The four figures that surrounded the group, each radiating the unmistakable pressure.
First was Sekirei No. 15: Himeko—tall, poised, and elegant in a dark purple kimono. Her obsidian-black hair flowed like liquid silk, and a massive double-sided blade rested against her shoulder. Her eyes were focused and ready to attack for her Ashikabi.
At the back were the blond twin terrors, No. 38 Mitsuha, brandishing a crackling whip, and No. 39 Mitsuki, manipulating thin steel wires. Dressed identically in yellow and black chinese dresses with sharp twintails bouncing behind them, they radiated mischief and malice.
Finally, was No. 43 Yomi, brown-haired and draped in a tattered, jet-black gown. Her eyes glowed faintly with restrained malice, and her death scythe glinted with fresh snow clinging to its edge.
Issei's expression hardened. 'So these are Mikogami's Sekirei.'
Uzume and Yashima immediately tensed, weapons ready to protect him.
"Don't hold back, Yashima." Issei said calmly. "We're not here to start fights… but we won't let them push us around."
A flicker of silver light flashed—Uzume's veil unfurling like a living serpent, wrapping itself protectively around her arm. "Got it, hubby~!" She chirped, despite the tension in her eyes.
Yashima's grip on her hammer tightened as it grew to its usual size. She still looked uncertain, the massive weapon nearly trembling in her hands.
Uzume's veil shimmered around her body like floating silk, her stance low and ready, her eyes sharp.
Beside her stood Yashima, fists clenched tight around the handle of her massive war hammer, heart pounding as the weight of battle loomed before her.
"I've got the twins!" Uzume called, spinning her veil around like a whip. "You take on the weapon users!"
Yashima gave a hesitant nod. "R-right!"
The twins struck first—Mitsuki's wires shot forward, slicing through the air like razors, while Mitsuha's whip cracked out, aimed to entangle and bind.
"Too slow!" Uzume shouted, sliding forward, her veil wrapping around the wires and twisting them with a flick. The force of her movement yanked Mitsuki off balance.
From the left, Mitsuha's whip curled toward Uzume's legs.
But Uzume leapt, flipping midair and slamming the veil downward like a hammer, smashing the whip into the ground.
"Not bad for a glorified bedsheet!" Mitsuha snapped, reeling the whip back.
Uzume landed with a flourish. "Thanks! You're not bad for a bootleg dominatrix!"
Meanwhile—
Yashima squared off against Himeko and Yomi.
The kimono Sekirei advanced first, her double-bladed sword spinning with grace. She struck.
Yashima raised her hammer just in time—CLANG!—the impact rattled her arms, sending a jolt up her spine.
Himeko was focused, her face unreadable, even as her blade swung again.
Yashima ducked—but only barely—as Yomi's scythe came from the side, grazing her sleeve.
"Focus, big girl," Yomi purred. "Or this'll be over fast."
"I-I'm not scared!" Yashima shouted, swinging her hammer wildly. "I-I can do this!"
Her swing forced both attackers to retreat, but her follow-up was too slow. Himeko dashed in again, slicing a shallow cut across Yashima's thigh.
She winced. "Damn it…"
"You're wide open!" Yomi grinned, rushing in.
But a sudden gust of veil-cloth lashed through the air, knocking Yomi back.
"Yashima! Focus!" Uzume called, still ducking and weaving between the twins' strikes. "Don't swing unless you know you'll hit!"
"I-I'm trying!"
Uzume again launched herself at Mitsuha and Mitsuki, her veil weaving through the air with unnatural grace. The whip cracked, clashing mid-air with Uzume's cloth, while the wires snaked from multiple directions, trying to entangle her.
"You'll have to do better than that, girls!" Uzume smirked, ducking and dodging, veil flaring as she knocked the whip off-course and snagged the edge of a wire mid-spin.
On the other side, Yashima gritted her teeth, as her opponents charged at her and in response she swung her war hammer at Himeko and Yomi with all her strength. Sparks burst into the air as blade met hammer, the metallic clang sending echoes through the park.
Yomi laughed, twirling her scythe. "Poor little Sekirei, still green as spring grass!"
Himeko said nothing. Her focus was more terrifying than any insult.
