Love Hina Fan Fiction ❯ K2: The Leyline Flush ❯ Chapter 2

“Table for two?” the waiter asked.

 

Mutsumi nodded, and with her arms around Keitaro's, both followed the waiter as he presented them their seats. Not wasting any time, the waiter presented them both with the menu's, and with a smile, said, “Your orders, sir, ma'am?”

 

Keitaro watched as Mutsumi, still having serene smile as she ordered for some seafood special platter, and watermelon juice. She also asked for some more watermelons for dessert. Smiling, while shaking his head, Keitaro took the steak and eggs special.

 

“Rare, sir?” the waiter asked.

 

“Medium rare,” Keitaro looked at his menu. “And a vodka martini… I always wanted to try that.”

 

“Shaken or stirred?”

 

“Stirred, not shaken,” Keitaro gave his menu back to the waiter. The man bowed and left them to give the orders, leaving both him and Mutsumi alone. Still smiling at her, he asked, “You do love your melons don't you?”

 

“Ara, a bit obsessive, truthfully,” Mutsumi replied. “Back in the old times where Otohimes were priestesses like the Aoyama's, we were always growing watermelons. As you know, the Aoyama's overtook us in terms of extermination and deportation of demons that we Otohime's were just left with information gathering and sharing.”

 

“And watermelons,” Keitaro added. “Are all Otohime watermelons as big as yours are?”

 

She smiled. “Ara, I'm proud to say I have the biggest.”

 

“I have no doubt about that,” Keitaro smirked a bit. “I have to say, the last melon you gave me was quite sweet. Thank you.”

 

“I'm glad you enjoyed it,” Mutsumi smiled. “I'll give you another one if you like.”

 

“Luv, if they are from you, I'll never get tired of them,” Keitaro winked.

 

She grinned. “Before we go back to your hotel, I'll make sure to give you another… but for now,” she suddenly stopped smiling, and placed in the table a small metal cube. “Inside this safe-cube is the chip.”

 

Keitaro's eyebrow rose. “Is it safe to bring this around?”

 

“Kei-kun, as long as you are around, I feel that it's in safest hands,” Mutsumi pressed a button of the cube, and a part slid away revealing a number pad. “This is your whole mission. Make a password, at least 4 numbers if you please.”

 

Keitaro thought a bit what to put, but, like an inspiration, he just typed the password as Mutsumi watched. Keitaro smirked. “You'll be called liable if I report in that you also know the password.”

 

“Ara, for us Otohime's, information is our lifehood,” Mutsumi took back the cube. “Death, torture, or even seduction… nothing can make us disclose information we don't want to reveal.”

 

“How's that?” Keitaro asked, a bit curious.

 

“I know Urashima's use runes as a means to fight supernatural beings,” Mutsumi stated. “Aoyama's use ki control and swordsmanship for exorcism and deportation. We Otohime's have a rather peculiar bloodline…”

 

“Which is?”

 

“Our minds are possibly one of the best assets we Otohime's have,” Mutsumi replied.

 

“I highly doubt that,” Keitaro found his smile again.

 

Mutsumi smiled back as she watched his eyes twinkle. “Our brain has a sort of protection that can't be read by anyone… let it be psychics or magic induced abilities, our minds seem always closed.” She raised her hand on her head, as she smiled silly. “Ara, some of our minds are so well closed that even normal people tend to ignore us or find us weird.”

 

Keitaro hid his grin. Well, she was looking rather weird… in a silly way now. “So… how does one get information from an Otohime's mind?”

 

“When one Otohime completely and willingly wants to share it, one can get it,” Mutsumi said.

 

“So… truth potions will work?” Keitaro asked. This conversation was getting interesting.

 

“No… completely and willingly means unforced by outside means… if there's a slight hesitation in our parts, we never reveal information even if we were being tortured brutally…” Mutsumi frowned. “There were many beings willing to put such claims to the test… gods, demons, humans… but only one person succeeded in extracting information from any Otohime.”

 

“Who?”

 

“My father, when he married my mother,” Mutsumi smiled. “He got her to admit that she was in love with him… ara… it was so sweet.”

 

Keitaro didn't say anything, but his mouth was twitching in a rather interesting manner. He was expecting a introduction to some rival or the main enemies of Otohime's. What he got was a confession of two people in love.

