“Mphh…” grumbled Kazuya Aoi as he lay asleep in bed, enjoying the relaxing warmth he currently found himself in.  Given the circumstances as they were, he was quite hesitant to wake up and get out of bed, such was the pleasure with which he found himself at that particular moment.

“He really is a little cutie while he sleeps, isn’t he Satella?” whispered Rana as she glanced down at the Limiter currently in her possession (alongside her fellow Pandora).

“Mm-hm,” nodded Satellizer as she glanced down with a smile at Kazuya as he stirred ever so slightly in the collective embrace of the two Pandoras he was currently nestled between.

“You’re really one for words, you know that Satellizer?” grumbled Arnett as she looked over her shoulder at the blonde-haired, blue-eyed Pandora cuddled up to the group’s collective partner.

“Ohh, come one now, Arnett,” said Ticy.  “You know that Satellizer normally isn’t one for being particularly chatty…not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course, Satellizer.”  Given her normally cordial nature, Ticy felt it necessary to be considerate of her fellow Pandora Sattelizer and not poke fun at her expense.

“I second that sentiment,” added Ingrid.  “Sometimes it’s better to speak less under certain circumstances, rather than go on like a chatterbox over nothing.”

“So no smalltalk whatsoever then?” Arnett playfully clapped back.  “That sounds like a very droll kind of life in my opinion.”

“Alright now, girls,” interrupted Chiffon.  “Playful back-and-forth banter aside, we should be getting ready.  I’m gonna head down and get breakfast started.  Could I get some help from a few of you by chance?  It’ll help move things along faster.”

A moment later, Chiffon and some of the Pandoras got dressed and took their leave, heading off towards the kitchen to get breakfast started.  Along with the student council president went Ticy, Rana, Creo, Ingrid, and Kaho.  That left the remaining Pandoras and Kazuya alone in the master bedroom to get dressed and freshen up before joining them soon after in the dining room.

“So then, Kazuya,” began Elizabeth as she was busy securing her skirt and pulling up the thigh-high stockings up her luscious legs, “are you looking forward to the first day of your new schedule?”

“I’m keeping an open mind and an optimistic attitude, Elizabeth,” replied Kazuya.  “I mean…I don’t outright KNOW how the day is going to end up, but I’ll at least try to put my best foot forward.”

“That’s the spirit!” chimed Arnett as she was combing out her hair and applying a stick of lip gloss across her lips, puckering them as she examined herself at a nearby mirror atop a dressing cabinet.  “I find it better to keep a positive attitude on things like this, and I prefer to be in the company of people with the same mindset.”

“Well then,” replied Attia, “by that logical statement, I take it you’re not a big fan of Ingrid’s or Creo’s company then, given how serious they can be at times.”

“Oh, come on now Attia,” replied Arnett with a chuckle.  “While they might have their gruffer sides to them, you know I’ve got nothing against either of them.  They just have a tendency to keep an emotional shield up around them, especially Ingrid.  It’s really quite something to see them lower their guards when they do.”  By this point, Arnett turned so that she was facing Kazuya.  “You’ll certainly be in for a treat when those girls show their softer sides to you, Kazuya.”  Arnett finished with a sexy little wink as she walked by him, making sure he got a good peek of her buttocks as she sauntered on by him towards the door.

One by one, the Pandoras made their way out the bedroom and towards the dining area, now being fully dressed.  By this point, Kazuya found himself being carried around, this time by Elizabeth (having convinced Satellizer to hand him over, much to the reluctance of the super-busty Pandora).  As the elegant Elizabeth Mably carried Kazuya propped armed against her hip, torso, and bosom, she made sure to add a little bounce in her step so that her breasts would jiggle ever so slightly and brush up against Kazuya’s cheek and chin.

“Comfortable, Kazuya?” asked Elizabeth as she walked, sporting a somewhat mischievous grin on her face.

“I’m fine, Miss Elizabeth,” answered a somewhat blushing Kazuya in turn as he hung his arms around her neck and collarbone as the young woman walked.

“Just Elizabeth, Kazuya,” replied the young woman, “no need for anything like ‘Miss’ or ‘Ma’am’ in our presence, remember?”

“I know, Miss…I mean, I know…Elizabeth,” muttered Kazuya.  “It’s just going to take a while for the change to come naturally, that’s all.  “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” and all that, right?”

“Fair point, Kazuya,” replied Elizabeth with a grin before leaning in and planting a brief smooch on Kazuya’s cheek a moment later, which made Kazuya’s blush even stronger.

“Umm, Elizabeth?” inquired Kazuya.

“Now, now, Kazuya,” Elizabeth resumed, “I hope you’re not taken back from a simple kiss.  I mean, we have already seen each other naked, after all.  What’s a kiss on the cheek compared to that?”

“It’s not like that,” explained Kazuya.  “It was just a little sudden from my point of view, that’s all.  I certainly didn’t dislike it in any way, if that’s concerning you.  I mean…the day is just starting and I’m surprised that you’re getting a little…”  By this point, Kazuya trailed off and broke eye contact, looking down towards the ground as Elizabeth kept walking.

“I’m getting a little what, Kazuya?” inquired Elizabeth with a cocked eyebrow.

“A little…you know…” muttered Kazuya, hoping the blonde-haired beauty would take a hint.

