fitting for you Korudosutea?"
Korudo- "Oh shut up Mutsu..."
The expression on Mutsu's face immediately became serious as he heard the sound of an engine come from the alleyway behind him. He looked back and saw that it was his Ashikabi's car, meaning that it was time to wrap their little fight up.
Mutsu- "Hm... Mikogami's here. I'll have to finish this now before I waste any more time."
Korudosutea got out of the trash just to see Mutsu strike the tip of his blade straight down into the ground, causing another small earthquake to make Korudo unsteady. He tried to brace himself as much as he could but he wasn't triumphant in doing so. To his downfall, Mutsu made a strike on the ground once more that gave a powerful blow to Korudo's gut that nearly knocked him out. He fell to his knees and planted his forehead on the crumbled ground, trying to breathe and stop gagging. His wounds and bruises from when he fought Benitsubasa came back from being healed, the cuts and scars bleeding all over him. His revolvers dropped beside him on the ground. Mutsu said nothing and just walked away to Mikogami's car.
Mutsu opened and closed the door as he got in, sitting next to his Ashikabi and looking straight forward in thought. Mikogami opened up by asking how things went.
Mikogami- "So... How was chasing Number 107?"
Mutsu- "Well, it was unsuccessful, but I saw a ghost today."
Mikogami- "Really!? Was it scary?"
Mutsu- "He used to be but he lost it. He should be dead but he's back."
Mikogami- "Oh, is he going to haunt you?"
Mutsu- "He's going to haunt a few people... In time, it will be me especially..."
Mikogami- "Hmm... We should get an exorcist or something!"
Mutsu- "Hm... Yeah, I guess we should...'"
Mutsu couldn't help but make a gentle smile while looking out the window from his Ashikabi's naivete. They drove down the street back to their home while Korudo was still recovering in the alleyway. He coughed a few more times and managed to very slowly raised himself. He put his hand on the rock pillar that hit him in the stomach and used to to aid him in standing. After a few more moments he stood up fully with his hand on his stomach, a bit of blood seeping from his mouth. It was just from the internal bleeding, no big deal. He looked up at the sky and stared off into the blue, taking a deep breath while closing his eyes.
Korudo thought about how he's going to have to deal with yet another Sekirei after him. He's lucky enough that they have limiters set on them but they're still fully able to kill him. His battle experience and reflexes are the only thing really saving him. He groaned as he realized he would have to walk back home, so he began to take step by step without over-exhausting himself.
Meanwhile back at the apartment complex Shiina and Yukari found their way there but before entering through the gate, they decided to check it out from the sidewalk.
Shiina- "Do you think this is it?"
Yukari- "Well, it looks like what he described. Down the street from the game store and everything. So wanna go in now?"
Shiina- "Yeah, let's do it."
The young couple walked through the fancy metal gate and walked cautiously through the courtyard, looking out for any signs of people that might try to stop them. The man did warn them that if anyone approached them while they were there, they would have to say the phrase "Korudo sent us." So far no one has come out but they did hear an engine roar from the left wing. The wing that they definitely noticed had large hole in it. The engine's roar was deep and echoing too, making the vehicle out to be something fierce. They both stopped on the concrete path and looked in the directing of the wing. Abruptly, a black tank rode out into the open and turned it's turret directly at the couple. It halted before them and was ready to fire.
Out of defense and car, he put himself in front of Yukari and she put his hand on his shoulder. She was a little frightened but more so angered. Shiina then remembered what the man taught them. He shout out the safety phrase.
Shiina- "Korudo sent us! We're friends, not foes!"
The tank did nothing in response but that only meant it worked. Moments later, the tank spoke back to him in a kind voice.
Hector- "Sekirei Number 107 Shiina and his Ashikabi Yukari. Nice to meet the both of you, I am Hector. The A.I inhabiting this tank. If Korudo sent you then it must mean that you will do no harm and are very welcome to stay here."
Shiina loosened up and Yukari stepped to his side. They were very curious how the man made a friend like this but they were just glad nothing bad happened.
Yukari- "Okay then... Glad you didn't blow us apart. Nice to meet you too Hector."
Shiina- "Same."
Hector- "You can go on in. Surely Korudosutea will be back soon."
Yukari- "Hopefully... we still owe him a little. He saved our lives from being hunted a few blocks away."
Hector- "Interesting. Well I should go back to monitoring, let me know if you need anything."