 

Good thing the orders arrived. With all the talking, Keitaro never noticed his hunger stirring.

 

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

 

“That was quite a dinner, wasn't it, Kei-kun?” Mutsumi stated as she and Keitaro began to walk around the Okinawan beaches.

 

“It was very filling,” Keitaro agreed. “Loved my meat and eggs… rare and well tendered.”

 

Mutsumi giggled. “I'm sure they are quite nice.”

 

“Oh quite… I bet you wouldn't have any problems with it,” Keitaro smirked.

 

“Ara, Kei-kun, I'll take your word for it.”

 

“So… where are we going?” Keitaro asked as they continued to walk.

 

“My house,” Mutsumi replied.

 

“My, my, you're fast, I'll give you that,” Keitaro made himself sound impressed. Inside, he was smirking again.

 

“Kei-kun, its fast when I invite you in the bedroom,” Mutsumi winked.

 

Keitaro grinned as he admitted to himself being had for the moment. “And when will that part come?”

 

Mutsumi could only take out her tongue in a silly manner, and picked up the pace. Keitaro followed suit, and after a few moments, found themselves in a moderately built house near the beach. Taking her key out, Mutsumi opened the door and invited Keitaro in.

 

“Please, take a seat, while I go and hide this chip,” Mutsumi said as she began to walk in another part of her house. Before she exited the room, though, she looked back. “Unless of course… you want to keep it?”

 

“I don't. Women got the best hiding places in the world, don't they?” Keitaro asked as she left. He didn't know if she heard him, or did, but nevertheless, was smiling. Relaxing on the couch he was in, he took a look around. Mutsumi seem to live alone, and modest as well. Not many luxurious or exotic items around…

 

His cellphone rang, and quick to answer, Keitaro greeted. “Good evening.”

 

“K2… it's H.”

 

“Ah… Haruka. Nice to hear from you… listen, I logged in the Urashima page, but for some reason, I was logged in as you and…”

 

“Keitaro, shut it. We've had more info about the chip thanks to a certain agent, D.L.”

 

“The idiot that calls himself El Diablo El?” Keitaro said in a laugh. “Are we still keeping him around? The man can't even distinguish his right from left.”

 

“Even with his… lack of motor recognition function, Keitaro, he has given us a lot of info. For example, this Demon Eyes Laharl? From D.L. And that assignment you are in as well,” Haruka paused. “He gave info on the chip as well.”

 

“Alright… so what did he provide this time?” Keitaro asked.

 

“In his report, he seems to say that there has been an inside job to the Otohime's… probably one of their agents sold the info of the chip to Laharl himself. Which is why he is there, shadowing them.”

 

“What are you telling me, Haruka?” Keitaro asked.

 

“I'm telling you to watch your back,” Haruka's voice sounded sincere. “Because you are the only U agent we sent. Protect the chip at all cost.”

 

“Roger,” Keitaro stated. “By the way… what's with the password of yours?”

 

“It's a double-blindfold password, Keitaro… just drop it. I'm changing it now as we speak.”

 

“I'm betting the first letter of your password is an `N'…” Keitaro laughed.

 

There was a slight pause. Then, Haruka muttered angrily, “Just do your damn job.”

 

Keitaro hanged up the phone, smiling to himself.

 

His eyes once again went around, looking at the simple decorations and furniture that Mutsumi owned. Almost everything were stuff that are generic and easily found… but that odd looking statue of a girl was a bit out of place. Wearing a sort of gi usually worn by female ninjas, the statue was also wearing some sort of fox mask, and was holding some sort of blade.

 

Standing up, Keitaro's curiosity got the better of him as he went to the statue, and poked it. “Wow… the statue's made of latex or something… that feels like skin.”

 

As he poked around the statue's thighs, then began to poke the chest area. “Hmmm… not as well filled as Mutsumi's… wonder if it's anatomically correct…” and began to place his hand on the statue's stomach, and slowly went down.

 

The statue twitched, and then, raised her hand with the dagger, and was about to stab Keitaro when he grinned, grabbed the hand, and with a quick motion, stabbed her heart with her own weapon.

 

“You know dear… we could have done this without breaking your heart,” he said with a slight grin. And that's when everything turned to hell.

 

The doors were suddenly smashed and windows cracked as multiple of warrior demons suddenly burst in with bladed weapons. Some were like the fox ninja demoness that tried to be a statue.