“Frisky, Kazuya?” Arnett spoke up with a wide grin, deciding to finish Kazuya’s implication for him.  The Limiter simply looked at the redhead before gently nodding, feeling it odd for a girl to be so blunt on such a topic as intimacy.

“Now now, Kazuya darling,” replied Elizabeth as she gently increased her hold on Kazuya, making sure to press her bosom more and more into the young man’s torso, “you DO remember what Chiffon told you yesterday, right?  Regarding Pandora relations with Limiters?”

“The general overview, yes,” answered Kazuya, “though I’m not sure which part of it you’re emphasizing at the moment.”

“The part about a Pandora always being ‘frisky’ and ‘in the mood’ when in the presence of a Limiter whom she is taken with, of course,” Elizabeth elaborated in a rather sultry tone of voice, the grin on her face never leaving.  “What Chiffon told you was in no way an exaggeration.  When a Pandora finds a Limiter she really likes, she tends to show that affection early on, and given that all us Pandora were given a choice - and I do emphasize in saying a CHOICE - in partnering up with you, that means that we ALL have taken an interest in you.  Some of us are just more forward and direct in showing that affection, that’s all.”  Elizabeth turned her gaze to Satellizer on that last part, winking at the girl to let the implication be known about who she was referring to, which made the girl in turn blush more in embarrassment and look at the ground.

“My point is, dear Kazuya,” continued Elizabeth as she turned her gaze back to the young man in her possession, “is that we hope you understand that us being forward with you isn’t some kind of game we’re playing with you.  We’ve all made the choice to partner up with you, and all we ask of you in turn is to get to know us, spend time with us, and things of that nature.  Hopefully, each of us will be able to get your heart racing as we all become better acquainted with you, you little charmer you.”  Elizabeth finished with a rather heartwarming grin.

“I’d say you all have that down and then some, Elizabeth,” muttered a rather flustered Kazuya in response.

“Yes, but even more so than you are already,” replied Elizabeth.  “Pandoras can be a bit clingy at times, afterall, so it’s only natural that we want to be close to you more and more over time.  This might lead to the occasional butting of heads between us girls, but no need to worry on that end.”

“Aside from some playful teasing and mock infighting, we Pandoras tend to be mature enough to not put our collective partner in an awkward situation,” added Attia, feeling the urge to jump into the conversation.  “It’s a point of view that becomes more second-handed and instinctive, especially among the third years.  To us, such a mindset becomes as natural as blinking and breathing, so for everyone’s sake, Kazuya, stop worrying so damn much over this arrangement and just enjoy it for Pete’s sake.”

‘I’ll try to make note of that,’ thought Kazuya as the group was nearing the dining area.  It was at that moment that Elizabeth did something rather unexpected.

“I’m going to go check on how the others are getting along in the kitchen,” said Elizabeth before turning to one of her fellow Pandoras.  “Ganessa, was it?”  The pigtailed redhead lit up in alert as she stared at her fellow British Pandora.

“Y-yes, Elizabeth?” she inquired.

“Here ya go, spend some one-on-one time for a little while,” said Elizabeth as she immediately handed Kazuya over towards Ganessa.  Instinctively worrying for his safety, Ganessa came forward and immediately secured Kazuya against her.  Even if she was a bit nervous at the prospect of handling him, given her status as a second-year Pandora, her instincts as both a Pandora and as a woman in general made her act without hesitation.

“Oh, um…well I…” muttered a strongly blushing Ganessa as she held Kazuya in her arms, unsure if she should accept the offer, even though she had already taken up on it out of sheer instinct.  “I don’t know if I…”  Ganessa looked back and forth between Kazuya and Elizabeth as she stumbled with her words.

“It’ll be fine, Miss Roland,” replied Elizabeth as she made her way towards the kitchen.  “And by the way, you’re cute when you let your guard down, you know that?”  Elizabeth shot the girl a wink before turning around and heading into the kitchen.  The gesture made Ganessa’s blush flare up all over her face as she finally looked down at Kazuya, held securely in her embrace with his head pressed up against her bosom, his face starting to press into her cleavage.

“Well then, shall we take a seat with the others, Mr. Aoi?” asked Ganessa in a clearly flustered tone of voice.

“Sounds good, Miss Roland,” replied Kazuya with an awkward smile, trying to get things rolling along and keep from being awkward or full of sexual angst.

A moment later, the two had taken a seat - literally one seat, with Ganessa seated in a chair and Kazuya seated in her lap.  The other Pandoras had all taken a seat around the massive dining room table, their meals prepared and laid before them.  There was quite a spread of many different foodstuffs - waffles, assorted fruits, coffee, bagels, muffins, cereal, orange juice, etc.  Anything that could be whipped and prepared in a relatively short amount of time, given that the group had morning classes to prepare for, was made ready and laid before the table for all to enjoy.

As the assembled ladies ate their group breakfast, Kazuya lay nestled in Ganessa’s lap, feeling the swell of her bosom and the softness of her stomach and thighs all around him.  Upon being asked what he would like for breakfast, Kazuya settled on waffles with a little butter and syrup with coffee to drink (milk, cream, and sugar added).  As he partook of his meal, Kazuya decided to make a little smalltalk.

