The day was coming to an end, with classes being wrapped up and students either returning to their respective dorms, partaking of afterschool activities, or simply mingling with one another on the public areas of West Genetics, whether that was the open quad areas, the library, the food court, or any of the other venues one might associate with a university setting (even though West Genetics was technically for highschool-aged students).

While the student body was engaged with any of those kinds of activities (with hopefully not TOO much hanky panky going on between the Pandoras and their Limiters - teenage hormones being what they are and all that), the staff and faculty at West Genetics were busy with the usual afterschool humdrum on their respective plates:  Grading quizzes and exams, preparing lesson plans for the coming days and weeks, faculty meetings, etc.  In a way it was rather odd, given that Genetics facilities were supposed to emphasize military applications for the students who enrolled at them, with general education (mathematics, history, science, literature, etc.) seen as a far less important matter compared to combat training and preparing for the next Nova Clash.

Even so, those like Gengo Aoi and many among the highest echelons of Chevalier felt that educating oneself was something worthy of endeavor.  Yes, the students at Genetics facilities were the ‘soldiers of tomorrow’ who were being built up to stand against the human race’s greatest existential threat.  But even so, they were still young men and women, and those like Gengo and Sister Margaret felt that they were entitled to an educational experience to better themselves not just as Pandoras and Limiters, but as human beings.

“After all, education is what separates us from animals in the wild,” Gengo once stated on stressing the importance of a quality education.  “Without it, the human race is just one more species enslaved to the most base of instincts.  In a way, we would be little better than the Nova, ruled by an all-consuming need to fight and destroy.”  While he might have placed a slightly higher priority on improving the combat capabilities of students at Genetics facilities, Gengo Aoi had enough of a worldly and cosmopolitan view of life to see value in overall betterment of those who enrolled at any and all Genetics academies.

In any case, while most instructors and general staff at West Genetics were going about their usual afterschool humdrum, a few select women had been summoned to attend a private meeting…at the on-campus residence of Chevalier Chairman Gengo Aoi no less.

“6PM TONIGHT.  DRINKS & HORS D’OEUVRES WILL BE SERVED.  PLEASE DON’T BE LATE.”  That was the message sent out to the select few who were to come to the chairman’s residence.

The select few in this case being a small group of women, all of them Pandoras, and all of them staff employed at West Genetics.

“I wonder what we’re being summoned here for,” pondered Amelia Evans out loud as a group of four Pandoras made their way towards the front door of the building.

“Not sure,” stated Violet L. Bridget, feeling a mild touch of unease as the group neared the entrance.

The other two Pandoras in the group, Yu-Mi Kim and Elize Schmitz, simply said nothing in turn.

Given that this was the chairman’s office & on-campus residence, the building was certainly immaculate to say the least.  A structure that towered higher than any other building on West Genetics campus, Gengo Aoi’s house stood as a symbol of the man’s declaration of authority.  More than 30 stories tall (by Pandora standards), the building had a more modernistic vibe to it compared to the more traditional European aesthetic found among most of the other on-campus buildings.  If there was one concept which summarized the overall tone of Gengo’s building, it was POWER, plain and simple.

The group came up to the front gate, which was being watched over by a Chevalier Pandora on each side, wearing standard Chevalier military-styled uniforms.  After presenting their ID badges, the party of four made their way past the gate and towards the house’s front door.

As they made their way up towards the doorstep, the door suddenly opened and the party was greeted by one Su-Na Lee, wearing formal civilian attire.

“Ladies, thank you all for coming,” Su-Na stated with a somewhat neutral stare on her face.  “Chairman Aoi is expecting you all.  If you’ll be so kind as to follow me.”

“Su-Na, would you care to explain a little of what this is all about?” inquired Yu-Mi as the group followed their guide.  “I’d like a little inkling as to what we’re walking into, if I’m not speaking out of line.”

“All will be explained in good time, Miss Kim,” replied Su-Na, not even turning around to look at the four Pandoras walking behind her as she spoke.

‘Still the same ‘to-the-point’ vibe with her, after all these years,’ thought Elize as the group made their way through immaculately decorated hallways.

The interior of Gengo Aoi’s house was akin to what you’d expect of a modernized mansion:  Open spaces, chandeliers, paintings along the walls, fine carpeting on the floors, silk curtains adorning many of the windows, personally crafted furniture (scaled for Pandoras and non-augmented humans alike), and numerous other amenities one might think of when imagining what the home of someone rich, famous, and/or powerful (which in Gengo’s case was all three).

Eventually, Su-Na approached a massive set of double doors and proceeded to open them wide to announce the group’s arrival.  In the room, there were numerous chairs scaled for Pandoras to sit in, some of them single seaters, while there were also two couches, long enough to seat three Pandoras at a time.  In the center of the room was a desk scaled for a Pandora to sit at, made out of polished mahogany.  Off to the side was a liquor cabinet, while near the desk was a table covered with numerous snack items to choose from:  A bowl of mixed nuts, shrimp with dipping sauce, gougeres, mozzarella sticks with marinara sauce, deviled eggs, malakoff, “pigs in a blanket,” crab rangoon, crudite, and artisanal crackers with finely sliced cheese.

It was quite the spread to lay out for company, given that there were less than ten people in the meeting room at present.

