This has been another idea of mine, something that I've been toying with almost as long as Holy Inferno Dragon. Considering it's been sitting in my drive for years now, I've taken the time to finish up and polish what I have. This was something that I think I hinted at to noobsaleh I believe maybe two years ago and something I talked with SeerKing a bit more recently as my muse for HIDragon hiccuped, so here it is my friend. Here's hoping this works, first foray into the Sekirei sandbox.

Also, important note. Highschool DxD draws from multiple cultures which is why I always found it strange that Norse, Buddhist, or Biblical figures use Japanese honorifics. However, in terms of Sekirei, all the characters are either Japanese or practically raised in Japanese culture so that it becomes second nature. So if you find the written conversation style different from HIDragon, that's the reason why. If I slip up with honorifics, call me on it, please.

Disclaimer: I do not own Sekirei. I only own my work, this interpretation/AU of canon events.

Love at First Sight
Chapter 1: When they first met...

Modern-day Tokyo, or Shinto Teito as it had been renamed, year 2020. All in all, life had changed yet remained the same with the passage of time, though many traditionalists still protested over the transfer in ownership of the city to MBI, Mid Bioinformatics. The rising company had made outstanding strides in their journey from a modest start-up to its present state, a corporate juggernaut with extreme political and international connections.

Not that it particularly mattered to the everyday citizen. To most, especially the youngest generation, they accepted it. MBI had a foothold in nearly every industry, every viable type of marketable technology, and several military contracts in their R&D departments. They had grown up with it as a household name and brand. So a massive company buys out the capital? Sadly, this generation either didn't see any issue or just couldn't bring themselves to care. And their elders were beginning to run out of reasons to fight against the unusual take over. After all, they too benefitted from the new system, what with the number of incentives brought by the company bringing about such a change.

Since MBI's rise to prominence, everything was looking up. Medical advances were increasing the expected lifespan; efficiencies lost in political debate were dealt with quickly in the mad rush of the business world that never sleeps.

However, despite the general fluctuations in popularity ratings, there were still those that while they did notice or did care, their attentions were laid elsewhere.

Trivial things for the most part, or the not-so-trivial such as career-breaking entrance exams.
Nineteen-year old Sahashi Minato was one of these individuals. While he usually had a set of headphones plugged in to local news stations, this day was one of the few where he was too nervous to follow routine. Rocking back and forth in his seat, he waited impatiently, hoping the bus would get to the Tokyo U plaza sooner, where his little sister was waiting, and hopefully, favorable exam scores as well.

"Next stop, University Plaza." Hearing the driver call out the destination, Minato stood and grabbed his bag. Keeping a hand on the rail that ran the length of the bus, the young man made his way to the exit. Taking care not to trip down the stairs, he stepped onto the sidewalk carefully before firmly planting both feet on the concrete. Taking a deep breath, he counted down. Three... two... one…

"ONII-CHAN!"

It goes without saying that he usually knew where his sister, Yukari, was at most times.
The younger Sahashi slammed into her older brother with all the subtlety of a train wreck, nearly bowling him over into several other pedestrians. Shaking his head ruefully, Minato smiled back. At least he hoped he did.

"Yukari, I thought I specifically asked you not to tackle me? I'm fragile enough as is, you know that."

"I know, but you're finally here! I thought you got lost again. Last time it took us an entire day to find you!"

"And while I appreciate the sentiment," he wheezed, "my ribs most certainly do not."
Yukari let go and jumped back, eyeing him then patting him down like a child, searching for anything wrong with her brother. All the while, Minato bore it stoically, she'd done this for the past ten years, and she'd outlive God in her stubborn protectiveness of him.

"Well, you look okay... At least I think so. Maybe we should call kaa-san to make sure."
Without even turning, Minato reached out and plucked the cell phone from Yukari's grasp before she could call their mother, "I'm fine, Yukari. Now let's go and check the scores, hopefully I made it and can tell baa-chan about them in person." He handed back her cell phone, ending the discussion and hopefully preventing her from prematurely alerting their mother.