Despite her best efforts, Yashima was being pushed back—her defense full of openings, her swings too wide.
Meanwhile Issei was seen having a stare down with Mikogami.
"You realize it's five against two, right?" Mikogami's playful smug voice broke through the chaos as he leaned against Mutsu's arm.
The tall, stoic Mutsu stood impassively by his side like a silent specter. "I could let him join," Mikogami continued, "but that would be overkill. One whisper from me, and Mutsu will turn you into a red smear."
Issei turned his gaze toward Mikogami—expression unreadable, body still."You done?" Issei asked, voice low.
Mikogami blinked, caught off guard. "Huh?"
"I just needed to confirm something," Issei said, rolling his shoulder. "That you're a real piece of shit." He stepped forward, fire in his eyes. "And now I'm gonna punch you in the face."
Mikogami scoffed. "And how are you going to do that? Your out of Sekirei to fight."
Issei didn't answer.
Instead, he focused, mana flooding his muscles in tandem with his deep, steady breath. He didn't summon the Boosted Gear yet—this fight didn't deserve that—but he would show this smug bastard that Ashikabi were more than just observers.
Behind him, Ddraig chuckled in his mind. (He's going to regret underestimating you, partner.)
With that promise hanging in the air, Issei shot forward.
The moment Issei's foot slammed into the earth and he broke into a full sprint, Mikogami's smug confidence began to crack.
"What is he—? H-Hey! You're not supposed to—!" Mikogami backed a step, now visibly nervous. "Ashikabi aren't supposed to fight!"
But Issei wasn't listening. His gaze was locked on the pompous brat who called Akitsu a toy and threw his Sekirei around like possessions. His blood boiled at the memory of the girl's vacant stare—how broken she looked before she even said a word.
"No one gets to treat people like that," Issei muttered, his voice low and angry. "Especially not someone like you."
And then—
CLANG.
A streak of steel flashed through the air as Mutsu, the stoic guardian, appeared in front of Mikogami with his katana drawn, intercepting Issei's charge with calm, precise motions.
"You will not touch my Ashikabi," Mutsu said, his voice like steel.
"Didn't expect you to just stand there," Issei muttered under his breath, then dove to the side as Mutsu's blade narrowly missed his torso.
The dirt kicked up around them as Issei twisted mid-dodge, landing in a low crouch, sweat forming at his brow.
'He's fast. And precise. Damn.'
But he was keeping up. Barely. Issei's body screamed as he juked left and rolled under another strike, his instincts sharpened from weeks of training, ki reinforcement, and magical tuning. He didn't even need the Boosted Gear—yet.
("You've improved, partner. But this one's no joke. He is quite skilled.") Ddraig's voice echoed, not without a hint of admiration.
'No kidding. But if I can't get past him… I can't get to that smug brat hiding behind him.'
Mutsu struck again, slicing down in a powerful arc—only for Issei to flip backward and slam his feet into the ground to recover.
"Your movements… are unnatural," Mutsu noted, narrowing his eyes. "Not bad—for a human."
"Thanks," Issei replied, panting. "You're pretty terrifying for a glorified butler."
—-------------------------------------------
Meanwhile—
On the other end, Uzume pulled one of Mitsuki's wires taut with her veil and yanked hard. Mitsuki stumbled forward—just in time to eat a solid roundhouse kick to the stomach.
"Ugh!" Mitsuki grunted, flying back.
Mitsuha's whip came next—but Uzume ducked low, twisting her veil around the weapon, and with a flick, sent the blonde girl spinning.
"Damn it!" Mitsuha hissed.
"Come on, twinsies! Don't tell me you're done already!" Uzume gloated.
Yashima grit her teeth. Her hands bled, her legs trembled—but she planted her feet.
Himeko rushed forward again.
And this time, Yashima waited.
The moment Himeko raised her blade—
THOOM.
Yashima's hammer came straight up from below, catching Himeko mid-charge.
Himeko's eyes widened as she was launched backward like a ragdoll, crashing into a tree trunk and leaving a frosty crater in the bark.
"YES!" Yashima gasped.
"Not bad," Yomi snarled, her smile faltering.
