The air within the MBI tower had grown heavier, weighed down by the shattering tremors of combat. Smoke and dust danced through the air, illuminated by the harsh flicker of broken lights and the flickering of fire suppression systems barely keeping up with the destruction.
On one of the upper floors, the battlefield had become a ruin of crumbling walls and collapsed furniture. And in the center of it all stood Uzume, breathing hard, her knees trembling from the sheer effort of keeping herself standing.
Uzume's chest heaved with every breath. Her long veil, once elegant and flowing, was torn, draped like a war-torn banner across her shoulder. Her movements, once fluid and unpredictable, had grown sluggish. The energy granted by Issei's Transfer technique was fading—its glow dimming from her body like the last embers of a dying flame.
She gritted her teeth, eyes locked on Karasuba—the infamous "Black Sekirei of Death." The monstrous woman stood just a few meters away, her katana gleaming with menace, her long silver hair swaying.
Uzume's body ached. The borrowed strength from Issei's Transfer had caused her body to suffer. Without it, her body was crashing. The enhanced speed and power had pushed her muscles far past their limits. Her arms shook as she barely kept her veil in hand.
Karasuba smirked coldly. "You're done," Karasuba said coldly, stepping forward, sword raised. "Your Ashikabi's gift ran out. But that look in your eyes…" She mused, stepping forward, dragging her blade. "You thought you could stand at my level, didn't you? You actually believed that little power boost made you strong."
Uzume didn't reply. She couldn't waste her breath. She wanted to continue but her body refused to move.
Karasuba dashed forward like a phantom. "Let me put you out of your misery—"
CLANG!
A wall of jagged ice burst from the floor between them, thick, cold, and blindingly white.
Karasuba snarled, her blade clashing against the barrier. "Tch! What now?!"
Before she could react, a massive hammer smashed through the wall—aimed directly at her.
Karasuba twisted her body just in time, blade coming up in a defensive arc. The hammer hit with a thunderous BOOM, sending shockwaves through the air, splitting the ice wall in all directions and forcing her to slide several feet back.
From the mist and dust, two figures emerged—Yashima with her hammer hoisted over her shoulder, and Akitsu, her hands aglow with shimmering frost.
"Enough," Yashima growled, her voice uncharacteristically firm. "You don't get to touch her again."
Uzume, still barely on her feet, blinked in surprise. "Y-Yashima…?"
Yashima glanced back at her, her expression softening. "You okay?"
"I'm fine," Uzume muttered, trying to steady herself, but her arms trembled again. "I'm still good to—"
"Stop lying." Akitsu cut in coldly, her stoic face only slightly betraying the concern in her eyes. "You're not. Let us handle it now."
Uzume clenched her fists, frustrated, but she knew they were right. Her body could barely hold itself upright.
Karasuba chuckled, shaking off the dust from her outfit. "More little birds showing up, hmm? How sweet." She pointed her katana forward, eyes gleaming. "I'll be sure to clip your wings too."
Yashima raised her hammer again, eyes locked onto Karasuba. "From the looks of it, you're not doing so good yourself. We're not afraid of you."
Akitsu's fingers danced in the air, frost spreading around her in intricate, jagged patterns. "And we will protect our Ashikabi."
Uzume, despite her exhaustion, gave a small smirk. "Damn right."
While it was Karasuba who was still able to fight. That doesn't mean Uzume hasn't caused damage to Karasuba. Her blade felt heavier and the girls could see how she favored one leg over the other.
Karasuba moved like a specter of death, her katana dancing with precise, deadly grace. No movement was wasted. Every slash, every step—perfectly calculated to cut down her foes.
Akitsu struck first, sending jagged lances of ice through the air, each one sharp enough to pierce solid steel. Karasuba twisted through them, weaving around the frozen projectiles like a ribbon caught in the wind. Her blade sliced through a shard mid-flight, turning it into a harmless sprinkle of frost.
Yashima roared as she charged from the side, hammer raised high. With a powerful swing, she slammed it down toward Karasuba.
Karasuba sidestepped with frightening ease. The hammer hit the ground with an ear-splitting BOOM, cracking the floor and sending up a cloud of debris.
Karasuba retaliated instantly, her katana flashing. Yashima barely raised her weapon in time to block the blow—but the impact sent her staggering back, her arms shaking from the force.
"Too slow," Karasuba sneered.
