Chapter Seven: We're All Mad Here

Tsukiumi was odd, even by Sekirei standards.

Her adjuster, Miyajima, first thought she had depression. It didn't take the doctor, one respected by even Hiroto Minaka himself, long to figure that her initial diagnosis was wrong. While she did have depression, it wasn't just that, anxiety, paranoia, symptoms of PTSD.

And the look in her eyes… it reminded her of the gazes she saw in traumatized war veterans.

Something like this was impossible since she had been taken out of the accelerated aging process early on, unlike the first eight Sekirei, nor did she take part in the battle of Kamikura Island.

At first, when put into Miyajima's care, Tsukiumi was quite the rambunctious little scamp. But that all changed two years later, right after Takehito Asama had been reported dead.

She became withdrawn, soft-spoken, she barely ate, and seemed genuinely scared to go to sleep. The worst thing was that when Miyajima would hug her, she'd either freeze up or start bawling in her arms.

Miyajima tried to get Tsukiumi to open up to her, to tell her what was wrong, she tried for years and years and years. She saw the girl as her own daughter, and it tore her up inside that she couldn't help her.

...That she wouldn't let her help her.

Hell, even that demon mask trick Takehito taught her wouldn't get Tsukiumi to spill the beans. All Miyajima got in response was a raised eyebrow and a casual, "Meh."

How do you… "Meh," the Asama patented Hannya Mask!? Absolutely inconceivable!

The only hint she ever got was when Tsukiumi had turned ten, and mumbled something about, "Getting used to the dreams."

Miyajima's first instinct was the dream link between Ashikabi and Sekirei. And it was proven true when she allowed the young Sekirei to practice with her abilities.

Of course, she couldn't just throw massive quantities of water outside, the Sekirei Plan was still in the phase where it was a secret. Instead, there was a large, reinforced facility built underneath the large mansion she called her home.

Being one of the top MBI researchers had its perks.

Miyajima expected Tsukiumi to use her abilities like any other elemental Sekirei. Mainly just standing there throwing their respective element around with reckless abandon.

But, no. Instead, she created vicious blades made of water and engaged in melee, started switching from close-quarters combat to range regularly, and always kept moving.

That day she kept going and going until she could barely walk, the combat prowess she displayed was already enough to get her a spot on the Disciplinary Squad easily, yet Tsukiumi herself was completely unsatisfied with her results.

"Faster… I need to be faster… just like him." The blonde said right before she passed out from exhaustion.

...Just like him?

Now there was no question, Tsukiumi had been dream linked to her Ashikabi for years. But she took no action to meet them, actively kept them a secret, and now, from what Miyajima could gather, was mimicking the way they fought.

And she said she wasn't fast enough.

Tsukiumi, a Sekirei, an alien being from beyond the stars with abilities beyond humanity, and general superhuman levels of fitness… wasn't as fast as a human being.

Who in the hell was this guy, and when could she throw him onto a lab table!?

The water Sekirei continued like that for two years, constantly training herself. Though training for Sekirei was basically useless and did nothing to enhance their abilities, they would need their Ashikabi for such a thing.

But it wasn't the strength of her powers that Tsukiumi was trying to increase, it was her fine-tuned control. Adjustments with Sekirei didn't affect their control over their element or power, just the scope of it.

For example, if Miya had full, unrestrained access to her abilities… Japan would be lucky to be a pebble at the very least.

Two years were spent seeing just how far Tsukiumi could go with her powers, and considering her domain was over water, an element with three stages of matter, she had quite a bit to work with. And even came to the researcher with a plethora of questions about her abilities.

"How does pressure affect water?"

"Can I affect ice?"

"Can I manipulate water vapor?"

"How many sources of water can I control at once?"

"How much focus does one source of water need more me to control it?"

And so on and so forth.

Tsukiumi had one of the most versatile elements that she could've been born with, and she made sure that it did not go to waste.

And she tested these skills out by doing the most insane thing anyone could possibly do.

...Roll up to the MBI tower and ask Karasuba of all people to a fight.

Miyajima remembered it so clearly...

[-]

It was in the middle of Fall, a bit chilly and only a few clouds in the sky.

"If possible, I'd like to spar against some of my fellow Sekirei, Miyajima-san?" Tsukiumi asked politely.

Miyajima paused. It had been a while since Tsukiumi had asked for anything, the last thing was advice and scientific insight on her powers. That was about two years ago, the young Sekirei had turned fifteen now.

