3rd Pov
Sitting on top of the cliff's edge, overlooking the quiet research facility in the moonlight's shine. Xicor stared down with a fist resting against his cheek, one leg swinging lazily off the ledge with the other resting on his knee.
Shion sat not too far away, her body lit up by the campfire's glow, embracing the warmth that had been stripped from her for a long time.
Her gaze drifted to Xicor; his helmet was retracted, revealing sleek black hair and red eyes that matched the tribal tattoos decorating his face.
Her eyes lingered a little longer than she intended, her cheeks flushing pink before she looked away. She distracted herself by throwing small sticks on the fire to keep it going before poking and prodding it.
After several minutes of silence, except for the campfire's crackles and the soft winds blowing against their bodies.
Shion curled her legs to her chest and rested her arms on her knees before looking back at Xicor, "Lord Xicor, why are we still here?"
Xicor didn't turn to her, keeping his gaze locked onto the facility, "We're waiting for someone, they are important in destroying this facility and removing any traces of my presence, leaving them to believe it was a terrorist attack" He explained.
Shion tilted her head slightly, "Are they a friend?"
"In a sense" Xicor replied.
Silence overtook them again as Shion shifted uncomfortably on the spot, shivering slightly from the wind blowing against her back.
Xicor glanced over his shoulder, spotting the uncomfortable state she was in despite the fire.
Something softened inside him as he stood and walked over, cursed energy coating his hand. Slowly, a large, thick blanket came into existence before he wrapped it around her and sat down next to her, letting the fire carry his mind somewhere else.
Shion flinched as the blanket made contact with her but calmed down once she saw it was Xicor. Her fingers clutched deeply into the fabric, wrapping it firmly around herself.
Her eyes glanced over at Xicor's features, taking in her saviour's appearance. Unaware, she drifted into a daze, and her body leaned against his.
Her large chest pressed lightly against his arm, but the hard material blocked the soft texture against his arm.
Xicor noticed the shift in Shion but didn't comment on it, even when Shion rested her head against his shoulder, making a makeshift pillow with some of the blanket.
The comfortable silence permeated the air, Shion's soft breathing reached Xicor's ears. Her body shifted closer, seeking the warm security he provided, fearing it was still a dream.
The silence lasted for a while, neither one speaking as Shion rested her eyes.
"Shion, I have a question to ask you, if you don't mind" Xicor said.
"Mhm", she hummed, opening one of her eyes to look up at him.
"May I know what your ability is and why you didn't use it to escape the facility?" Xicor asked.
Shion opened both eyes and blankly stared into the fire, pursing her lips, as if the memory was too difficult to say out loud. Her hand found Xicor's and held it for comfort. He squeezed it slightly, reassuring her as a small smile bloomed on her face.
"My peach ability is called, Abyssal Bloom, I can control dark threads that are invisible to the naked eye, they can even drain the life force of anyone who comes in contact with them, but that's only by my will so I can simply bind someone"
She lifted her hand in front of them as the dark threads glinted in the fire's light before coming together and forming a dark flower with its roots dropped over Shion's hand.
"If I concentrate hard enough, I can create an even bigger flower that can drain the life force within the root's radius, though that's only a theory I came up with before they kept restraining my ability by giving sleep injections if I didn't cooperate" she explained further as she slowly crushed the flower.
Its black petals drifted into flames before burning up, "They never saw me as a normal person, but simply a guinea pig to fuel their endless greed, I'm nothing more than a freak that everyone will be afraid of" she said through gritted teeth.
Xicor's hand clasped gently over her clenched fist, "Do you see me afraid of you?" he asked gently.
"Huh?" She tilted her head at him.
"Did you see me scared like a child when I first saw you?" he asked again.
Shion looked down at his hand over her closed hand, "...No"
"What did you see?" she curiously asked.
"A breathtaking woman who needed someone to comfort her" Xicor answered.
Shion's smile widened as she leaned back into his shoulder, but that only lasted several seconds before someone landed in front of them, kicking up dust and wind that took out the fire.
Shion jumped up and threw the blanket off her as she prepared to attack the unknown assailant. The cloud of dust slowly subsided, revealing a second Xicor.