 

Keitaro did a quick count… 2 ninjas, 3 sword demons… and then went to his waist, to grab his gun, only to feel nothing. Cursing as he remembered that he left his weapon back to his hotel room, Keitaro grabbed the still alive demoness ninja that he had just stabbed in the heart, and used her as a wall to block the incoming throwing blades being thrown by the other ninjas.

 

As the ninjas stopped throwing their knives, Keitaro grabbed two that were embedded in his hostage's stomach, and kicked her away, and threw the two weapons towards the two ninjas. The ninja he kicked away landed hard to the ground, disappeared as the blades imbedded deeper in her body.

 

The two blades Keitaro threw hit both of the ninjas in the chest, and he jumped towards the swords-demon nearest to him. With lightning quick attacks, he punched the demon in the gut, elbowing his rib, and grabbed the sword, and stabbed him in leg.

 

He screamed, and momentarily let his grip loose. That allowed Keitaro to grab the sword for his own, and beheaded the demon. It vanished into smoke when the blade severed his head from his body.

 

The two other sword demons charged towards him, swords raised and ready to strike. Twirling the sword on his sides, Keitaro began to block the strikes coming at him, picking his spots as be slowly step back at the assault. Finally, a demon shown to be a second slower than the other, so Keitaro stopped defending and just stabbed the slower demon. He also faded in smoke.

 

The other demon just smiled evilly as he found the human very much open wide… and swun the sword to his head, when Keitaro's arms just popped up to block it. There was a resounding “clang” as the sword met the arm.

 

The demon's eyes widened as the same arm that blocked him, pushed the blade away. In doing so, it ripped the jacket that Keitaro was wearing, revealing his arm having been tattooed with runes. And that same arm stabbed him in the chest.

 

“Runes… you got to love them,” Keitaro said as he brought back his arm as the demon began to fade away in smokes.

 

“Kei-kun… what's going on?” Mutsumi entered. “I heard some sounds…”

 

Keitaro's eyes widened… he forgotten about Mutsumi! “Get out! NOW!” he muttered as he began to look for the last two fox ninjas.

 

Someone behind Mutsumi grabbed her by the neck, and put her bladed weapon against her neck. “Freeze, or she dies!” she threatened.

 

Keitaro didn't answer, as he felt the other ninja on his back. With a quick motion, he turned, grabbed the ninja's weapon, and at the same time, stabbed her across the chest with his hand, and threw the weapon towards the hostage taker.

 

The blade seemed to slowly go towards the head of the kitsune masked ninja, and she lifted her blade away from Mutsumi's neck to block the incoming knife. And when she did, she didn't have time to put the blade back on the neck of her hostage as she suddenly felt an elbow in her gut… hard.

 

Keitaro didn't waste anymore as he saw Mutsumi fighting back at her hostage taker, and dashed towards the ninja, and grabbed her neck. Holding her weapon arm with one of his hand, he began to slowly crush the neck of the ninja until she disappeared in smoke as well.

 

Looking around to see if everything was clear, Keitaro rushed to Mutsumi who was on the floor, shaking a bit. Putting his arms around her, Keitaro helped her up.

 

“Mutsumi… you okay?” he asked, worried.

 

“… I… I think… so…”

 

“Shh… lets get out of here,” Keitaro muttered as he brought Mutsumi out.

 

As they both left the house, Laharl stood, watching, and smiled. “Interesting.”

 

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

 

Okinawa Inn

A few minutes later…

 

Putting a few hundred yen in the machine, Keitaro got some canned Oolong tea for Mutsumi who was still shaking a bit with her last encounter. He opened it before handing it to her, and then, sat down beside her as she began to take a few sips.

 

After a few moments of silence, Mutsumi cleared her throat. “I'm sorry… for acting like that.”

 

“Don't worry about it,” Keitaro said. “I'm the deporter here, not you. I did my job. You're doing yours well.”

 

“It's not that,” Mutsumi replied. Taking another deep breathe, she continued, “I heard you… you told me to get away… but I was slow… and I was captured.”

 

“In the old days… the Otohime's were proud warriors,” Mutsumi smiled. “My mother would love to tell stories of those times, about how we Otohime's fought side by side with the Aoyama's and the Urashima's… I always wondered how good I'd be if I were trained to fight.”