Tsukiumi rarely asked for anything growing up.

It was alarming to see the prideful child with a thing for Shakespeare she had come to know become a gloomy introvert in a matter of weeks.

If it was rare for her to ask anything, it was even a rarer thing to see her smile. Miyajima couldn't even remember the last time Tsukiumi smiled.

Either way, her request wasn't a problem, and it would benefit her to interact with her fellow Sekirei.

Miyajima gave Tsukiumi a warm smile. "Of course."

Driving to the MBI Tower didn't take long, and soon enough, the pair was scouring the bustling halls searching for a Sekirei powerful enough to give a single number like Tsukiumi a proper challenge.

She took careful notice of how Tsukiumi acted.

As usual, she was quiet, reserved, very opposed to physical contact. Her eyes kept darting around the halls, always searching…

As if there was a threat around every corner…

And as if the universe was reading her thoughts, they turned the corner, and came face to face with the Black Sekirei, Karasuba.

Luckily, she didn't even glance at them as they passed by-

"I wish to fight you," Tsukiumi said, facing Karasuba.

Fuck's sake!

Everything was silent, from the researchers walking through the hall to Karasuba herself. Just an utter deafening silence as everyone stared at Tsukiumi.

Miyajima doubted the bloodthirsty dog of the Disciplinary Squad ever expected someone to just walk up to her, and bluntly request a fight, especially given her reputation.

"...Okay." The gray-haired Sekirei awkwardly agreed.

Then they were brought to a specialized facility in the building made specifically for Sekirei combat.

The next hour was a blur. Miyajima could hardly comprehend what happened.

Turners of water and blades.

Massive spires of ices... created, and destroyed just as quickly.

Smokescreens made of water vapor…

So many things happening in such a short amount of time.

...Absolutely ridiculous.

The only thing that could be heard in the midst of the chaos was the bone-chilling laughter of Karasuba.

By the time it was all said in done, both Sekirei were being rushed to medical.

...Karasuba hadn't been this close to death since Miya attacked her shortly after Takehito's death.

[-]

Miyajima sighed. "And they've been fighting each other to the brink of death for years ever since..."

Sure, she was happy the person she considered her daughter had found a friend. But for God's sake, could that battle manic blonde interact with said friend in a way that didn't make it look like she walked out of a razor blade factory!?

There were only so many times she could watch her sweet water baby walk away with her arm barely attached to her own body by a few strings of flesh!

At the very least, she had a non-violent friendship with Number Six, Homura, the fire element Sekirei.

"Guess opposites do attract..." She mused as she looked out the window.

The snow was still falling, and through the clouds, she could see the full moon. It seemed the glow with a sort of mysterious malice, giving off a rather foreboding feeling.

Probably just her nerves though, she was rather on edge ever since Miya had been winged about two weeks ago.

All of MBI went into a huge panic, and the Jinki were moved to secure locations around the city.

She didn't get any information about who Miya's Ashikabi was… but rumor had it that it was Takehito Asama himself.

Miyajima laughed. "Hah, a man long thought dead comes back mysteriously to wing his wife. Now there's a soap opera Kazehana would eat right up."

[-]

Miya's eyes slowly opened only to see complete darkness.

She felt as if she was completely submerged in water.

She couldn't breathe… no, that wasn't right. She no longer needed to breathe.

The purple-haired Sekirei felt light-headed, her mind overtaken with a sense of lethargy and drowsiness.

If she was in her right mind, she might've been panicking, but the only thing that ran through her mind was thoughts of the deep sea creatures she'd seen on documentaries. Things that seemed alien and otherworldly living at such a depth in the ocean that not even the light of the sun could reach.

How… strange.

Miya didn't move, not that she couldn't, but that she didn't want to.

The chill of the water, the total and complete darkness… it wasn't unnerving, or frightening, but comforting.

The shifting and bubbling of the water almost seemed like a lullaby.

But just as the embrace of sleep reached her, there was an unnatural shift in the water.

...Something big.

Not only in size, but… in a metaphysical sense.

Like as if whatever was in here with her possessed such vastness, such overwhelming being that Miya felt like an insignificant speck before it. A weight pressing against her mind, able to shatter it with a single twitch.

Then the water stilled.

Silence reigned.

She felt it.

This… being's gaze.

She could sense its emotions vaguely.

Confusion. Curiosity. Realization. Joy.

Then Miya felt herself rise through the incomprehensible depths.