Regarding those currently in the room, they consisted of the following:  Yu-Mi Kim, Elize Schmitz, Violet L. Bridget, Amelia Evans, and Su-Na Lee who had just entered the room.  There were already others in the room upon the group of five’s arrival, who consisted of Sister Margaret Lindman, Kazuha Aoi, and of course, Chairman Gengo Aoi.

Gengo was currently seated at the desk, sitting in a hover chair so that he could face the incoming Pandoras at a relatively even level while seated.  Sister Margaret and Kazuha flanked him on each side, Margaret on his left and Kazuha on his right.

“Welcome ladies,” stated Chairman Aoi with a relatively welcoming tone of voice, which was somewhat surprising given how direct and business-minded Gengo tended to be in meetings.  “I hope you’re all well.  Would any of you care for a snack or a drink?  I hope I have an adequate selection of both for your liking.”

‘Roll out the red carpet, why don’t you…’ thought Elize as she eyed both the appetizers on the table and the selection of booze to pick from in the gigantic liquor cabinet on display.

“Mr. Chairman, not to be rude when I say this, but may I inquire as to why we’ve been summoned here, sir?” asked Violet, making sure to keep her tone as friendly and respectful as possible.

“But of course, Miss Bridget,” replied Gengo.  “But I’d like to see to it that you’re all comfortable.  So before we begin this meeting, please feel free to partake of whatever strikes your fancy, in either food or drink.  I’d offer to serve, but I feel that would be somewhat inadequate on my part.”

‘Okay, this is very VERY odd,’ thought Yu-Mi.  ‘Since when does Gengo Aoi offer to pour someone a drink?  I mean, I like to think we’re all on good terms with him, given how long he’s known us and all, but even so…it’s rather out of character of him to be so cordial like this.  What’s he playing at?’

“Something wrong, Miss Kim?” asked Gengo as he eyed the super-busty Korean Pandora.  Apparently, her face betrayed her confusion as to Gengo’s generous behavior.

“N-no sir,” answered Yu-Mi.

“Very well then,” continued Gengo.  “Su-Na, if you’ll be so kind as to bring out glasses and dishes quickly…”

“Yes sir,” stated Su-Na without missing a beat as she proceeded to take out several glasses and a portable container housing ice cubes.  She proceeded to pour herself some brandy and plop a few ice cubes into it before putting her drink aside and motioning towards the other women as to whether or not they’d like a refreshment.

Yu-Mi ended up taking sake, Elize went with bourbon, Amelia a scotch, Violet went with vodka, while Kazuha and Margaret chose wine.  As for Gengo, he went with the classic cocktail.  After refreshments were selected and appetizers were sampled among the women, the party of four took a seat amongst the pieces of furniture laid out before them.

“Mr. Chairman,” began Amelia, “would you care to explain why we are all gathered here?”

Gengo simply cracked a small grin before taking a sip of his drink.  After swallowing, he scanned the room and took in the view of the women gathered before him.

“Of course, Miss Evans,” replied Gengo.  “But please, feel free to eat and drink before we proceed.  I’d prefer the lot of you all to be comfortable before we get down to brass tacks.”  Gengo’s eyes moved across the room as he gave a few seconds to each woman to gauge if she showed any signs of hunger or thirst.

“We most certainly appreciate the hospitality, Mr. Chairman, please don’t misunderstand,” stated Violet.  “It’s just hard to have much of an appetite at the moment, given that we’re all quite curious as to why you’ve requested us for an audience, sir.”

“A fair point, Miss Bridget,” said Gengo.  After a pause of a few seconds, Gengo placed his drink off to the side, took a deep breath, and laced his fingers together as he locked his hands and placed them on his desk, his eyes once more taking in the entire sight before him.

“Sister Margaret, Miss Lee, Kazuha,” stated Gengo.

“Sir?” replied both women, with Kazuha simply turning her head towards Gengo.

“Would you all be so kind as to join your fellow Pandoras.  What I have to say is for all of you currently here in this room.”

Sister Margaret’s eyebrow cocked up as her eyes widened up somewhat, the surprise on her face pretty apparent.  While she had a good inkling as to what this meeting was about, she was quite alarmed to find out that apparently SHE was being included in this announcement.  Deciding to err on hesitation, Margaret said nothing as she took a seat alongside the other Pandoras.

For their parts, Kazuha and Su-Na acted somewhat differently.  Kazuha had quite the opposite look on her face compared to Margaret’s face.  The older Aoi sibling had a look that appeared quite content, as if she were expecting to hear rather wonderful news, if the calm smile on her face was any indicator.  Su-Na in turn had a more reserved-looking poker face, neither alarmed like Margaret nor calmly jovial like Kazuha.  Perhaps it was simply because of her “to the point” attitude when interacting with people in general, but Su-Na’s expression indicated that she knew what was coming around the corner; she was just not necessarily looking forward to it.

Once all seven Pandoras were seated before Gengo, he took one last sip from his drink before staring at the group of them, a small smile on his face as he prepared to make his announcement.

“Ladies,” began Gengo, “the reason I’ve summoned ALL of you here is rather simple.”

The Pandoras waited with bated breath.  The room was so quiet that one could hear a pin hit the floor.

“From this day forward, all of you will have a significant change in your roles here at West Genetics,” the chairman stated.