Knowing that Yukari was fuming silently though holding back for his sake, he held out his arm to apologize, trusting her to lead him to the scoreboard. She did take his arm in hers, before nearly pulling him off his feet as she half-lead, half-dragged Minato to the plaza center.

Tokyo U had resisted the technological advances to a limited degree. The traditional way to alert students as to their scores was still in use, listings posted on bulletins on campus. Inefficient in this modern day and age, certainly. The teaching faculty and some of the older students preferred this method, as a sign of the commitment needed to confirm entrance. However, that wasn't enough to discourage the hopeful crowd gathered around several bulletins.

As they drew closer to the listings, they found it difficult to push any further into the crowd as it was too dense for the two of them to enter and stay linked as they were. Yukari frantically looked around for a safe place to leave her brother, only to see that he was already making his way aways from her.

"Onii-chan! Mou, you can't just wander off!"

"Relax, Yukari," Minato sat down on a bench, relaxing himself no that he wasn't mobile. "I've been by here enough times to know where to sit, and it'd be rude for me to shove through."

"Jeez, you can't be so complacent." She huffed and turned around to cross her arms below her chest. "How are you going to get anywhere in life if you always settle? Kaa-san says-"

"Yukari." One word was all it took for the younger of the pair to quiet. Trying to rid herself of any awkward feeling, Yukari moved back to the postings, trying to find her brother's name or test ID to determine his acceptance.

She cursed under her breath when she saw the names had been listed by score, not by name, meaning that she'd have to read through the whole thing to find Minato's standing. "Yaoyorozu, Narusegawa, Sahashi! Onii-chan, you passed! Third place!" She shouted, barreling out of the crowd to deliver the good news. "Huh?"

Minato wasn't there anymore.

"Onii-chan?"

Minato sighed, annoyed. It was one thing to be informed about his grades. It was another for him to go outside and find out. Social interaction wasn't something he was good at anymore. He was grateful for Yukari in that regard, without her he would have gone crazy stuck at their grandmother's. He wasn't so good around people.

He heard two kids laughing behind him, chasing a ball. He slouched back and sighed. Years ago, he could have done the same. Now he was a burden.

A burden with an amazing handicap, but he kept that to himself most of the time. He'd freaked out his grandmother once with it before. She'd tried to call her daughter, his mother, but he insisted that she didn't. Minato and his mother, Takami, had barely spoken to each other since the accident. She supported his interests as best she could from a distance, but there was still that distance she couldn't forgive herself to cross and he wasn't exactly interested in reaching out after all this time. Rude, certainly. But it was an awkward distance to cross, and he wasn't even sure if he had the courage to try.

The two kids needed a shower, that was for sure. He wasn't sure if there was a park or something nearby, but they'd been rolling in mud, that much he was certain. He sighed again, inhaling through the nose, breathing out through the mouth. One of several exercises to calm down or cleanse his palate as best he could. Of course, this was or had been Tokyo. Clean air was hard to come by, but he did his exercises anyway.

While he did so, he caught several scents. Some par for the course, some not.

Unwashed ronin, also waiting for the exam results. Several different brands of women's beauty products, waiting for the same. There was Yukari, what with her strawberry bubble bath. And, freshly-cleaned sheets?

'It's a hot Tokyo summer in the center of downtown, who's doing laundry here?'

Intrigued, Minato stood up and walked in search of the scent. He hadn't been lying to Yukari, he preferred isolation but he had been here before. It was a matter of convenience, he tended to memorize the layout of any place he had ever been to.

As he walked, he made sure to move deliberately, walking in a straight path so others could avoid him. Heel-toe, heel-toe, heel-toe, but with each step he tapped the toe of his shoe a little harder than one normally did.

He weaved through the crowd of people, careful not to collide with anyone and draw attention to himself. As he walked, he continued his breathing exercises, making sure that he was following the scent of laundry.

