birds of love

( Yuuki's POV )

Every night I talked to my sekireis with our mental connection, but I didn't tell them that we would descend from Kouten today, because I wanted to surprise them and when they saw me they all jumped on me.

' I miss all of them so much '

Seo: Hey Yuuki, you always do something unexpected when no one is looking.

Yuuki: What do you mean? Besides, that's your way of welcoming me.

Seo: yes yes welcome back and all that, now could you tell me who are those three girls in the white disciplinary squad uniform.

Seo points to the courtyard where I can see Hilda fighting the Sekirei I fought in the final, Kaie, well that wasn't exactly a fight, Kaie was desperately trying to hit Hilda with her whips while Hilda dodged or parried her attacks so fast, she didn't seem to move besides, Ana and Ema were behind Hilda staring at Kaie, we approached them and I could see Minato and Musubi.

Yuuki: Hey Minato, it's been a while.

When Minato heard my voice he turned around surprised and unlike Seo he gave me a proper welcome.

Minato: Yuuki you are back.

Yuuki: Of course, I was trying to get back as soon as possible.

We share a quick hug and I casually sit next to him with my Sekirei to my right as if I haven't disappeared for three months and continue to watch the fight.

Minato: Yuuki, those three girls?

Minato turns to me and I knew exactly what he was trying to ask and I answer him with a smile.

Yuuki: yes, they are also my future wives.

Minato: I see, I'm not even surprised now.

Seo: hey hey, you're just going to accept that, you just got back today, where you even met them.

Yuuki: Kouten?

Seo: don't ask me, they're clearly not human and they're not Sekirei either.

Yuuki: well...

As I was thinking of what to say, Kaie fell to her knees in exhaustion and Hilda walked towards me with a smile, Ema put a hand on Kaie's head and she immediately recovered from her tiredness, and soon after the feasting started, Hilda sat on my lap and chiho and Uzume at my sides.

//////////

After eating all the ashikabi finalists except for Higa, met to talk about everything that had happened in these three months and the conversation was mostly Seo complaining about all the work Matsu was giving him, but I was sure that what Matsu was paying him was more than enough considering that Hibiki and Hikari were happy with their work.

Natsuo: Haha sounds like you've been pretty busy.

Yuuki: hardly, you have been working even more Natsuo.

Natsuo: My sekireis do all the hard work, I just give moral support.

Mikogami: that is the role of an ashikabi, also if we talk about work I have been doing more than anyone.

Yuuki: Taking control of an alien space base is not an easy job you know.

We kept talking about important and unimportant things until Seo brought up the topic of my trip.

Seo: So, when do you plan to leave this world behind Yuuki?

Yuuki: tomorrow.

Minato: tomorrow, but you just got back.

Yuuki: I have a lot of things to take care of out there.

After answering there was a moment of silence and I tried to defuse the situation.

Yuuki: come on, it's not like this is the last time we'll see each other I'll come back from time to time.

Orihiko: I must admit, talking about space travel and other planets makes me a little jealous.

Seo: Not me, I have enough problems in this world, you can take care of everything out there.

Natsuo: before starting his journey Yuuki still has some business in this world.

Minato: oh that's true.

Yuuki: um? What are you talking about?

Seo: jeje, it's hard to be so popular

//////////

I couldn't get any more information out of the guys but when the party was over and I was heading home with my sekireis, I understood what they were talking about.

Yuuki: Hey Matsu.

Matsu: um what's up Yuuki?

Yuuki: why is Kaie coming with us?

When she left the inn at the same time as us I didn't pay much attention to her but the further we walked it became clear that she too was headed home.

Matsu: oh that, it's because she has been living with us for over two months.

Yuuki: What? Why?

Matsu: you already know why a Sekirei does anything, her ashikabi of course!

Yuuki: Higa?

Matsu: no silly, you.

Yuuki: um?

Matsu: She should be the one to tell you, it wouldn't be fair to her if you heard it from me.

' I guess that's fair '

Yuuki: anything else I should know?