Yomi leapt, scythe poised like a guillotine—
But Yashima spun, deflecting the blade mid-swing with the handle of her hammer, and then shoulder-checked Yomi backward.
"You're tougher than you look," Yomi muttered as she felt just how much strength the small girl had.
Yashima's chest heaved, but her eyes were burning now. "And you're meaner than you talk."
Back with Uzume—
"Veil Binding!"
With a cry, her cloth shot forward and wrapped around Mitsuha's whip and Mitsuki's wires in one motion—tightening, twisting, snapping them taut.
The twins screamed in unison as their weapons locked up, forcing them to choose between releasing them or being pulled down.
Uzume didn't give them the chance to choose as her veil wrapped tight around Mitsuha's whip and Mitsuki's wires, was then tugging the twins forward into an incoming strike from Yashima's hammer. The blonde twins yelped, flying sideways through the ground.
"Nice hit, Yashima!" Uzume grinned. Then she leapt forward and delivered a synchronized heel kick to both twins' faces, making them continue to fly quite a long distance.
Breathing hard, she turned toward Yashima and noticed that she actually landed a hit at one of her opponents.
"Nice job, muscle girl!" Uzume called.
Yashima, cheeks flushed from effort, nodded. "Thank you…! I'm trying not to freeze up anymore!"
Their attacks had become more synchronized, driven by a shared need to protect Issei—not just as their Ashikabi, but as someone who believed in them. Who stood up for them even when he didn't have to.
Mikogami's Sekirei—once smug—were now turning frantic.
They saw it too.
Issei, a human, was keeping up with Mutsu, their strongest fighter. Dodging Mutsu's attacks, inching closer and closer to their Ashikabi.
"Keep him back!" Mitsuki yelled as she got off the ground, her wires slicing through the air as she tried to attack the boy from behind. The rest followed trying to reach Issei.
That was their mistake.
The moment their focus shifted from Uzume and Yashima to Issei, the girls struck hard.
"Now, Yashima!"
"Right!"
Uzume's veil lashed out and snared Mitsuki's legs, yanking her off-balance and into the ground, while Yashima charged forward and delivered a hammer strike to Himeko's exposed side, knocking her away from Yomi's reach and then her hammer was swung to strike Yomi.
Yomi hissed in pain as the hammer struck her down. While Mitsuha was thrown by the veil and crashed into the rest of Mikogami's Sekirei.
—-----------------------------
Back near Mikogami, Mutsu sliced downward again—but this time, Issei ducked under the blade and surged forward, his fist glowing faintly with reinforcement magic.
He could see the whites of Mikogami's eyes now.
"You can't be serious—Mutsu, stop him—!"
Mutsu gritted his teeth, preparing for another strike.
But Issei moved first. He twisted in the air, grabbing Mutsu's wrist, redirected the strike into the ground, and launched himself forward with every ounce of strength. "Don't treat people like toys!"
Only for the ground beneath him to quake violently.
Mutsu stepped forward, his hand rising—and with it, a massive chunk of earth tore free from the ground, levitating like a boulder ready to crush.
"Behind you Master!" Came Sherri's warning of something big coming towards Issei's back.
Issei, skidding to a stop as the boulder came flying at him like a meteor. Thinking quickly and noticing he can't change direction fast enough, a shimmer of red light surrounded his arm.
SHING.
The red gauntlet manifested with a satisfying thrum of power, the green gem glowing intensely.
BOOST
A surge of energy flowed through him, and with a sudden burst of speed, Issei dodged to the right, barely evading the stone as it smashed into the ground, scattering the earth into debris like shrapnel.
BOOM.
Issei's breath came short, his feet crunching on broken earth as he rose again.
Mutsu didn't waste time. He was already on him.
Steel gleamed in the moonlight as Mutsu's blade arced down in a flash—CLANG!
Issei raised his gauntlet just in time, the enchanted metal of the Boosted Gear colliding with the sword in a spray of sparks.
The impact rattled his arm, but he held his ground.
"Not bad," Mutsu muttered, leaping back with practiced grace.
Issei didn't respond with words. Instead, he launched forward again, trading blows—blade versus gauntlet.