He knew there weren't any laundromats nearby, or even any residential buildings. It was part of what piqued his interest. In a city where smog and air pollution was at its worst at this time of year, what was that smell and where was it from?

Lost in thought, he mindlessly followed the smell until he realized he'd taken exactly five turns around the same building. But it wasn't coming from inside. He knew that much, if he was right, and given that he had the map of this section of Shinto Teito memorized for school he usually was, this was nothing more than a six-story office building. Nothing special about it.

So he was imagining scents now?

That boded ill for him.

Sekirei #10, Uzume looked out from the rooftop she had landed on by chance. Another day of avoiding the other Sekirei, including the Raiden Futago, and she wanted a break from fighting or fleeing. She, Hikari, and Hibiki were the last ones tuned personally by Takehito and they were consecutive numbers in the flock of 108 Sekirei, they were close friends if not as family. Still, her words of advice hadn't stopped the twins from getting into their heads that their best chance to win the Sekirei Plan was to start challenging other feathers.

It was a laughable plan at first. Without an Ashikabi, one would think them weaker than winged feathers.

But then they started winning.

At first they played a shell game, hiding their existence as twins to lure overconfident single opponents into confined areas, then attack together. It technically broke the rules for one on one matches, but either their nature as twins qualified them as one single entity or the Director didn't care enough to send the Discipline Squad. Then once they had more experience, they started making bigger moves. Two Sekirei only a few numbers away from being single digits with absolute trust in each other and their abilities made for a terrifying match-up, even while unwinged.

Sure, they'd only retired four other Sekirei. But considering that they were still unwinged while the others had been, it painted a daunting picture.

Of course, then some of the more influential Ashikabi started hearing about them and their unwinged status and tried to take them. And given that some corporate asshole had taken bribes for their info, abilities, tuning history and close relationships, Uzume herself was a target by association. Avoiding the twins just like they did her was the best plan to keep each other safe and not lead others to their location.

So it had turned into a flight vs fight game for them, each and every day. Of course, Uzume could always fall back to Izumo house for safety, but then she'd be like Matsu. Stuck, immobile, and with no way to find her destined one, her Ashikabi.

Takehito had explained to the three of them what Ashikabi meant for Sekirei, and the three of them had taken the lessons to heart.

Clinically, the modern Ashikabi were descendants of other Sekirei-Human couples from centuries or millennia ago, with just enough of the right DNA to qualify as ideal mates for the Sekirei alive today. Of course, having that marker in the genes was hardly a genetic lottery given how long ago those other bonded had lived and how many children they each had, but even then those with were in the minority. No, somehow each Sekirei had the ability to identify an ideal mate by proximity to one of the select few specific to them.

Emotionally, their chosen Ashikabi was one Sekirei were biologically wired to unconditionally love with heart and soul. Their power was derived from the strength and passion Sekirei and their Ashikabi had for each other. Thus the bonding process was tied to both physiology and psyche in an only vaguely connected pattern.

Of course, the identification was rather interesting. Takehito was a completely male human, not a Sekirei, but he described it through a lecture. Warmth, tingling, happiness, arousal, the body of a Sekirei would physically react to the presence of a genetically ideal Ashikabi, though the level varied depending compatibility.

Then there was the downsides to it all. Given the extreme variability of the human genome and repeating triggers, a single Sekirei could react to multiple potential Ashikabi. While some Sekirei were content to wing themselves to the first reactant Ashikabi right off the bat, Asama-sensei had warned them to be cautious. Biology was important, but personality was too, and the reaction sometimes confused the two.

After all, it merely took the general, trace Sekirei DNA to qualify as Ashikabi, ideals and destined partners were at a personal level. To be Winged was to bond a Sekirei's biology uniquely to the first Ashikabi who exchanged DNA with them by swapping spit in a kiss. Forced Wingings were all too possible with someone who wasn't ideal yet still qualified.

To demonstrate, Takehito had brought in a friend of his, Kaoru-something. Hikari and Hibiki had both said they felt warm around him, their pulses elevated. Takehito had nodded and then brought in one of his interns, some guy working at MBI. He had looked good, Uzume admitted, better than Kaoru, but she felt no change in response to either of them.