Shiina- "Thank you..."
Hector rolled the tank back into the shadows of the garage, staying guard over the apartments. Becoming acquainted with the security of the place, the couple felt a little more safe yet curious about how this came to be. They continued into the apartment complex's main lobby, which wasn't as big as it sounds. It's more of a main room where people check in and out. As Shiina and Yukari opened the doors they noticed it was very quiet inside and nobody was around, unknowing of the other 3 residents that lived here aside from Korudo which happened to still be out.
Shiina looked around while Yukari noted it wasn't too shabby. They certainly found the place that the man told them to go so now they could rest, easing their tension and sitting down on the sofa in the middle of the room. Then a thought crossed the young man's mind. Korudo, the person he bumped into, seemed very... interesting to him. As if he knew him or was involved with him somehow. His hair color was similar but not much of the face or demeanor. Shiina is very innocent looking while it's obvious Korudo has seen better days.
Shiina- "Hey Yukari..."
Yukari- "Yes Shiina?"
Shiina- "That man... he was awfully kind to us. Why do you think he did so?"
Yukari- "I don't honestly know... He knew of the Sekirei Plan which was odd, he doesn't seem like a Sekirei but his ambition to stop Number 5 is not human. I mean, no human would cross a Sekirei right?"
Shiina- "I felt something from him... As if he was a Sekirei as well but powerless. Yet as if he was once very powerful. I can even feel as if... his power was like mine. Based upon death. There was a small, very small remnant of his energy from as if he was a Sekirei, but it was scary. We may fear the Hannya of the North, but this is the embodiment of fear."
Yukari- "Shiina... What you said seems very odd but considering everything that is happening, and that I love you, I'll keep note of that in my mind. The man seemed different to me too but I can't sense anything like that. We'll know in time, okay?"
Shiina- "Okay... Thank you. I may just be feeling things but this one I can't shake."
Yukari- "Of course."
Shiina took a deep breath and out the window behind him by pulling his head back. In the distance he saw a man limping to the gate and opening it. When he recognized who it was he got Shiina's attention and ran out the door with the tank rolling up and facing the gate. Shiina went straight up to Korudo and put the older man's arm on his shoulder. Shiina helped him walk towards the front door and checked if he was alright. Yukari caught up to Shiina and walked with them.
Shiina- "Sir, are you okay!? You look terrible!"
Korudo- "Gee thanks... hehe, I'm fine. Just took a few bad hits. I managed to keep him away long enough for you guys to get there, glad my efforts went rewarded... So are you guys okay? Did you make it here without trouble?"
Yukari- "Yeah we were fine, we met your tank friend too. Which we want to know how you got one... But we're going to take care of you first. You helped us and we'll help you."
Korudo- "No no... You guys came here, that was your end of the deal. You don't owe me anything at all. Your safety is all I wanted..."
Shiina- "Well we insist sir..."
Shiina said so in a stern voice but showed a hint of kindness. They both cared for Korudosutea, not a lot like old friends but in a way where they're all in the same boat together. From this, Korudo was a little touched and looked Shiina in the eyes for a moment. He then looked back down at the ground and agreed to let them help.
Korudo- "Teh... Alright. Thank you."
Shiina- "Of course."
They both helped him into the main room and rested him on the couch, with his wounds bleeding a bit and his muscles very sore. Blood stained his clothes yet again as he was coming to the point where he couldn't move much. He groaned a few times and just stared up at the ceiling while he was being treated. Shiina and Yukari knew they had to work quickly if they wanted Korudo to live. It would be on their hands if he were to die. Shiina quickly unbuttoned Korudo's shirt and saw the horrifying scars that were lined along his body.
While Shiina was tending to the man, Yukari looked around for any kind of first aid or at least bandages but was to no prevail. With Hector still outside and waiting patiently for them to help his partner, he decided to check on them by gently driving up to one of the windows that peered into the room and observe. When he noticed they were having a little trouble, he stepped in by slowly opening the window from the bottom and lifting it up with the turret. He may have cracked the window a bit.
Hector- "Is everything alright in there? The situation is growing more concernable by every moment."
Shiina- "Uhh we can't find anything to patch him up! Would you know where?"
Hector- "Yes. There is a first aid kit in my hull. Korudosutea used it a bit before but there are plenty of supplies left."
Yukari- "Good! Shiina, stay with him. I'll get the kit!"
Shiina- "Okay!"