Mutsu swung, his blade weaving like a deadly dance. Again and again their weapons clashed as sparks ignited the air.
Until Issei ducked under a slash, twisting his body and responding with a left hook—Mutsu deflected with the flat of his blade and retaliated with an earth spike beneath Issei's feet.
BOOST!
CRACK. The second boost surged, and Issei vaulted into the air just as the spike shattered the spot he had been standing on.
He landed hard, gauntlet up, and breathed through the burn in his arms. Every movement mattered.
'Damn, this guy… he's got technique and magic. But at least I'm faster now.'
Another slash. Another dodge.
Another spike. Another leap.
Their duel danced across the park—blades slicing, fists flying, the clash of strength and speed reverberating through the snowy night.
And all the while, Uzume and Yashima continued holding their own.
Uzume dodged another whip strike and snarled. "Damn it, he's still standing?! Hubby, hurry up and punch that bastard already!"
"I'm trying!" Issei shouted as he blocked another earth projectile with the Boosted Gear. "He's tougher than he looks!"
Mutsu narrowed his eyes. He was impressed—he hadn't fought like this in years.
"A human shouldn't be able to keep up with me." He said as he prepared his next strike.
"I'm not just any normal boy." Issei replied, tightening his stance. "I'm the future Harem King!"
Mutsu blinked. "…What?"
BOOST!
With a wild grin, Issei shot forward with reinforced strength, gauntlet primed.
The battle had become chaos. Weapons clashed, energy flared, and it continued to drift down over the torn-up park like ash.
But amid the fight, Akitsu stood motionless, her bare feet half-buried in the ground. Her lifeless amber eyes fixed on one boy—Issei Hyoudou.
A boy… who should've left.
A boy… who didn't owe her anything.
And yet, there he was. Throwing himself between her and danger, shielding her with nothing more than stubbornness and willpower. He faced down Mutsu without hesitation. Fought off Sekirei clearly stronger and more experienced than himself.
And still—
Still he turned back between attacks to look her way. Making sure she was okay and safe.
It was foolish. Reckless. Borderline suicidal.
And it cracked something inside her frozen chest.
Akitsu's breath hitched. The sharp cold she had always known—a bitter, numbing frost inside her heart—wavered.
No one had ever fought for her.
No one had ever looked at her with kindness.
And this boy… this strange, infuriating, bold boy—wanted her to live.
He hadn't even known her name… and yet he cared.
The others fought desperately.
Uzume was again clashing with the twin blondes.
Yashima's hammer swung wild and clumsy, her inexperience catching up fast. She was breathing hard, bleeding from a shallow cut on her arm.
And Issei—
BOOST!
His body trembled from the force, yet he still surged forward, landing a solid punch into Mutsu's ribs, only for the older Sekirei to recover instantly, slashing downward with his blade—
"Enough."
The air shifted.
Everyone froze.
And then—ice bloomed.
A sudden blizzard burst from where Akitsu stood, spiraling outward in a great white arc. Crystalline frost exploded across the battlefield, forcing everyone to leap away as the ground was overtaken in jagged, glittering shards.
The twins shrieked as a wall of ice rose between them and Uzume.
Mutsu halted his blade mid-strike as a sheet of frost snaked up from the earth, forcing him to disengage.
Even Mikogami yelped from his perch as the snow coiled upward toward him.
The battlefield fell silent beneath the storm of snowflakes.
Akitsu stepped forward slowly, her blank eyes now glowing faintly with a soft, determined light.
"I won't let you… hurt him."
Everyone turned to her.
Yashima stared in awe. "She's strong…"
Mikogami scoffed, regaining his composure. "Tch. Does this mean she chose the cheater?"
"Guess she did." Mutsu interrupted, eyes locked on the frozen terrain. "Her power's real. We're overpowered now. Too many variables." The boy was already getting too much for him to handle and with the new opponent the chances of winning dropped lower.
"What?!" Mikogami snapped. "We can still win—!"
"No," Mutsu said flatly, placing a hand on his Ashikabi's shoulder. "We leave. Now."
Mikogami sputtered in protest, but the look in Mutsu's eyes shut him up fast.
"…Fine. Let's go. This isn't over!"
