Chapter 162 – Subus Love
<span style="font-weight:400">"Saeko, are you sure about this?" Hatsumi asked worriedly.
<span style="font-weight:400">"No… definitely not, but Mio wasn''t exactly giving me a choice," I said.
<span style="font-weight:400">My sister nced back at the twobatants and sighed, particrly at our mother, whose subus form was a troubling sight to her.
<span style="font-weight:400">"I still can''t believe our mom used to be a subus. It puts a lot into perspective though, but it hasn''t changed how I feel about her. If she loses, I won''t shed a tear. Mio, however… isn''t there too big of a difference between them?" she asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Yeah…"
<span style="font-weight:400">There was no foreseeable oue that Mio emerged as the victor.
<span style="font-weight:400">We brought them deep into the forests to do battle. My scouting subi assured me that there weren''t any humans this far out. Yumi and Hana were giving Mio a pep talk, and Delh stood alone with both arms folded and eyes shut in thought. Whatever was on her mind was a mystery to us. When I had brought it up to her what Mio wanted, she didn''t hesitate to ept the challenge.
<span style="font-weight:400">One thing was for sure. Delh once served as an assassin. A lethal one at that. She was also a greater subus. Mio, though she had a little more firepower than a regr subus, stood almost no chance.
<span style="font-weight:400">Did Mio actually ask for this fight believing she would win? Just what was the point of this?
<span style="font-weight:400">For whatever reason, La and Selene guarded me closely. It was instincts, they said. I was 100% sure Selene just wanted to be near Hatsumi, and La was in a post-coitus high around me.
<span style="font-weight:400">"This fight will be a no holds barred," Yumi began as she walked to the space between Mio and Delh. "Anything goes. The only rule is that you may not take the life of the other. You may fight until the other surrenders, or until they can no longer fight. Is that understood?"
<span style="font-weight:400">"Yeah," Mio said, cracking her neck.
<span style="font-weight:400">Delh nodded. Her eyes snapped open and arms fell to the side.
<span style="font-weight:400">Yumi nced at me as though asking if I wanted to let this happen. I didn''t say a thing, and only held her gaze, so she flew up to let them begin.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Eat shit, bitch!" Mio kicked off the match by firing a volley of magic orbs.
<span style="font-weight:400">They exploded on impact, engulfing Delh in a cloud of smoke and dirt. My knee jerk reaction cheered Mio''s direct hit. The trees behind her had parts of their trunk blown into bark. It was Delh who blew away the dust with a wave of a hand, and she was mostly unhurt by the spells.
<span style="font-weight:400">Mio clicked her tongue, leapt into flight and pressed her hands together. As she parted them, a crackling ball of ck energy continued to grow until it was the size of a giant beach ball. She sent the destructive spell screeching towards Delh, but the greater subus scratched the space in front of herself to open a portal to consume it, promptly closed it shut, and waited for the next.
<span style="font-weight:400">Ticked off, Mio unleashed an anguished wail andunched herself at Delh. She threw a punch that the other caught in her palm, twisted, and was sent crashing into a tree. That didn''t stop her. Mio continued to throw herself at Delh, whose actions were to y on the defensive. She made it look like child''s y.
<span style="font-weight:400">"You think you''re doing me a favor by not fighting? Fuck you! Fight back, damn it!" Mio screamed.
<span style="font-weight:400">Hatsumi inched forward, almost like she wanted to jump in tofort her. Meanwhile, my heart ached with every grunt and missed or blocked hit from Mio. I''d never seen her in such pain before. Not even when facing Beatrice.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Very well," Delh said, casting me a look before driving a fist into Mio that hammered her into the ground.
<span style="font-weight:400">I tensed up right away and clenched both fists. Delh wrenched Mio from the earth and threw her square across the clearing until she hit a tree, then fired a spell from her palm that annihted the tree into splinters. Only Mio and the trunk she sat up against remained, but she climbed defiantly to her feet.
<span style="font-weight:400">"This is no contest of strength," Selene glowered.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Q-Queen Saeko, Mio might get seriously hurt if she keeps fighting!" La warned.
<span style="font-weight:400">"I know that, but…" I gritted my teeth to keep from jumping in there.
<span style="font-weight:400">If I intervened, Mio was going to leave. Of course, I wanted her to win, but she was going to lose at this rate and disappear from my life anyway.