Yukari dashed out the front door and ran up to the side of the tank, climbing it with the sound of metal clanks coming from her black boots meeting the tank. She found the hatch, Hector unlocking it with a hydraulic hiss so she could open it immediately and hop in. Once she was in the cramped interior she looked around the for kit and soon enough found it. To her misfortune there were blood stains beside it and a bit of muscle matter, making her face create a disgusted look and become an ill color. She coughed and grabbed the first aid, quickly climbing out of the tank and back inside.
Once they finally had the first aid, Yukari used what she knew in medicine practices and patched up Korudo. It took a little bit but they were able to stitch his wounds and cover them. All he had to do now was rest yet again and do nothing for a while. At the end of all of it, he sighed and began to become sleepy but he fought it. Korudo had something to tell them before he would pass out. He grabbed Shiina's sleeve and looked at them.
Korudo- "Thanks once again for helping me... You're more than welcome to stay here. Charge free. As a matter of fact I want you two here..."
Yukari- "Why?"
Korudo- "Time will tell. Besides, you'll be safe here. There's an Ashikabi who loves here who's very strong and the one you know as the Hannya of the North lives just down the street. I know her personally and have been her friend since I was your age. I know quite a few people actually..."
Yukari and Shiina looked at him with widened eyes, certainly one with such connections must not be lying. They looked at each other for a moment only for Yukari to nod her head with her eyes closed. She didn't mind personally but her mother might get angered by her leaving her current apartment and into a stranger's. Korudo let go of Shiina's sleeve as Yukari responded.
Yukari- "Sure, we'll stay here. I trust that everything works here as well and we can move our stuff here as soon as possible?"
Korudo- "Yeah, if I can get on my feet I'd even help. You can choose any room you want."
Yukari- "Good, I'll inform my mother to cut the money for the apartment."
Korudo smiled as Yukari took out her phone and walked away to get some privacy for the call. Shiina watched her walk off and dial the number on the pad but looked back down at the already passed out Korudosutea. Shiina didn't have much of a reaction to any of it so he just sat down on the nearby chair and waited for Yukari to return with the news. Back over to Yukari, her mother picked up the other end.
Takami- "Yukari? How are you doing?"
Yukari- "I'm doing fine mom, I just called to let you know to cut the account for the apartment we were living in. Some man who saved us offered a place to stay and the apartments aren't too bad here. Plus it's free."
Takami- "Interesting... What's the man's name?"
Yukari- "Korudosutea I believe. He held off #5 Matsu while we ran here."
Takami didn't say anything for a few moments, holding her hand over her eyes in thought. She couldn't say anything directly about Korudo as she was at her workplace in MBI and his name is taboo. She took a deep breath and answered back.
Yukari- "Everything okay?"
Takami- "Yeah, it's just the man who saved you is a very powerful figure. Not powerful in the sense of fighting but like he'll have heavy influence in times to come. I'm not going to say you can't stay there and I'm not going to say he's a dangerous man. Rather he's very trustworthy and is trying his best to... stop things. I'll make it simple for you. If you choose to stay with him, your choosing to become part of something larger and find out more truths of the Sekirei and the past. If you leave, then it's going to be only you and Shiina. While staying with the man will be very dangerous, the outcome of if his dream succeeds will make yours and Shiina's as well."
Yukari- "There's no need for me to think mother. I know my answer and I sense you know it too."
Takami- "I see. Thank you for making such a decision. I wish you luck on this journey and to stay safe. I can't tell you what you'll be doing but you can trust him. There's more to him than a powerful figure as well. Shiina will see it."
Yukari- "What is it?"
Takami- "You'll learn. Just one more thing though, since you've chosen this path I can't help you too much. With him being an enemy of MBI, I would jeopardize my own safety and thus a lot of things as well."
Yukari- "I can understand that... I'm prepared for what I'm getting into."
Takami- "I know you are, you're my daughter."
Yukari- "Thank you mom, for everything. I'll only call if it's a complete emergency. Otherwise, I love you."
Takami- "Alright, I love you too. Stay safe hun. I'll cut the account right after this call and let them know you'll come by to take your belongings."
Yukari- "Thank you, take care."
Takami- "Of course, and tell your brother I love him too. I sense he's in this as well..."
Yukari- "What?"
Takami- "Goodbye."
Yukari- "Goodbye..."