“So, Ganessa,” started Kazuya between bites, “are you uncomfortable?”

“Huh?” inquired the pigtailed redhead.  “Uncomfortable?  No, not really.  Why do you ask?”

“I meant physically uncomfortable, with me in your lap and all.  I didn’t know if me sitting on your legs bothered you or made it hard for you to enjoy your meal.  If so, I don’t mind getting down and sitting elsewhere,” explained Kazuya.

“Oh no, it’s no bother at all,” replied Ganessa.  “Trust me, you’re not a bother or inconvenience whatsoever, so no need to extricate yourself on my behalf.”  Whether on purpose or out of sheer instinct, Ganessa wrapped one of her arms around Kazuya’s torso gently, to prevent him from leaving her lap in case he had any ideas.

“I’m perfectly fine with you seated in my lap, Mr. Aoi...I mean Kazuya,” said Ganessa as she corrected herself, blushing slightly in the process.

“There’s no need to force yourself,” said Kazuya, looking up at her.

“Huh?” asked a confused Ganessa as she stared straight down past her bosom at Kazuya.

“With the titles, I mean,” Kazuya elaborated.  “You can refer to me by either my first name or my surname.  Either one is fine.  I just don’t want you to have to force yourself into calling me by my first name if you're not comfortable with it, that’s a-”

Before he could finish saying the word “all”, Kazuya found his mouth being assaulted by Ganessa’s lips.  The young woman had decided to shut up Kazuya’s well-meaning explanation with a surprise blitzkrieg onto his own mouth.  The act certainly caught him by surprise, though a few seconds later, he simply closed his eyes and enjoyed the experience, which drew a few whistles from some of the Pandoras as all the others took in the sight before them.

“Well now, ladies,” said Arnett, “looks like SOMEBODY is getting a little frisky at the start of the day.  What’s wrong, Ganessa?  Did you want a side of Kazuya with your morning meal?”

Ganessa in turn simply stared back at Arnett after she broke off the kiss, a look of embarrassment clear on her face as she turned beet red, nustling Kazuya further against her like a teddy bear as she increased the strength of her hold over him.

“Aww, cute,” added Attia as she nibbled on a piece of toast and took a sip of coffee.  “Looks like our fellow second-year Pandora is starting to embrace her part in all of this.  Good on you, Miss Roland.”

“M-Miss Ganessa,” said Kazuya as he looked straight up at the young woman.  She in turn looked straight down at him, took a deep breath, and then spoke.

“Sometimes, you’re too sweet and considerate for your own good, you know that?” stated the pigtailed redhead.  “With all of that sweet talk coming out of your mouth, I just…felt the need to end it right there and then.  After all, if you end up sweet talking a girl and being so damn nice like that, then I might just…might just…end up doing…”  By this point, Ganessa looked away as the blush on her cheeks intensified.

“What’s wrong, Ganessa?” inquired Arnett as she rested her head in her palms, with her elbows on the table as she leaned in closer, with a big smile on her face.  “What are you thinking about right now?  Your face is turning pretty red right now.  You’re not catching a fever or something, are you?”

“As to what she’s thinking,” added Attia, joining in on the fun, “I’m gonna guess that it involves Kazuya and a bed at a bare minimum.  Would my assumption be correct, Ganessa?”

The pigtailed redhead simply bowed her head in response, unable to look any of the Pandoras in the eye in her current emotional state.  Kazuya decided to step in.

“Hey, come on now,” replied Kazuya, “that’s enough.  Don’t go teasing Ganessa like that, please.  She’s clearly had enough of it.”  In response, Ganessa increased her hold on Kazuya, wrapping both arms around him and hugging him further into her, burying the back of his head between her breasts while she buried her face into his hair.

“Kazuya’s right, ladies,” added Chiffon.  “You’ve had your fun, but now funtime is over.  Besides, we need to wrap up breakfast and start to head out in the next few minutes.  Otherwise, we’ll be late for our first class.”

Figuring the game was over, both Attia and Arnett cut their teasing game short and apologized to Ganessa if they ended up upsetting her with their playful insinuation.

“No hard feelings?” asked Arnett, her tone of voice more serious at this point.  Ganessa merely nodded in response.  It was brief, but there was an understanding between the second-year Pandora and the two third-years having a little fun at her expense that they were indeed sincere in their apology and that Ganessa had in fact accepted it, flustered as she was at that moment.

With that matter settled, the women proceeded to wrap up their meal, put the dishes away into the dishwasher, grab their tablets and make their way out the door.  As for Kazuya, while he was more than willing to hoof it on his own for a while, his wishes once again became overruled as he was carried amongst the group towards their destination, with Creo being the one to carry him this time around.

“Let me know if I’m holding you too tightly or if you need me to adjust and raise or lower you,” said Creo to Kazuya, with a minor pink hue on her cheeks as she looked him in the eye.

“I’m fine, Creo,” replied Kazuya.  “If there’s a problem, I’ll let you know.  I swear.”  Kazuya gave her a calming smile that he hoped would assuage her of whatever worries she might have.  While it kept Creo from worrying, at the same time, it lit a small flame within her that made her heart skip a beat.  There was something about Kazuya’s very nature that seemed to bring out positivity within others, in particular Pandoras.