Matsu: yes, your grandparents are in the house too.

Yuuki: cool, did they bring gifts?

When the house was in sight I was immediately pushed to the ground and I was repeatedly licked on the face, it seems Sif missed me quite a bit.

Yuuki: haha hi Sif, I missed you too.

???: Yuuki?

While I was petting Sif a beautiful woman was in the doorway of my house, she had waist-length ash blonde hair and emerald green eyes, with bangs that covered part of her left eye, 5'5 feet tall and her breasts were almost as big as Tsukiumi's and she was wearing a red shirt with a black skirt.

When she saw me, she ran towards me and hugged me with all her might.

Yuuki: Joyce? You were here too.

She doesn't seem to have heard me and continues to hug me, I try to pat her head to calm her down but before I could touch her she separated her from my chest and started pouting.

Joyce: Do you know how worried I was? You suddenly disappear, you don't say where you're going, you don't say goodbye, I thought you hate me now, I thought something had happened to you, If you're going to be away for so long at least say something!

The more Joyce talked the more tears formed in her eyes and when she let it all out she buried her head in my chest once more, When the final was getting closer all I thought was winning and I forgot everything that wasn't related to sekireis, I didn't know what to say to her and in the end, I didn't say anything.

Yuuki: I'm sorry Joyce... I'm home.

Joyce: ...um welcome back.

???: Oh my, My Yuuki is quite popular.

The next people to come out of the house were my mother and a woman with short blond hair and the same height as her, she was my grandmother Mary, In the 18 years since I've known her, she barely looks a couple of years older.

Yuna: Yuuki, these are the girls you mentioned.

Before the final started I told my mother that there were three other women that I wanted to marry in the future but that they could not be with me at the moment, She wasn't too happy about it but she said she would wait until I introduced them to her and when she saw three women she didn't recognize, she must have assumed that they were the ones I had mentioned.

Yuuki: yes, they are.

Yuna: ...I see, could you please come with me, I want to talk to you in private.

Mary: oh that sounds interesting.

The three of them follow my mother into the house and when Ema walks past me she looks somewhat worried, I took her hand and gave her a comforting smile, and Ema puts on a smile and she walks into the house with a smile.

//////////

I took Joyce to my room and after a few minutes, she offered to help me pack.

Yuuki: so, how did you start living here?

Joyce: I needed to know if you were okay or if you just didn't want to see me again, neither I nor my sisters had seen you or your girlfriends, it was as if you had disappeared.

I see, the girls were too busy repairing the spaceship.

Joyce: When I came to your house, your mother explained everything to me and one thing led to another and she said that I and my sisters should live here.

Mom, how do you lead a conversation in that direction.

Yuuki: when do you say everything?

Joyce: I mean everything.

Yuuki: Joyce, tomorrow I will start a long journey.

Joyce: ...I know.

Yuuki: Long-distance communication will be a bit difficult at first, but I will visit quite often.

Joyce: that's fine, there will be times when you'll be busy I know that traveling to other worlds sounds a bit scary but I'll do my best.

I turn around and Joyce gives me a determined look.

Joyce: sometimes if you want something you have to fight for it, I don't want to stay behind the others.

Joyce ran over and gave me a quick kiss, when our lips parted her face turned red and she ran out of my room.

Yuuki: and I thought that my last day in this would be a quiet one.

I was looking at everything I needed to pack and I was thinking about who to call to help me.

Mary: yuuki~ a friend of yours came to visit you.

' Thanks for the save '

Yuuki: who?

Mary: he said his name is Izumi Higa

' now what does this guy want '

Yuuki: thanks grandma, I'll go receive him in a moment.

//////////

In the living room, I was sitting in front of Higa and on the table, in front of us, there was tea and some cookies that my grandmother had prepared.

Yuuki: You can eat, I'm not going to poison you.

Higa took a sip of the tea, while maintaining his stoic expression he gave it a one-word compliment, 'good'.

Higa: Have you already talked to Kaie?

Yuuki: No, I haven't had a chance yet.