But to her horror, Hikari felt just as warm with Natsuo as she did with Kaoru, while Hibiki felt absolutely nothing for the guy. Identical twins with differing reactions, as much as it helped Asama-sensei's research it terrified them. Given that they wanted to stick together, they pledged to wing themselves to someone they both reacted to and met their approval of character.

Just not Seo. The guy smelled like a brewery and dressed like a bum. He failed the Twins' expectations and standards spectacularly.

So to date, the Twins spent their time more or less in the center of the city, hoping to react to the same guy. So far, they hadn't and were getting desperate.

Uzume herself didn't have as much trouble finding a small handful, but she had been wary the whole time. She chose to observe the potentials, learn more about them first. After all, this was someone she'd basically rewire her biology to love and serve, she had to get it right, damn it!

Of the three, she rejected two outright. One was an abusive drunk who beat his current Sekirei, whom he had forcefully Winged somehow. She wanted nothing to do with him. The other was an elderly woman, one of smiles and laughter, surrounded by her children and grandchildren, and made frequent trips to her husband's grave.

She wasn't going to go there, painful for her as it may be. She didn't care it was a woman, or how old, but it was clear to her that the lady only had room in her heart for her dearly-departed spouse. There'd be no real happiness there, only one-sided and unrequited affection. No, if she was going to find an Ashikabi, she wanted one that was single, no love to tear apart by accident. Course if other Sekirei joined up, that was something else.

The latest one she'd briefly encountered was the most promising. A young girl, Hidaka Chiho. Hospitalized and suffering from a nearly incurable illness but her heart was worn plainly on her sleeve, and she was oh so capable of love. Finding her name and condition from afar was easy, payment for running the odd errand for Matsu, but meeting her would be another issue.

If only the girl wasn't now surrounded by an army of Sekirei serving an Ashikabi known for forcing Wingings and blackmailing other Ashikabi. She had actually tried today, to reach Chiho and at least talk face-to-face, but she had made a huge blunder of being seen and had nearly gotten caught. Now the hospital was practically impenetrable. Sure, she'd get Winged, but to the wrong person. Turns out Higa Izumi actually owned the hospital to begin with, and after today she'd never get close again.

It sucked. It royally sucked, to have one she was sure she could spend a lifetime with kept just out of her reach.

She'd keep looking. She'd keep trying, maybe even ask the Twins for help getting to Chiho.
Nah, she and they were close, but Hikari and Hibiki weren't bi and had never reacted to girls. They wouldn't buy into an opportunity of getting close to a girl they wouldn't wing given the severe risk of being forcefully bonded. Unless they got winged naturally and their Ashikabi had a thing for defenseless, sickly young woman, which was something that would drive her away from ever asking, she didn't have anything to offer them for what could be a useless kamikaze mission.

"THIS BLOWS!" Uzume screamed as she plopped down on the rooftop, back to the concrete wall and knees to her chest as she hugged her legs. "WHY KAMI-SAMA!?"

She kicked back, slamming a hand onto the pebbled surface beside her. She wasn't a power type, but she did at least make a significant dent, enough to make her feel better. For the moment.

"What are the odds I'll find another Ashikabi…" She grumbled sullenly, raising her arm to shade her face from the sun with her veil.

As if all the good karma she was due cashed in at once, her heart started pounding, a tingling in her core and her fatigue evaporating. Uzume bolted upright, frantically scanning the streets below. Of course, identifying exactly who the person may be was a nightmare from this height, lunch rush traffic and warm weather driving pedestrians to indoor destinations as fast as possible.
Uzume nearly jumped off the roof right then and there, giddy with the feeling. She felt somewhat guilty to Chiho now, for not being able to give her a chance or even meet face-to-face, but this sensation was electrifying, pulling her towards someone else with an intensity she had never felt before in her life.