It was this natural charm which Kazuya exuded that was starting to make Creo a little hot under the collar, holding him just a little bit tighter in her arms as she pressed him against her torso and into her embrace all the more.  The normally stoic dark-skinned Pandora was starting to feel just a tad bit dizzy from the slowly increasing state of affection she was feeling towards the young man in her arms, though she was still guarded enough in her disposition to keep from blurting out such feelings to the young man, especially in front of her fellow classmates to boot.

The ladies made their way onwards to their assigned classroom, having looked it up on their tablets.  Soon enough, they were all seated at individual desks.  For his part, Kazuya was finally given a bit of independence and left to sit at his own individual seat, given how it might be a little awkward to be sitting in the lap of one of his classmates, even if that person was among his partners.

The Pandoras awaited their instructor, making small talk to one another in small groups of two or three as they waited.  Soon enough, the morning bell went off through campus, signaling the start of first period.  A minute later, the door opened and in walked Yu-Mi Kim in all of her busty glory, wearing the same outfit Kazuya saw her in last time.  She made her way towards the teacher’s desk, laid her tablet on it and proceeded to the chalkboard at the front of the classroom.  After writing out her name in both Korean and English on the chalkboard, she set the chalk down, turned around, and spoke to the class.

“Welcome, ladies and gentleman,” stated Yu-Mi to the gathered assembly.  “My name is Yu-Mi Kim and I am your instructor for your first period class.  Many of you know me either personally or by my reputation, and I in turn have made the acquaintance of many of you over the last few years.  For the younger ones among you, I welcome you to both my class and West Genetics in its totality.  You have been brought here to serve in your capacities as Pandoras and Limiters to aid mankind in fighting off the Nova threat.  As I’m sure you’re all aware, should the Nova succeed in defeating the forces of Genetics and Chevalier, the world as we know it is over.  People you love and care for will be at the mercy of the Nova, which are shown to have no mercy whatsoever towards the human species.  You are the footsoldiers of Genetics, serving as the guardians of mankind in the preservation of our species.  It is your duty as Pandoras and Limiters to give your all in destroying these creatures whenever and wherever they appear.  Is that understood?”

“Yes Ma’am!” declared the third-years simultaneously, with all the gusto one would expect of a military unit.  Feeling awkwardly left out, both Kaho and Ganessa followed through with their own “Yes Ma’am!” a few seconds later.  Kazuya simply sat at his seat somewhat taken back, not expecting the Pandoras to respond like they were at boot camp.

‘This place IS a military facility as well as a school, so I guess it would make sense for them to reply like that,’ thought Kazuya in reflection.

“Very well then,” continued Yu-Mi, “since I’ve made my introduction, I think it’s only fair that you all in turn introduce yourselves briefly.  Of course, I’ve been informed that the vast majority of you all know one another well already, so no need to get too into detail, given that most of you are in the same class year.  I ask that you keep things brief and to the point for the sake of time.  Any volunteers going first?”

“I will, Miss Yu-Mi,” replied Chiffon, raising her hand courteously.

“Very well then, Miss Student Council President,” replied Yu-Mi with a grin, obviously knowing about Chiffon already.  “You have the floor.”  Chiffon made her way towards the front of the classroom and presented her basic statistics before the assembled group - things like full name, country of origin, age, Pandora ranking, interest & hobbies, etc.

[Given that I’ve already brought up these kinds of stats in previous chapters, I’m going to skip ahead on this part.]

Once Chiffon said everything that she felt needed saying about herself, she then returned to her seat.  Afterwards, Ticy went up and did the same thing, then Elizabeth, then Rana, then Arnett, and so on and so forth, until every Pandora had taken a turn formally introducing herself to both her classmates and her teacher.  Even though it was largely a formality, it was seen as something to do as to set an example among appropriate student behavior.  Once the last Pandora had given her details, she returned to her seat before Yu-Mi spoke up once again.

“Thank you, Miss Hiragi,” stated the buxom brown-haired beauty.  She then turned her eyes towards the last person who had yet to speak:  Kazuya Aoi.  A moment later, she walked ever so seductively towards his seat, her hips sashaying with natural grace and her heels clacking against the floor as she stood right in front of him.  Given that Kazuya’s seat was at ground level and with no elevated stance, he was looking up at Yu-Mi’s knees from her current position, catching a sight of the fine musculature of her calves and really appreciating all of her curves given her proximity to him.

“Well then, Mr. Aoi,” said Yu-Mi with a grin as she stared straight down at him over her massive mammaries, “I believe that it’s your turn to speak to your fellow classmates.”

Not wanting to be the oddball of the group, Kazuya left his seat and made his way towards the front of the class.  He looked around and pondered if he should ask for something to stand on, given that only the Pandoras seated at the front of the room would be able to see him clearly.  Even though he had made the acquaintance of literally ALL of these women, he would rather not look silly by standing like a small child in their presence (even if he basically was compared to them from a purely physical perspective, relative to their size).

“Alright then, let’s see…” muttered Kazuya, debating whether or not he should ask for help in finding something to stand on.  A moment later, he got his answer when he was enveloped in shadow and found himself being lifted into the air by his armpits.  The surprise of it all shocked Kazuya to say the least, but he didn’t panic, for he was pretty damn sure what was happening, given the gigantic soft mounds being pressed into his back.