Akitsu intervened, sending a freezing gust at Karasuba's side. The Black Sekirei twisted her body, letting the ice wash past her—but some of it caught her left shoulder, slowing her just slightly.
It was enough.
Yashima lunged again, this time aiming lower, trying to sweep Karasuba's legs. The older Sekirei jumped, flipping over the hammer and landing gracefully behind her. With a swift slash, she cut through Yashima's sleeve, narrowly missing her arm.
Yashima hissed in pain. "Damn it…"
Akitsu moved to cover her, forming a protective ice barrier between them and Karasuba.
But Karasuba wasn't done.
With a roar, she launched into the air, flipping over the barrier and crashing down with a vertical slash. The ice shattered. Akitsu was knocked backward, hitting a nearby wall hard enough to crack it.
Yashima tried to counter, swinging her hammer upward—but Karasuba dodged by the side of the weapon and with a kick, she sent Yashima flying into a row of broken office furniture.
Yashima rose panted heavily, her shoulders rising and falling with every breath. Akitsu stood beside her, expression stoic as always, though her breath had begun to fog the air more than usual—a sign that she was nearing her limit. Frost coated the ground and parts of the walls like frozen veins.
But the Black Sekirei of Death still stood tall despite the damage, her form silhouetted in the flickering lights of the ravaged corridor. Dust clung to her torn black coat, and a shallow cut marked her cheek—but her smile never wavered.
Akitsu's hands rose again, icy mist swirling at her fingertips. Sharp spears of ice materialized, launching toward Karasuba at rapid speed—but the older Sekirei weaved through them, cutting through several with swift, lethal precision. A diagonal strike shattered the final shard, sending a spray of snow-like fragments into the air.
Clang!
Yashima stepped in with her hammer, swinging it from above. Karasuba deflected it with her sword, but the sheer weight pushed her slightly back.
Yashima gritted her teeth. "We… won't lose…"
Karasuba responded with a grin. "You don't have to lose… You just have to break."
Her sword flashed, and Yashima barely managed to bring up her hammer in time. The force of the strike sent her skidding back across the floor, heels screeching against cracked tiles. Before she could catch her balance, Karasuba rushed forward—
Only to be met with a blast of sharp ice from Akitsu, forcing her to leap to the side.
"Persistent little things." Karasuba muttered.
She pivoted, sweeping around behind Akitsu before the ice user could react and landed a powerful kick into her side. Akitsu gasped as she was sent crashing through a partially broken wall, debris raining down around her.
"Akitsu!" Yashima screamed, charging forward in rage.
Karasuba turned just in time to meet Yashima's hammer again—this time at full force.
The explosion of impact shook the floor, dust bursting out in all directions.
Karasuba stumbled back, her smile now feral.
"You've got spirit," she said, a note of genuine amusement in her voice. "But spirit alone isn't enough."
She moved faster now—unrelenting, relentless. Every attack she made was a calculated step closer to victory. Yashima tried to keep up, parrying with her hammer, but she could feel the rhythm shifting. Each block made her arms rattle. Each missed blow brought Karasuba closer.
Behind her, Akitsu emerged from the rubble, blood dripping from a fresh cut on her forehead. But her gaze was unwavering.
She raised her hand again.
Ice, thick and jagged, began to spread across the floor—trying to trap Karasuba's feet, to slow her, to buy time.
But Karasuba moved like a ghost.
She ducked under Yashima's swing and twisted, her blade grazing the hammer-wielder's side, drawing blood.
"Yashima—!" Akitsu called out.
Yashima didn't respond—she just planted her hammer into the ground to steady herself, breathing hard.
They were doing their best. They were fighting with everything they had.
But Karasuba. She was in a different league.
Akitsu rushed back to Yashima's side, frost coating her skin like armor, face still calm—but her hands shook.
"We're… not enough." Yashima whispered bitterly.
Akitsu didn't answer, but her silence said it all.
Still… they stood. Side by side. Battered, bleeding, but standing.
Karasuba raised her sword again, her eyes gleaming.
"You've done well," she said. "But I'm afraid the game ends here."
The shattered corridor echoed with the clang of Karasuba's blade descending, its deadly arc poised to end the battle once and for all. The sheer bloodlust in her eyes was unmistakable, and both Yashima and Akitsu braced for the final strike—exhausted, beaten, but unwilling to retreat.
And then—
CRACK!
A powerful fist connected with Karasuba's cheek, sending her reeling backwards.
The sword missed its mark by inches.
