A Fighter Bound In Chains
Chapter 04
Ownership

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Only in death can true ownership be passed along to another individual; two humans may never share it...
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Late that evening, Seimei requested to view his servant's room. Of course, Soubi obeyed. He was unsure of why Seimei suddenly wanted entrance to a bedroom, but it was not his place to question his master's orders. It was with a heart full of trepidation that Soubi pushed open the door that led to his small bedroom.

Carefully, as though afraid the dust in the room may leap up to attack at any given moment, Seimei stepped into the room. To him, it was like teaching a dog about obedience. The Master can enter the dog's territory, but the dog may never be in places that belonged solely to the master. In Seimei's opinion, he found an earless teenager to be much too foul and disgusting to be allowed entrance to his own home.

"So," said Seimei conversationally, "you sleep here?"

Soubi nodded as if it was common to ask such a question. "However, I'm not in my room very often. I have private sessions with Ritsu-sensei, and then I study spells in the library until evenings, usually."

"How interesting." Seimei paced the room, carefully examining what little furniture there was."Now that we're alone, Soubi…"

"…Yes?"

Seimei spun around on his heel and stared up at Soubi. "Who do you think you belong to?"

"I belong to you," came the automatic response. A feeling of guilt crept through his chest like a large snake uncoiling. For a moment, Soubi had a terrible, terrible doubt. He knew that technically, he belonged to Seimei. But did he really want to be Seimei's Fighter? Ever since he had been small and was brought to Ritsu after his parents died, he had always assumed he would grow up to become Ritsu's Fighter. So, what was it that he was suddenly feeling? Betrayal?

"You don't look very sure," said Seimei tauntingly.

"I am sure! I was just surprised to be given to another Sacrifice. I had always thought Ritsu wanted me as his own Fighter."

"Well," scoffed Seimei. "Ritsu gave you to me. It's time you stop thinking that other people own you. I own you, no one else, not Ritsu, not your friends, no one!"

"I'm sorry, Seimei. I am very happy to be your Fighter."

"You better be." Seimei glared at Soubi for a moment. "Where is your name written?"

"…It isn't written anywhere."

Seimei raised his eyebrows and stared at Soubi in pure and utter shock. He looked down at his own hands, where the faint markings of Beloved were starting to appear across one of his fingers. It was devastating to know that the thing that was supposed to belong to him, to fight for him, didn't even share the same name. "You don't have a name?"

"…I'm sorry. I thought Ritsu would have told you."

"He didn't. Explain."

Soubi sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm a Blank Fighter. I will never have a name. Supposedly, my mother was a Fighter and my father was a Sacrifice. At any rate, since both of my parents already had a name, I was unable to inherent one based on my personality. It was amazing I was able to inherent my mother's position as a Fighter."

"But if we don't share the name Beloved, our power will be permanently halved!"

"No, no!" Soubi held up his hands in a vain attempt to calm Seimei down. "You're supposed to write the name yourself. That's how it works with Blank Fighters."

Seimei considered this for a moment. "Then… That last battle with Merciless…"

"Our power was halved because at the time, we didn't share a name. You should write it."

After a steadying breath, Seimei advanced towards Soubi and examined him fully. Write the name? Where should he put it? What part of the body would show his ownership of Soubi the best? Seimei stretched out his fingers, touching the Fighter he felt to be so disgusting. "What happened to your ears?" he asked vaguely.

"They were taken not very long ago," said Soubi shortly.

"I thought a Sacrifice and Fighter were supposed to wait for each other, and lose their ears and tail to their partner?"

Soubi nodded. "Typically, that's what happens."

Seimei's slender fingers caressed Soubi's face as one would caress a lover. "And you couldn't wait?"

At this, Soubi's eyes softened considerably. Had he been given the chance, he could have easily waited. After all, there was no happiness for him in that kind of physical pleasure. Soubi felt the irresistible need to be controlled by someone, be it Seimei or Ritsu, anyone, as long as they were stronger than him. Soubi looked into his Sacrifice's eyes, loving how fascinatingly violet they were.

"Soubi? You couldn't wait for me?"

"If I had the choice to wait, I would have waited for you. I did not freely give up my ears, they were taken from me by Ritsu. It was to make me appear stronger and less fragile. But… I would gladly give my ears to you if I still had them."

Seimei laughed bitterly. "Oh, it figures. That old man really wants nothing more than to control you."

It was true. Both Seimei and Ritsu were very good at controlling him. "But without him, I would not have access to so many advanced spells."

"I suppose you're right in that area. Aha…" Seimei's hand paused over Soubi's neck. It would be perfect there. Seimei considered Soubi nothing more than a loyal companion—a dog. Writing the name on his neck would make it perfect. But the name alone wouldn't be enough. He needed something more beautiful than the symbol of being loved by everyone.