A set of hands secured his upper torso, including his ribs and shoulder blades, and a moment later he was carried off towards the teachers desk.  Once his feet made contact with the desk surface, the hands began to loosen their grip before finally releasing him, but not before a voice whispered into his right ear.

“Thought you could use a little help there, cutie,” said the voice of Yu-Mi Kim as she whispered in a rather seductive tone of voice into Kazuya’s ear as her boobs mashed significantly into Kazuya’s entire backside.

‘Dear god, she’s big,’ thought Kazuya.  As to the ‘bigness’ of Yu-Mi Kim, it was a double meaning with regards to her breast size as well as her overall size…and thinking about it for too long was the kind of thing that would get Kazuya turned on as a result.

“Well then, Mr. Aoi,” resumed Yu-Mi in her normal tone of voice, “you have the floor.”

“Thank you, Miss Kim,” replied Kazuya, thankful that she wasn’t going to insist on the whole ‘first-name basis’ under the current circumstances.  He cleared his throat before proceeding.

“Hello to all of you.  My name is Kazuya Aoi, and I am a freshman Limiter here at West Genetics.  I’d wager that all of you are aware that Gengo Aoi is my paternal grandfather, and I have an older sister named Kazuha, who serves here as an instructor among the teaching staff.  I also have a younger cousin, though we haven’t spoken to each other in some time.  Aside from that, I have no other family living to my knowledge, including my parents.”  Having addressed things regarding his family history, Kazuya cleared his mind, took another deep breath, and resumed.

“I am Japanese by both my ancestry and nationality, and  I am fifteen years old.  My height is 5 foot, 6.5 inches.  My blood type is O+.  I would say that my main hobby is reading whenever I have the time for it, though since I’m now in school, I suppose I’ll have plenty of time for it, in a way of looking at things.”  The last remark got mild chuckles and smiles from some of the women.

“And one more thing I’d like to address,” continued Kazuya.  “Given the circumstances of the Pandora-to-Limiter ratio here at West Genetics and other Genetics facilities around the world, I’ve learned that Pandoras vastly outnumber Limiters by around ten to one on average, if I understand it correctly.”  Kazuya looked at Yu-Mi for confirmation on this statistic.  She quietly nodded in response to let him know he was working with accurate information.  He then continued speaking.

“Given those circumstances, I’ve come to understand that forming rather…unique partnerships between Pandoras and Limiters has become something of a necessity at Genetics facilities, in order to better fight off the Nova threat.  While I find these arrangements to be…rather odd, to put it gently, I am willing to do my part to try and make them work to the best of my ability.  I hope I can be a worthy…partner to all of you here.”  Kazuya bowed forward slightly while at the same time blushing lightly, given the double meaning behind the word “partner” under these circumstances.

“And that’s pretty much all I felt that needed saying,” finished Kazuya as he scanned the room, trying to ‘gauge the temperature’ of the place, figuratively speaking.  Given the reaction of all the women present, he assumed he did a good enough job in his presentation, at least if the smiles on their faces (including Miss Kim’s face) were any indicator of such.

“Well said, Mr. Aoi,” replied Yu-Mi as she made her way over towards Kazuya, lifting him off her desk and gently placing him on the ground once more.  “You can return to your seat now,” she said, looking straight down at him past her enormous bosom.  He did just that a moment later.

“Now then,” resumed Yu-Mi towards the whole class, “with introductions out of the way, let us begin instruction then, shall we?  All of you open up your tablets and we shall start the day’s instruction by going over the class syllabus.”

The rest of the period entailed going through the syllabus piece by piece, understanding the finer points of what first period class would entail.  Whatever questions (for clarification) were asked mainly by Ganessa or Kaho, given that they were the junior Pandoras of the group, though Chiffon, Ticy, and Elizabeth also asked questions from time to time, most likely to help their younger Pandoras not feel isolated and singled out.

Overall, Yu-Mi’s class would entail things like the finer points of combat against the Nova, the use of Volt Weapons and Volt Textures, and of course the finer details of forming an Ereinbar Set.

“A question, Miss Kim?” inquired Kazuya as he raised his hand.

“Yes, Mr. Aoi?” replied Yu-Mi as she stood in the center of the classroom.

“I’ve not heard much about the Ereinbar Set.  Could you explain to me just what it is?” asked the freshman Limiter.

“Well then,” replied Yu-Mi with a grin, “to put it as short and simply as I can, Mr. Aoi, it is when a Pandora essentially shares one of her stigmata with her Limiter.  Doing so improves the overall fighting capability between the two partners.  For Pandoras, it improves their speed, attack power, endurance, perception, and all other combat-related abilities, whereas for Limiters, it improves the range and potency of their Freezing fields as well as heightening their perception and endurance as well.  The two become almost ‘melded’ in a way of looking at things, fighting much more attuned with one another, given that they’re sharing each other’s senses after forming an Ereinbar Set.”

“Okay then,” thought Kazuya aloud before speaking once more.  “How exactly does a Pandora share her stigmata with a Limiter?  I thought removing a stigmata is considered detrimental to a Pandora’s well being.”