The sensation brought clarity to her mind, and with clarity, realization… and panic.

Where was she!?

Where's Takehito!?

What's going on!?

How did she get here!?

She sucked in a breath, water entered her lungs!

The sound of water erupting was Miya's only warning before everything changed.

She was on the beach, sitting in a comfortable chair, a fancy table with a cup of steaming tea in front of her.

She was… dry as a bone. As if she was never in the water in the first place.

"And so the stage is set..." An almost familiar voice said, but in English, and with a Yorkshire accent.

Misconception - Myuu

Miya knew more than enough English to get around, at least a good bit more than her husband. She still remembered how amusing it was to see him failing at communicating with locals at Disneyland during their honeymoon.

Miya saw a mysterious man sitting across the table from her, a cup of tea in his hands.

He wore a strange outfit.

A leather garb with a cape made of black feathers, gray hakama pants, and calf-high boots, bandages wrapped around his arms. On his head was a big top hat that was tilted, obscuring most of his face except his mouth.

The man said nothing more, but she could feel his gaze on her.

Only the sound of the crashing waves filled the silence.

"...Where am I?" She asked.

The man smiled. "The beginning? Maybe the end? Perhaps a turning point. It's a very important place for a great many people, and not for good reasons. But to you… it's all a dream..."

Miya looked around her.

The sky was covered in inky black clouds, the masts of shipwrecks could be seen poking out of the ocean, and the sun poking out of the clouds looked sickly and, and was dim.

This was more like a nightmare than a dream.

The man turned to the beach. "I thank you for your assistance, Mother Kos."

The dark waters shifted for a few seconds, Miya felt that vastness once again, then what sounded like a deep distorted whale call echoed throughout the beach.

Her eyes widened.

What in the world was-

"Please, it's best if you didn't pry into that particular matter." The man interrupted her thoughts. "Trust me on this."

"Then… why am I here?"

"Because there is madness in you." He stated a matter-of-factly. "In your heart and mind."

Miya felt her patience running thin at the accusation. "I assure you, sir, I am of sound mind."

"Oh you can deny that, but you can't help it, my lady." His smile grew wider, yet his lips remained closed. "I'm mad, you're mad, we're all mad here."

"And how are you so sure…?"

He leaned in a bit. "You must be, otherwise you wouldn't be here."

He took a sip of his tea.

"You've been prying into secrets you shouldn't be." He said in a disappointed tone. "The mysteries behind your beloved husband's return should stay mysteries… Those without eyes bring about disparity when secrets beyond their understanding are revealed to them."

Miya's eyes narrowed, her lips set in a thin line.

Those without eyes…

Eyes had been one of the most consistent topics when considering Takehito's symptoms.

"You've been reading his files, haven't you?" Miya could almost make out a few strands of gray hair beneath the top hat. "Eyes in his brain, mercury in his blood, bones so dense it broke some of MBI's best surgical equipment. His muscle structure and organs mutated… Less like a man..." He grinned all too wide, his lips pulled back, revealing a mouth filled with fangs. "...And more like a monster in human skin."

This man wasn't human...

"Even so, he is still my husband." She said with more force than intended.

She tolerated many things, but insults towards Takehito was not one of them.

"...Is he?"

Miya's heart sank in her chest at his words, dread began it fill her mind… before it turned to furious anger at the mere accusation of what he-

"I jest," He said suddenly. "He is your husband, body, mind, and soul. A bit quirkier than before… but beggars can't be choosers."

Miya still looked at him with irritation. "I do not take remarks about my husband lightly, sir."

He gave a laugh. "I'd find it disturbing if you did. But please, forgive me for my rudeness. As a favor, ask me any questions you wish, and I will answer it to the best of my ability."

Miya paused.

Was this her chance to finally get the answers she so desperately craved…?

She glanced at the still steaming cup of tea before her, nearly forgotten. She raised the cup to her lips before hesitantly taking a sip.

Black tea.

It was good, great even, brewed to near perfection...

"Is Minaka responsible for Takehito's current state?" Miya asked.

He chuckled. "Such stubbornness… such ignorance… how nostalgic. To think you're so blinded by your hatred of that man that you couldn't think of something else other than some loony bastard, with a habit of wearing Kamen Rider outfits, obsessed with being remembered in the annals of history. Don't get me started on the LEDs he has in his glasses."

LEDs…?

"Is that why…?"