Since the party, she hasn't said anything to me and has kept a certain distance from me.

Higa: As you know, she didn't become my Sekirei after the finals and she's now living in this house, so I wanted to make a request.

Yuuki: if you are going to ask me to convince her to come back with you, don't bother, if she didn't come back with you from the beginning she must have her reasons.

Higa: I already know that, she probably wants to be your Sekirei.

Yuuki: she hasn't said anything like that.

Matsu and Higa think the same about Kaie, but I need to hear it from her.

Higa: Regardless, she wants to accompany you on your journey, I know I have no right to ask you this but I just want to know that you will protect her.

Yuuki: You don't have to tell me, I will protect everyone who is on my side and if she becomes my Sekirei, well you already know what they mean to me.

Higa: yes, I'm well aware.

After giving his message Higa got up and walked towards the entrance of the house.

Yuuki: you should come to the Izumo inn the next time we meet.

Higa: if I have time I will.

I finish all the cookies and when I get up and turn around, Kaie was in front of me.

///////////

Kaie asked me to come with her to the dojo and she looked a little nervous and her hair that looked like animal ears was moving up and down, I have to admit that's pretty cute.

Kaie: Yuuki!

Yuuki: um? sorry, I got a bit distracted.

Kaie: you know why I chose Hija as my ashikabi the first time.

I shake my head and Kaie continues talking.

Kaie: It's because he was a powerful ashikabi, I didn't have much interest in the Sekirei plan and he was against MBI, so I thought that if I was close to him I would find my purpose.

Kaie: but during the final, I felt different while we were fighting and after the final, I relived that fight over and over again.

Kaie: I wanted that kind of power and to fight you again.

Yuuki: Is that why you brought me here?

Kaie: No, that silver-haired girl told me that I have no chance of beating you.

Yuuki: then?

Kaie: The more I trained I knew what I really wanted, I wanted you to look my way, for you to recognize my abilities, to be yours.

After listening to her I tried to get closer to her but when I stepped forward she took a step back.

Kaie: If you get closer, my body will start to heat up.

I continued walking until Kaie's back touched the wall and she was looking at the ground, when I was in front of her I lifted her head to meet her eyes and she was completely red with her hair ears moving faster than before.

Yuuki: do you want to be my Sekirei? Do you know what that means?

Kaie nodded slowly and became even more flustered than before.

Yuuki: in that case, I will be happy to be your ashikabi.

Kaie closed her eyes and I lean in to give her a deep kiss, I put my arm around her waist and pressed her body against mine and she spread a beautiful pair of wings of light, her body is covered with golden fire like her hair and a Sekirei symbol appears on her right arm with the number 15 below it, I could feel her power increasing rapidly until her wings disappeared and she lost consciousness.

Yuuki: oh right, I'm stronger now.

After taking control of Kouten my ashikabi genes and Sekirei core became much stronger and it seems that the increased power was a bit too much for Kaie.

//////////

I took Kaie to her room to rest and immediately afterward Kuu asked me to play with her and that kept me busy until nightfall when we went up on the roof to look at the stars and she fell asleep in my arms.

Ana: so here you were Yuuki?

Hilda, Ana, and Ema go up to the roof and from the smiles, on their faces, I know that the conversation with my mom went well, they join me to look at the stars and suddenly Ema stands behind me and hugs me

Ema: Yuuki, how are you feeling?

Yuuki: Honestly, when I think about everything that is out there, all the unknown, all the different worlds, and all the strong opponents that are waiting for me, I can't help but be excited.

After hearing my answer, Ana hugged my head and pressed it against her chest.

Ana: I knew you would say something like that, just remember to exercise some caution, ok.

Our conversation started to wake up Kuu so Ana and Ema took her to her room, leaving me alone with Hilda.

The moonlight was making her beautiful hair shine and I admire her beauty for a few seconds and she approaches me to kiss me, we enjoyed the taste of each other for a long time and when we finally parted we put our foreheads together and we enjoy each other's company.