The rest of Mikogami's Sekirei glared daggers as they retreated. The twins growled under their breath, but the ice wall between them and Issei's group held firm.
As the last of them vanished into the snowy shadows, the park grew quiet again.
Issei breathed heavily, dropping to one knee. His Boosted Gear vanished in a flash of light.
Uzume and Yashima rushed to his side, both bruised but grinning.
"You okay?" Uzume asked, kneeling beside him.
"I will be." Issei panted. "Thanks to you guys." He looked up.
Akitsu stood still, unsure, her hands trembling at her sides.
Issei smiled. Warm. Open. "Thank you, too."
Her lips parted. "I… don't know why I did it."
"I do," he said softly. "Because you're not broken. You're just waiting for someone to remind you you're not."
Her breath caught in her throat.
"Your.. Name is…Issei." His name on her lips felt foreign. But safe.
The snow kept falling. Gentle. Slow. But for the first time in her life… it wasn't cold.
—---------------------------
"W-We're back!" Uzume announced breathlessly, panting, her clothes torn and dusty.
Behind her, Yashima trudged in, holding a ripped jacket around a half-naked girl with short brown hair and emotionless eyes.
And in the middle of it all, Issei walked in, battered and bloodied, a torn shirt barely hanging onto one shoulder.
Miya appeared almost instantly from around the corner like a gust of wind, her brown eyes zeroing in—not on the new girl, not even on Uzume or Yashima.
Only on Issei.
"Issei-kun!" she gasped, practically gliding across the room to him. "You're hurt!"
Before Issei could even answer, Miya was already inspecting the cuts on his cheek, the dried blood on his collarbone. Her delicate hands trembled slightly as they ran along his bruised arm.
"I'm fine, really," Issei muttered, smiling sheepishly despite the sting. "Just a scratch here and there."
"'Just a scratch,' he says," Miya snapped softly, her brows furrowing as she reached for a damp cloth from the nearby basin. "You're bleeding. These weren't scratches, Issei."
Meanwhile, Matsu burst in, her glasses sliding slightly down her nose as she took in the chaotic scene. "What the hell happened? You guys left to simply buy me a few parts and you come back looking like you were in a warzone!"
Homura stepped in after, sharp-eyed and guarded, immediately focusing on the unfamiliar girl wrapped in a ripped jacket, Akitsu.
His voice was low, wary. "That's a Sekirei… who is she?"
"She's—" Yashima started, then hesitated.
"We were just coming back," Uzume picked up, brushing her hair behind her ear, "after buying your parts, Matsu. Then we noticed it snowing. Even though it was sunny all day."
Issei nodded. "That's when we found her—Akitsu—sitting alone on a bench in the park. She was… not in good shape."
Akitsu stood silent, the tattered jacket hanging in her small frame. Her expression was blank, but her hands tightened slightly on the fabric. It was Issei's jacket, scorched and torn at the shoulder from blocking an attack, now draped protectively over her body.
"She said she's useless," Issei continued, his voice softer now. "That she can't be winged by an Ashikabi. That's what they told her…"
Homura's eyes widened slightly. "An unwinged Sekirei? And you still brought her here?"
Issei shrugged. "She needed help."
"And then," Uzume added, smirking, "We got jumped by some snot-nosed brat with way too many Sekirei. "
"Yeah," Yashima muttered, her tone bitter. "That kid had his whole team with him. But we made them retreat."
Matsu grinned. "So you fought them all off, huh? Not bad. "
As the conversation rolled on, Akitsu remained quiet, her gaze subtly fixed on Miya, who was still fussing over Issei's arm as she bandaged it.
There was something strange about the way Miya focused solely on him. The way her fingers lingered on the edge of his sleeve, the way her expression softened every time he smiled, even through the pain. It was… warm. It was familiar.
It was the kind of warmth she thought she'd never feel.
A twinge—deep and sharp—pierced through Akitsu's heart.
'He helped me. Even knowing I couldn't be winged… he said I had worth.'
"…You shouldn't push yourself," Miya was saying, pressing a final bandage down gently. "Fighting like that… What if you had been seriously injured?"
Issei rubbed the back of his head and smiled sheepishly. "Then I'd rely on you to patch me up. You're really good at this, you know?"