"Huh!?" Shion stared wide-eyed at the Xicor in front of her.
Blinking several times, she narrowed her eyes as thread exited her arms, silently webbing the entire area.
Before she could even start webbing the area, Xicor's hand was placed on her shoulder, "Relax, he was the person I was waiting for"
Shion kept looking back and forth between the two Xicors, her brain trying to comprehend what was happening.
"This here is a clone with one of my abilities that is necessary for destroying this facility, all I need to do is assimilate him back into my body and activate it" Xicor explained as he placed a hand on the clone's shoulder.
The clone's body began to be absorbed into Xicor as he shivered from the sensation.
'Temporarily having this clone leave won't let that hag and maid alert the humans for too long as there are two other clones and Kuusetsu keeping an eye on them' Xicor thought.
"Now then" Xicor stood at the very edge of the cliff with a perfect view of the facility. Shion quietly walked up behind him with her hands clasped in front of her.
"Let the fireworks begin" He said before clicking his fingers.
The entire facility was engulfed in a massive explosion that lit up the entire area with an overwhelming shockwave pushing back everything in its way.
Shion stared wide-eyed after covering herself from the blinding blast and holding onto Xicor as the shockwave passed.
All she could see was a cloud of smoke, blocking the aftermath she wanted to see. Xicor stood with arms crossed, glanced at Shion trying to look through the smoke before he waved one of his hands through the air as the smoke was pushed aside.
With the smoke being pushed aside, what was once a research facility researching affairs related to Mato and other supernatural subjects, is now a large crater.
"It's gone" she whispered, her eyes wide and her mouth agape.
"It's truly gone" She said.
The place that brought only pain, suffering and loneliness was finally destroyed by the person she would follow and wouldn't want to be separated from.
The only person who has shown her kindness after her transformation.
Her legs carried her quivering body behind her saviour before wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing her body against his, burying her face in the back of his neck.
"...Thank you" She mumbled.
Xicor lightly patted her arms, "No problem, they were on my to-do list anyway, but we'd better leave before more humans come running"
Shion nodded against him as she released her hold on him before Xicor wrapped an arm around her waist. The next second they were both lifted off the ground and flew away with the space around them constantly shifting.
Shion stared in a daze at the distant forest below them and the night sky above with the clouds so close she could touch them.
But Shion noticed something, "Um, Lord Xicor, wouldn't we be seen considering how noticeable we are in the sky?" she asked.
Xicor shook his head, "No, they won't be able to see us as I've manipulated the space around us to hide our presence entirely"
Shion stared wide-eyed at him, 'Just how many abilities does he truly have?' she questioned internally.
3 Hours Later:
It took them a while, but they managed to reach the mansion as the sun began to rise in the distance.
Landing on the balcony, Xicor entered with Shion close beside him. Shion took in the extravagant room before her eyes landed on a womanly figure in the king-sized bed.
Undoing the invisibility over them, Xicor produced the clone with the explosive flesh, "Go back to your duties" he waved him off.
The clone exited the room as the sound of the door made the figure in the bed shift around and turn her sleeping face toward them.
Her blue hair with red streaks sprawled along the pillow as she hugged it lightly against herself. Her soft and steady breathing was a sign of how comfortable she was.
Xicor found himself mesmerised as he took quiet steps towards the slumbering goddess before kneeling next to the bed.
His arm pressed down on the soft mattress as he extended the other to brush some of her hair, that stuck to her cheek, behind her ear.
This slow and affectionate gesture made the goddess's eyes crinkle open. Blinking slowly, her eyes still watery from sleep, made out the silhouette of a figure beside her bed.
The familiar colours of the person before her.
The familiar shape of the person before her.
The familiar around the person before her.
All pointed to one person she longed for. Her eyes finally cleared, revealing his sharp features, which she found appetising.
Her mouth formed a sweet smile and her eyes turned crescent-shaped, joy flashing through her gaze. Kuusetsu's hand reached out as the thick blankets revealed more of her peachy skin.
The goddess's hand cupped Xicor's cheek with her thumb rubbing his skin as he leaned into it. Kuusetsu pushed herself towards him and latched her lips against his, pushing her tongue inside as a duel occurred between the two.