He sighed. "Yes, that is why his glasses are constantly shining despite the lighting of the rooms he's in."

Ah, one mystery solved.

"Your greatest obstacle in discovering the truth of your husband's changes is your inability to believe anything else could be responsible."

She frowned. "Then what was responsible?"

"Forces greater than anyone can comprehend. That is all I can say on the matter."

"That wasn't much of an answer..."

He smirked. "I said I'd answer whatever questions you gave me, I never said you'd like the answers, or find them satisfactory."

How… irritating.

"Then if you can't give me the answers I want, who, or what can?"

He paused before downing the rest of his tea. "Then I must answer your question with one of mine, my lady."

"Fine."

"You have one chance to turn back before it is too late." He said forebodingly. "Do you truly wish to know such dark secrets? To see into things not meant known for those of sound mind. Unless… you've taken interest in such nightmares?"

"I don't care for dark secrets, or nightmares," Miya corrected. "My only concern is my Ashikabi."

The mysterious man smiled again.

The table was suddenly covered in a white mist, but just as it came, it disappeared, and in its place…

A book?

A large one at that, a worn leather cover filled with pages that showed their age, black string tied in a neat knot kept it firmly shut.

He waved his hand dramatically. "Then this, my dear lady, is what you seek!"

Miya reached out to untie the sting, but the man's hand shot out and grabbed hers before she could.

"Up up up..." He chastised. "There's a time and a place… but not here."

...She stopped dead in her tracks. She didn't even see his hand move.

This man… he was too fast for the Pillar of the Sekirei to see...

"Merely place your hand on the cover, and you will leave this gloomy place..." His hand didn't leave hers.

It was strange…

This man, he seemed familiar… too familiar.

His voice, despite the English and the accent, and even his touch…

"Who are you?" Miya asked.

In response, he pushed her hand down onto the cover, causing the book to be engulfed in mist, a mist that slowly made its way up her arm.

Only then did he finally let go, and took off his hat…

His long, gray hair fell down, his gray-blue eyes stared back at her with sorrow and a hint of mirth. Those eyes… they looked so broken.

Miya's eyes widened, she let out a gasp. "T-Takehito!?"

He opened his mouth. "In another moment down went Alice after it, never once considering how in the world she was to get out again."

It was the last thing Miya heard before darkness took her.

[-]

Miya woke up slowly as sunlight peeked into the bedroom.

Her head resting on her husband's shoulder, on the other side, she saw Matsu hugging his arm into her breasts, a goofy, perverted smile on her face… as always.

She stared at her husband's still sleeping face, he looked so peaceful. Leaning in, she kissed his cheek before rolling to her side of the futon.

...Huh?

Her pillow was unusually hard. Was there something under it?

Miya's hand reached under the pillow, her fingers brushed against something with a leathery texture.

She pulled the object from under her pillow to find…

A book? An old leather book tied together with string.

That's odd. She didn't remember reading anything before going to bed, not to mention she wouldn't put it under her pillow of all places.

Now that she thought about it, she didn't recognize this book… but it did seem familiar.

"Then this, my dear lady, is what you seek!"

Bad Encounter - Myuu

Miya's eyes widened as the memories of the dream rushed back into her head.

She froze, and turned slowly, looking at her still sleeping husband.

Without a sound, Miya got up, left their room, and went upstairs into one of the unoccupied rooms.

She sat down, untied the string, and opened the book.

The first thing she saw was a note.

Don't let me see this, my lady.

You know what I mean.

At the bottom was a cartoonish drawing of the Takehito she saw in her dream. His eyes gazing up at her from beneath his top hat, his grin stretched ear to ear, fangs on display.

…!?

D-Did the drawing just… wink at her!?

...Questions for later.

Miya moved the note to the side and began reading the first page.

Entry 1

The first day has not even passed yet. It has been two days since this horror began, and the sun over this city has yet to even move.

In two days, so many things have happened.

I have been shot to death, bludged to a paste, mauled and left to bleed to death, hacked to pieces, burnt alive, eaten, and so much more.

...And I have become a murderer.

To whoever finds this journal, I know not if you will understand my writing. I am a man of Japanese origin, and a man of great intellect as my peers so loudly praised, yet the ability to be bilingual escapes me. I shall use this journal to help me remedy this problem as the locals of this land speak English.

It has been some time since I slew what I have been informed to be a Cleric Beast.

My name is Asama Takehito.

And in the past two days, I have died no less than twenty-seven times.

Chapter End