She decided then and there, if she found this person and they seemed a decent sort, she'd Wing herself on the spot. Screw Takehito-dono's advice, the public and the… rules… oh, yeah, rules.

Her veil uncoiled to wrap around an air conditioning unit, keeping her from free fall and landing among the street's populace. Public knowledge of the game, right, that would bring the Discipline Squad upon her head. And being unwinged, she'd stand no chance against the combined three. So let's avoid the superhero landings. Bad for the knees. Reeling herself back up and jumping off the side with an alley, she condensed the veil around her while jumping off the walls repeatedly to control her descent.

She loved her outfit, it was handy, made her look sexy as hell, perfect for her power and doubled as her weapon, but it attracted a lot of attention, again something to avoid. So rather than strut out in what was basically in a bikini, hood, sleeve-length gloves, mini-skirt and bed sheet, she wrapped the veil around herself so that it looked like a breezy, long-sleeved designer shirt.

Ok, it was a lot of white silk, and with her looks, she'd definitely draw attention. But then again, so did almost every other Sekirei and this was the renamed capital of Japan. The very country that invented both hentai and Hello Kitty, horrors on polar opposite sides of the tolerable spectrum. A little attention from looking like a fashion model wouldn't hurt so long as she kept things to a minimum.

With that, she stepped from the alley, bouncing, and unknowingly causing other things to bounce, with excitement.

"Now, where are you, my destined one?"

Uzume walked with the flow of foot traffic, making sure to change course twice when the feelings began to subside. All the while, she kept a lookout for any face or person with the same course as her.

Another change in course and then she found herself right where she started, having walked a complete circle around the building with no luck.
She groaned into her hands, moving out of the way for a group of students, all celebrating their recent acceptance. "What am I doing wrong? Where are you!?"

With her pulse unrelenting and the absurd warmth she was feeling, Uzume strode over to a vending machine. A quick swipe of her MBI card and she had some cold tea in hand.

Well, it wasn't really her card, but Hibiki had given it to her since the Twins didn't mind sharing a single one with nigh-unlimited spending. Again, they were close friends if not family. And if the director had a problem with it, even after helping Matsu that first time, he hadn't done anything to cancel it or keep it from making any purchases.

Popping the lid back, she took a hearty swig. Definitely not Miya's brew, but it would do on a hot day like this.

So lost in thought, she was caught by surprise when someone brushed into her. Taken off balance, she nearly fell over until. a firm grip caught her wrist.

"Sorry about that," the young man apologized. "Guess I wasn't looking where I was going."

"Uh," Uzume eloquently responded. The young man had grey eyes, black hair that fell into bangs that shaded his eyes. On any other day previous, she wouldn't have been able to identify him from a police lineup. But his voice, his touch!

She did everything not to moan in pleasure as she felt an orgasm hit her with the subtlety and force of a train wreck. Embarrassed, how could she not be? This was her destined one, her Ashikabi! What did he think of her, moaning in pleasure just at his touch!

She nearly had another one as he looked at her with worry. Kami, that soul-piercing gaze, as if he was looking right through her.

After making sure she was steady on her feet, the young man bowed politely to her. "Sorry again, but I must be going."

As he began to walk away, Uzume paled as the sensations she craved cooled with each step he took.

Each step he took away from her.

…

She was reacting like never before, he seemed polite and kind.

He was walking away.

...

Fuck that!

"Hey! Wait!" Uzume called out as she reached toward him.

Unfortunately, she got caught in the cross-traffic, the crosswalk beside her allowing pedestrians to flow through and separate them. Pushed back slightly, Uzume weaved through the crowds as best she could, hopping in place when she regained her position to try and find him again.

There! A block away, but easily within sight!

She didn't run, limiting herself to a blistering walk as she drove through everyone. Ignoring everyone's indignant complaints was easy, at the moment they didn't matter. Nothing mattered, save finding him and Winging herself to him.

Fifteen meters, ten, five as she closed the distance, and then cut off by cross-traffic again. To her sudden horror, the youth was at a bus stop, only a few seconds from boarding. She couldn't let him leave!

