Lois, Jasmine, Saya, Saeko, Rei, Musubi, Akitsu, Kusano, Matsu, Tsukiumi, Shizuka, Yuriko, Lefi, Miia, Papi, Cera, Mero, Suu, Rachnera, Illuna, Nell, and James were all gathered around the in the dining room in the Ninth Floor living quarters.
"Darling, you are okay!" Miia exclaimed as she possessively pressed her large breasts against his arm. "I was so worried," she added as she rubbed herself against him. James felt the soft weight of her breasts against his skin. It felt good.
"Get off him," Tsukiumi snapped as she clenched her fist. There was a blush on her face. She took a sharp bite out of a piece of toast.
"He is a pervert," Saya added as she moved her spoon and ate her cereal.
"Saya, you need to be nicer to your boyfriend," Yuriko said. She was clearly enjoying fanning the flames.
"Boyfriend?" Saya spat out. A spray of cereal flew across the table and landed near Rei.
"Careful," Rei teased. "You've practiced swallowing before, haven't you?" she said.
"Swallowed?" Yuriko questioned as she looked at her daughter.
"Did she not tell you what happened back there?" Rei asked. A smirk played on her lips.
"What happened? What happened?!" Papi chirped as she flew across the room. Suu, Illuna, and Kusano giggled as they chased after her.
"Well, she was caught with a rather large lollipop," Saeko replied calmly. She sipped her green tea. Steam rose from her cup in a steady swirl.
"Some of you had it as well," Saya yelled as her face turned bright red.
"My daughter has grown up so much. I might be a grandma soon," Yuriko mused as she rested her chin on her hand.
"At this rate, you'll be a grandma multiple times over," Lois added as she lifted the lid off a steaming pot.
"Multiple?" Tsukiumi questioned. "Just how many?" she asked.
"There will be many weddings first," Jasmine remarked.
Shizuka leaned in from James's other side. She firmly pressed her own large breasts against his free arm. "No one is pregnant so far," Shizuka replied with a wink.
"How does Sensei even get so close to him," Rei asked as she looked at Miia and Shizuka who had sandwiched James between them.
"She is simply more crafty than the rest of you," Rachnera remarked from the wall.
"Why are you even on the wall?" Cera asked as she looked up at her.
"I find it more comfortable here," Rachnera replied coolly.
"James, are you truly okay?" Mero questioned as she looked at him. Her eyes were full of genuine concern. She had a slight blush remembering what they had an hour ago.
"He looks fine to me," Saya grumbled.
"Very fine," Tsukiumi agreed as she looked at him.
"I wanted to fight it," Musubi pouted. Her cheeks hollowed.
"I missed out on the action as well," Jasmine added as she crossed her arms.
Akitsu remained silent. She sipped her tea with a stoic expression.
"This is the start of a beautiful harem," Matsu whispered as she watched Shizuka and Miia compete for James's attention. She saw Saya getting flustered. She giggled.
"Harem?" Tsukiumi questioned.
"That is exactly what this is," Lois replied flatly.
Lefi finished her biscuits. She dusted the crumbs from her hands. "James didst vanquish the beast with ease," Lefi said as she happily snacked away. "Thou shouldst not fret so," she added.
Nell looked around the room. She watched how much James was loved by everyone. She felt a sharp pang of jealousy in her chest. She shook her head. "That was a Manticore," she said.
"So that thing was called a Manticore?" Rei commented.
"It looked like a big kitty with big wings and tail," Musubi added.
"That is pretty accurate," Tsukiumi said.
"It is extremely dangerous and they can use mana," Nell said as she put her hands together.
"In large numbers they could be a threat to everyone" James responded. "We will deal with it when the time comes," he added. "But that is not the reason why you came here Nell," James said with a smile on her face.
Nell looked at James. She thought he had called her lover. She blushed. "It is not," Nell said.
"Is there another attack?" Rei asked.
Lois looked at Nell. "Or does this have something to do with the Royal Family?" Lois questioned.