Karasuba stumbled, heels skidding across the ruined floor. Her eyes widened—not from pain, but from the shock. Her hand flew up to her cheek, where a dull ache lingered from the punch. She looked up, teeth bared.
Standing in front of the three battered Sekirei was Issei Hyoudou, breathing hard, his normal fist still clenched from punching her in the cheek.
"You're not laying another damn finger on them." He growled, stepping forward with fire in his eyes. "Not while I'm still standing."
Karasuba's mouth parted, but no words came out. Her fingers twitched on her sword.
And then it hit her.
That feeling.
That foreign, inexplicable pull in her chest. The slight flutter behind her back, like a cord being tugged by something instinctual. Her pupils dilated. Her hands began to tremble.
No. No no no! This couldn't be happening.
She knew this feeling. The call. The resonance.
The unmistakable connection between a Sekirei… and her Ashikabi.
'Him?'
Karasuba's teeth clenched so hard she thought she'd crack her jaw. Her blade lowered an inch, hesitating.
Issei, unaware of the storm erupting inside her, took another step forward. "If you wanna keep fighting, I'll fight. But if you're here just to kill for fun, get the hell out of our way."
Karasuba's body reacted before her mind could catch up. Her heart thudded hard in her chest. Her skin tingled. And for the first time in years her instincts screamed not to kill, but to submit.
She hated it.
Her eyes flicked to the arm he used to strike her and she really gave a good look at the boy.
Just a determined, battered, infuriating boy.
"You…" she hissed, voice low, trembling with fury and something far more dangerous. "What did you do to me?"
Issei blinked, confused. "What are you talking about?"
Karasuba's fingers curled tightly around the hilt of her sword. "This feeling—this pull—I reject it. I reject you!"
She lunged, swinging her sword toward his throat.
Issei twisted back, barely avoiding it. "Damn it!"
But even as Karasuba lashed out, her movements were no longer as sharp, no longer as fluid. There was hesitation. Stuttered rhythm. Her strikes came slower—less from fatigue and more from distraction.
With every second that passed, the more she felt him.
The more her instincts screamed to accept him.
To Be Wing by him.
Karasuba let out a scream of pure rage, lashing her blade against the wall instead of Issei. "Why—why you? Of all people!"
Issei planted his feet. "Lady, I don't know what your problem is, but I'm not trying to start something with you! But I will defend my girls!"
Karasuba froze.
My girls.
Those words echoed.
They hit her harder than his punch. And it hurt in ways she didn't understand.
Her hands dropped to her sides, her breath trembling. The sword clattered to the floor with a metallic clang.
Her shoulders quivered.
She stared at him, trembling, clenching her jaw as her pride crumbled under the weight of a truth she refused to accept.
"You…" she whispered, more to herself than him. "You're not even trying… and yet… my body…"
Issei stepped back cautiously, arms raised. "Hey… I don't know what's going on with you, but—"
"Shut up!" Karasuba roared, eyes wide with fury and fear. "Don't say another word!"
With a growl that curled from deep in her chest, she couldn't fight her instincts screaming at her to take action.
Issei had barely taken a breath, still catching his thoughts, before he felt it—
"Wha—?!"
Issei barely had time to react before Karasuba grabbed him by the collar with both hands, her grip trembling… and then roughly yanked him forward.
Before he could form a word, her lips crashed against his.
It was not gentle. It was not sweet. It was rough and very forceful.
Darkness soon sprouted and bursted behind Karasuba's back. As wings of total Darkness consumed all light.
Issei's eyes widened. The familiar sensation of a Sekirei's bond forming surged through him—a powerful, vibrant connection unlike anything he'd felt before. More primal. More raw. Like the clash of steel and fire turned into emotion.
"Spiritual and mental connection created." Sherri's voice comes out signaling the new bond formed between Issei and Karasuba.
Karasuba's eyes fluttered, her body leaning into the kiss, her shoulders tensing—then relaxing.
And then—
Memories. They flashed through her like lightning bolts.
Yume. Smiling. Laughing. Scolding her.
"Love, Karasuba. It's why we're here. Why we fight. Why we live. I hope one day you get to experience this beautiful emotion."
Karasuba had always rejected those words. Spat on them. Called them weakness.
But now… now those words returned with weight. With meaning. And it made her sick… how much she understood them in this moment.
The kiss ended.
Karasuba staggered back a step, her hand still half-gripping Issei's shirt.
