"Alright, my darlings, the battle is over. Let's go home!"
Picking up Kusano and waking the still-stunned girls, Sora smiled as he spoke.
Having anticipated their reactions, Sora briefly explained to the girls, and they finally understood that what they had just witnessed was the power of Kouten.
Kouten, the throne of the king and the origin of the Sekireis, was naturally not just a floating island.
If the eight jinkis were the ammunition, then Kouten was the gun. When all the treasures were gathered together, Kouten could unleash their power in a certain form.
Not just a few dozen nuclear missiles—it could easily destroy the entire Earth!
Of course, the power of Kouten and the jinkis wasn't something just anyone could wield. Only Miya, the Sekirei Queen and one of the ancient Eight Pillars, had that authority.
Though Sora, as the king, could also do it, it was more complicated. And since these powers had been in Miya's hands since ancient times, she could wield them far more easily than Sora.
Finally, it was over. The girls, coming back to their senses, let out long sighs of relief, their faces breaking into victorious smiles.
"Master, Natsuo is missing."
Just as everyone was preparing to head home, Benitsubasa suddenly stepped forward and calmly reported.
Though she didn't care about anyone's life or death except Sora's, the fact that Natsuo, the nominal Ashikabi of the Disciplinary Squad, had disappeared since arriving on the island had made her wary. So she reported it to Sora.
"Matsu!"
Frowning, Sora suddenly remembered that perpetually fake-smiling man. Hearing Benitsubasa's report, he felt a sense of unease and called out to Matsu with a serious expression.
"Got it!"
Matsu also dropped her smile, quickly closing her eyes to search for Natsuo's whereabouts.
"Hey? Now that the Sekirei Project is over, a guy like that can just be cut down with a single swipe!"
Caressing her blade, Karasuba wore a bloodthirsty grin, as if the earlier action hadn't been enough to satisfy her.
"How's it going, Matsu? Have you found that guy yet?"
The unease in Sora's heart grew stronger. He didn't have time to joke around with Karasuba now and urgently asked Matsu.
Ever since his sweetheart died, Natsuo had made it his life's mission to destroy the world or something along those lines. In a way, he was even darker than Karasuba!
Though his power was like an ant in Sora's eyes, there was always a chance of the unexpected. And Sora absolutely wouldn't allow that to happen!
"No, I can't find him anywhere. He's not on Kamikura Island, not even in the entire capital!" Opening her eyes, Matsu shook her head helplessly, a look of confusion on her face.
She had been monitoring every move on Kamikura Island, yet a living person had vanished without a trace! If he had died in the earlier battle, even the slightest trace of him should have been found.
But the reality was that there was nothing—absolutely nothing. It all felt so unnatural…
"The jinkis—what about them?" Sora's expression hardened, a bad premonition rising in his heart.
"The treasures are all here. Nothing's missing. It seems he disappeared after setting up the treasures." After sensing again, Matsu replied.
"Phew… that's good…" Sora let out a slight sigh of relief, his expression softening a bit.
As long as the jinkis were safe, no matter how much that guy tried to stir up trouble, he wouldn't be able to cause any real chaos. Sora even wondered if he had been overreacting.
"Alright, let's head back now. I'll have MBI handle that guy."
Through the King's Contract, Sora contacted Kochou, who was in the capital. Even if that guy couldn't cause any real trouble, Sora wasn't planning to let him off easily. He would scour the entire Earth to find him!
"And just to be safe, let's deploy heavy security to protect the jinkis."
Having made the arrangements, Sora didn't hesitate any longer. He led the girls in a grand procession as they left Kamikura Island.
…
Capital City, MBI Headquarters, CEO's Office.
At this moment, two men and one woman were seated in this luxurious room: Hiroto Minaka, Takami Sahashi, and Sora—the three founders and highest authorities of MBI.
"It's been over twenty years… The Sekirei Project is finally over…"
Exhaling a long puff of smoke, Hiroto Minaka looked wistful, as if reminiscing about something.
"Yes, ever since we accepted our fate, time has flown by so quickly…" Putting down her teacup, Takami also sighed with emotion.
"However, our mission isn't over yet. The real challenge is just beginning!" A glint flashed in Sora's eyes as he spoke.
Neither Hiroto nor Takami refuted him. Both remained silent.
"How much time do we have left?" Hiroto tapped the table with a finger, his expression growing somewhat agitated.
"Two months, at most…" Sora wasn't sure if his actions had altered the timeline, so he could only give a rough estimate.
"Only two months left for this world…" Takami's tone wasn't one of shock or fear, but rather a sense of uncertainty about the future.
"Let's give it our all! Just like before, you handle the battles, and I'll take care of the rest. As for this invasion incident, let's temporarily let those guys off the hook. We don't have time to waste on them now. If we can survive this crisis, we'll settle the score with them later!"
After a moment of contemplation, Hiroto Minaka spoke to Sora, his tone resolute.
"Alright, let's do it."
"These two months, I'll do everything I can to boost the Sekireis' strength. You handle the rest."
"Now that the Sekirei Project is over, I'll take the Disciplinary Squad with me. Keep an eye on that backstabbing guy and the jinkis."
Sora nodded in agreement, then turned to Takami:
"How are those little Sekireis doing?"
Sora was naturally referring to the Sekireis he had taken from Higa Izumi and the young boy. As for the ones he had taken from Sanada Nishi—Chiyo, Yuna, and Hatae—they were currently undergoing so-called "training" with Kochou.
"They've all been adjusted and are just waiting for you, you lecher, to 'bless' them!"
Takami shot Sora a glare, her tone tinged with jealousy.
"Ha… haha… That's good. We'll head back now. The rest is up to you, Hiroto!"
Extremely awkward, Sora would have pounced on Takami right then and there if Hiroto hadn't been present. But it didn't matter—Takami was now firmly on Sora's radar, and she wouldn't escape!
Grabbing the flustered Takami and leaving the dumbfounded Hiroto behind, Sora left the CEO's office.
"Ah… I can't go on like this! Let me die! Let me die!"
Thinking about how he had worked hard for decades and was still single, while Sora had a harem of women, Hiroto Minaka broke down in tears…
…
"You jerk, what are you doing? We're outside!"
As soon as they stepped out the door, Takami was pulled into Sora's arms. She immediately regretted her earlier jealousy-fueled outburst. She knew all too well that every time she got jealous, Sora would "punish" her severely!
"Hehe, little Takami, it's too late to regret now!"
"Don't worry, no one will see."
With a wicked grin, Sora wasn't about to let Takami off the hook. He carried her into a nearby room.
"Master!"
Inside the room were Benitsubasa and Haihane. Since Sora had previously told them he would take them with him this time, the two were packing their belongings. Seeing Sora enter with Takami in his arms, they immediately approached.
"Takami alone won't be enough to quell my 'anger.' You two join in as well!"
Pulling Benitsubasa into his arms, Sora headed toward the bed.
With a blush on her face, the introverted Haihane obediently followed.
Whether it was Takami, Benitsubasa, or Haihane, they had all been "developed" by Sora countless times. Group activities were nothing new to them, so after the initial shyness, the girls became bolder.
Soon, the sounds of heavy breathing and soft moans filled the small room…