Yukari ended the call on her side and closed the phone, taking a deep breath to help brace herself knowing that her fate was sealed. Knowing that they were fighting for the betterment of the Sekirei yet being part of the force to make things more complicated meant that her and Shiina would have to try harder. She walked back to Shiina and Korudosutea only to find the middle-aged man already passed out and sleeping. He gently snored and rested peacefully on the couch.
==(Ch8-ModernWIP): A Dream Come True...==
Korudosutea slept for quite a while, his body finally succumbing to all the wounds he had and realizing he indeed needed plenty of rest. The man didn't wake up until the afternoon of the next day, roughly 5 P.M. As his eyes slowly opened and his senses coming back to him the bright mid-day sun flashed through the windows and into his vision. He let out a groan while holding his forearm over his eyes to shield him, slowly getting off the couch only to hear little cracks in his joints. He cracked his neck and looked around the halls of the apartment complex. It seemed no one was around.
Korudo let out a yawn and started to walk towards the front door, hearing voices outside of a couple younger ones and a few older. He opened the door slowly to feel the gentle breeze of a nice sunny day. Before him, he found the residents of his home conversating in some chairs they found, sitting in the grass and under the shade of the tree in the courtyard. Seo was the first to notice him as he called out to him, the others looking in Korudo's direction.
Seo- "Rise and shine lazy! Glad you could finally join us! How was your nap?"
Korudosutea smiled and walked over to them, he talked while he leaned up against the tree.
Korudo- "Hehe, I enjoyed it very much thank you! I see that you all became acquainted with each other. I take it was smooth and easy?"
Yukari giggled embarrassingly and Shiina looked the other way as the Lightning Twins looked down. Seo went ahead and answered for them.
Seo- "Well not exactly... You see, we forgot who 'Shiina' was so we were threatened by his presence being here when we got back and thought he and his Ashikabi were enemies. There was a little verbal play then when the Sekirei properly introduced themselves, I immediately remembered and stopped everything. Luckily nothing was damaged and we actually managed to get along since then."
Hikari- "The boy is polite yet the girl is a little... snooty... per se..."
Yukari- "What!? At least I don't wear bdsm clothes all the time..."
Hibiki- "Hey! Watch it you rat!"
Korudo- "Hey hey hey, settle down now. We're all here and we're all friends okay? There's no need for this. I have to thank you guys for keeping me safe, especially patching me up. I don't know where I would be without you so far."
Seo- "Yeah yeah yeah..."
Shiina- "Of course sir!"
Korudo- "Good. Now since I wasn't able to help Shiina and Yukari move in I have a present to give them. Maybe mostly for Shiina but it'll be nice for Yukari as well. Whenever you're ready we can all go to the place."
Seo- "Is it what I think it is?"
Korudo- "It is what you think it is."
Seo- "Teh, you're a nice guy you know that?"
Korudo- "I've been told... hehehe~"
Upon hearing of a surprise for them, Shiina looked up at Korudosutea with seemingly puppy dog eyes and Yukari was more intrigued.
Shiina- "Do you think we can go now? I'm honestly a bit eager."
Yukari- "Yeah, I wonder what you're planning..."
Korudo- "Sure! I know Seo doesn't have anything important to do... like a job... so him and the twins are ready."
Seo, Hikari and Hibiki didn't say anything, rather shot Korudo death glares which only made him give a goofy smile in response. Korudo walked away from the tree and went inside to grab his torn up shirt which was conveniently clean, also grabbing his revolvers and a few sets of pre-chamber positioned ammo while tucking them in his pants. He came back out as he fit his arms into the sleeves and buttoned up the middle.
Korudo- "Alright let's go. I want to catch them before they have dinner."
Seo- "Why? You want to eat there?"
Korudo- "Maybe..."
Seo- "I know how you feel..."
Shiina- "Who's 'them'?"
Korudo- "You'll see..."
The group all stood up and followed behind Korudosutea as he left the premisis, headed down the street once more as they have done so before. Except this time with more people to tag along. After the usual walk down the street they arrived near the Izumo Inn, the privacy fence and it's entrance could be easily seen. Korudo walked up to it with the group behind him, Shiina was a little nervous with Yukari looking around. The older man peered around the corner of the fence to see Miya and Kusano watering the garden.
Korudo- "Hey girls!"
Miya- "Oh hey Korudo!"
Kusano- "Korudo-chan!"
Korudo- "Aww hi Kusano!"