<span style="font-weight:400">Delh made her way to Mio slowly and gathered magic at both palms of her hands. Mio didn''t bother moving anymore. She waited for the final attack with fangs bared. When Delh raised one palm to fire, I summoned the de of the First Temptress to shoot a spell and deflect it.
<span style="font-weight:400">All eyes fell to me.
<span style="font-weight:400">"What are you… doing? I told you… not to get in the way," Mio groaned, peering at me through one eye because the other was swollen shut.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Shut up! How the hell can you expect me to sit by and let you get hurt? I''d never forgive myself. Kana would never forgive me. If you''re going to leave anyway, I''m not letting yourst memory of me be some little scaredy-cat who just watched you get beaten up. I want you to at least know that I''ll always choose you."
<span style="font-weight:400">"So am I to assume that this battle is over?" Delh asked, snuffing out the spell in her other hand.
<span style="font-weight:400">"No." I shook my head. "Now it''s our turn to fight."
<span style="font-weight:400">"Then end it. You can change me back into a human. This fight need not happen—"
<span style="font-weight:400">Magic sparked along the tip of the sword again and sted Delh away. She unfurled her wings to bring herself to a stop against the momentum, shock written on her face that I would do such a thing.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Saeko… I don''t want to fight you," Delh said.
<span style="font-weight:400">"But I do!"
<span style="font-weight:400">I flew in and swung my sword at her, but the attack was met with Delh''s ws. She tried to back away with it in her grasp, so I let go of the handle and drove a right hook into her. The punch, too, was blocked by another hand. With my free hand, I conjured a magical explosion that sted her through several trees, then resummoned my sword when it had fallen away earlier.
<span style="font-weight:400">While Delh was struggling to get back to her feet, Imanded the sexual energy gained from my foursome the other day to the tip of the sword, molding it into a destructive force. She faced me unflinchingly, feet nted firmly on the ground.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Saeko, if you keep using that sword''s powers—"
<span style="font-weight:400">"I know already! But right now, all I want to do is hurt you like you did me all these years. Like you did to Mio! So if you want to be my mom again, then you better believe that we''re going to be fighting like family!" I shouted.
<span style="font-weight:400">As I fired the spell, Delh scratched the space in front of her again, but a portal didn''t open up this time. Seeing that, her shoulders ckened and sighed. A massive explosion engulfed her, blowing away leaves from their branches and loose debris from the ground in the immediate area.
<span style="font-weight:400">When the dust cleared, Delh was badly hurt and lying in a small crater.
<span style="font-weight:400">"I wonder why…" Delh began, wincing as she clutched the side of her abdomen. "This… isn''t so bad…"
<span style="font-weight:400">She promptly passed out.
<span style="font-weight:400">Using the remaining sexual energy in the de, I transformed Delh back to a human woman.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Selene, La. Make sure my mom and Hatsumi get home safely," I ordered.
<span style="font-weight:400">"It shall be done." Selene bowed.
<span style="font-weight:400">"As you wish, my queen!" La rushed to pick Delh out of the hole.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Saeko." Hatsumi showed up in front of me and wrapped both arms around my back. "I''m proud of you for standing up to her when I never could have. It''s just too bad you''re no longer the cute little baby that used to hold my hand anymore."
<span style="font-weight:400">"Okay, okay… I get it. Come on, sis. You need to get home, and we need to clean up before someone wanders into the forest," I said.
<span style="font-weight:400">Hatsumi pinched me on the cheek, then went to kneel down next to Mio. My sister whispered something into her ear, smiled, and licked a thumb to wipe the smudge from her cheek. Mio turned red and pursed her lips.
<span style="font-weight:400">Before I could ask what Hatsumi had said to her, she grabbed onto Selene''s arm and, together with La who held my mom, flew past the canopy towards home.
<span style="font-weight:400">Yumi and Hana were tending to Mio as I approached them. They parted ways after lifting Mio to her feet. My heart began to sink as I gazed upon my first love. Just the thought that she would be gone forever tore into the depths of my chest.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Sorry… for barging in, Mio… I just couldn''t stand to see you getting hurt. I guess this is… goodbye?" I asked as my eyes started getting hot from tears.
<span style="font-weight:400">Mio turned away from me and started walking away. I swallowed hard, fighting the urge to chase after her.