“Short answer is surgery, Kazuya,” stated Yu-Mi.  “You are right in your assumption regarding the removal of one’s stigmata, of course.  It would be less than ideal to simply rip out a Pandora’s stigmata all willy-nilly.  When the two are ready, both a Pandora and her Limiter undergo surgery at a Genetics bio-lab.  Once the two are sedated, a Pandora’s stigmata is carefully removed from her body and implanted into her Limiter, and once the surgery is deemed successful, the Ereinbar Set begins to take hold and form permanently, usually within a few days.  After about a week or so, the Ereinbar Set becomes permanent and the two become one, figuratively speaking of course.”

“Huh…I see…” thought Kazuya out loud as he took in this new information.  He then scanned the room and looked about between his fellow classmates/partners-to-be.  Some of them were looking at him in turn and some of them weren’t, but from what Kazuya could tell, all of them were sporting blushes on their cheeks; some of them were just more pronounced than that of others (with Satellizer ranking at first-place for strongest blush on her cheeks).

‘I suppose that given how…intimate a procedure it ends up being, that forming an Ereinbar Set is quite the big deal, especially for the women.  They’re basically sharing a part of themselves with their partner after all.  In a way, it’s akin to sharing a major organ with someone else, like a kidney or a lung; the two of them share something meaningful and become bonded all the more as a result.’  These were Kazuya’s thoughts upon learning the finer points of the Ereinbar Set.

As the day marched on, the school bell went off, signaling the end of first period.  With that, Yu-Mi prepared to take her leave, but not before speaking once more.

“It’s been a pleasure getting to know each and every single one of you.  Be sure to review the material from today’s class.  There’ll be a small test by week’s end to see what you’ve retained.  Those who don’t get a passing grade will end up taking a remedial class, so make sure you study hard.”  Yu-Mi was getting ready to leave the room when she suddenly stopped.

“Something the matter, Miss Kim?” asked Elizabeth.

“It’s just something I almost forgot to mention…a last-minute adjustment, if you will.”  Yu-Mi then waited for the whole class to go silent and focus their attention solely onto her.

“I’ve been notified of both your class schedule and your rooming arrangements as they currently stand, and this adjustment will be happening sooner or later, so it’s best you’re all made aware of it right now.  You’ll all be getting more fellow classmates/roommates in the coming days, so I felt it best you prepare yourselves accordingly.”

“If I may ask, who are these new add-ons?” asked Chiffon.

“Well, in your case, Miss Fairchild, you’ll be well acquainted with this lot of new students coming in,” replied Yu-Mi with a grin.  “In fact, I’d wager that at least a few of you will be happy to see some rather familiar faces.  I don’t want to ruin the surprise, so I’ll just leave it at this:  These fellow students are known on a global level, such is their reputation.  And with that, I’ll take my leave now.  See you all tomorrow.”

Once Yu-Mi had left the classroom, the students were left to ponder this new development for the few minutes they had between now and second period.

“Well now, that’s certainly an eye-catching change of things,” said Arnett aloud.  “Wonder who these new students are and when they’re arriving exactly.”

“Not sure,” added Creo.  “I’m just wondering why we’re getting more classmates and roomates already.”

“It’s not too surprising in my opinion,” said Elizabeth.

“How do you mean?” inquired Ingrid.

“Given our current living arrangements, I found it rather odd that there are only a dozen of us living in that place, including Kazuya here.  From what I could tell, our current home can house several dozens of Pandora.  So when you take that into account…” explained Elizabeth.

“What you’re saying is that the harem is far from being completed,” stated Ganessa matter-of-factly.

“No way,” whispered Kaho.  “Even MORE Pandora coming into the fray.  How many are we talking about here.”

“I guess we’ll find out when that moment comes now, won’t we?” replied Attia.

“The instructor said that you might be familiar with these new arrivals, Chiffon,” stated Rana.  “Any idea on who they could be?”

“If it’s like Miss Yu-Mi described it, then I believe I have a good hunch on who it will end up being.  It’ll certainly be nice to get reacquainted with some old friends from back in the day.  Wouldn’t you agree, ladies?”  Chiffon turned her focus towards Elizabeth, Ticy, and Satellizer on this last part.  Apparently she and the other three Pandoras had all made acquaintances of these new arrivals, whoever they would end up being.

“Yes indeed, Chiffon,” replied Elizabeth.  “It’ll certainly be nice to catch up with old friends, and it’ll end up making the current arrangement all the more interesting.”

“You’re honestly okay with MORE competition already?” asked a skeptical Ingrid.

“The more the merrier, I say,” Elizabeth shot back playfully.

‘Easy for you to say, Elizabeth,’ thought Kazuya.  ‘You’re not the one who has to worry about serving as a worthy partner for these new arrivals, assuming that’s the main reason they’re coming to West Genetics.’

While a part of Kazuya was somewhat flustered and giddy at the prospect of bringing potentially even MORE Pandora into the fold, he was also a bit nervous at the same time.  Just how many partners was he going to have before all was settled?  Twenty?  Thirty?  Fifty?  A hundred?  As big a heart as he tried to have and as considerate as he wished to be in honoring and respecting his prospective future partners, he was still only one young man.

‘Why do I have the feeling that this somehow leads back to the old man?’ thought Kazuya as he mulled over this new development.