Issei was frozen, eyes wide. "…Did you just—"
"I didn't ask for this," Karasuba snapped, though her voice lacked its usual edge.
Issei blinked. "Uh. That's kinda how I feel, too."
Karasuba glared at him. But there was no fire behind it. No hatred. No lust for violence.
Just a hollow confusion.
"I should kill you," she muttered.
"But you won't, right?" Issei replied quietly hoping the bond will stop her from doing something impulsive.
Karasuba didn't answer. She just turned her back to him again, shoulders shaking—whether from anger or something else, even she didn't know.
"…So this is what it feels like…" She whispered to herself. She didn't expect an answer. But from deep inside her heart, the faintest echo of Yume's laughter seemed to reach her.
—------------------------------------
Izumo Inn
The evening sky had darkened by the time the group finally arrived back at the Izumo Inn. The stars above blinked faintly through a veil of clouds, casting a soft silver sheen over the wooden gate and tiled roof of the inn. Behind you could notice the smoking and broken tower that was the MBI Headquarters.
Issei, still covered in scuff marks and clothes torn from their raid, pushed the door open with a tired grin on his face. "We're back!"
The words had barely left his mouth when rapid footsteps echoed through the halls.
"Issei-kun!" Miya's voice rang like a bell, sharp but warm. She rounded the corner in her miko outfit, eyes wide with both worry and barely concealed relief. In that moment, all she saw was him—alive, safe, and standing. She hurried to his side and hugged the boy, happy to have him in her arms. She then began inspecting him for injuries, brushing off ash and dust from his shoulder, fingers trembling just slightly.
"You're safe…" She murmured, breath catching for just a second.
"I told you I'd come back," Issei said softly, offering a small, sheepish smile.
But the warmth in Miya's eyes vanished the moment another presence stepped through the door.
Her gaze snapped to Karasuba.
Time seemed to freeze.
The temperature in the hallway dropped several degrees.
The air grew thick, as if it too feared what was coming.
Miya's eyes sharpened into a cold fury, her hand twitching at her side. The quiet sound of her wooden sword being unsheathed rang louder than thunder.
"Karasuba." She said, her voice low and deadly. "I told you… if you ever stepped foot into my inn again—I would end you."
Uzume instinctively took a step back, and even Akitsu, typically stoic, narrowed her eyes warily.
Issei instinctively raised his hands. "W-Wait, Miya! Let me explain—!"
But Karasuba, unfazed by the pressure that made the others stiffen, stood calmly and folded her arms. "I didn't come by choice." She said flatly. "It just so happens… that my new Ashikabi lives here."
The silence was shattered as if by an explosion.
Miya blinked once. Twice. She turned slowly, eyes locking on Issei. "What…?"
Issei chuckled nervously, backing away half a step. "Um… yeah. About that. It, uh… just sort of happened?"
"'Just sort of happened?'" Miya echoed, in disbelief. Her small form trembling in rage.
Before the situation could escalate further, a set of hurried footsteps echoed down the stairs.
Matsu burst into the hallway, still pulling her hair out of its usual braid. "Issei! What the hell happened?! I lost all signal after all the cameras lost power."
Her words died mid-sentence as her eyes landed on Karasuba.
"Wait. Is that—? Why is she here?" she asked terrified, pointing a shaking finger at Karasuba.
Karasuba offered a small, amused smirk. Always happy to scare Matsu. "Still spying on everyone, you perv. If you must know, my Ashikabi just winged me."
Matsu ignored the jab and turned toward Issei with wild, incredulous eyes. "You winged her?! Her?! The Black Sekirei of Death?! The one who used to spar with Miya and nearly destroyed half of Tokyo?!"
Issei rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't try to. It just… happened. One thing led to another and suddenly—boom. Wings."
Karasuba shrugged. "It was a moment of weakness. Can't say I'm thrilled about it either."
"You kissed him," Miya muttered, her voice rising in a pitch that should not have been possible with how calm she looked.
Issei laughed nervously again. "Hey, she forced me into it!"
Karasuba narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't push it, boy."
Matsu exhaled heavily, already mentally preparing a thousand theories. "Unbelievable… I leave you alone for one mission and you come back with Karasuba bonded to you like a puppy."
"I am no puppy," Karasuba snapped her killing intent ready to cut down her ex teammate.
Matsu scoffed. "As if you can do anything with Miya here!"
Miya's sword trembled in her hand as she turned her fury-filled gaze toward Issei once again. "You… are so much trouble."