<span style="font-weight:400">"I said I''d leave if I lost, didn''t I?" Mio reminded me.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Does that mean…?"
<span style="font-weight:400">"I''m hogging Kana for the night. Find someone else to fuck," she said and took flight without turning back.
<span style="font-weight:400">An overwhelming sense of relief brought me to my knees. Hana went after Mio, and Yumi lingered behind to stay with me.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Would you like a hug?" Yumi knelt down next to me with her arms wide open.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Thanks." I let myself drop into Yumi''s hold, and she dragged her fingers down my scalp and hair.
<span style="font-weight:400">"There, there. You''ve had it rough these past few months, haven''t you? Things wille around. Shall I carry you back home?" she asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">"C-Can you stay with me for just tonight? I don''t want to be alone…"
<span style="font-weight:400">"Ara ara~ Of course, I''ll stay with you for as long as you like."
<span style="font-weight:400">I woke up naked the next morning, tucked in the embrace of an also naked Yumi and face smothered between her enormous breasts. Our tails and legs were entangled, and my face went red up to my ears from recalling what happenedst night.
<span style="font-weight:400">In trying to peel away, Yumi awakened and held tighter to keep me from leaving.
<span style="font-weight:400">"We didn''t have s-s-s-sexst night, did we?" I stammered.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Ufufu~ We may not have, but I found out you have quite the momplex." Yumi giggled and stroked the back of my head. "Is my little girl feeling better? Should I continue cradling you? Or would you like to be breastfed again?"
<span style="font-weight:400">"Aaaaahhhhh! Stop! Keep this a secret between us, I beg you."
<span style="font-weight:400">We got out of bed and changed into our clothes.
<span style="font-weight:400">It was early in the morning, and I had to get to Mikami''s ce soon. Today was the day we were going to visit my house to exorcise my father.
<span style="font-weight:400">"If Taleia finds out, she''s probably going to try and kill me again." I sighed.
<span style="font-weight:400">"A. Does that mean we shouldn''t do this again?" Yumi pouted.
<span style="font-weight:400">The matronly subus tempted my very soul. It took every fiber of my subus being to fight against letting my guard down.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Has anyone ever told you that you''re too dangerous to be around…?"
<span style="font-weight:400">"Mio could have left anytime without telling you. I think she wille around." Yumi smiled and patted my head assuringly.
<span style="font-weight:400">After declining Yumi''s offer to cook breakfast, bathe, pamper, and feed me, I managed to convince her that I would be fine on my own now. She departed to head back home. Meanwhile, I freshened up to go to the Menagerie.
<span style="font-weight:400">There was no one inside the story as usual. Mikami had her back facing the door when I came in, hunched over, and slurping on what sounded like noodles.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Mikami, are you eating instant ramen?" I asked, causing her to choke and cough, then turned around to confirm my suspicions.
<span style="font-weight:400">"I ran out of groceries, and this is all I have on hand!" Mikami sobbed.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Hey, I don''t me you! I was like that for a while when I first moved out. Then my sodium intake spiked, and I saw a short life ahead of me."
<span style="font-weight:400">"That''s not nice. I could have done without being reminded about my health while in my mid-20s! Anyway, you ready to go?" She gulped down a mouthful of noodles, then pushed the rest of the container away in sadness.
<span style="font-weight:400">We gathered some supplies like incense sticks, talismans, and her usual arsenal from whatever was in that briefcase of hers. For some reason she insisted on buying a gift of mochi first. As our ride turned into the neighborhood I grew up in, her eyes went wide with envy.
<span style="font-weight:400">On the other hand, all the homesickness I''d bottled up was building up again.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Wow! Talk about high ss. I had a feeling you were a rich kid when I saw your old man," Mikami said.
<span style="font-weight:400">"My family isn''t… that…" I trailed off, recalling what my dad mentioned about how much he and mom had earned.
<span style="font-weight:400">"That <i><span style="font-weight:400">what</i><span style="font-weight:400">? So you really are rolling in dough!"
<span style="font-weight:400">Ignoring Mikami, I walked ahead and searched my pockets for the key.
<span style="font-weight:400">Panic washed over me. I couldn''t find it. My key was gone. I thought for sure I brought it with me before we left—
<span style="font-weight:400">"Hm? What are you looking for? Just ring the doorbell," Mikami said, snapping me back to my senses.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Right… I left the key behind when I moved out," I mumbled to myself and pressed the buzzer.