“Mr. Chairman,” stated Elize, “permission to speak, sir?”

“Granted.”

“I cannot help but assume that this has something to do with the computer incident from not so long ago.  If so, then I beseech you, sir.  Please don’t punish Yu-Mi or the others for what happened.  I alone was behind the hack, and I take full responsibility.  Miss Evans and Miss Bridget don’t even know about it.  I never told them, I swear to you, sir.  I will take whatever punishment you deem fitting for my actions.”  The tone in Elize’s voice was sincere.  It was obvious the green-haired Pandora felt wholly responsible for this sit-down and the punishment which Chairman Aoi was no doubt going to dole out, probably job termination or reassignment to some thankless position within Genetics or Chevalier.

“Elize, what are you talking about?” asked Violet with genuine confusion, with the look on Amelia's face conveying the same sentiment.

Gengo couldn’t help but chuckle in response before replying.

“Oh heavens no, Miss Schmitz.  This isn’t a notice of termination if that’s what you were assuming on the way here.  Rest assured, none of you here are being fired or demoted in any way.  And as for the computer incident, I appreciate your sincerity and your honesty in keeping things secret.”  Gengo took another sip from his martini afterwards.

“Well then, Mr. Chairman,” said Yu-Mi, “if this meeting isn’t about the computer incident and nobody here is being fired or formally reprimanded in some way, then may I be so bold as to ask what this meeting is about?”  The sentiment was mirrored in the faces of Elize, Violet, and Amelia as they all waited with strong anticipation, given that Margaret, Kazuha, and Su-Na seemed to be “in the know” already as to what the meeting was about.

“Would any of you care for a refill or seconds?” asked Gengo.  Simple utterances of “no thank you” or shaking of heads answered that question.  “Very well then,” stated Gengo as he took another deep breath and addressed the group.

“As of now,” Gengo continued, “it is my wish that you - all of you gathered here before me - form a Baptism with Kazuya Aoi.”

There was a long pause, lasting a good twenty seconds of silence as the women processed what they just heard.

“I beg your pardon, sir?” asked Amelia.  The tone in her voice implied the sentiment of “I’m not sure I heard you correctly.”

“You are pardoned, Miss Evans,” replied Gengo with a smirk.  “But you’ve all heard me correctly.  I - Gengo Aoi - want all seven of you gathered here before me to become paired up with my grandson, Kazuya.”

Several mouths fell ajar and eyelids fluttered as most of the women processed what they just heard.  The only ones who weren’t particularly surprised at this point were Kazuha and Su-Na.

“B-but sir,” stated Yu-Mi, “while I’m certainly grateful at what you’re suggesting, I’m afraid that I have to speak out against it.”

“It’s more of an order than a suggestion, Miss Kim,” said Gengo, “but please continue.”

Another awkward pause as Yu-Mi just processed Gengo’s rather blunt statement.  The man was clearly hellbent on getting these women paired up with his grandson.

“Mr. Chairman,” Yu-Mi continued, “I can think of at least three good reasons why we shouldn’t be paired up with Kazuya.”

“Please enlighten me,” said Gengo rather calmly.

“For starters, sir,” said Yu-Mi, “the age difference between us and Kazuya is rather noticeable.”

“Oh please,” said Gengo rolling his eyes, “almost all of you here are what?  Ten years older than Kazuya at most?  An age gap like that is HARDLY anything to fret over, especially when it comes to Kazuya.”  Gengo’s eyes veered towards Margaret a moment later.  “And before you say anything, Sister Margaret, just know that I have a witty little quip for whatever reservations you have regarding matters of age.”  The look on Margaret’s face was somewhat adorable, given that the older woman was getting ready to jump right in on Gengo’s earlier statement.

“W-well, there’s also the fact that if we WERE to pair up with Kazuya,” continued Yu-Mi, it would affect our roles here as instructors at West Genetics.  It would certainly make for unwanted gossip if word got out of several teachers here pairing up with a student.”

“Indeed, sir,” added Amelia.  “I don’t believe we could act in our official capacity here if we were partnered up with one of our students.  There would be an inherent conflict of interest with such an arrangement.”

“That’s been taken care of already,” replied Gengo.

“What do you mean, sir?” asked Elize.

“As I mentioned earlier, all of you here will be acting in a differing official capacity here at West Genetics.  From this moment forward, you will all be living in the same building as Kazuya and his other partners, with all of you becoming the exclusive educators to Kazuya and the Pandoras currently paired up with him.  I suppose you can all think of yourselves as ‘private tutors,’ in a way of putting things.”

“B-but sir,” said Violet, “we teach other classes aside from Kazuya’s group.  Who will instruct the other students?”

“I’ve already made the appropriate arrangements on that,” answered Gengo without missing a beat.  “Replacement staff brought in from other Genetics academies are already here at West Genetics and they will serve as instructors to your other classes from this point on.  Rest assured that their credentials are impeccable, so there’s nothing to worry about regarding the training and education of your other students…they are in good hands.”

Another pause among the Pandoras.  Obviously, Gengo Aoi had a countermove for every objection or reservation they were going to throw his way.

“I believe there were three objections you raised, Miss Kim?” asked Gengo in a teasing manner, getting the conversation back on track.