Issei blinked. "I don't think that's fair."
"Don't push me, young man!"
Issei flinched, bowing with panic. "Okay! Okay! I'm sorry!"
Karasuba tilted her head, a faint grin tugging at the corner of her lips. "At least this will be interesting." AS she notices the signs of Miya reacting.
Matsu crossed her arms. "You have no idea."
Uzume finally exhaled. "Well, at least we're all alive."
Yashima, nodded softly. "And home."
As Miya turned her back, trying to regain her composure, Issei caught the faintest tremble in her shoulders. He bit his lip, stepping a little closer.
"Miya," he said gently. "Thank you. For worrying. But I promise things are going to be okay."
She didn't answer—but her hand clenched tightly around the hilt of her sword, and slowly… relaxed.
Karasuba's presence would undoubtedly shift the inn's already chaotic dynamic, but as they all slowly moved into the main hall, something had clearly changed.
—------------------------
The air around the dinner table was heavy with tension and intrigue.
Everyone had gathered after the chaos at MBI, sitting in their usual spot—except Karasuba, who had placed herself as far from the others as possible. She leaned back with her arms crossed and one leg resting atop the other, her gaze casually drifting across the room, but there was no missing the way her eyes sometimes flickered toward Issei. Miya, on the other hand, sat protectively close to Issei, her body language saying loud and clear: No sudden moves, or else.
Issei sat in the middle, bandaged and exhausted, yet smiling with a quiet warmth. His girls flanked him—Uzume and Yashima seated close, with Matsu as she waited expectantly. Akitsu, now dressed in a cleaner white kimono, sat just a bit further than usual, still unsure of where she stood.
"So," Matsu began, "are you going to finally tell us how the hell you survived fighting Karasuba?"
Issei scratched his head with a sheepish smile. "Ah, well… I didn't. Uzume did most of the heavy lifting."
Uzume puffed her chest proudly. "Damn right I did. Although, it's only because of Issei's new trick. Otherwise, I'd probably be in pieces."
Miya frowned. "You fought her alone?"
"I tried to," Uzume muttered. "But you know how stubborn she is to go down."
Karasuba simply scoffed as she listened to the tale.
Issei nodded. "Yeah. So… while we were fighting, I unlocked a new ability. Ddraig called it 'Transfer.' It lets me give my Boosts to someone else." He looked at Matsu. "It's kind of like a shared energy transfer through the Boosted Gear. When I did it, Uzume's wings came out again—just like when we kiss."
Matsu's eyes widened behind her glasses. "Fascinating… It wasn't just a reinforcement. It triggered a some kind of resonance."
Yashima blinked. "Resonance?"
"Don't know maybe something like a second winging." Matsu explained quickly. "More test will have to be performed to understand what happened."
Everyone looked intrigued. But Issei remained quiet, staring down at his plate with a troubled expression. Something was eating at him as he remembered what he said.
"Issei?" Uzume nudged his shoulder as she saw Issei in deep thought. "What's wrong?"
The other girls noticed.
"Issei?" Yashima asked softly. "What's wrong?"
He took a slow breath and stood up. In a smooth motion, the familiar crimson gauntlet of the Boosted Gear materialized on his left arm, humming with dormant power.
Boost!
"I need to try something." He said. "Akitsu."
Akitsu looked up at him, confused. "Ashikabi-sama?"
"Come here." He said gently, holding out his hand.
She did so without hesitation, eyes curious and full of that quiet loyalty she always carried.
"What are you doing?" Miya asked, suspicion laced in her tone.
Issei turned his head slightly. "Just testing something." Then, without another word, he stepped forward—and kissed her.
Akitsu's eyes widened—but she didn't pull away. Instead, her hands gently gripped his sleeves, trembling. In that moment, the loneliness, abandonment, the pain of being deemed "defective," all came pouring out of her heart and into the kiss. But still the connection and bond could not be formed.
And then—
TRANSFER!
The Boosted Gear's voice echoed in the silence. A pulse of energy radiated from Issei's hand, and something deep inside Akitsu snapped free.
Wings.
Crystalline and shimmering like freshly fallen snow, a pair of ice-like wings burst from her back, radiant and beautiful. Her Sekirei crest on her forehead faded as the bond completed.
"Spiritual and mental connection created." Sherri's voice came from the Dimensional Watch.
Akitsu stumbled back, eyes brimming with tears.
"I… I'm… winged?" she whispered, barely believing it.