Before he could ponder any longer on this topic, the bell rang once more, indicating the start of the second period.  A moment later, the door opened once more, and in walked another familiar face from Kazuya’s perspective - none other than that of Elize Schmitz, the school’s top-ranked medical expert.

“Alright now, everyone please remain seated,” said the tall, lean green-haired Pandora as she scanned the room.  She momentarily paused and gave Kazuya both a smile and a wink as she eyed him, which in turn got a small blush out of the young man.  She then made her way towards the teacher’s desk and got herself acquainted before taking center stage of the classroom and speaking.

“Hello there, ladies.  My name is Elize Schmitz and I am the head doctor here at West Genetics.  I teach the finer points of human anatomy as well as classes in general biology.  I’ll be your instructor for second period class, and under me you’ll learn about the finer points of the stigmata and how they factor in your development as Pandoras and Limiters.  We’ll also undergo instruction about general human anatomy throughout the school year; this IS a highschool after all, technically speaking.  Never hurts to know about the finer points of the human body, whether you are Pandoras, Limiters, or regular humans.  Any questions so far?”

There was silence in response, so Elize simply continued.

“Very well then.  Since you’ve all gotten formal introductions out of the way in your first-period class, there’s no need for that in today’s class.  As I understand it, you are all taking the same classes together and even rooming together, so getting to know one another is something the whole lot of you can handle in your personal time.  If there are no questions you have for me, then let’s go over the overarching outline of the course material then, shall we?”

Elize then pulled up her tablet and began pressing a few buttons on it, which shortly after activated an overhead projector to slowly lower itself from the center of the ceiling and turn on.  After turning out the classroom lights to give the room a more “movie theater” like vibe, she then pressed some more buttons on her tablet, which opened up a presentation file.

The file in question turned out to be a basic powerpoint slideshow, with bullet points containing the overall “meat and potatoes” of what the course would entail.

“While I know that powerpoints tend to be boring and a great way to catch some Z’s, I ask that you try not to fall asleep during this opening presentation.  Trust me when I say that not every class of mine will be only powerpoints, videos, or slideshows; it’s just that these still DO serve as a handy instruction tool from time to time.  With that being said, let’s begin.”

True to her word, Elize moved through the slides at a reasonably steady pace, trying to keep the course material moving along smoothly (more or less).  After a solid half hour of explaining the course material, she turned off the projector, turned on the lights, and proceeded with a quick verbal Q&A session among the classroom.

“Wanna see how much of the information you’ve retained after my little demonstration,” explained Elize.  “It’ll also be a good way of finding out who fell asleep during my lecture and who didn’t.”  She finished that last part with an amused grin as she eyed the room.  Some of the Pandoras - Arnett, Attia, and Kaho in particular - did some anime-style sweat drops on their lovely countenances in response, dreading being asked a question from the material.

Fortunately for the nervous Pandoras, the period had moved through quickly enough and the bell signaled its end.  Perhaps it was good luck on their part that Elize had passed over them during the Q&A session, with enough of the others (including Kazuya) there to pick up the slack and volunteer answers to whatever questions she asked.

“Well then, I’ll see you all tomorrow,” declared Elize on leaving.  “Make sure you’re all getting plenty of bedrest and eating properly.  I know you all may be partners, so to speak, but try not to have too much fun and get carried away now.”  She finished with another playful wink as she eyed the room, focusing once more on Kazuya for a few seconds before vacating the premises.  That in turn got some minor blushes of embarrassment from the more delicate Pandoras in the gathered assembly, mainly Satellizer, Ganessa, and Kaho in particular.

The day continued to proceed rather smoothly.  Third period entailed introductions of their next class, which in this case was headed by Satellizer’s own sister, Violet.

“So good to see you again, Satella,” stated Violet as she tenderly hugged her younger sister.  “I hope you’re making lots of friends among your fellow classmates.  Please tell me that you are.”  The insistence of the older L. Bridget sister was rather comical, given Violet’s upbeat and sunny demeanor.  The sight of such a thing brought some heartwarming chuckles from the other Pandoras in the room, and an intense blush of embarrassment from Satellizer in response.

“I’m…fine, big sister,” muttered Satellizer quietly.  “Could you do me a favor and keep things professional while we’re in class, please?”  The look in her eyes was both tender and serious at the same time (as contradictory as that might sound).  For while Satellizer truly did care for her older sibling, she also didn’t want their family history to get in the way of instruction during class hours, nor did she want a sense of nepotism or favoritism to start forming and give off the notion that Satellizer would get special treatment over everybody else during Violet’s class.

“Oh, right,” thought Violet aloud.  “Yes, of course, I understand.”  She proceeded to take a deep breath and compose herself before taking on a more mellow tone, while still keeping her overall upbeat demeanor.

“Hello there, ladies and gentleman.  My name is Violet L. Bridget and I will be your instructor during your third period classes.  While I am learned in the finer points of being a Pandora and have had my experience in serving against the Nova, I prefer to work “behind the scenes,” so to speak.  That being said, I will be instructing you in a myriad of school-related topics, on things like literature, social sciences, and economics.  After all, while you may all be Pandoras and the soldiers of tomorrow, you are also young men and women to boot.  Therefore, you should be properly educated in the more day-to-day functions of the world in which you live.”