Miya flushed, her grip on the cloth tightening. "Don't flatter me…"
From across the room, Matsu smirked knowingly and leaned toward Uzume.
"She's doing it again."
Uzume pouted. "I noticed. Every time I try to cuddle Issei now, she's breathing down my neck."
Yashima nodded solemnly. "Her wrath is… terrifying."
The three girls looked over at Miya, who at that very moment had brushed a lock of hair off Issei's forehead.
"I'll prepare you something warm," she said, standing swiftly, her voice still unusually gentle. "You need to eat. You lost blood."
"Thanks, Miya." Issei said, watching her leave with a faint smile.
He turned back to the others, only to see their expressions—Uzume fuming, Yashima pouting, Matsu grinning like a devil.
"What?" Issei asked, tilting his head.
"Oh nothing," Matsu purred. "You just continue to stir the pot, my dear Ashikabi."
"I don't like the way you said that." Issei narrowed his eyes.
Uzume folded her arms. "I was first. Now I have to share with the inn's landlady?"
Yashima whispered, "She's really scary when she's jealous…"
Akitsu, who had remained silent all this time, suddenly spoke in a small, quiet voice. "I wish to stay."
They all turned to look at her.
Issei blinked. "You sure?"
Akitsu nodded once, her hand still clinging to his torn jacket. "…As long as I can stay… with you."
Issei's heart softened. "You're always welcome."
—--------------------
Now, Issei, still nursing a few bruises under his shirt, sat cross-legged with Uzume, Yashima, Matsu and their new companion Akitsu, gathered around him in the main room. Everyone had changed into clean clothes and more relaxed attire. A fresh set of tea steamed between them, and the mood, while heavy, was no longer combative.
Akitsu sat quietly on one side of the group. She wore a long white kimono, a bit sheer in its fabric and daring in how it clung to her body—especially around her chest—but it was tasteful, elegant, and, strangely, it suited her. It was one of Uzume's many outfits she created, altered slightly to fit Akitsu's frame. Her brown hair spilled over her shoulders, her eyes distant, her fingers curled around a warm cup of tea she hadn't touched.
Issei exhaled, placing his own teacup aside. "Akitsu." He said softly, drawing her gaze, "I hope this isn't too much to ask, but… I want to understand. Why can't you be winged? Why… were you in that state when we found you?"
His voice was gentle, not forceful. There was no command—only curiosity and compassion. The others leaned in subtly, even Matsu, who normally couldn't stay quiet for long, sat silently, her lips pressed into a thoughtful line.
Akitsu remained still for a moment. Then she lowered her eyes, her breath fogging faintly in the tea's steam.
"…It's because I'm broken."
Her words cut the quiet like a blade.
"I'm… not like the others," she continued, her voice distant. "I was part of the early numbers… originally meant to be No. 07. I wasn't supposed to be a failure. But the tuner did something that didn't work."
She paused. Her hand tightened around the cup.
"The tuner assigned to me—his name was Fuji. He was arrogant… ambitious. He believed he could speed up the adjustment process, force the bond to happen before the Sekirei was emotionally ready."
Issei frowned, brows furrowing. "They tried to force it?"
Akitsu nodded once, slowly. "He wanted to make me stronger. But it didn't work. Something went wrong with my core… with how I connect to Ashikabi. I… I can't form the bond."
She lowered the cup and rested it in her lap.
"Because of that, I was labeled a Scrap Number. I wasn't given a proper designation after that. Takami Sahashi, the lead geneticist, signed off on my classification personally. And Fuji… when he was fired for botching the project, he tried to take it out on me. I fought him off… and ran." Her voice was emotionless, but her hands trembled in her lap.
Uzume's fists clenched. "What the hell…"
Yashima looked like she was about to cry. "That's awful…"
Matsu's eyes were narrow, her jaw tight. "That bastard."
Issei stared at Akitsu, then slowly moved closer. "You're not broken," he said firmly.
She blinked.
"You're not a failure," he repeated, stronger this time. "You fought back. You survived. You escaped. That doesn't sound like a weak or a worthless Sekirei to me."
Her lips parted slightly, her eyes wide.