Issei nodded. "Looks like it."
Tears spilled down her cheeks freely, and she dropped to her knees in front of him, clutching his waist tightly.
"Thank you… thank you… thank you…" She whispered again and again. Her voice trembled with joy, with the overwhelming tide of finally having someone who accepted her, who fought for her, who loved her—even if she didn't know how to say it just yet.
Uzume and Yashima both clapped and cheered, rushing to Akitsu's side to hug her tightly.
"Welcome to the club," Uzume said with a grin.
"You deserve it," Yashima added softly.
Matsu wiped a fake tear from her eye. "They grow up so fast…"
Miya… said nothing. She sat with a strange expression—softness mixed with worry, mixed with that strange longing she hadn't yet allowed herself to admit.
Karasuba, meanwhile, had watched the entire thing from the corner. And though she scoffed under her breath, she didn't look away.
Issei smiled, kneeling down to Akitsu and brushing her cheek gently. "No matter what happened in the past, you're mine now… and I'm proud to have you."
Akitsu nodded silently, her cheeks flushed pink, still gripping his sleeve as though afraid to let go.
Just as the excitement of Akitsu's winging began to settle, she turned toward Issei again, her gaze still glassy with emotion.
Without hesitation, she reached for him, gently pulling him close.
"A-Akitsu?" Issei blinked, caught off guard as her hands found his shoulders and her lips pressed against his once more—softer this time, but deeper, more intense. A kiss not born of confusion or surprise, but of overwhelming gratitude and affection.
Gasps filled the room.
"Ah—hey! Wait a minute!" Uzume shouted, standing up abruptly, cheeks puffed in protest. "That's not fair!"
Yashima's face turned crimson. "S-She's kissing him again!"
Matsu simply groaned, pushing up her glasses. "Geez, give the rest of us a chance, why don't you?!"
But before they could charge over and break up the impromptu make-out session, Akitsu's hands lifted gently. With a small whisper of frost in the air, a sudden wall of crystalline ice rose around her and Issei—transparent but firm—separating them from the rest of the room.
"Eh?! She iced us out?!" Uzume exclaimed, pressing her hands to the smooth, frozen surface.
"Y-You're not supposed to use your powers like that indoors!" Matsu called, though her voice held more envy than reprimand.
Inside the ice shell, the world was muffled and quiet. The soft shimmer of light reflected off the frosted interior, casting a pale glow over Akitsu's blushing face.
Issei, still dazed, stared at her with wide, goofy eyes and a dumb grin that slowly stretched into something softer—more heartfelt.
Akitsu looked at him, her fingers brushing against his cheek. "Your face… you look so happy, even when I do something like this…"
She smiled. A real, unrestrained smile. One that melted the chill in the air far better than the warmth of the room ever could.
"I want to keep seeing this face," she whispered. "I want to make you smile like this… always."
Her kimono slipped from both shoulders, revealing her huge breasts to the happy face of Issei. Her body trembling from the intensity of her own emotions. Not embarrassment, but unfiltered passion—her heart, thawed for the first time in years, beat wildly in her chest.
Even encased in ice, she felt warm.
Akitsu cradled Issei's face between her hands, resting her forehead against his. "Your lips… they're warm," she whispered, breathless, her body pressed against him.
Issei chuckled nervously, the goofy grin stretching across his face even wider. "Y-Yeah, well… I guess being encased in ice kinda has that effect, huh?"
Akitsu giggled—really giggled—for the first time since anyone had known her. That sound alone caused Issei's heart to skip a beat.
She leaned her head into his chest, sighing contentedly. "I feel… safe. I've never felt like this before." She quickly started taking off her kimono as it was getting very hot even for her. Revealing her sculpted body from her flawless skin, to her thick legs and butt. She then continued to press her body and making out with Issei wanting to be even closer.
Outside the ice shell, chaos continued.
"Open up right now!" Matsu shouted, banging her laptop against the dome. "I demand equal kissing rights!"
Yashima puffed her cheeks in a huff. "I-I want to do that… eventually…"
Uzume folded her arms. "Tch. I swear, this ice princess thinks she's slick."
Meanwhile, Karasuba merely observed with one brow arched. "Hmph. That one's got some nerve."
Uzume quickly used her veil to whip the ice dome with precision. "Come on, come on, break already!"
Yashima had resorted to using her hammer. THUNK. THUNK. "I-I'm not jealous! I just—also want to kiss my Ashikabi."