As soon as he heard the young voice and the name "Kusano", Shiina's eyes immediately opened wide and his soul was shot with happiness and hope. He quickly shuffled his way though the group with Yukari trailing behind. When he came out front, he noticed little Kusano look at him as he gasped. Yukari was a little surprised but she'll soon find out how much this little girl means to Shiina.
Shiina- "Ku-chan! I finally found you!"
Kusano- "Shiinaaa!"
Shiina knelt down as Kusano ran to him and hugged him tight, like any other typical happy reunion. Both of them had big smiles on their faces as well as Miya, Seo and the others. Yukari knelt down beside Shiina to say meet Kusano after all this time hearing about her. When the two finished hugging, Yukari smiled to Kusano and greeted her.
Yukari- "Hello Ku! I'm Yukari, Shiina's Ashikabi. It's nice to finally meet you, I've heard so much!"
Kusano- "Hi Yu-chan! Y-... Yu-chan... Yukari..."
Kusano went into deep thought as he put her finger on her lips in a curious expression. Everyone stared at Kusano until a few moments later when she figured it out. She pointed at Yukari and exclaimed her realization.
Kusano- "Yukari is Minato-chan's sister!"
That moment, as if the universe knew, Minato opened the door from the Izumo Inn and checked what was going on outside. He saw his sister once again, not since she came by the old apartment to drop off clothes for Musubi. They both looked at each other like they were just told a surprising secret. Kusano ran back to him and grabbed his hand, tugging him back to Shiina to meet him as well.
Kusano- "Mi-chan! Meet my older brother! Shiina! I finally found him!"
Minato- "Wow, really!? You found him?"
Minato was lead to in front of Shiina as the white-haired son stood up to face him. They both looked each other in the eyes and bowed to each other like proper gentleman.
Minato- "So you must be Shiina! Nice to finally meet you. Kusano has been looking for you for so long."
Shiina- "Likewise, you must be Minato, Yukari's perverted older brother."
Minato hung his head down in a painful shame as Miya silently giggled to herself, him muttering his claim that he wasn't such a person. The meeting was wonderful but it was coming time for dinner so Miya had to shush things along.
Miya- "How about we continue this inside? It's almost time to get dinner prepared and I want to make sure I can make all of my guests happy. Even the trash."
Seo squinted his eyes at Miya with a slight frown, knowing it was a knock towards him. Kusano grabbed Shiina by the hand and happily lead the way for the rest of them. As Korudo passed Miya, she gave him the look of her eyes closed with a smile yet it was more of a scary demeanor.
Miya- "it's as if you know we were about to make food Korudo..."
Korudosutea just gave a hearty chuckle knowing she wouldn't actually hurt him. Time passed as they all entered the house and Yukari and Shiina became acquainted with the rest of the residents. Each of them sat down for dinner and enjoyed the food, laughing and telling stories. From this, the family of Sekirei and their Ashikabi who want to stop all of what's going on in the capital grew larger and stronger. Just one step closer to achieving their goals.
When dinner was over, most of the group went outside into the yard where the garden was. Kusano showed Shiina the garden her and Miya were growing for the past time while Korudo sat on the doorstep watching them. He couldn't get Shiina off of his mind, he was finally with his son. To see that he's still alive and well was a relief enough. Miya brought him back to reality though as she walked up to him and sat beside him. She talked quietly to him to make sure the others wouldn't hear.
Miya- "Korudosutea, you know you'll have to teach him on what he'll have to do someday. Nothing can stop it and it must be done. You know this more than anyone."
Korudo let out a sigh and let his head down, scruffing his hair a bit as his thoughts changed. He looked back at Shiina as he was smiling, nothing but joy could be seen in his face as everyone he loved was around him.
Korudo- "Yeah, I know Miya. I'll tell him soon. It's going to be hard but, better sooner than later. I get the feeling that him knowing his fate will change a lot of things."
Miya- "Maybe it will... Maybe it won't... All things come to an end no matter what led up to it. I'll be honest with you. On Earth the rules may be different. The Goddess' do not reside within the ground of this world. Only in our hearts do they ever so little exist. There's only one place they have a definite hold on aside from Tengokunosu."
Korudosutea- "Koutai..."
Miya- "Correct. And as seeing as you know who I am, you know that I can understand what is happening within it. If anything stirs, I'll warn you. But for now, it's your turn to shift the tide of fate once more."
Korudo- "I will Miya, I'll try my best."