Shion watched the affectionate gestures, gauging how far their relationship had gone before forcibly looking away and rubbing her shoulder uncomfortably.
Her lips pressed hard into a thin line, she was about to step out of the room to give the couple space, but the sound of her feet tapping against the floorboards alerted Kuusetsu's attention to the new presence in the room.
Kuusetsu parted her lips and snapped her head towards Shion with a narrowed gaze with Xicor's head pressed down between her soft pillows.
"Who are you?" She demanded, 'Judging from her appearance, She's a Humanoid Shuuki, just like the two I absorbed' She thought as Xicor pushed himself up from the goddess's chest to speak.
"She's an ally, her name is Shion Kurotsuki, I rescued her from the human research facility I destroyed and decided to allow her to join us" Xicor explained.
Kuusetsu's gaze looked at Shion from head to toe before she leaned into Xicor's ear, "Can I absorb her?"
"No" He quickly said as Kuusetsu puffed out her cheeks.
"Why not!" she whined.
"Because she's an ally and she's more useful for support than just another addition to your abilities" Xicor explained.
Her cheeks lessen slight as she tightened her hold around him, burying his face in her chest, "Fine"
Her fingers tangled around his black hair, as her eyes shifted to Shion, "Hello newcomer, my name is Kuusetsu, I'm one of Xicor's consorts"
Shion's eyes narrowed slightly as her fingers tightened against her shoulder, having her saviour in the embrace of some unknown woman was suffocating to her.
Boldly, she marched forward and yanked him out of Kuusetsu's embrace, under her surprised gaze. Shion pressed Xicor deeply into her own chest, mirroring how Kuusetsu played with his hair.
Shion gave Kuusetsu a sweet smile, "It's nice to meet you Kuusetsu, I hope to be of use to you and Xicor in the coming future"
Kuusetsu narrowed her eyes at the Humanoid Shuuki before a challenging smirk grew on her face, 'Oh, let's see how far you'll go for him'
Just as things were about to get heated and Xicor was ready to step in, the door to the room opened as Retsu stepped in with practised grace.
"My lady, have you woken up?" She asked as her eyes landed on the trio staring at her.
An awkward silence overtook the room as a mischievous smile grew on Retsu's face, "My my, it seems I missed out on something interesting, I'll leave you to it then"
Retsu exited the room as Xicor got out of Shion's soft embrace, "Let's have breakfast first while we discuss Shion's stay with us as well as her uses"
Shion was the first to exit the room at the prospect of warm food that had been restricted from her for a while.
The only food they provided her was enough to keep her stable.
Just as Xicor was about to follow Shion, Kuusetsu quickly grabbed his hand. He turned his head to her, to find her eyes staring deep into him.
"You need sleep" she said, more of an order than an observation.
"I'm fine" Xicor tried to reassure her but the next second, he held his hand over his mouth as a long yawn came out.
"Not so sneaky now, are you mister" the goddess cocked her head to the side with a teasing grin.
Xicor sighed lightly before removing his armour and placing it beside the bed as he climbed in. Kuusetsu nestled herself directly beside him.
His arm wrapped securely around her waist and pulling her closer with the goddess's head resting at the crook of his neck.
Almost immediately, Xicor's eyes grew heavy as the waves of sleep overtook him in the warm, calming embrace he was in.
Kuusetsu opened one eye as her smile grew before pressing feathered kisses against his skin, "No one is going to ruin this date, not some other girl who seems infatuated with you" she mumbled before relaxing in his embrace.
Far from the mansion where the couple resided, a large estate stood tall radiating an overwhelming pressure that kept anyone from even gazing at it.
Standing in front of the structure, Kyouka Uzen, Tenka Izumo, Yuuki Wakura and Himari Azuma eyed the structure with various emotions.
Himari had her hands clenched, the place she grew up in was something a child would normally grow up in, but it was more akin to a boot camp than a home.
Calming the side of herself that wanted to avoid this place, determination flashed through her eyes, with Yuuki stepping up next to her as silent support.
Kyouka looked intently at her Vice-Chief, "Are you truly ready Himari?"
Himari nodded without looking at her, "Without a doubt in my mind"