 

“In our world, fighting isn't really as important as data,” Keitaro said. “Look what I'm supposed to be guarding now… no amount of fighting or power would give much advantage to the gods or demons than that much. I can deport angels, demons… but we have to know where they are, how they entered, and why.”

 

Standing up, he began to walk around. “If information were more readily available to us before… we could have prevented tragedies,” Keitaro muttered, his mind going back to the time the truck was hit by two higher beings. “… Knowing how to fight wouldn't have helped a lot of people before. No action can be taken without information.”

 

Mutsumi had a small smile in her face… “You seem to be driven, Kei-kun.”

 

“You have no idea,” Keitaro muttered. Of course he was driven… the pain of his heart of the tragedy long passed was still in there, and he was not going to speak about it… not now… and not to her.

 

“Is that why you joined your family's faction?” Mutsumi asked.

 

Keitaro nodded. In ancient times, each family would have an heir that would take over the faction when he's deemed ready. It's a family honor thing, but as the modern times went, so did the tradition. For now, it is optional for you to join the cause. Keitaro's mother was not a part of the faction, even if she was deemed the heir after Hina… but she had no interest in the workings of gods or demons, or any other beings, and married a baker, and gave birth to Keitaro. But fate seems to love irony, as the son who was born out of the woman who didn't want to join the faction, joined the faction.

 

“Kei-kun… what... what would you do if you didn't join your faction?” Mutsumi asked, looking at him.

 

“… I don't know… there is a reason why I joined… but, if you take out that reason, I'd probably be doing some normal stuff…” Keitaro replied. “School… stuff… work… the usual. How about you?”

 

Mutsumi smiled. “I also have my own reason to join… but if, like you, I take out that reason, I'll say I'd be going for Tokyo U.”

 

Keitaro did a double-take. “… Tokyo U?”

 

“Ara, it's silly… but when I was young, I made a pact with friends of mine… saying we'd all meet once again at Tokyo U,” Mutsumi looked up in the sky. “We used to be great friends… played a lot together… stared at the starry sky together…”

 

Keitaro looked at her silently. “What happened…? Why didn't you go for it?”

 

“… Because we all drifted apart,” Mutsumi looked at Keitaro. “We lost contact with each other, and soon… our friendship.” She laughed a bit, sadly. “I guess it is silly… making a promise when you're a kid.”

 

“I don't think so,” Keitaro suddenly said. Mutsumi was surprised at the reaction, seeing Keitaro, probably for the first time when not fighting, quite serious. “I may not be honorable as normal samurais, but when I make a promise, I keep it. I'm not going to say something silly, like, it's my Urashima or ninja way, but for me… promises are worth gold.”

 

Sitting down beside her, Keitaro stared at her in the eyes. “Even if you don't or may never meet your friends from before again, if you get tired of this supernatural business… go and try for Tokyo U… Maybe, even as small as an eye of a needle, you may meet them again.”

 

Mutsumi smiled, not the small ones that she would usually give, but one that seemed to have more emotion than before. Her eyes watered a bit, and she slowly hugged him. “You got a sweet side, Keitaro… you're going to break a girl's heart.”

 

“You too, Mutsumi,” Keitaro replied, patting her back. “You'll break any man's heart.”

 

Mutsumi let him go, and whispered… “Kei-kun… kiss me please…”

 

Keitaro looked at her in a weird way, smirking a bit, but with a small glare, Mutsumi took initiative and grabbed Keitaro's head and kissed him fully in the lips. Now given the intiative, Keitaro kissed back this time as well… This was no longer a kissing rouse that they had earlier but a full fledged kiss, savoring each other.

 

Mutsumi began to remove Keitaro's jacket when he held her hand, and stopped kissing her. She groaned angrily. “What?” she asked.

 

Keitaro gave her light kisses. “In… my… room…” and held her as he stood up.

 

Mutsumi gave him her own smirk. “Are we going to order champagne as well?”

 

Keitaro smiled. “I'll see if they got watermelon flavored ones.”

 

Mutsumi winked. “No need… I have some watermelon `party flavors' in my purse.”

 

“You're a wicked woman,” Keitaro smiled appreciatively.

 

To Be Continued….

 

Laharl and Keitaro meet face to face…. And new info is revealed… shocking as it can be!