Miya- "Do as you will. Just remember that life goes on otherwise, don't be afraid to enjoy yourself."
Korudo- "Heh, thanks. I think today I'm gonna tell him. He seems old enough by now, but nothing will prepare him for what he'll have to do... well, anyway, thanks for the talk. I'll give him some more time, probably tell him when we get home."
Miya- "Of course! It's what we're here for. We're old friends, best friends. We were and still are our own family. Thank you for stopping by as well, even if you do begin to eat up our food, hmhmhm..."
Korudo- "To be fair, you invited me! Hehehe, all on you!"
Korudosutea and Miya continued to have a conversation as time went on with Shiina and the rest. When it came to the sun settling down at dusk and the skies were a rusty orange, Korudosutea and the others said goodbye and departed back to the house. As they arrived back home, Hector greeted them. Seo and his twin Sekirei immediately went to their apartment while Korudosutea got Shiina and Yukari's attention while they were in the main lobby.
Korudosutea- "Hey you two, we need to talk for a bit..."
==(Ch9-ModernWIP): ... and a Nightmare Begins.==
Shiina and Yukari turned around to pay attention to their land lord, concerned of what was going on by hearing his serious tone. The man motioned them to sit on the couch so they were comfortable as they took the news. He sat in the chair opposite to them and took a deep breath having butterflies in his stomach.
Yukari- "What's going on Korudo?"
Shiina- "Everything alright?"
Korudo- "Well, I won't beat around the bush here. I wouldn't say it's bad or good, it's up to you to interpret, but it's a bit heavy."
Yukari- "Well, we trust you. Go ahead."
Korudo- "Good. Shiina, do you know you're parents?"
Shiina widened his eyes and made a slight frown as he looked down at the floor. It troubled him to think of it because they were never around, he didn't know if he truly had any. Yukari defended him.
Yukari- "Korudosutea I don't think that's a good question to ask..."
Korudo responded to Yukari in a calm, assuring voice.
Korudo- "It's okay Yukari, trust me."
Yukari released her tension and looked over at Shiina as he looked back at Korudo, sighing and giving his answer.
Shiina- "I don't know if I really have parents. I was told that like most of the Sekirei, I was born artificially in the ship. If I really do have parents, I always wanted to meet them. I wonder who I came from but I don't know where to look..."
Korudo- "Well... you don't have to look far. Your father is right here."
Shiina looked at Korudo shocked, his heart started to beat a bit fast and disbelief came over him. Yukari became just as shocked since she knew this meant something to Shiina. Both of them wondered if he was telling the truth.
Shiina- "What? You are? Really!? How? Where have you been!"
Korudo- "Yep! Well if you mean how, that's a subject we'll have to talk about when you're older hehe. But I am since you were born shortly after we arrived here on Earth. You have white hair just like me, kinda the same body type I had when I was your age and the same power. And where have I been? Well I was being improsoned and tortured by Minaka, wasn't sure if I told you about that yet..."
Shiina- "You're... then who's my mother? Is she still alive?"
Korudo- "Oh she's very alive but she's changed a lot... Your mother is Karasuba, the Black Sekirei."
Shiina and Yukari went further into disbelief as his mother was an even bigger shock.
Yukari- "But how could he be her son? They're nothing alike!"
Korudo- "That is true... Hmm, he does sorta have his mother face structure but the eyes are all him. Besides, there's another side we have yet to see of him."
Shiina- "Well... even if she is the way she is... I still want to meet her knowing this truth... She must've been different before now, there's no way anyone could have a real relationship with her. Wait... speaking of... doesn't she have an ashikabi?"
Korudo- "Yes, she does..."
Yukari- "But how is that possible? If you two were once together then shouldn't you two be bonded?"
Korudo- "As far as your knowledge goes, yes. That is the solid core of how Sekirei work. When the Ashikabi dies, and in that case either of us, the other dies as well. It works the same as if a Human Ashikabi dies, but not of the Sekirei dies. The human will live after that. Anyway, back to the point. You see, when I disappeared, I got my powers taken away, and that's when a Sekirei usually dies right? Well, MBI used our technology to create some sort of way to bring us back to life."
Yukari- "Interesting..."