“Uh…um, well sir,” said a somewhat flustered Yu-Mi, “as for the third reason, I like to think that it’s the most obvious of them all.”

“Please, do tell,” said Gengo with humor in his voice.

“Mr. Chairman, Kazuya is already saddled with a LOT of Pandoras as things stand…I think it’s a safe bet to say that he has the largest gathering of Pandoras partnered up in history.  To my knowledge, I can’t recall any Limiter being paired up with sixteen women at the same time.  I’d certainly not want to put the poor boy through any more hardship by slapping on…what?  Another seven women on top of him already?”

“I concur with Miss Kim on that,” stated Violet.  “The poor boy already has enough on his plate as it is.  No need to burden him with more women.  He’s struggling enough as things stand trying to provide adequate time and attention to his group already.  And besides, I wouldn’t want to risk coming between my sister and the person she cherishes the most in this world.  That wouldn’t be fair to her, Mr. Aoi.”

“Your affectionate consideration for your younger sister is touching, Miss Bridget,” replied Gengo.  “As to Miss Kim’s third reservation, I’m simply going to say this:  Kazuya is more competent and capable of providing in his capacity as a loving, caring, and compassionate partner to ALL his women.  Surely, you’ve seen enough of that in your time as his instructors by this point.”

“We’re not arguing with your analysis, Mr. Chairman,” stated Elize.  “We simply feel that for Kazuya’s emotional well-being that it would be best if he isn’t saddled with any more partners by this point…at the very least no more in the immediate future.”

“While I appreciate the sincerity of your concerns and reservations, ladies,” replied Gengo, “my decision stands.  All of you here WILL become Kazuya’s partners starting tomorrow, and that’s final.”

“Mr. Chairman, a word in private if I may?” asked Margaret.

“Whatever you have to say to me, you can say in the presence of your sisters,” replied Gengo.

That statement took the group (minus Kazuha and Su-Na) by surprise.  With that choice of words, it was obvious that Gengo was hellbent on pairing up these women with his grandson no matter what.  And given that most Baptisms between Pandoras and Limiters usually resulted in marriage down the line, Geno was effectively setting up an arranged marriage between all of these women and his grandson.

“Very well,” stated Margaret after an exasperated sigh.  “With regards to the reservations which Miss Kim brought up earlier, I DO have my own variants of them to bring up, as I’m quite adamant in stating why pairing ME up with Kazuya is not a good idea, with all due respect sir.”

“Please, proceed,” stated Gengo.

“For starters, I serve in my official capacity as headmistress of West Genetics.  I simply cannot cast ALL that aside for the sake of partnering up once more with a Limiter.  I have responsibilities here.”

“And like I said earlier, there are replacements being flown in from all over the world to fill in your roles here, or perhaps I should say your FORMER roles here.  In your case, Sister Margaret, you’ll have a literal platoon of staffers and administrative clerks who will pick up the workload in your absence.  But if you’re so adamant on checking in on the everyday humdrum and affairs of things on campus, rest assured that you’ll still have all your clearances and will remain in-the-know on all bureaucratic, administrative, and staff-related issues here.  But I don’t want you to be so tied to your work that it hampers building a relationship with Kazuya, understand?”

Margaret’s eyes flittered, somewhat shocked at the lengths Gengo was willing to go in order to lighten her workload, and just so that she could effectively become engaged to his grandson.

“Even if I WERE to accept that remedy, sir,” continued Margaret, “I also AM a devout follower of the Lord’s will.  I’ve taken a vow to forsake certain earthly pleasures in walking the path of righteousness.”  At this, Gengo merely snorted before responding.

“Sister,” he began once more, “you DO know that some faiths have differing interpretations on the topic of marriage, right?  For instance, Catholics and Protestants differ on the issue of whether a priest is allowed to be married.  Now I suppose that the question of who is right between those two groups is a matter for biblical interpretation and philosophical scholarism, but the way I see things…is it inherently wrong for somebody to be devout AND in a loving relationship?”

“While I take no real issue on whether a follower of the righteous path seeks meaningful companionship, I cannot help but feel that as someone who yearns to become closer to the Lord that I must abstain from certain pleasures.  I don’t judge or fault others who seek such endearing love, but it’s something that I simply can no longer see for myself.  My calling dictates such.”  Margaret’s voice was subdued, but the vindication in her tone was genuine.

“As far as I’m concerned, dear Sister,” countered Gengo, “you can be both a follower and believe in your interpretation of scripture while at the same time getting to know the genuine love and embrace of a true and meaningful relationship, of which I’m sure Kazuya will be able to provide for you.  After all - and this goes for ALL of you here, not just Sister Margaret [Gengo turns his gaze to the other six Pandoras] - please don’t try to deceive me by telling me that you all don’t instinctively enjoy Kazuya’s company.  I’ve gleaned as much in the time you’ve gotten to know my grandson.”

‘Has he been spying on us?’ thought Elize.  ‘Hidden cameras that we weren’t aware of?  Or maybe hidden microphones?  It’s rather scary when you think about it, but given that this is the chairman’s grandson we’re talking about, it’s a feasible consideration.  Either that or maybe Su-Na keeping a close eye on all of us…’

Margaret sighed in response, fretting that none of her reservations were having the desired effect of dissuading Gengo Aoi from effectively marrying her off to Kazuya.

