62 Higa Izumi of the East

"Wow, big brother, it's so high up!!!"

Kusano, held by Sora as they flew through the air, clutched a small potted plant in her hands. Looking down at the city below, she was filled with excitement.

"Hehe, Kusano, hold on tight. Don't fall, okay?" Sora said with a smile as he searched for Homura.

"Sora, I found Homura. She's not far ahead of you!" Matsu's voice came through the communicator.

"Finally found her? Got it! Kazehana, speed up. Homura is right ahead!"

A glint flashed in Sora's eyes as he increased the power of his wings, streaking across the sky like a meteor.

"Big brother, look! It's Homura! That's Homura!" Kusano pointed excitedly at a spot below.

Slowing down, Sora looked in the direction Kusano was pointing. A massive fireball, several meters in size, was darting through the city sky. If you looked closely, you could vaguely make out a figure within the flames.

"Ara ara, little Homura really doesn't know how to take care of herself," Kazehana said in a teasing tone, though her words were filled with concern.

"She's already at this point?!"

Sora frowned, startled by what he saw.

Fortunately, Homura was a master of fire manipulation. If it were anyone else, they would have been reduced to ashes by now!

Exchanging a glance with Kazehana, they both activated their abilities.

Kazehana pointed her finger, and several wind blades shot out with incredible speed, blocking Homura's path. Sora, on the other hand, condensed a water sphere and doused Homura, temporarily suppressing her out-of-control power.

"Sora, it's bad! Several Sekirei have already reached your location, and more Sekirei and Ashikabi are gathering there!"

As soon as Sora and the others landed, Matsu's voice came through the communicator again.

"It's fine. Keep monitoring and report to us at any time." This was all within expectations, so Sora wasn't surprised.

"Homura, come back with us. It's dangerous here!" Kusano called out to Homura, even the little girl sensing the hidden presences around them.

"Ha… Ha… I'm sorry, everyone. I… I…"

Homura seemed unable to face the people from Izumo Inn, her eyes avoiding Sora and the others as she panted and murmured.

"Why is she like this? We…"

Kusano didn't understand Homura's response and wanted to say more.

But just then—

Boom! Boom! Boom!!!

Several attacks landed where Sora and the others were standing, causing a deafening explosion and raising a cloud of dust.

"Interesting. Someone couldn't wait to make a move already!"

The three figures leaped out of the dust. Looking at the spinning saw blades that had just attacked them, Sora's lips curled into a smile.

"We finally meet, the Ashikabi of the North. As expected of the one who dares to challenge the Punishment Squad, you're not an opponent to be taken lightly!"

As the dust settled, several figures appeared before Sora and the others.

Two men and four women. The one speaking was a handsome man in a white suit—Higa Izumi, the Ashikabi of the East!

Beside him was a man in black, wearing glasses—his secretary. Silent and efficient, his eyes gleamed with an unusual light as he observed Sora and the others, clearly deep in thought.

Behind them were four Sekirei.

No. 16, Toyotama, with her slender waist and ample bust, holding a short spear— No. 18, Ichiya, with her short, boyish hair and slightly tanned skin. No. 86, Katsuragi, petite and seemingly shy. And No. 101, Oriha, with her wine-red short hair and a cute maid outfit.

The one who had attacked Sora and the others was Oriha, who had the power to control spinning saw blades!

"Oh? So it's the big boss, Higa. What, even though your Sekirei don't agree with you, you're still interested in this event?" Sora sat on a nearby step with Kusano in his arms, a sly smile on his face.

With MBI's vast information network and the abilities of Matsu and Kochou, Sora was well-informed about every Sekirei and Ashikabi in the Sekirei Plan.

To be honest, Sora was quite interested in this guy!

The young master of a super-rich family, the ruler of the city before MBI's rise, deeply opposed to MBI due to various interests, and holding a negative stance on the Sekirei Plan.

Using his family's power, he had winged many Sekirei through various means. In terms of numbers, he was second only to Sora and a certain young boy.

However, although he had many Sekirei, he didn't accept them as "others." Even with the Sekirei he had contracted, it was purely a relationship of mutual benefit.