"Have you found a suitable place for the name?" Soubi tried to keep his voice calm and level. Writing such a long name on his neck would be painful. But if Seimei was doing it, the pain would be a good thing. If Seimei wrote the name with tenderness and love, then Soubi would enjoy every moment of agonizing pain.

"Yes," came Seimei's almost breathless reply. It was just so undeniably perfect! And at his waist, he kept a knife, just in case something ever needed to be cut. And now… Now he could use it on his Fighter. Now he could use it to place his name on Soubi. Because as long as Soubi was without a name, it meant that he belonged to Ritsu. "I'll put it here…"

With a small grin, Seimei reached down and pulled out his pocket knife. "This will hurt you, Soubi."

"I know." Soubi nodded, full of determination. "I'm ready for it."

Seimei placed the tip of his pocket knife at Soubi's throat. Vaguely, he remembered that slicing open a person's throat would mean certain death.

"It'll also be dangerous for you. You could bleed to death." He smiled. He could kill his Fighter, and he would be exempt from the rules of the Seven Moons. After all, Soubi was just a Fighter that just so happened to fight for him. If he died, there would always be a replacement.

But Seimei also knew that Soubi was strong. Not as strong as he would like, but their power together would double as soon as the name was carved into that pale flesh. Having twice as much power so soon, skipping all that training… Such a wonderful scenario. Seimei's hands shook in anticipation.

"If it is for Seimei," began Soubi, "then I can do anything. I honestly meant what I said. If you carve your name into my neck, I will become bound to you for life. The chains that bind us together will appear, and when you call for me, I will be able to hear you no matter what the circumstance is. I will come to your side, no matter what. I will not die."

"You better not die. I'm ordering you to live. Even if I cut too deeply and your blood, disgusting as it is, gushes out and cascades to the floor, I command you to remain standing. Because I will make sure more blood follows if you falter. Do you understand me, Soubi?"

"Yes. I understand."

Very slowly, and very precisely, Seimei made the first cut. It was a straight vertical line, and it was deeper than Seimei expected it to be. But Soubi's face remained calm and unstrained. Next came the two loops that would connect to the vertical line. After a few minutes, the B was completed. Only six more letters.

But Seimei's hands were getting dirty. Blood was oozing from the cuts and staining his hands red. But he had to ignore it. He had to disregard the feeling he felt, how filthy he felt, how dirty Soubi was. Soubi was his possession, and he was going to show that to both Ritsu and Soubi himself.

Throughout the entire ritual, Soubi remained standing tall and erect. His expression never changed. Not once was Seimei able to catch a glimpse of Soubi in pain. Good, he thought, he really is getting stronger already.

Finally, Seimei finished carving the single loop for the D, and he stepped back to examine his work. Blood was still dripping from the cuts, sliding down Soubi's neck and staining his shirt with blood again. But the name was perfectly carved, and the blood made the name BELOVED shine all the more beautifully.

However, even though Soubi now truly belonged to him, it somehow didn't feel right to Seimei. It still wasn't enough. Soubi remained still, unwavering, waiting for the signal to be able to move. As Seimei stared hard at the inscription on Soubi's neck, an idea came to him. One he could incorporate, because he still thought of Soubi as a loyal companion—like a dog.

"Do you know what you need?" asked Seimei, tenderly running his bloody fingers along the unmarked portions of Soubi's neck.

"A deeper way of being connected to you," responded Soubi.

Seimei was surprised at the sudden answer, and even more so by the fact that it was correct. "You're right. And I've thought of the loveliest idea, too. I'm sure you'll love it, too. For now, I need you to tilt your head back all the way.

Soubi obeyed without question and without hesitation. Seimei carefully mapped out the design in his head. When he felt ready, Seimei began the twists and curves of what resembled barbed wire. This would give Ritsu the message that Soubi really belonged to him now. This would let the entire world know that Soubi was his, and no one would ever take him away. He made the design wrap twice around Soubi's neck.

After what seemed to be hours, Seimei stepped back again and dropped the knife. His face broke into a happy smile, because he had never been so pleased in his entire life. He had given Soubi a beautiful collar, and everyone would know that Soubi was now and forever his. No one else would ever have him.

"Go to the bathroom and look. It's beautiful."

Soubi offered a faint smile and went to the nearest bathroom as he had been commanded to do.

Now that he was finished and no longer had a reason to keep his hands stained with the impure blood of his Fighter, Seimei decided it would be best to follow Soubi and wash off the blood and the knife.

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Author's Note: I'm sorry, everyone. I know it took a very long time for this update, and I apologize for my laziness! I hope everyone found his chapter… Well, interesting. Hopefully it wasn't too gory or creepy. I'd also like to thank everyone for all those reviews. 37 reviews and in only 3 chapters? You guys made me feel terrible for not updating soon enough! All of the reviews filled me with a warm and fuzzy and happy feeling, though. So I'm looking forward to your reviews on this chapter, too! Thank you for reading!