Karasuba, the most physically capable of the group, calmly drew her blade and slashed it straight at the ice.
CLANG.
The steel met the dome with a resonant ring—and rebounded. Not even a scratch. Karasuba blinked, visibly stunned. "…Okay. That's new."
Matsu's jaw dropped. "Did her ice just tank your sword?!"
"She has just recently been winged with a transfer." Karasuba muttered, clicking her tongue. As she tried to defend the reason she couldn't cut the ice.
Inside the dome, Issei and Akitsu continued their romantic moment, blissfully unaware of the chaos mounting outside.
Then…
BOOM.
The floor trembled.
A shadow loomed from the hallway entrance. A very familiar one.
Miya stood at the threshold of the room, her wooden sword gripped tightly in her hand. Her smile was serene. Dangerously serene. The kind of calm only found at the eye of a hurricane.
"I believe," she said sweetly, "I explicitly said no inappropriate behavior under my roof."
Everyone froze.
"I suppose," she mused aloud, "it's time to remind our dear Ashikabi and his overexcited Sekirei what discipline looks like."
With a blur, Miya raised her wooden bokken.
The dome? Shattered with one blow.
CRACK!
The frost exploded in a burst of sparkling mist, revealing the very stunned couple mid-kiss. Issei blinked in surprise. Akitsu naked blinked in confusion.
Then—
"M-MIYA?!" Issei stammered, trying to pull away with a face redder than a tomato. Akitsu, still clinging to him, looked over with mild curiosity.
"Oh. Hello, landlady."
The two are quickly struck on the head and knocked out.
—-----------------------------------------------
Night had settled peacefully over the Izumo Inn, its wooden frame quiet under the glow of the moonlight. The windows shimmered with the soft flicker of lamps inside, the only signs of life coming from the muffled sound of quiet breathing and the occasional shift of futons.
Inside, most of the residents were finally at rest.
Issei lay sprawled, snoring softly, a comically large bump on his head courtesy of Miya's signature swing. Uzume was to his right and Matsu was on his left both cuddling up to his side. While Akitsu slept with Yashima on top of Issei, Akitsu's face serene and still slightly flushed, her hands resting protectively against Issei's chest. Despite the chaos earlier, she looked content, wrapped in the warmth of being finally accepted, of being winged—whole.
But outside, in the serene quiet of the Inn's garden, another storm brewed.
Miya stood by the koi pond, her usual gentle expression nowhere in sight. The night breeze stirred her long violet hair, and in her grip rested her bokken, perfectly still but brimming with intent. Her amber eyes were focused with sharp clarity on the woman standing opposite her.
Karasuba.
Clad in a black combat yukata that swayed with the wind, Karasuba stood with her arms crossed, her sword at her side, its presence casual but deadly. The moon cast an ethereal glow over her pale skin, but her eyes were sharp—amused, taunting.
"So." Karasuba said, smirking, "You finally decided to face me, Miya."
"I warned you," Miya replied coldly, her voice like winter's breath. "If you ever stepped foot in my inn again, I would strike you down."
Karasuba tilted her head with an exaggerated shrug. "Technically, I didn't step in of my own will. I was dragged here... by our Ashikabi."
Miya's eyes narrowed. "He is not mine. Not yet."
"But he could be," Karasuba teased, letting the words roll from her tongue. "You're feeling it, aren't you? That connection. That pull. The same one I felt… before I kissed him."
The air turned tense.
Miya's grip tightened on her bokken, her posture stiffening with a subtle tremble of emotion. "You… have no right. Not after everything you've done. You're a murderer. A woman who glorifies war and death. What makes you think you deserve to feel something like love?"
Karasuba gave a short laugh, one without humor. "I don't. Maybe I never should." she said, eyes glinting in the darkness. "But I still felt it. That overwhelming connection. Like something buried deep inside me finally clicked. Yume used to talk about it, you know. Love. Bonds. All that nonsense." Her tone softened, just slightly. "I thought it was weakness. But now… now I can't stop thinking about it."
Miya's expression shifted, a crack of hesitation breaking through her anger.
"That boy…" Karasuba went on, her voice lower now, more introspective. "He's a fool. Loud. Too kind. Too honest. But he's not weak. When he punched me, I felt the power in him. He's not like the rest of these pathetic humans. Him standing up and actually fighting is proof alone of that."
The silence lingered between them for a moment.
"You're still a threat," Miya said, finally breaking it. "You hurt others. Killed without remorse. That doesn't disappear just because your heart fluttered."