“Well, Mr. Chairman,” continued Margaret.

“Please, call me Gengo,” teased the white-haired gentleman.

“Really sir, it’s rather unbecoming to be so informal in these circumstances.”

“What’s wrong, dear Sister?  Afraid of becoming my granddaughter-in-law?”  Gengo teased as he took another sip from his drink.

The chairman’s rather blunt form of teasing brought forth a blush on Margaret’s face.  The older Pandora instinctively took another sip of her wine, contemplating if she would need a refill in order to help calm her nerves.

“Anyways, sir,” Margaret continued, trying to get the conversation back on topic, “the other reservation I have is probably the most obvious out of all of them:  I’m simply too old to be paired up with your grandson.”

“Oh come now, Margaret,” groaned Gengo.  “You may chronologically be rather mature, but biologically, your body is still as young and as vibrant as that of a woman in her early thirties.  Even underneath those holy robes, you still cut a marvelous figure akin to that of your glory days as a student.”

“Sir, I’m old enough to be Kazuya’s mother,” stated Margaret rather frankly.  “You honestly can’t believe that Kazuya will be perfectly okay and accepting at the idea of being partnered up to somebody with THAT much of an age gap.”

“Kazuya is more mature than I think you give him credit, dear Sister,” replied Gengo.  “Will he be surprised at such a thing?  Sure.  Flustered even?  Perhaps.  But in the end, with as open a mind and as big a heart as he has, he’ll accept you into his bedchamber and love you with the same level of passion and yearning as he will all his other partners.”  Gengo was on the verge of switching out the word “partners” with “lovers” or even “wives,” but felt that a touch of discretion was called for, so as to not get all of these women too flustered.

The conviction in Gengo’s voice was only too obvious.  While the overall tone was somewhat friendly and inviting, the Aoi patriarch apparently wasn’t taking “no” for an answer when it came to basically marrying off these women to his grandson…along with the other sixteen women whom he was currently paired up with (engaged to?) at this point.

“Kazuha?  Su-Na?  You two have been awfully quiet about this.  Surely at least ONE of your has reservations about this whole thing?”  asked Yu-Mi.

“None whatsoever,” answered Kazuha succinctly.

“This is your BROTHER we’re talking about,” stated Elize.  “You’re HONESTLY okay with-”

“Yes,” stated Kazuha matter-of-factly.

The other women (minus Su-Na) simply stared wide-eyed at Kazuya’s simple declaration.  There was no joking or lying in her eyes whatsoever.

“Even leaving that aside,” stated Violet, “we’re talking about your brother being paired up with a LOT of Pandoras, including us here.  Are you TRULY okay with the idea of us and your brother…well, you know…”  The oldest L. Bridget sibling was starting to blush and stammer, unable to address the rather obvious point of effectively being co-wife alongside Kazuha and all the others present to Kazuya.

“Let me try to be as direct as I can in this statement:  To me, all of you are like sisters already.  I treasure and cherish each and every single one of you.  So to put things bluntly, I have absolutely no qualms whatsoever about this arrangement.  I love Kazuya with all my heart.  And it lifts my heart to know that he’ll have ALL of us here to love him and watch over him.  We can be a family, loving one another as well as Kazuya and all those other lovely ladies of his.  When grandfather made this statement on what he intended to do, I was only too happy and ecstatic at the way things were to proceed.”

The other Pandoras (again, minus Su-Na) simply stood there in wide-eyed shock at Kazuha’s literal love confession towards Kazuya, as well as the fact that she was basically in lock-step with her grandfather in forming a massive harem of massive women around Kazuya in such a short amount of time.

“Miss Lee,” stated Amelia, “surely YOU have reservations about this whole thing?  You certainly don’t seem particularly enthusiastic about it all.”

“Whatever the chairman desires, I will obey dutifully,” stated Su-Na bluntly.  “While I feel that I wouldn't serve adequately as a partner in the romantic sense of the word, I will do my duty and watch over Kazuya if that’s what Chairman Aoi desires.”

“Su-Na,” Gengo called out to the Korean beauty.

“Sir?”

“Your admiration for me is touching to say the least.  Out of all the Pandora’s I’ve known over the years, you’re among one of the few with a level of devotion to me that truly warms my heart.  You’ve given this old man a sense of pride the likes of which few can match.  In a way, I’ve come to see you as something of a daughter, or perhaps a granddaughter more aptly put.  But now, it’s my honest hope and yearning that whatever devotion you have for me will be far eclipsed by the love I’m certain you’ll feel for Kazuya in this new arrangement.”

“Sir, while I most certainly appreciate the praise you have for me, I would be remiss to not remind you of the last time we spoke on this subject.  I told you that I could serve dutifully as a bodyguard for Kazuya, but that I consider myself lacking in the realm of love and affection.  If you truly wish for me to engage in Baptism with your grandson, then I will dutifully accept it.  But I simply cannot see myself as a fitting lover to Kazuya, and I feel that such a pairup would be a disservice, both to him and to you, Chairman Aoi.”  Su-Na bowed her head in reverence to Gengo upon finishing.