"You have worth, Akitsu," Issei said. "Not because you can be winged… not because of what someone stamped on your file. But because you're still here, still trying to live despite everything."
He reached out slowly and placed his hand over hers.
"You're not alone anymore. You've got me. And them," he added, glancing back at the others, who nodded in agreement.
Akitsu stared at him—really stared—for the first time. The familiar, empty glaze in her eyes flickered… like frost beginning to thaw under the morning sun.
"…You say that even if I can't give you anything?" She whispered. "Even if I can't be your Sekirei?"
"You don't have to give me anything," Issei said. "But if being with me… makes you feel safe, then stay. I'll be your Ashikabi. Even if we don't have the bond."
A silence followed. A heavy, emotional pause.
Then Akitsu—expression unreadable—gently bowed her head and murmured, "Thank you… Issei-sama."
Issei smiled happy that she has gotten her closure. But then… Issei's expression changed.
His hands, once resting comfortably on the table, slowly curled into fists. His jaw clenched tight. His shoulders stiffened. The light in his warm brown eyes darkened, replaced by something fierce and dangerous.
A sharp silence fell over the room like a heavy curtain.
Yashima's smile vanished, her eyes going wide with concern. Uzume blinked, her worry growing as she never noticed Issei make a face like that. Even Matsu grew concerned. Akitsu, still holding her tea, turned her gaze toward Issei.
The air thickened with quiet tension.
"…Issei?" Uzume asked softly, scooting closer to his side.
He didn't answer at first. His gaze was distant, as if staring through the walls. Inside his mind, the memory came flooding back like a tidal wave of rage. Sakura.
Her sweet, soft voice calling him "Papa." Her tiny arms wrapped around his neck. The way her face lit up whenever he smiled at her.
And then… that disgusting man.
Zouken Matou. A monster with the face of a human, who dared to use his own granddaughter as a tool. To treat her life like a science project—like she wasn't a child. Like she wasn't someone to be protected and loved.
He remembered Sakura crying to him and Tamamo in the middle of the night, escaping the room she shared with Misuki, seeking comfort from the nightmares of her time in the pit, telling him about the experiments, the cold rooms, the worms—something inside Issei snapped. And now, seeing the damage someone like Fuji had done to Akitsu…
He couldn't let it go. He wouldn't.
"...Issei," Matsu said carefully, studying him over her glasses. "You're scaring us."
Issei blinked, snapped from his thoughts by her voice. He exhaled slowly, though the fury still simmered under his skin.
"Sorry." He muttered, looking down at his clenched fists. "It's just…" He looked up, locking eyes with Matsu—his gaze hard and unflinching. "Matsu… can you find him?"
Matsu's brow furrowed. "Find who?"
"That tuner. Fuji," Issei said coldly. "The bastard who called Akitsu broken. Who tried to hurt her when she couldn't be what he wanted."
There was a dangerous calm to his tone. Controlled. Focused. Like a volcano ready to erupt—but not yet.
The girls stared at him in silence.
Yashima gently touched his sleeve. "Ashikabi-sama."
He glanced at her, and the anger in his face softened—slightly.
"I just want to talk to him." Issei said, voice like ice. "Give him… a piece of my mind."
Matsu didn't respond right away. Her green eyes searched his, and whatever she saw in them made her sit back quietly.
"…I can try," she finally said. "MBI's main records are blocked, but I have a few backdoors. If he's still alive… I'll find him."
Issei nodded, exhaling slowly. "Thanks."
Akitsu looked down at the floor, conflicted emotions flashing behind her usually blank expression. "…Thank you." She whispered.
Issei looked at her, his anger dimming. "You don't have to thank me," he said. "You deserved better. I'm not going to let someone who did that to you… walk away without hearing what I think about it."
Uzume leaned against his side, wrapping her arms around his. "That's our Issei. Always fighting for the girls."
Yashima sat closer as well, resting her head gently on his shoulder. "Just don't lose yourself in that anger, okay?"
He nodded slowly.
Matsu turned back to her laptop and began typing, a quiet resolve in her posture. "If he's out there… we'll find him. And when we do…" She glanced up, her glasses catching the light. "…We'll make sure he answers for everything he's done."
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