<span style="font-weight:400">The door swung open, and Hatsumi tackled me right away with the biggest bear hug possible.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Wee home, Saeko! I thought I''d never get to say those words again. Oh, I''ve missed seeing you! You must miss me too, right?" Hatsumi asked, pressing my head deeper into her chest.
<span style="font-weight:400">"We literally saw each other the other day! I can''t breathe if you keep— I didn''te alone!" I yelled at myst breath.
<span style="font-weight:400">Finally, Hatsumi let me go and took notice of Mikami behind me.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Hello! You must be Saeko''s mother? I''m Mikami. Saeko and I are coworkers. It''s a pleasure to meet you." Mikami bowed, extending the box of mochi to her.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Oh! I''m actually Saeko''s older sister, but I might as well be her mother. I practically raised her since she was a baby after all," Hatsumi said with a giggle and epted the mochi anyway.
<span style="font-weight:400">"So, uh… How''s mom?" I hesitantly asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Mom hasn''t said a word since yesterday," she whispered, then stepped aside to let us in. "No sense in keeping you two outside. Come on in!"
<span style="font-weight:400">Even more so than my apartment, Mikami eyeballed everything in my parents'' house like it was a museum. The bathroom door was wide open as we passed it, likely because Hatsumi was in the middle ofundry judging by the folded clothes and basket.
<span style="font-weight:400">"You guys have a tub! All I have is a shower that shoots lukewarm water!" Mikamiined.
<span style="font-weight:400">I dragged her away from the bathroom and followed Hatsumi into the living room.
<span style="font-weight:400">Delh— My mother was lying down on the couch with a cold pack pressed to her head. The bruises from our fight were still fresh, and she hadn''t made any effort to hide them with makeup.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Saeko." She nodded to me from the couch.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Hey, mom…." I avoided looking her in the eyes, leaving Mikami confused.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Did we…e at a bad time?" Mikami asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">"It''s nothing." Delh sat up to face us. "Mikami, I heard from Hatsumi and my husband that Saeko works with you. Thank you for seeing to my… daughter''s wellness."
<span style="font-weight:400">"N-No! Thank you— wait, why am <i><span style="font-weight:400">I</i><span style="font-weight:400"> saying thanks?" she stammered.
<span style="font-weight:400">My mother turned to me. "Saeko, I doubt you came home to apologize or to tell me you want to move back in. Is there a reason for your visit?"
<span style="font-weight:400">"We''re here to exorcise Dad. Whether you believe me or not, there''s a ghost haunting him. Is he here?" I asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">She scoffed at the notion. "Ghosts? Don''t be ridiculous. You''re here to gloat, aren''t you? Well, you''re here. So out with it."
<span style="font-weight:400">"Wow, okay. You want to make this about you? Why don''t youe out and say whatever''s on your mind? Or maybe you''re afraid to now after what happened yesterday—"
<span style="font-weight:400">An unnatural shriek erupted from upstairs that made my blood go cold. The four of us traded uneasy nces, then raced upstairs. As we bursted into my parents'' room, Dad was lying on the floor and writhing while clutching his stomach.
<span style="font-weight:400">My mother pushed past us.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Honey? What''s wrong?" she asked, kneeling down as worry wrinkled on her face.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Chihiro… Saeko? I don''t know… I thought it was indigestion, but… It''s like something is ripping out of my stomach," he groaned.
<span style="font-weight:400">She couldn''t see it. Hatsumi couldn''t either. Mikami and I saw it clearly. Two ghostly hands were protruding from my father''s stomach, like it was trying to crawl out of a hole.
<span style="font-weight:400">"I''m calling an ambnce." Delh reached shakily for her phone.
<span style="font-weight:400">"There''s nothing an ambnce can do. You have to let me and Mikami work!" I eximed.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Saeko, now isn''t the time to screw around!" she screamed, startling me and Hatsumi.
<span style="font-weight:400">It was the first time I''d ever seen her so panicked.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Mrs. Ito, please trust us. I know the ult sounds silly to you, but subi are real, right? Find it in your heart to believe that ghosts can be real, too, and one is hurting your husband right now," Mikami insisted.
