'No… this one isn't the person I'm looking for. He isn't my Ashikabi. My Ashikabi is—'
As Mikogami Hayato dipped his head, Tsukiumi's pupils tightened. Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced toward Goku in the distance. At the critical moment, she finally faced the truth in her heart.
'My Ashikabi… is him. I would never choose someone like this…'
"Heh. So the proud one finally admits it," Goku said with a faint smile. In a blink he appeared before Mikogami, tapped the boy's head lightly, and said, utterly calm: "Kid, she's my Sekirei."
Those four simple words echoed in Tsukiumi's ears, setting her heartbeat wildly off-kilter. Color rose to her cheeks; even her breathing went unsteady. For a breathless instant, the rhythm of their hearts seemed to sound as one.
"What did you say! She's mine—" Mikogami began hotly—only for Mutsu to clamp a hand over his mouth. The swordsman bowed slightly to Goku.
"My apologies. She is indeed your Sekirei. We have offended you. We'll take our leave."
Without waiting for Mikogami's protest, Mutsu gathered him up and withdrew in a few swift bounds.
As they went, Mutsu cast one last sidelong look at Goku, wariness writ clear on his face. 'As expected… this man is more frightening than any Sekirei.'
"Walk away? You think I'll just allow it?" Goku's voice was mild, but as he prepared to move, a soft, mortified whisper sounded at his side.
"You… you said I was 'your Sekirei'… Then… take responsibility."
"I can," Goku replied, turning to her with a small, easy smile.
"Incredible…"
Hand over her racing heart, Tsukiumi pushed herself to her feet and stared at him, startled even by the changes in herself. "I've always raged that I despise Ashikabi of that sort… and yet right now, I feel impossibly calm."
Her cheeks warmed. "Um… your name is…?"
"Son Goku. You can call me Goku. If you prefer 'Master,' I won't object."
In the moments they had spent speaking, Mutsu had already vanished with Mikogami, and Goku didn't spare another thought for them. Ants didn't warrant attention.
'What a strange man… Standing in front of him, I don't feel disgust at all. I feel… safe,' Tsukiumi thought, a little dazed. 'Maybe the person I've been searching for all along… is someone like him.'
"Goku!" she declared suddenly, face aflame. "From this moment on, the only one with the right to kill you is me."
She rose on tiptoe and pressed her lips to his.
Light burst around them. When the glow faded, Tsukiumi lifted her chin, still flushed, and said with imperious pride, "You're merely a human—and yet you have astonishing strength. You even rescued me from that vile Ashikabi. For a human, you are… different."
Radiance flared from her again. At the nape of her neck, the Sekirei crest shone as wings of light unfurled.
On a nearby rooftop, Homura watched and smiled despite herself. "Winged, hm? Congratulations, Tsukiumi. You finally found your Ashikabi."
"Heehee~ Goku, you're amazing. You even scared Mutsu off. As expected of my Ashikabi," Uzume laughed as she vaulted onto Goku's back and hugged him tight, eyes full of adoration.
Kunō and Akitsu pressed close on either side, their gazes soft and clinging.
"T-tch…" Tsukiumi's brow twitched. "T-three Sekirei…?" She turned crimson, then blurted at full volume, "Fine! Goku, I accept your proposal with courage!"
"Proposal?" Goku blinked at her. When did I propose?
"You said it yourself—'my Sekirei'!" Tsukiumi grabbed his collar and barked in his face.
"…Right." Goku finally caught up. It seemed every Sekirei framed winging differently. Akitsu saw him as the Master to whom she devoted everything; Tsukiumi treated winging as a marriage vow—contract signed, wife installed.
"Hmph. In that case…" Still scarlet, Tsukiumi cast a pointed glance at Uzume and the others. "From today on, the position of first wife is mine."
"New girl, I can't let that slide," Uzume chirped, tightening her hold on Goku's arm. "Even by seniority, First Wife isn't your turn."
"Oh? You mean to challenge me for it? Then come at me," Tsukiumi shot back, eyes flashing.
"Challenge? No need. There are several ahead of us in line," Uzume said sweetly. "So forget 'first wife.' At best you're a junior consort."
"Se… several?"
Tsukiumi's temper detonated. She rounded on Goku. "How many Sekirei do you have besides us?"
"Counting you… eight," Goku said, perfectly calm.
"Eight?"
Her jealousy boiled over. "Water's Blessing!"
A waterfall slammed down from nowhere, dousing the rooftop—only for the flood to peel away from Goku as if repelled. When it cleared, he stood bone dry.
"What?" Tsukiumi stared, scandalized. She hadn't intended to hurt him—just soak him properly. And yet…
By then, Homura and the others had made their way over.
"Congratulations, truly," Homura told Tsukiumi with a warm smile. "You've found your Ashikabi."
"Likewise," Tsukiumi said, flustered, waving a hand to hide her embarrassment. "Though my husband is a hundred times better than yours."
'Hey now—I didn't say a word,' Minato thought, wounded to the core.
"In truth… your Ashikabi is very different," Homura admitted, remembering how Goku had appeared before Mutsu in an instant. That speed—most Sekirei couldn't match it.
After a bit of friendly talk and introductions, the group returned to Izumo Inn. Homura still needed to pack; she would be moving out with Minato. As for Yukari, she was easy on the eyes, but Goku had zero patience for boy-crazy fangirls, and she got exactly nowhere with him.
That night the inn hosted a farewell party for Homura, and afterward she departed with Minato. By the end, there was only one man left at Izumo Inn—Goku.
---
Boundless void, gilded with light. A colossal, many-hued bird spread its wings across the sky, blotting out the firmament as it stooped upon an ancient forest below. There, a woman of peerless bearing stood with her face to the sky, blue hair streaming—a beauty so pure that sun and moon seemed dimmed.
Boom—!
Thunder split the world. The rainbow creature had no mercy to spare for a flawless face.
Its wings spanned dozens of meters; with a single sweep, it sheared the crest from a mountain, the cut glass-smooth and true. Half the peak tumbled, filling the air with dust.
"Sister Cai Lin, do you think Shao Siming will beat that Color-Spirit Bird?"
A little ways off, scores of breathtaking women hovered in the air, chattering as they watched the distant battle.
From their presence alone it was clear—this was a world Goku had created.
Cai Lin smiled gently, a vision unto herself. "Shao Siming's talent is extraordinary. After training a while in the Time Chamber, her strength soared. That bird may be a realm higher, but defeating it shouldn't be difficult."
"True. The Color-Spirit Bird is only a seventh-rank beast. Compared to Shao Siming, it's still a little lacking," Xun'er said, eyes soft as she gazed into the distance. "Besides, we're hardly short on resources."
"We can't afford to slack," Yue Shen added evenly, standing in midair. "We thought ourselves unmatched before… then we came here and learned how ignorant we were."
Prismatic light dazzled as the spirit bird swept past, its aura so fierce that every creature for leagues around trembled.
A storm of iridescent feathers erupted, punching through the air toward the small figure below with a relentless hiss.
The beast's majesty could not be challenged; any who provoked it would pay in blood and life. Against one who dared offend its pride, it offered no quarter.
Veiled in gauze, Shao Siming remained serene. As the feather-storm descended, her expression did not change. She traced a delicate arc in the air with one finger; green radiance curled forth, roots sprouting and vines unfurling. In moments, a towering Autumn-Orchid tree rose where none had stood before.
The rain of feathers struck and stuck—stymied by the ancient tree's canopy.
And still the Autumn-Orchid climbed, its growth unceasing as it spread upward toward the rainbow bird in the sky…
___
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