Gengo activated his hover chair so as to bring him to ground level.  Walking towards the group of women, he stood before Su-Na Lee with a distinct calmness.  Holding out his hand, he gestured for Su-Na to bring hers forward.  She did so automatically, placing her larger fingers in the palm of his hand as he slowly wrapped his fingers around hers.

“My dear Su-Na,” stated Gengo, “I only ask that you give this a chance.  Do you trust in my judgment?”

“Always.”

“Then please have faith in my judgment once more.  I like to think I’m a pretty good judge of character once I get to know a person after a while.  In the few years I’ve known you, I have come to make the acquaintance of a fearsome warrior as well as a maiden who fears being vulnerable in the presence of others.  You like to think of yourself as ‘damaged goods,’ a veritable sociopath who cannot connect with others on a deeper level.  Well, I like to think that that need not be the case with you.  It’s my earnest, honest hope that you get the chance to fall in love and experience what it means to truly LOVE someone, instead of simply admiring someone as you have with me.  I hope that in the not so distant future, if you had to choose between love for Kazuya and devotion towards me, that you’ll choose Kazuya EVERY SINGLE TIME the choice comes up.  Nothing would make me happier than to watch a lovely young lady like you fall head-over-heels for Kazuya.  So please…please just give this a chance.  Allow yourself the chance to find happiness via love.”

“I’ll…I’ll try, sir,” stated a somewhat unsure Su-Na, with a touch of wavering in her voice.  While she was known as quite possibly the most fearsome active-duty Pandora currently serving (maybe of all time), Su-Na Lee was quite the innocent type when it came to opening up her heart to others, especially in matters of romantic affection.

“Very well then,” stated Gengo as he turned to the others.  “While Kazuha here is my granddaughter, it is my hope that ALL of you here will carry the same title in the months to come.  What I just told Su-Na here extends to all of you, as it effectively has with the other Pandoras whom I've partnered up with Kazuya already.”

“Mr. Chairman, your adamance is rather profound and somewhat endearing sir,” stated Yu-Mi, “yet I fear that you’re teetering on the realm of fantasy by this point.  While I’m certain that all of us here have a highly positive opinion of Kazuya, pairing up even more women with him will almost certainly-”

“Do ANY of you here have a problem with Kazuya?” Gengo interrupted.  “We already know about Kazuha of course, but do ANY SINGLE ONE OF YOU see something about Kazuya that you find inherently unattractive or turns you off from him in one way or another?”

“Sir, please don’t misunderstand,” said Violet.  “Your grandson is a WONDERFUL person.  I’d even go so far as to say that if we were a bit younger, we’d fancy pairing up with him.  Am I right on that, ladies?”  Violet turned to her fellow instructors and Margaret.  The mix of nods and subtle blushes on their faces indicated that Violet was most certainly correct in that assessment.

“Then what exactly is the problem?” conuntered Gengo.

“It’s like we’ve stated earlier, Mr. Chairman,” said Amelia.  “Kazuya already has plenty of women whom he has to focus his attention and affection towards.  I’d wager that he’s going to be MORE than occupied serving as a faithful and loving companion towards the whole lot of them.  It simply wouldn’t be fair to him or to them to add more competition to the mix.”

“As big a heart as Kazuya may have, it would be nigh-on impossible to effectively and meaningfully love and bond with nearly two dozen women,” added Elize.

“And as I stated before, please don’t underestimate Kazuya’s abilities,” countered Gengo.  “Like I told Su-Na just a moment ago, please trust in my analysis and judgment.  Once Kazuya is baptized to ALL of you as well as all of the other Pandoras, everything will become crystal clear.  Besides, this isn’t just my wish to see this plan through.  There’s someone else who shares my desire.”

“Someone else?” asked Yu-Mi.

Gengo proceeded to briefly walk away from the group and hit a button on a nearby intercom alongside the edge of his desk.

“Beloved, would you be so kind as to come down and get acquainted with your future granddaughter-in-laws?”  Gengo asked with a grin.

“Of course, my love,” said the voice one the other end.

‘Who is he referring to?’ thought Yu-Mi, Elize, Violet, and Amelia all at once.

Less than a minute later, in walked a twelve-foot tall blonde-haired beauty with golden eyes and an outright heavenly figure wearing a simple white evening gown, as if she were some kind of goddess who descended from a higher realm.  Going over to Gengo, she picked up the gentleman and held him endearingly in her arms as she proceeded to plant a slow and passionate kiss onto his lips, which he returned said passion with equal gusto.  While holding Gengo Aoi against her side one-armed like he was an infant, she turned her smiling gaze towards the seven Pandoras in the room.

Amongst the group, Yu-Mi, Elize, Violet, and Amelia all had wide eyes and agape mouths as they stared at the newest Pandora to arrive in the meeting room.  By comparison, Su-Na, Margaret, and Kazuha had much calmer dispositions on their faces, indicating that they already knew about who this Pandora was.

Immediately, the surprised group of four stood up and took a kneeling position in a show of reverence as to who had graced the room with her presence.  After all, Maria Lancelot was pretty much the original savior of the human race in the early years of the Nova Clashes, pretty much serving as the main guardian of humanity throughout the first four clashes no less.