Well, that suited his nature as a businessman!

"Well, although I'm not interested in Sekirei, I do need those so-called Jinkis!"

"And if I can take care of you, the biggest trouble, in the process, it would be very beneficial for both me and my family."

"Don't you think so, one of the founders of MBI, Sora-sama?"

A smile that could charm thousands of girls appeared on Higa's face. Clearly, he knew something about Sora.

"Hey, not bad. You even managed to dig that up. But you don't think I only brought two Sekirei today, do you?"

As soon as Sora finished speaking, several whooshing sounds were heard, and Musubi, Tsukiumi, and Uzume appeared behind him.

"Musubi, Tsukiumi, Uzume, have some fun with Higa's Sekirei. Don't disappoint them, okay?"

Sora's plan for this event, aside from winging Homura, was to seize Sekirei from other Ashikabi. Now that someone had delivered themselves to his doorstep, and it was someone who stood against him in every way, Sora wasn't going to be polite!

Hehe, Higa was really confident, bringing only four Sekirei when he had so many. Well, Sora would make him pay for that confidence!

"Yes, Ashikabi-sama!" Musubi, Tsukiumi, and Uzume all had intense fighting spirit in their eyes as they responded.

None of them were the type to sit still. Especially Uzume, who had suffered a lot at Higa's hands because of Chiho. Now that she had a chance for revenge, she wouldn't hold back in the slightest!

Higa Izumi frowned, clearly realizing that things had just gotten complicated. The title of the strongest Ashikabi of the North wasn't just for show—every one of Sora's Sekirei was a formidable force!

However, Higa wasn't intimidated. He had his own pride. After exchanging a glance with his Sekirei, he signaled for all but No. 18, Ichiya, to step forward and prepare for battle. Kazehana stayed behind to protect him.

Musubi, the fist fighter, faced off against Katsuragi, the leg fighter.

Tsukiumi, the water manipulator, clashed with Oriha, the spinning saw blade controller.

Uzume, with her long veils, went up against Toyotama, the short spear wielder.

The battle between the Sekirei girls had begun!

"Boss, it's too dangerous here. Let's move to the side!"

The fight between six Sekirei was no joke. The moment the battle started, the sky was filled with explosions, and the ground trembled violently. Ichiya quickly escorted Higa and his secretary, Kakizaki, to a safer spot.

Meanwhile, Sora sat back, thoroughly enjoying the spectacle. He held Kusano in his arms while Kazehana gently massaged his shoulders.

"Ara ara, little Sora, there seem to be a lot of little mice around. Should I go catch them for you?" Kazehana asked with a charming smile, sensing the increasing number of hidden presences.

Sora shook his head.

"Although these people aren't particularly strong, there are too many of them. It's troublesome."

"However, they all want to wing Homura and get the Jinkis in her hands. With this common goal in mind, what do you think will happen if I expose them all?"

With a sly smile, Sora snapped his fingers.

The ground trembled, and countless trees burst forth from the earth. Amidst the cries of surprise, all the hidden Sekirei and Ashikabi were forced out into the open.

"Ah! You dare attack me? You're dead!"

"That Sekirei and the Jinkis are mine! Go home and play in the mud! Let's go, my dear!"

"That's a precious fire Sekirei, and the last one at that. I won't let you have her!"

...

Many of the Sekirei and Ashikabi had no idea what was happening and assumed it was the work of others hiding nearby. But now that they were all exposed and had the same goal, they didn't hold back. The moment they clashed, chaos erupted.

"Hehehe, little Sora, you're so naughty!"

Kazehana finally understood Sora's plan—he was making these Ashikabi fight each other first! And the fact that they were so cooperative was downright hilarious. She laughed so hard that her whole body shook, her already charming demeanor becoming even more alluring. If it weren't for the current situation, Sora might have been tempted to engage in a "battle" with her right then and there.

"Hehe, I can be even naughtier!"

With a wicked grin, Sora secretly notified Hikari, Hibiki, Akitsu, and Yomi, who were hiding in the shadows, to join the fray and help him collect as many incapacitated Sekirei as possible.