When in doubt, channel Hikari.

"STOP, YOU PERVERT!"

This had the twofold reaction she had hoped for. One, the people between her and him melted to the sides. Count on the practicality of the Japanese people to avoid trouble whenever they could. Second, it confused and stopped the soon-to-be Ashikabi in his tracks as he, and everyone else within earshot, turned to face her.

'You idiot!' Uzume screamed to herself internally. 'Of all things to say, why that!? Dammit Hikari!'.

Miles away and several stories higher, Hikari sneezed.

"Catching a cold, nee-chan?" Hibiki looked over from her own rooftop.

"Nah, someone's badmouthing me. At least, I think so…"

Minato stopped and turned back to face the girl who had shouted at him with a practiced look of irritation.

Japan was one of the countries where dispensation of street-justice was a thing. Japan was also one of those countries where passerby's did almost everything to not get involved. And to his knowledge, Japan was the only country in the world with female-only train carriages for prevention of sexual harassment. So for him to be called a pervert in broad daylight? Yah, any denials he had wouldn't stand up very well in his favor.

"Woah, hold up!" He waved his hands in front of him, "I didn't do anything!"

Focused on preserving his reputation or possibly forgoing a verbal or physical beatdown from the girl in question, he never noticed the deliver truck that not-so-lightly booped the bus he had been about to board. Physics did the rest.

The bus lurched, glancing the young ronin with enough force to push him off his feet and very far forward.

Uzume didn't hesitate when she saw what happened. She leapt forward herself, tackling the young man midair and twisting to take the impact of the fall. They tumbled together, but she had done her part, he wasn't hurt from the fall. Still…

She quickly pulled him into her lap, checking him for cuts, abrasions, bruises, but stopped as his head lolled and his face turned to her.

Minato only had the presence of mind to realize that he was being held by a girl, one that smelled of that clean linen. "You…?" He blinked, eyes searching but not focusing through the apparent pain.

Her fear for his life vanished, and the throbbing warmth and heartbeat that plagued her were back. Supporting his head with her right hand, she brought her face close to his, oblivious to the cries and shouts for first responders around her.

She kissed the nameless youth, her Destined One.

"By the veil of my contract, my Ashikabi's nightmare will be dispelled!"

Bright wings of soft, golden light spread from the newly appeared mark at the nape of her neck, casting a brilliant glow on their immediate surroundings.

Uzume sighed with joy and contentment as she cradled her Ashikabi to her chest, a look of puzzlement and confusion on his face… before he passed out.

Jolted back to reality, Uzume nearly shook him awake before the nature of the potential injury came to mind; hit in the back by a bus of all things, wasn't that a crippling spinal injury for humans? Shaking him would be terrible!

She then froze. She had winged him. In public.

Panicked, she looked around and gaped. That truck hadn't stopped quickly, running aground the sidewalk after knocking the back of the bus. There were other people hurt and screaming, people rushing. She could already hear the sirens of an ambulance.

With no way to undo any damage, her attention returned to her Ashikabi's condition. Deciding that she couldn't possibly do anything more obvious than she already had, she unfurled her veil to its fullest length. Gently wrapping and cocooning him within it, she lifted him, slowly carefully, flexing with the free sections to keep his more or less stable in relation to her.

Medical treatment was her first priority. Sadly, her options were limited. The closest MBI-owned hospital was across the city center from where she was, it'd take too long to get there.

And the closest hospital was the one she'd been running from. She'd be serving her Ashikabi to a tyrant on a silver platter.

So that left one option.

North.

At MBI's headquarters, a skyscraper dead center of Shinto Teito, in the Sekirei Plan monitor room, Hiroto Minaka was absolutely bored.

No Wingings today so far. And how unfair, he had rehearsed his welcome speech about four times this morning in the mirror too.

From his observation room above the rows of technicians and monitors, he could see dear Takami-kun pacing among the nervous minions. Yes, minions, for to bring forth the Age of the Gods, much grunt work must be done.

