Uzume walked down the fire escape. She reached the alley below and a man in a black suit wearing a blue tie stepped from the shadows. His glasses glinted under the streetlight.
"Thank you for your hard work," he said. "I was told your kill yesterday was nearly instantaneous," he added.
Uzume paused mid-step. Her mind flashed to the girl with the kunai. She had tossed her aside and crushed her and then claimed her Sekirei crest.
"I expect no less from one personally modified by Takehito Asama," the man continued. "Master Higa holds you in high regard," he added.
Uzume didn't respond. She looked ahead. "Enough talking," she said coldly. "Who's the next target?" she asked.
The man produced a photo and handed it over. "Number 95. Kuno," he replied.
Uzume studied the image. She saw a petite, fair-skinned girl with messy chin-length blonde hair and wide blue eyes. She wore a frilly blue blouse with a white collar, a matching skirt, black knee-high boots, and white stockings. Her expression was timid, almost fragile.
"Her ability is unusual," the man said.
"It won't matter," Uzume replied flatly.
The man leaned in. "Don't forget, your Ashikabi doesn't have much time left," he said. He watched Uzume walk away. He thought back to the two figures who entered the room after Uzume left.
Meanwhile, James and Saya wandered through a dim alleyway.
"Why did we take this route?" Saya asked as she looked around.
James grinned. "Call it a hunch. Something interesting's about to happen," he remarked.
"It's quiet," Saya muttered.
They turned a corner and froze.
Ahead stood a man shielding a girl behind him. They faced a woman in a white bra and shorts. Her body was wrapped in flowing white fabric. Her face was hidden beneath the veil.
"Leave me and Kuno alone!" the man shouted.
"Haruka..." Kuno whispered as she felt his warm embrace.
"Step aside, Ashikabi," the cloaked woman said. "I have no desire to harm a human," she added.
"I won't abandon her," Haruka said as he clenched his fists.
"Then I'll send you both to hell," she replied.
With a flick of her wrist, the white sheets surged forward like serpents. Haruka shielded Kuno as she blushed and stepped forward. Kuno screamed. There was an ear piercing wail that echoed through the city. She screamed loudly. The clocked women staggered back.
"That's loud," Saya winced.
"Very loud," James agreed.
The white fabric recoiled was disrupted by Kuno's sonic burst.
"That was Kuno's best move. I called White Veil," Haruka said with a smile on her face.
"Haruka, that name sucks," Kuno muttered.
The cloaked woman staggered back and touched her head. She got up and launched another wave of fabric.
Suddenly, a torrent of water slammed into the alley, parting the sheets. Tsukiumi stepped forward, palm raised, her long hair flowing. ""Hydra Blast," she said.
Musubi landed beside her with her fists clenched.
"Tsukiumi, Musubi," Saya said as she walked forward.
"And me," Jasmine added as she appeared from the rooftop. She landed next to James. James smiled. He remembered their first time together on the rooftop. He thought Jasmine was athletic.
James pulled her into a hug and smiled. He had Jasmine in his embrace once again.
Jasmine smiled. "Someone missed me?" Jasmine asked.
"What are you two doing here?" Tsukiumi asked as she raised an eyebrow. She looked to see them hugging.
"I want a hug too," Musubi chimed in.
Saya sighed and looked ahead. "Who is she?" Saya asked. She thought the body figure looked familiar.
Tsukiumi nodded and looked ahead. She cleared her throat. "I am Number 09, Tsukiumi. I hereby challenge you to an honorable duel," she said.
"Musubi, Number 88," Musubi added cheerfully.
The cloaked woman's eyes darted between the newcomers. She spotted James, Jasmine, and Saya behind them.
"Who are they?" Haruka asked as he shielded Kuno.
Kuno trembled. Her eyes were wide.
"Don't hide behind that shawl," Tsukiumi said sternly. "Give me your name and number," she added.