"It seems the Demon Blade incident and the Undead uproar were mere distractions," Nell explained. "Their real plan was to create enough confusion to assassinate the head of the government," she added/
James looked at the Sekirei girls. "Lois filled us in on the basics," Tsukiumi remarked as she crossed her arms and put one leg over the other.
"But I did not understand much of it!" Musubi replied with a beaming smile on her face.
"Why are you proud of that?" Saya remarked as she rolled her eyes.
"I did not as well," Papi said as she put her wings up.
"Oni-chan will take care of us," Illuna said with a sweet smile on her face. Rei smiled seeing her smile.
"Okay, feel free to ask questions," James interrupted. "That includes everyone," he added. They all nodded in agreement.
"Did any of the attackers talk?" Yuriko asked as she looked at Nell.
"No. Most of them were either dead or brainwashed with magic," Nell replied.
"And the head one?" Saeko asked.
"There was a magical seal preventing him from speaking," Nell answered.
"How convenient," Rei remarked sarcastically.
"More importantly, the King and the Princess are missing," Nell said. Her worry became visible. "The capital is currently controlled by the Prince's faction. Since the politics and police are completely under their thumb, we can't do anything," she added.
"It sounds terrible," Miia said as she pressed her large breasts against James's arm. Tsukiumi and Saya glared at her, while Shizuka moved in to press her own breasts against his other side.
"If we knew the King and Princess were alive, we could raid the Capital in the name of saving them," Nell continued. "However, there is currently no information that can get the anti-Prince faction to move," she added.
"I think they are alive!" Musubi said as she raised her hand enthusiastically.
"I do too," Shizuka added. Kusano did as well.
"Why do you think so?" Yuriko asked as she looked at them.
"I just have a feeling," Musubi replied.
"We are going to need more than a feeling," Saya remarked.
"Well, either way, what is the Church's plan regarding this?" James asked.
"The Church will face massive pressure from the political powers, but we are planning to rescue the King in the near future," Nell replied.
"Without hard proof, it will be difficult to proceed," Matsu noted.
"Sometimes you don't need hard proof. You just do it," Jasmine added boldly.
James smiled. "Jasmine is right. Sometimes we should just go with the flow," James said. "Nell, we would like to help you," he added.
"Eh?" Nell replied in surprise. "I mean, that would be incredibly reassuring, but.." she added.
"Well, the current King is against the invasion of this forest, so I'm on his side," James responded. He thought the Prince was already dead anyway.
"The old King sounds much better," Shizuka agreed.
Lefi looked up from her snack. Her eyes glowed with a faint, dangerous light. "Should either faction dare set foot within this domain, I shall lay waste to them all," she warned.
James smiled. "They won't," he remarked confidently. "Also, even though I have this dungeon, I am still human, so it will be fine. You can just tell them I am your follower," she said.
"It is only normal for lovers to follow each other," Musubi added happily. Nell blushed.
"Then we should all go," Cera said.
"Papi wants to come," Papi chirped. Suu followed suit.
"No. This sounds like a covert mission," Saeko said. "Too many people will attract the wrong attention. The Dungeon also cannot be left unguarded," she added.
"Saeko is right. This needs to be a small team," Lois said. She looked at James. "James, can you let us decide?" she asked.
James trusted her judgment. She knew everyone's capabilities best. He could have gone alone however the girls would not let him. "Sure, I will get the Humvee ready at the cave entrance. The trip might be long," he added. He turned to Nell. "Let's go, Nell. We'll take Carpie as well," James said as he stood up and firmly grabbed Nell's hand and led her toward the exit.
Nell blushed red. "Mister James," she whispered as James led her away from the others. The heat of his hand against hers made her heart race. She was a knight of the Church and was used to discipline and danger, but James's touch made her feel like a regular girl.
He led her to the lift. They both entered the metallic box. James reached out and pressed a button labeled 'Second Floor: Garage.'
Nell stared at the walls of the lift. She thought she had been inside it before. The lift began to rise. In that moment of pure instinct, she gasped and hugged James closely. She buried her face against his chest.
"It is safe, Nell," James said as he wrapped his hand around her. He thought she was cute.