Korudo- "So when I died, Karasuba died as well, but through the technology we were brought back to life. Even with our current memories. I was taken away and Karasuba was let go. That is when she started to change. Even though our bond was separated and we both died, she didn't necessarily lose her powers unlike me. That's why she's still as deadly as she is. The reason why she changed though is for two reasons. One was because of me disappearing. Wouldn't you be sad and angry if your lover suddenly vanished? She knew I vanished but didn't know where I was nor if I was really alive. Secondly, I heard Yume passed away. Yume was Karasuba's best friend and who helped keep her cool. Karasuba didn't have an easy life to start with so I can imagine all of this got to her."
Shiina- "Oh... I see... wouldn't she be happy to see you though?"
Korudo- "I was hoping she would be but I think she's actually pissed at me right now. Alas even if we wanted to be together again, we really couldn't as Sekirei. She's still with what's-his-face."
Yukari- "Natsuo Ichinomi I believe."
Korudo- "Yeah whatever. Shiina, if you ever want to confront her on this, please be careful. She's very pissed and dangerous, especially at me. I don't know how strong you are either."
Shiina- "I can hold my own... I'll try my best, I'd only want to talk to her anyway."
Korudo- "If you can get her to talk, hey, good for you. But yeah, you do have parents. And when we were both together, we loved you so much... You were such a cute baby too, hehehe..."
Yukari- "He's even cute now!"
Korudo- "I know right!"
Korudo chuckled and Yukari giggled as Shiina frowned and felt embarassed.
Shiina- "Stooop, I'm not cute..."
Korudo- "Hehehe, okay, so onto the next part. This is where it gets more serious..."
Shiina and Yukari stop goofing around and pay close attention to Korudosutea. If telling Shiina about his parents wasn't as serious as this, it's definitely important.
Shiina- "What is it?"
Korudosutea- "Well, it concerns your powers Shiina. What powers do you think you have?"
Shiina- "People call me the Death Sekirei because I have the ability to bring death fast to plantlife and bring harm just by creating a magical circle."
Korudosutea- "Would you think your powers extend any further?"
Shiina- "Possibly, but more like in a way where I become stronger and figure out different attacks."
Korudo- "You're half right then son, but there's much more to you then you think there is. I need to tell and teach you some truths."
Shiina- "What could those be..."
Korudo- "First is that you are the next Sekirei Grim Reaper. No other Sekirei possesses a power like you do, you are literally one in 100 million."
Shiina- "What does that mean? And 100 million Sekirei!? There's... well was only 108 including you  that are here on Earth."
Korudo- "100 million is a rough estimate hehe, but we obviously came from somewhere right? We have a home Shiina, a home far away from here. It's name is Tengokunosu, a planet of beauty. But we're getting aside from the point, you need to know who you are and what you're fate is."
Shiina- "Okay, go on..."
Korudo- "A Sekirei Grim Reaper is a very, very strong Sekirei entrusted with the divine powers of punishment and death. But we are not evil, we are inbetween pure good and pure evil. Never has a Sekirei Grim Reaper done an evil action. At least us mortal ones. The original and strongest Grim Reaper is the Goddess of Death. She is the one that is pure evil. I'll teach you about our culture another time. Again, aside from the point. In terms of how strong you are, you are equal to Miya when she is fully putting forth he strength."
Shiina- "W-what?"
Korudo- "You heard me right! And you don't even personally know the extend of Miya's power. Yet again, that's for another time. I think she'd want to tell you herself about her little secret. So as a Reaper, you inherit two powers, not just one. Your true primary power is Death itself, which you are able to send a Sekirei's soul to their destined place in the afterlife. Either Paradise or The Abyss. You are also able to transform yourself into Reaper form, making you incredibly more powerful than any mortal Sekirei."
Shiina- "Woah... Well how do I transform?"
Korudo- "I can't really describe it but it comes naturally. I don't know how it'll initially trigger for you if it hasn't already. Sometimes it's a raging heart or a sense of duty, either way you feel a click inside of you and you can summon it. What helps is if you have mastery of your secondary power, which in your case seems to be Decay. Decay is more of a torturous debilitating attack."
Shiina- "How is it torturous?"
Korudo- "Have you ever tried using it on a human or a Sekirei?"
Shiina- "Well, I think I have once but I didn't rot her or anything. It acted more as a concussive wave. I did restrain myself though, I didn't want to kill her."
Korudo- "What was the attack called?"
Shiina- "Death Garden."