"So she's the one who defeats Sekirei without revealing her identity," James said with a smile on his face.
"She is?" Musubi asked.
The cloaked woman hesitated. I don't want to fight them... not yet. She looked at James who was smiling. She thought does he know She thought no, he couldn't.
"If you don't want to reveal your name, then I will knock the veil off," Tsukiumi said as she started to swirl water around her.
"I don't know who they are but we should run," Haruka said.
Kuno was on all four. "Haruka I cannot run," she said.
At that moment, a woman wearing a very short purple Chinese dress which showed her cleavage and belly button, walked behind them. She had a bottle in her hand and had a blush on her lips. She had black hair and a small mouth.
She walked forward and stopped in front of Kuno and Haruka. Haruka held his nose. "What with this women?" he muttered. "She reeks of booze," he added.
James looked at her and smiled.
Jasmine looked at the women. "She has an interesting smell," she remarked.
The woman with the booze bottle looked at James. James looked back. The women winked and walked ahead.
"Water Festival," Tsukiumi said as a serpentine dragon of water surged from her palm. It twisted through the air and roared toward the cloaked woman like a tidal beast.
Before impact, a figure stepped between them. She was swaying, and holding a half-empty bottle.
Tsukiumi gasped and redirected the dragon mid-flight, splashing it harmlessly against the alley wall. The cloaked woman flinched.
"That was reckless," Tsukiumi snapped. "Who are you?" she asked.
The newcomer took a lazy sip, her cheeks were flushed. "Just a passerby," she said. "I don't care for fights that ignore context, that's all," she added.
"Ignore context?" Tsukiumi echoed. "She's the one being unfair! I introduced myself properly. That's Sekirei tradition," she added.
The woman shrugged. "But there's two of you, maybe more," she added, eyeing Jasmine, Saya, and James with a smirk.
Musubi bounced on her heels. Her eyes sparkled like stars. "Is it my turn to jump in?" she asked.
"It's common sense," Tsukiumi said firmly. "Sekirei battles are one-on-one," she added.
"A duel," Jasmine said. "A battle of honour," she added.
"In war, there's no honor," Saya muttered.
"Even with no honour, honor is honor," James said.
Tsukiumi sighed and turned to Musubi. "Go play with that child over there," she said.
Musubi spun around with a cheerful grin. Kuno and Haruka stiffened.
"I'm Number 88, Musubi," she said sweetly. She bowed down. "Shall we fight?" she asked.
Kuno stared at Musubi's voluptuous figure. She had large breasts and a big ass. "It's hopeless. I'd lose in every way imaginable," she whispered.
"You are useless," Haruka said.
Haruka stepped forward protectively. "I'm Haruka, and this is Kuno. Sorry, but we won't be fighting," he said.
"Easy, Musubi," James said with a chuckle.
Meanwhile, Tsukiumi summoned her water dragon again. It lunged toward the cloaked woman.
She responded instantly and her white sheets whipped forward like living tendrils and sliced through the water and scattered the dragon into mist.
The woman with the bottle stepped in once more, swaying slightly. "I'm out," she said as she tried to get more alcohol out of the bottle.
Tsukiumi growled. "Why do you keep interfering?" she asked.
"You're loud," the woman replied as she raised her hands. Petals swirled around her fingers, and a gust of wind burst forth. "I'm Number 03, Kazehana. And the interesting one is gone," she added.
The wind exploded outward, scattering flowers and lifting skirts. Tsukiumi gasped as her own was caught in the breeze, revealing her white panties.
"Wait," she shouted. Tsukimui muttered, "Kazehana."
She spun around. "Musubi?" she asked.
She looked around and saw the alley was empty. James, Jasmine, Saya, and Musubi all had gone. She looked down and saw a piece of paper. She opened and it read, "We will meet back at the Shrine." She saw a kiss and the name James.
Tsukiumi's eyes narrowed. Her cheeks were red. "Where did they go?" she asked.