Yes, much grunt work indeed, but very little, perhaps even none of the CEO or director-ing kind. That made for a very bored CEO and extremely nervous peons.

Well, one way to solve that.

Standing from his swivel chair, which incidentally had a leafblower attached for recreational purposes, he sauntered over to the window overlook.

Quietly opening it, he stepped onto the sill, clicked his heels and stepped off.

"Wheeeeee!" Minaka swung upside down, saved from face planting on the lower level thanks to the bungee cable connecting him to his lounge. He bounced a few times before settling, then traversed the office space by pushing and pulling on stationary objects or minions heading in the right direction.

Though none of the mooks would say it to his face, he looked more than a tad insane. The all-white outfit and cape did not do him any favors, doubly so when the cape dragged against the floor. Minaka knee it though, and didn't mind. He had dozens of similar outfits.

He had once considered simply wearing an outfit once and then throwing it away or wearing it until it needed burning. Like rich people! Or astronauts! Takami-kun had put a stop to that after she noticed during the first week. But that week had been anything but boring, so very unlike the present.

It just so happened that when he passed by one technician, the screen blinked in that special way, the one with animated fireworks and confetti he had insisted upon for special events, like wingings!

Terminations has their own set, usually of a hearse or grim reaper, or some morose combination of the two.

Quickly reading the contents of the update, he leaned forward then back, to swing himself close enough to clap a hand over the man's mouth before he could alert everyone who had been winged and to whom.

"Ne, let's keep that one between us, Kuro-chan," he whispered. "I wanna see Takami-kun's face when she realizes he's in the game at all AND with more than one. Just get the clean-up crews and the hush-hush teams on site to keep things a secret."

'Kuro-chan' nodded fearfully. It wasn't really his name, but he didn't dare disagree. He feared Sahashi as much as every other competent MBI worker, but he feared the outlandishly eccentric man in charge of the company and Discipline Squad even more.

Minaka smiled as he pushed himself away, not disheartened at the slightest. Sure, he'd have to skip the intro speech this once, poor Minato-kun would have yet another handicap, but that would make a hard-earned victory that much sweeter if he did eventually win. He was now in a great mood, just now starting to feel the blood rushing to his head. He didn't mind though, he liked the feeling.

When Takami-kun rudely cut the rope, he felt his head rushing to the floor. Now really, that he could have done without.

"Miya!" Uzume barged in through Izumo's front door. "Miya, I need your help!"

"Uzume-chan?" A slender woman in a white and lavender shrine outfit stepped from the kitchen. "Whatever is the matter?"

"My Ashikabi is hurt!"

Miya then moved faster than Uzume had ever seen. The landlady examined the boy with a keen eye. "What happened?"

"He got hit by a bus and I had to catch him!"

The older woman hadn't stopped, testing the boy's vitals. Pulse, breathing, joints, all seemed in order. Some dark bruising on the back and shoulder seen from the cuffs of the tee the boy was wearing. Miya didn't hesitate to rip the back and run her hand down the spine. Miraculously there was nothing broken. Gently setting him down on the floor, Miya then peeled back one eyelid then frowned. "Uzume-chan, there's a flashlight in the first aid cabinet, bring~"

Uzume was already back with said light in one hand and the first aid kit in her other, such was her haste. Miya took it then shone it into the young man's right eye.

The pupil was unresponsive.

Miya tried again with the second eye, only to find the same result; the pupils failed to even reflexively contract when exposed to light. Setting the tool aside she felt around the back of the youth's head, finding no bruising or bumps. "Hit by a bus, you said?"

"Yes, that's it." Uzume was sitting with her knees to her chest, arms wrapped around them and rocking back and forth. "Please tell me he'll be okay."

"Has he winged you yet?"

"I kinda winged myself to him, without thinking or warning him. He might not have been completely awake either. Hey!" Uzume raised her voice when Miya laid the unknown male down to stare disapprovingly. "I'd have gone crazy otherwise. All I did was come within maybe ten meters and immediately all I could think about was how hot he made me feel! I was melting, and it wasn't cuz of how warm it is outside!"