Nell realised how close she was. She could feel his heartbeat. She quickly looked up and took a jerky step back. Her face was glowing red. "I... I am okay," she stammered. "It is just... a very strange sensation," she added.
James smiled. "I know you are. And I'll make sure you stay that way," he replied. The lift slowed to a smooth stop and the doors slid open. "We're here," he said.
They stepped out into a vast space. The hanger was massive and looked to see the Humvee.
"What is this?" Nell asked. Her eyes were wide as she approached the strange, four-wheeled beast. She had never seen anything like this.
"It's a car," James explained as he walked to the driver's side. "Think of it like a horse-drawn carriage, but the horse is built inside the engine," he added. He opened the passenger door for her. "Go on, get in," he said.
Nell nodded. She climbed into the high seat. The inside was unlike anything she had seen. The seats were made of a firm, black material that hugged her body. The front had glowing green stuff. It had a wheel inside and a stick. She thought who was he.
James climbed into the driver's seat next to her. Seeing her grip the edge of the seat tightly, he reached over and took her hand. "Don't be scared," he assured her. "I'm here," he said.
He turned the key. The Humvee roared to life. The engine's vibration rumbled through the floorboards and into Nell's boots. She jumped slightly at the sound. She held his hand tightly. but as the engine settled into a powerful hum, she started to relax.
James summoned the lift again. He thought a much larger lift appeared. He drove into it and engaged the brake. He saw the panel and reached over and clicked the button Ground Floor: Cave.
The massive lift began to rise. Nell didn't let go of his hand. They reached the top. The doors opened. The natural light of the outside world spilled across the hood of the Humvee.
James shifted into gear and drove off the platform. The large tires crunched over the stone and dirt as they exited the cave and entered the forest. He brought the vehicle to a stop just outside the entrance. "I am going to check on the rest," James said as he turned off the engine and got out.
At that moment, he saw 5 women walking out of the cave. He saw Yuriko wearing a deep red, laced corset-style over a white peasant blouse. Her ample breasts could be seen. She had a floor-length, forest green skirt that had a high slit which exposed her leg. She had a wide, brown leather belt with a large buckle. "Sweetie, be careful," Yuriko remarked.
"Mother, I am fine," Saya responded. She was wearing a medieval-inspired outfit. It had a deep red and gold brocade corset with a low-cut bust. It had exposed her shoulders. The corset was paired with a white peasant top underneath and a dark green patterned, high-low skirt that exposed her upper thighs. She had tall, lace-up brown leather boots.
"I thought only I would be needed," Tsukiumi remarked. She wore a flowing blouse showing significant cleavage. This is layered under a dark green,corset-style vest with criss-cross lacing down the center. A wide, dark brown leather belt was at her waist, secured by a large buckle. She had rich brown, tight-fitting leather pants and tall, buckled brown boots that rose to the knee.
"We are a team here," Shizuka said with a smile on her face. She was wearing a full-length medieval-style gown in a rich, dark maroon color. The dress had a wide, square-cut neckline that exposed significant cleavage. She had a wide grey belt with a round silver buckle around her waist. Her skirt reached the ground and she had black flat shoes.
Akitsu walked next to them. She wore a long red coat with a high collar. The coat was designed with a deep, open neckline which showed ample amount of cleavage. She had a wide, black multi-buckled corset worn over a short, dark skirt. She black thigh-high boots with silver-toned armored plates at the tops. She had a blue teardrop pendant.
James looked at Yuriko, Saya, Shizuka and Tsukiumi and Akitsu. He smiled. "Are you all ready?" he asked.
"I only came because I had to," Saya said.
"I told her to so she won't fall behind," Yuriko replied.
"Mum," Saya said.
"I came so you will behave," Tsukiumi said as she leaned forward.
"I got selected," Shizuka said as she moved forward but she tripped and landed on top of James.
"Careful," James said as he felt her breasts.
Tsukiumi glared.
"Okay, we're all almost here," James said. At that moment, Carptie came flying out of the cave. She went around James and pushed Shizuka closer to James. "Okay now we are," he said.
"Let's go," he said.