“Isn’t that a bit odd under these circumstances, Miss L. Bridget?” inquired Elizabeth.  “Not to sound rude or anything, but Genetics facilities are mainly military in their nature, are they not?  Shouldn’t our instruction mainly entail learning about being more effective in studying and defeating the Nova?”

“That’s an astute point you make, Miss Mably,” replied Violet.  “And yes, Genetics institutions are affiliated closely with militaries around the world, with the intention of fighting back against the Nova menace.  That being said, it doesn’t hurt to be more acculturated to the broader world in which we live.  Life is more than just forever fighting against the Nova, even for those at Genetics or Chevalier.  Therefore, I believe that one should learn more about the world in which they live and become learned individuals with a healthy appreciation for all of the things in it, including art, literature, history, music, business, and the other finer points.  It certainly couldn’t hurt for you to broaden your horizons, not just as Pandoras, but as young women too.”

“I agree wholeheartedly with your assessment, Miss L. Bridget,” declared Chiffon.  “We ARE students after all, so what harm is there in learning about things other than fighting the Nova, at least from time to time?”

“Indeed,” added Ticy, “there’s plenty of time to study and train in things regarding Pandora, stigmata, and the Nova.  So we might as well branch out and appreciate other subjects now and then.”

“I suppose there’s some wisdom in that,” muttered Ingrid.

“No complaints on my part over it,” replied Rana with a grin.

Whatever other naysayers might have popped up in response decided to keep their opinions to themselves on the matter.  Once that was resolved, Violet instructed the class to open up their tablets and scroll through the course syllabus, quietly reading it themselves while she toured the aisles and observed, offering to answer any questions for clarification as she walked.

“So then, will the subject matter change from day to day then?” asked Kaho.

“Week to week, Miss Hiragi,” answered Violet.  “I’d like to focus on a particular topic for a little while so that you all may better retain the information.  Some subjects might take a bit longer than others, so they might go over by a few days, but overall, we will move from one topic to the next after several days of rigorous study and tutoring.  That’s the overall view of things, anyway.”

The rest of the period went swimmingly, and before they knew it, the period had ended with the ring of the bell.

“Well then, it was good to meet all of you!” said Violet with her normal cheeriness.  “I hope to see all of you tomorrow and we’ll begin with a brief study of world history as our first big topic.  Check your tablets for more details if you have questions or concerns.  Until then, fare thee well, ladies!”  And with that, she was out the door.

The next period was the group’s scheduled lunch break, so they all made their way out the door shortly after and towards the school cafeteria/mess hall, moving as one unit all the while.  Given the circumstances (having a limited amount of time to eat before their next period), Kazuya ended up being carried around once more, this time by Ingrid Bernstein.  While he figured the experience was something that the redhead wasn’t particularly crazy about, she didn’t seem to mind it in the slightest.  If anything, she seemed just a tad bit nervous by it all - at least if the modest blush on her cheeks was any indicator of it.

“Are you okay, Miss Ingrid?” asked Kazuya as he looked at her with slight concern.

“Uh…I’m uh…I’m fine.  Why do you ask, K-Kazuya?” replied a slightly flustered Ingrid.

“Just curious that’s all,” asked the young man.  “Wanted to know if you were feeling well, or if you didn’t like the idea of carrying me around.  If it’s a bother, I’m more than willing to-”

Before he could get off another world, Kazuya’s lips were silenced as Ingrid brought her trembling lips up against his, which shut him up good and proper.  There was no prodding of the tongue on her part, but the tenderness of the kiss said all that needed to be said.  A moment later, Ingrid pulled back and looked Kazuya squarely in the eyes, with her own eyes and lips still trembling somewhat as her blush (and heartbeat) intensified.

“You know, sometimes you’re just too sweet and considerate for your own good, you know that?” stated the normally stoic redhead.  “Stop being so damn worried about others and just enjoy the moment, got it?”

“U-understood, ma’am,” answered Kazuya with slightly widened eyes.

“And for the record,” stated Ingrid firmly before leaning in until her mouth was almost touching Kazuya’s ear, “I don’t dislike this [she delicately tightens her hold on him, pressing him against her bosom in the process] one little bit, are we clear?”  The tone in Ingrid’s voice was equal parts militaristic while at the same time seductive, sort of what one might expect to hear from a dominatrix type of woman.  The very thought of it all had Kazuya’s mind wandering, imagining Ingrid in a particularly sexy outfit of black leather which tightly hugged her form like a glove, all while snapping a whip in her hands and smiling a big toothy grin.

“We’re clear, miss,” replied Kazuya, not wanting to sound offending in any way whatsoever.  “Sorry for any misunderstanding I may have-”

Once again, Kazuya’s lips were silenced by another kiss from Ingrid, this one much quicker, a simple peck lasting less than two seconds.

“And stop apologizing all the damn time,” replied Ingrid after breaking off the kiss.  “It’s equal parts charming and annoying, as contradictory as that may sound.  While it’s a rather heartwarming gesture, it can be a bit tedious at times to hear a guy say “I’m sorry” every few minutes throughout the day.”  She then proceeded to pick up the pace and walk alongside her fellow Pandoras (all of whom witnessed the show and were rather entertained by Ingrid’s momentary break of character).

With that, Kazuya and his partners made their way towards the mess hall to have some lunch before the start of their next period.