Karasuba looked up at the moon. "I know."
Miya's shoulders tensed again, but her bokken remained in her grip. She didn't start attacking.
"I'm not here to take him from you, Miya. If you want him, claim him. I won't stop you," Karasuba said, almost mockingly, but there was something raw underneath it. "But don't pretend you're any different from me."
Miya's brows furrowed. "I am nothing like you."
"Aren't you?" Karasuba smirked. "You killed just like I did back then. You let that part of yourself fade when Takehito died. You buried it with him. But it's still there, isn't it? That part of you that still wants to fight… to love. You're just too afraid to admit it."
The words cut deep. Deeper than Miya wanted to admit. She hated how true they sounded.
"I haven't given up on love." Miya said quietly, her voice heavy. "I'm just not ready to forget him."
Karasuba's smirk faded. "How cowardly of you. Why should he even matter. The man is dead."
"Because of you." Miya's killer glare focused on Karasuba. Her grip on her bokken tightened.
Karasuba then smirked. "If you really believed that then why aren't you attacking me, right now."
Miya looks uncomfortable to admit it. "Issei that boy. Has the bad habit of wearing his heart on his sleeves. He already cares for you. If I struck you down, he would never look at me the same as before." Miya is afraid that Issei would one day be terrified of her
Karasuba then stops her mockery. "I won't start anything. Mostly because I know if I did, Issei would most probably be angry at me."
The two women stood in silence, the night wind brushing past them.
"I don't trust you," Miya finally said. "But I'll allow you to stay. For now."
Karasuba gave a mock bow. "How gracious of you, landlady."
"But if you so much as think of harming him or the other girls."
"I know, I know. You'll kill me." Karasuba said with a faint smirk. "I wouldn't expect anything less."
As Miya turned back toward the inn, she paused briefly.
"…And you're wrong," she said without looking back. "He's not my Ashikabi. Not yet."
Karasuba raised a brow. "Yet, huh?"
Miya said nothing more, disappearing into the shadows of the hallway, leaving Karasuba behind beneath the moonlight, her smirk softening just a little.
"Yume." Karasuba whispered, her voice barely audible, "Is this what you wanted for me?"
—-----------
As Miya slid the shoji door to her room shut behind her, the soft clack of the wooden frame echoed louder than it should have. The silence that followed felt heavy, even oppressive. Moonlight filtered through the paper screens, casting pale lines across the tatami mats, and the familiar scent of incense lingered faintly in the air.
She stood in front of the small shrine she had built in his memory, the photograph of his smiling face bathed in soft candlelight.
But tonight, her heart wasn't calm.
Karasuba.
That woman had been the embodiment of violence. A killer. And now… she was one of Issei's. Winged. Tethered to him. That cold-blooded creature, who cared for nothing but carnage, had found something—someone—she couldn't kill. Someone she wanted to protect.
And that someone was Issei.
Miya clenched her hands into fists.
"He'll be alone with her." Miya whispered aloud, her voice trembling as it passed through the still room. "Without guidance… without someone to stop her madness."
She could already imagine it. Karasuba, unable to contain the storm inside her, turning on him. Testing him. Pushing him. And if—if he couldn't stop her…
Miya turned toward the mirror and stared at her reflection. Her eyes, usually so calm and composed, were clouded with unease. She had always been proud of her control, of her strength. But that control had begun to slip the moment she realized her soul had started reaching out to that clumsy, kind-hearted boy.
Takehito's image remained still in the candle's glow.
"I know I said I would never love another," Miya murmured, walking toward the shrine and kneeling slowly before it. "That my heart belonged to you and you alone… but…"
She closed her eyes. She could still see Issei's silly grin when he tried to act cool. His embarrassed fluster when teased. The way he threw himself in harm's way for the sake of others—even her.
She remembered the look in Karasuba's eyes. That dangerous glint. That obsession she could barely control. It was a matter of time.
"I can't let him face that alone."
Miya opened her eyes again, steeling her resolve. "Takehito… I won't let what happened to you happen to him. I won't let him be consumed by her darkness."
She stood, her movements smooth, graceful—but now filled with renewed purpose.
"I'm going with him."
Not just as the former guardian of the Izumo Inn. Not just as a protector of wayward Sekirei. But as a woman who had finally come to terms with her heart. She would go to that other world. To watch over him. To shield him. And—if fate allowed it—to finally open her heart once more.