In fact, Maria had pretty much disappeared altogether from the public spotlight after the Fourth Nova Clash.  Some speculated that she simply died from her wounds in the aftermath of the battle.  Others thought that she returned to the world she originally came from before coming to Earth.  But it was simply a matter of hiding her away from the public eye.  Why exactly?  Short answer:  Gengo Aoi, as was usually the case.

For reasons which he had kept secret to all but a handful of those whom he viewed as part of his inner circle (among them Kazuha, Su-Na, and Sister Margaret), Gengo Aoi had decided to simply whisk away Maria Lancelot from public scrutiny.  As far as the rest of the world was aware, Maria had simply poofed out of public view, her disappearance akin to that of those who supposedly vanished within the Bermuda Triangle or Amelia Earhart on her last voyage in 1937.

Yet now, before the seven Pandoras stood the proverbial “Mother of All Pandora” in the flesh, looking as radiant and beautiful as ever, holding Gengo Aoi against her bosom and torso (and thus confirming that the two were indeed rather intimate lovers as well as collaborators in fighting off the Nova threat).

“Please, there’s no need to bow,” stated Maria plainly.  “I beseech you all, please stand up and face me as equals.  We are all Pandora…as well as family.”

‘Family?!’ thought Yu-Mi, Elize, Violet, Amelia, and Margaret at this declaration.  Even Maria Lancelot desired them to effectively marry into the Aoi Family via partnership with Kazuya?

“M-Miss Lancelot,” began Yu-Mi, finding it difficult to look the taller woman in the eye, “I’m sorry…it’s just, hard to explain how humbling it is to be in your presence, ma’am.”  The sentiment was shared by pretty much all the other Pandoras, though Kazuha, Su-Na, and Margaret were able to keep a hold of such admiration as to not act like lowly peasants kneeling before some kind of high-born noble or monarch.

“Please, just Maria will do,” replied the towering beauty.  “Though I’m hoping in the near future, it will simply be “Grandmother.”  I would very much like that.  Now please, no more kneeling.”  Maria finished with a matronly and calming chuckle.

Even with the jovial and light-hearted nature coming from this supermodel/supersoldier of a woman, the other Pandoras were simply at too great of a loss for words in her presence.  Aside from Kazuha (being kin) and Su-Na (who tended to have a poker face in general), the other Pandoras were simply in too much of a state of awe to act otherwise in Maria’s presence.  Even Sister Margaret couldn’t help but view her with outright reverence, as if she were some kind fo “Holy Mother” worthy of sainthood or beatification.  From their perspective, Maria was an outright otherworldly being, somewhere in between on the spectrum between mere mortal and god (or perhaps more accurately goddess).  At the very least, Maria Lancelot was an outright demigoddess in both her demeanor as well as her fighting capability.  She had this natural born air of grace about her, like that of Elizabeth Mably in comparison but on a whole other level.

That being said, the other Pandoras did their best to try and relax around Maria.  To her credit, Maria simply smiled and chuckled at their attempt.  For someone who came to Earth and wielded such otherworldly abilities to slay the Nova wherever and whenever possible, she was remarkably patient and open-hearted in how she presented herself.  Perhaps time with Gengo had softened her disposition somewhat after all these years, though that was something that most likely only Gengo (and maybe Kazuha) could answer.

Maria spent the next few minutes gracing each respective Pandora’s forehead with a kiss of endearment, all seven of them.  Maybe it was her way of “inducting” them into the fold, as a way of saying “Welcome to the family.”  In any case, the act certainly humbled the whole damn lot of them as they processed just what was occurring, which Gengo simply chuckling and smirking as he stayed propped on his wife’s hip all the while.

It certainly was entertaining on his part to watch the more reserved types like Su-Na and Margaret become rather shy and embarrassed as such an endearing show of affection among their future in-laws.

“Anyways, now that that’s been settled,” stated Gengo once more, “what say we wrap up the evening?  Would anybody care for any more snacks or refreshment before we call it a night?”  Once those who accepted seconds had their fill, Gengo gestured to his wife with a simple nod.

“Well then, Mr. Chairman, is there anything else you wish to address with us, sir?” asked Amelia.

“No, that’s pretty much the entirety of the situation, and I’d prefer it if you simply refer to me as “Grandfather” from this moment on, or at least after you’ve all engaged in Baptism with Kazuya anyway,” Gengo finished with a chuckle, much to the embarrassment of all seven Pandoras minus Kazuha, who simply grinned and chuckled in turn.

“How exactly should Kazuya be notified about this…addition?” inquired Margaret.  “Do you want one of us to tell him and his partners?”

“Kazuya will find out first thing tomorrow,” answered Gengo.  “With the whole lot of you being paired up with him, I’ll see to it that you’re all moved into your new dwellings by this time tomorrow.  After all, why do you think I had such an abode as the one for Kazuya constructed?  Even with sixteen partners, it’s still rather excessive in terms of space.  It needs more…companionship, wouldn’t you all agree?”

“I cannot say, Mr. Chairman,” replied Yu-Mi, “I’ve never been inside Kazuya’s current residence.

“Well then, I hope you’ll find it to your liking then, ladies,” Gengo stated, “especially the master bedroom.  It should be spacious enough for the lot of you…all twenty-four of you, that is.”  The Aoi patriarch finished with a chuckle.

“Now now, Darling,” stated Maria, “no need to get our future granddaughters too flustered right off the bat.”