<span style="font-weight:400">My mother looked me in the eyes as though searching for any signs of foul y. She eventually relented, albeit struggling to let go of him.
<span style="font-weight:400">I took that as her agreeing. We didn''t spare another second. Mikami pulled out a container of salt to form a circle around my father.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Grab the cross and prepare to light a fire," Mikami said.
<span style="font-weight:400">"But there''s no candles?" I asked, procuring the wooden cross and searching blindly for the candles.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Not the candles. The salt!" Mikami finished making the circle of salt and stood over my father while rubbing her hands together. "Now!"
<span style="font-weight:400">While holding the cross up, I casted a fire spell to ignite the salt. Hatsumi and Delh backed away from the mes, but Mikami braved the licking fires. She reached down to grab the ghostly hands and pulled.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Get out of there, you stupid American ghost. This isn''t your body to possess!" Mikami growled.
<span style="font-weight:400">Themp on the nightstand shattered, cutting Mikami across the arms, and a few ss shards embedded into the mask.
<span style="font-weight:400">One more hard yank and Mikami dragged a white humanoid ghost right out of my father. It unleashed a banshee shriek before disintegrating. The fires went out, and the cross in my hand cracked.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Whew! Maybe I could find work in the States." Mikami brushed the sweat from her brow and pped her hands.
<span style="font-weight:400">My mother tearfully lifted my father into her arms and breathed a sigh of relief. I''d never seen them show so much emotion before. At least I knew for sure their love was real.
<span style="font-weight:400">Mikami bumped my waist, causing me to stagger right up to my parents.
<span style="font-weight:400">"ult services, huh?" Dad grinned and extended a hand to me.
<span style="font-weight:400">I almost didn''t take it, and when I did, he pulled me into his arm and rubbed his knuckles into my head.
<span style="font-weight:400">We cleaned up the room and had to leave since there were other clients to see. Although my parents were still spooked, they both looked much lighter and less tense than before. Hatsumi was upstairs, looking after our father so it was my mother who came to see us off.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Thank you," Delh said.
<span style="font-weight:400">"No problem! If you ever need an exorcism, just give the Menagerie a call!" Mikami handed her a card.
<span style="font-weight:400">As we left, I nced over my shoulder. The stone cold expression that was usually on my mother''s face, her lips curled slightly into a smile and nodded in my direction.
<span style="font-weight:400">After a whole day of exorcising, I still couldn''t get my parents out of my mind. I wondered if it was worth forgiving them. If today was any indication…
<span style="font-weight:400">But there was also Mio…
<span style="font-weight:400">Inded in front of my apartment at the end of the day and was confused to see the lights bleeding through the window. Odd. I didn''t leave the lights on when I left this morning. Pressing my ear to the door, I heard chatter from inside. I also felt a very familiar aura.
<span style="font-weight:400">When I opened the door, Kana and Mio were inside having dinner. There was a hot pot between them, and a variety of dishes around them. The smell was heavenly.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Wee home, Saeko!" Kana beamed.
<span style="font-weight:400">"What''s… going on?" I asked, throwing nces at Mio.
<span style="font-weight:400">It took Kana to give Mio a push for her to finally stand up and clear her throat.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Look, I still hate your mom''s guts. Still haven''t forgiven you, but… I don''t want to leave anymore. Getting my shit kicked in, I didn''t even know what I was thinking, man. Then I watched you kick Delh, your own mom''s ass, and I thought… shit. That''s hot as fuck. It''s gonna take time getting used to who she is to you, but realize I love you and Kana more than I hate her. So… yeah…"
<span style="font-weight:400">"Is it really… okay?" I asked, slowlying in and afraid that them being here was an illusion.
<span style="font-weight:400">"I swear to… Just get in here and eat with us already! I read somewhere that make up sex is the best kind of sex. So if your ass is really sorry, then eat up and get ready to pleasure me all night. I say that''s a start," Mio said.
<span style="font-weight:400">Unable to control my emotions with tears running down my cheeks, I ran into the room and threw my arms over Mio. I didn''t care if she wasn''t ready yet. I was so scared that she was going to leave me, that if I let go right now she might actually disappear.
<span style="font-weight:400">"Aw, geez. How many times do I gotta tell you I ain''t good with sappy stuff?" Mio sighed and put her arms around me.