"From that distance? You're sure it was him?' Miya asked with some concern.

"I touched his arm, and well," Uzume blushed a tomato-red and unwrapped her veil from her upper legs and Miya saw there was a trail of clear arousal coming down the Tenth's thigh. "If he could make that happen by just touching me~"

"He'll be alright," Miya interrupted before Uzume could wander off, grounding the Tenth before she could fantasize when her Ashikabi was right there. "There are no severe injuries from what I can tell, but~"

"THANK YOU!" Uzume tackled Miya, the landlady not moving an inch even as a bubbly, busty Sekirei cried into her shoulder.

"Uzume-chan, there's more."

Instantly, the Tenth was shaking herself against Miya. It was probably her intent to shake the Pillar for answers, but Miya was unmovable, so Uzume ended up shaking herself half-to-death that way. "What's wrong!? Is he hurt!?"

Miya sighed. "For being hit by a car, he doesn't appear injured in a way that makes sense. Physically, he's fine aside from the bruising, but his eyes~"

"Urgh, what hit me?" Both Sekirei looked to the young man beginning to sit up, a hand rubbing the back of his head.

"Please, young man, you need to rest." Miya gently but firmly forced him back down onto the futon. "You took a rather unfortunate spill."

"Feels like it," the ronin sighed as he fell prone once more, massaging his shoulder. While Uzume remained silent, it was obvious she was overjoyed at his well-being, though Miya was focused on other things. For example, not once did he look towards her or Uzume. Unlike most when they wake, he did not blink repeatedly as consciousness returned. He did not once look around to see where he was, only frowning as he reached into his pocket to find something that wasn't there. "Excuse me, have you seen my bag by chance?"

"Bag… BAG!" Uzume spun in place where she knelt, falling over on her front but reached far enough to snag the straps on the youth's backpack.

"Thanks," without turning, the young man dug through the side-pocket of the pack and fished out an old flip-phone. "I don't know how long I've been out but my imouto must be beside herself with worry."

He simply pressed a button, using a speed-dial function with ease born of repetition. The phone beeped once before a wave of indecipherable screaming burst forth from the tiny speaker. It was enough to make Uzume recoil in surprise and for Miya to elegantly lift an eyebrow. The student receiving such abuse took it in stride, simply shaking his head and transferring the cell to his other hand, lifting it to his other ear.

"Dammit, Yukari. I know you're worried, but I'm blind not deaf; I keep telling you if you scream in my ear like it's going to change real quick!"

AN: You look at alien beauties and a wimpy main character and wonder what you could do at a simple level to make him appreciate them more. I did, juxtaposed a blind Ashikabi with a gorgeous Sekirei. Then I had to account for why, how he's blind, when he was blinded and what it reasonably does to a personality who wasn't born blind. Match that with a certain feather with a love of cosplay.

Ultimately, this is DareDevil meets Sekirei concept. Just not enough to be crossover-ish and yes, certain elements are inspired by In-Flight. Gabriel Blessing set the standard rather high for anyone not to. Short version: Minato is not a superhuman vigilante with a limited variety of powers and meta-acrobatic ability.

Minato's Sekirei: Uzume, Akitsu, Hikari, Hibiki, Kazehana, Tsukiumi

Uzume because bae. The Twins because they deserve much better than Seo. Also, hot twins. Tsukiumi because waifu is a must, Akitsu because she deserves the happiest of endings, and Kazehana for the love.

Follow, fav, review to let me know if this is worth continuing.

As I'm writing this, I'll point out that there's not much in terms of planning for this. I'm hesitant to devote so much time to this and split attention between stories, but I did need a change of pace from HIDragon. Whether I continue this completely depends on feedback and reception, but for now, despite the Chapter 1 title, I'm considering this a one-shot until it takes off.

And now I'm doing flight jokes in a new story. Habit, I suppose.