“My apologies, love,” stated Gengo as the two kissed once more, “couldn’t help myself with a little playful teasing.”

“I suppose we should all take our leave then,” stated Margaret.

“Oh, no need for that, Margaret,” stated Gengo.  “You can all spend the night here.  It’s getting late and I’d rather not inconvenience my family by sending them off so abruptly.  There are plenty of guest bedrooms to accommodate all of you.”

“Please, there’s no need to go out of your way, sir,” said Violet.

“I’m afraid I’m going to have to insist,” replied Gengo in a tone that was friendly yet stern, as if to say “I’m not taking no for an answer.”

“You shall all spend the night here before you’re off to your new abode and your fellow family members,” declared Gengo.  Though by family members he was basically stating “your new sister-wives and group husband,” though deciding to take Maria’s advice, Gengo kept the teasing playfulness in his banter to a minimum.

“Very well then,” sighed Elize, who was at the very least thankful that nobody was being punished for the hacking incident which she felt was the underlying crux of this whole meeting.  She certainly wasn’t expecting what basically amounted to an arranged marriage of sorts, given that this was Gengo Aoi’s grandson they were talking about.  Apparently, the man was borderline obsessed with have Kazuya paired up with a small ARMY of Pandoras to take to wife (or at the very least a sizable platoon to be more accurate, with the way things were looking at present).

“Su-Na, would you be so kind as to show your sisters to their chambers?” asked Gengo.

“Of course, sir,” replied Su-Na with a bow before gesturing to the other Pandoras to follow her.

That left Gengo alone with Maria, or at least that WOULD have been the case, but Kazuha opted to stay behind, telling the others that she would catch up with them shortly.

“Something on your mind, Kazuha?” asked Maria, still holding Gengo in her embrace.

“Just wanted to say thank you so much for this, the both of you,” stated Kazuha with a grin to the two of them.

“No need for thanks, dear,” stated Gengo.  “I’ve known that you’ve carried a torch for Kazuya for a long time now, and I’m around 90% certain that he reciprocates the sentiment, even if he’s reluctant to admit it due to societal concerns.”

“Even so, I’m certainly appreciative of you allowing for the next step,” said Kazuha.

“Kazuya is your One, just as he’s almost assuredly the One to all of the others,” said Maria.

“Honestly, I’m rather surprised that you’re so on board with things as they stand,” commented Gengo.  “I’d figure that you’d be a little miffed at the notion of so much competition for him.”

“I don’t see it as competition,” replied Kazuha.  “They are part of our family now, so there need be no animosity between us.  I don’t see this as confrontation in the slightest.  Now we can become closer to one another, especially once Kazuya initiates in Baptism.  The way I see it, I don’t have competition…merely more to love and to show my love towards, and in time I like to think the sentiment will be shared by ALL of them as well.”

“My my my, dear Kazuha, you’re certainly more “free spirited” on the topic of romance than I would have pegged you for,” chuckled Maria.

“Our family is a rather unique one, Grandmother,” replied Kazuya with her own mirrored grin.  “I simply cannot see us as anything other than above and beyond the petty whims of society anymore.  As arrogant and haughty as it may sound to hear the words, we hold an exceptional place in world history, and as such, I can’t help but see us as entitled to the love we hold for each other.  Does that make me a bad person?”

“In my opinion, not at all,” stated Gengo matter-of-factly.  “I like to think that it’s a perk our family has afforded in making the strides we’ve made over these years since the early clashes with the Nova.  And if broader society doesn’t approve of it, they can keep their opinion.  I’m not against the topic of free will after all.”  Gengo also knew that if the powers that be actually were so brazen as to take some kind of punitive action over Gengo creating a mass harem for his grandson, that there would almost assuredly be hell to pay in one form or another.

“Well then, I’ll take my leave now,” said Kazuha.  “Again, thank you both so much for seeing this through.”

“You deserve to be happy, Kazuha,” stated Maria with that endearing grin of hers, not so different from that of Chiffon’s by comparison.  “Kazuya does as well.  We just want for your happiness, as well as that of our other soon-to-be granddaughters.”

Kazuha finished by giving a humble familial kiss to both Maria and Gengo before taking her leave, which finally left the pair of them alone in the office.

“Well then, what shall we do now, beloved?” asked Maria, staring down at the smaller man in her arms.

“There’s only one thing I want to do with you right now, if you’ll grant me the pleasure of it, my goddess.” replied Gengo staring up at the tall, blonde-haired beauty.

With a grin implying playful, adult-rated innuendo, Maria lifted Gengo Aoi up closer to her face before planting a very VERY passionate French kiss onto him, which he returned with as much passion and power as he could in return.  If the moaning from Maria was any indication, it certainly had the desired effect.

“You.  Me.  In bed.  Now.” stated Maria in a matter-of-fact tone, implying no room for refusal, given how “in heat” she was becoming after the smoochfest.

“Of course, my love.” Gengo replied, only too eager to engage in a passionate bout of lovemaking in their bedroom expected to last well into the night.  “We just can’t sleep in too late for tomorrow.  Somebody has to notify Kazuya and the others after all.”

And with that, the happy couple went their way (Gengo carried in Maria’s arms) off to their own private bedchamber, with sexual hunger on both of their minds for the rest of the night.