Korudo- "Hmm, okay. You may have extremely nerfed it to where your power didn't have any effect, rather acted as a physical force while dealing concussive damage. Nice control! But there will be a time where you'll need to use your advanced abilities. I'm not saying you'll have to use it against the Sekirei here. In truth the Sekirei here are truly restricted due to what Minaka did to control us. Unfortunately, you may very possibly be under the same effect as well."
Shiina- "How can I... well we undo the inhibitor?"
Korudo- "I personally don't know the exact answer, you'd have to ask Yukari's mother for the scientific way. But, the mortal body is always restricted by how strong your soul is. I can imagine if either you awaken your true Reaper powers or if your hearts burns enough, you can break what's holding you back and you can be a real Sekirei."
Shiina didn't respond, rather thought for a moment and looked down. He looked back up at Korudo and asked if there was anything else he needed to know.
Shiina- "Anything else?"
Korudo- "Oh a bit more. Have you ever experienced any strange dreams lately? Like... meeting any unknown Sekirei in a dark place? I mean dark as in nothing but darkness around you and a light on you and him."
Shiina- "No I'm afraid not..."
Korudo- "Oh... that must be the inhibitor stopping your divine duty... great... There's gonna be a ton of angry souls waiting. Anyway, where I'm getting at is known as the Reaper's Nightmare. Every night when you go to sleep, you begin to have a dream of sorts but it's very real. Your mind and soul go elsewhere as you have to guide the souls of dead Sekirei to their destined places, as I've said before. Some nights it's easy with just a few souls or sometimes it's a bit crazy with a lot."
Shiina- "Oh... I see..."
Korudo- "I just hope everything is okay in the realm of the dead... I wouldn't doubt there's thousands of souls backed up."
Shiina- "(sighs) Great..."
Korudo- "Now here's the bad news for you. It most definitely is."
Shiina- "What then?"
Korudo- "I wouldn't know how this works now since my powers are gone and I've lost my right to be a Reaper, but if push comes to shove, someday, you'll have to kill me."
Shiina was surprised once more but not in a good way this time, it nearly broke his heart to hear such a thing. He just discovered who his father was and now he has knowledge that he may have to kill him someday.
Shiina- "But why!? I've went so many years without you! Why do I have to go even more!?"
Korudo- "I know Shiina... it hurts... it's just about the most terrible thing any Reaper has to go through but it has to be done. The battle is not out of anger or strife though, it's merely a right of passage and allows the younger Reaper to gain his or her full powers."
Shiina- "If it's a battle, then what if I lose?"
Korudo- "Then I'll have to have another child to take your place as the Reaper."
Shiina- "... That's terrible."
Korudo- "I know it is, but as I said, it must be done. Yet remember the rules may be different because of what happened to me. You may never have to fight me at all, possibly go through a different way of passage."
Shiina- "Then I'll hope for the best..."
Korudo- "I hope so too son...  But I believe that's it. Oh, you'll also inherit your own signature Scythe. Every Reaper has one and it's accustomed to fit with your unique secondary power. I don't know how you'll get it, but you will."
Shiina- "Okay... Thanks for telling me all this. Rather, us this. I know this is important to Yukari too."
Yukari held her hand on Shiina's knowing she'll have to stick with him during his possibly terrible times. That's the bond they both share and they both knew what it meant. She looked at Shiina for a moment as he did the same for her, but turned their attention back to Korudo.
Shiina- "Hey.. u-uh... Father..."
Korudo couldn't help but smile and scratch his head as it was the first time he ever was called that.
Korudo- "Yes son?"
Shiina- "If I may ask, since we're alone and on this subject... Who were your parents? How did your Reaper battle go? Also, how did you and my mother get together?"
Korudosutea sighed and frowned for a moment but braced himself so he could answer his son. He felt as though he owed to him since he's a young man now and needs to know the truth.
Korudo- "Well Shiina and Yukari, I grew up without a father. He died around the time I was born. My mother told me he was a very strong but sweet man, in her words kinda like me. He had white hair like me but my red eyes are original to me. My complexion is mostly from my father but the gentleness in my eyes are from my mother. Anyway, my mother was sorta like how Miya is now. Elegant, kind, sweet, very caring and strong. Very wise as well. Her name was Umi and her power was the Death of Water while I had Death of the Mind. It was a difficult day for me... As to how I met your mother, well that evolved over a long time but I'll tell you how we... how do you say it... clicked together. Both events happened roughly at the same time so we can knock out two birds with one stone. Here's how it went..."
Category:TitaniumBardock
Category:Story
Category:Fan Fiction