The day progressed onward, with Honoka in Ayaka’s embrace as she carried him from the bathing area towards their bedroom, which they managed to reach in a reasonably short time.  Whatever house staff they passed along the way respectfully minded their own business, giving no more than a passing glance and a humble bow as they crossed paths with Ayaka (at the moment holding Honoka snuggly in her arms as she walked).  Honoka pondered whether this was out of genuine deference for the lady whom they served under (alongside Ayaka’s mother, of course) or if it was out of a subdued fear of her, given her towering height.  Honoka liked to think that it would be the former, though perhaps at least a teeny bit of the latter as well if he was being completely honest.  After all, when one is in the presence of another so much larger than themself, it’s only natural to feel at least a LITTLE intimidated with such a size disparity.

In any case, Ayaka and Honoka reached their bedroom in short order and changed into some comfortable loungewear.  Honoka went with a simple t-shirt, dark slacks and white socks while Ayaka went with a humble blouse, a modest skirt, and some knee-high black socks in turn.  Honoak noticed that no matter what kind of dress top Ayaka wore, her bosom was ALWAYS accentuated.  It simply couldn’t be helped.  Ayaka (like Kazane and Touko) had QUITE the bosom, so no matter what kind of shirt or top she wore, she’d be flaunting “the goods” as some refer to a woman’s breasts.

During their dressing session, Ayaka noticed Honoka glimpsing at her bosom and decided to ask him a question.

“See something you like, Honoka-kun?” she playfully inquired.

“I…I’m sorry,” he muttered with a blush as he turned away, feeling mild shame over ogling Ayaka’s bosom.  Seconds later, he heard (and felt) the heavy footsteps once more bearing down towards his way, followed by being cast in Ayaka’s shadow.

“There you go again, needlessly apologizing,” Ayaka sighed as she gently placed her hands underneath Honoka’s armpits before lifting him up and French-kissing him as she fell backwards onto the bed within their room.  The towering beauty crashed against the massive mattress, bouncing slightly as she made impact while holding Honoka securely against her larger frame.  For his part, Honoka couldn’t really bother to take notice of such a thing, given the feel of Ayaka’s tongue in his mouth, her lips against his own lips, and her wonderful aroma bombarding his nostrils all the while as they made out.

The makeout session lasted at least a full minute if not longer by Honoka’s estimate.  His sense of time was rather fuzzy, given how hot and heavy the moment was becoming.  Even so, he managed to keep from completely giving into his libido and gently pulled away from the kiss, staring down at Ayaka’s lovely features as he pulled back.

“I’m…sorry,” he said.  “It’s just the way that I am.  I’m not the sort to ‘take charge’ and dominate like other guys supposedly do in these sorts of situations.”

“I know,” Ayaka gently replied with a small smile.  “You wait for the girl to take the lead.  That’s all well and good, Darling.  It’s simply part of who you are.  In some ways, you’re the epitome of kindness, never wanting to force yourself onto others, especially in moments like these.  It’s one of the things that I love about you, just like the others love about you in equal measure.  But I certainly don’t mind if you want to take the lead every once in a while, Darling.  That would certainly make things all the more amusing and enjoyable.”

“I…I’ll…try to do what I can…to make you happy,” Honoka blushingly  replied as he rested atop Ayaka’s larger body.

“I know you will, Honoka-kun,” Ayaka grinned once more.  “That’s part of who you are.  But no need to rush on all that.  We’ll all have a very, very, VERY long time for that kind of stuff, Darling.”  Ayaka gently palmed the back of Honoka’s head and brought him in for another French kiss, which lasted at least another thirty seconds if not longer.

“What do you mean by that…when you talk about having a very long time?” Honoka asked, sensing a deeper meaning behind Ayaka’s declaration.

“Just like I said, Honoka-kun, we’ll have a VERY long time to love one another and spend so much quality time with one another…all of us, of course, not just you and me, though I intend to have my share of one-on-one time with you all the same” she answered matter-of-factly.

“When you’re talking about time, I assume you’re talking…several years?  Decades even?”  Honoka asked.

“I was thinking more along the lines of centuries…scratch that, a few thousand years at bare minimum…” Ayaka replied calmly.

“Y-you’re joking, right?” Honoka nearly choked in response.

“Not at all, Darling,” Ayaka replied bluntly.  “You know…I’m gonna just go ahead and say a solid ten thousand years minimum for all of us…not just you and I, but everyone in our family.”

“B-but, Ayaka-chan, people can’t live that long.  It’s simply impossible.”

“Normal humans can’t live that long, yes, but when you combine high-level magical ability with the power of Evermillion, the possibilities become practically ENDLESS, Honoka-kun.  Through our contract with her, we could easily live to be several millennia old, probably surpassing even ten thousand years depending on how much power Evermillion possesses.”

“That's really possible?” asked a bewildered Honoka.

“Okaa-san has lived for several centuries, Honoka-kun, and that’s WITHOUT Evermillion’s power.  If…or perhaps I should say “when” the contract between Evermillion and all of us becomes fully cemented, we’ll all be capable of living for a VERY long time, which means all the more time for all of us to love one another and spend more and more wonderful, treasured moments with each other.”

“B-but, Ayaka-chan, people would obviously become suspicious at the sight of a group of people living for that amount of time,” Honoka interjected.  “Nobody in human history has lived for so long…well, I mean, your okaa-san and Chronoire-san have lived for centuries, sure…”

“A few witches here and there aside from those two have lived for comparably long times as well,” Ayaka semi-interrupted.  “I wouldn’t be terribly surprised if there were witches or wizards out there who have lived for over a thousand years.”

“But my point is that if people found out that we could theoretically live for hundreds or thousands of years, we’d be hunted down and imprisoned, either to be executed over fears of witchcraft and sorcery or else locked up in some government laboratory for the rest of our lives.”  The tone in Honoka’s voice clearly indicated how worried he was over the topic at hand.

“No need to worry your sweet little head, Darling,” Ayaka replied in her usual calm tone.  “If word ends up getting out about our lifespans, I’ll just do one of two things.”

“Those being?” Honoka asked nervously.

“Either a worldwide memory wipe so that everyone on the planet who isn’t involved in magic forgets all about us and leaves our family alone…”

“Is that even possible!?” Honoka choked in response.  “Surely you’re teasing, Ayaka-chan.”

“Not at all, Darling,” Ayaka replied rather calmly.  “It would take some difficulty, sure, but with Evermillion’s power, we could make such a thing possible.”

“And…what is the other potential remedy you have in mind?” Honoka asked.

“Simple, Honoka-chan:  Become the undisputed most powerful being on the planet and defeat any and all who seek to do our family harm, whether that’s an individual or all the armies on the planet combined.”

“Now I KNOW you’re teasing,” Honoka sighed.

“Not in the slightest, Darling,” Ayaka replied matter-of-factly.  “I don’t feel the need to run and hide from others, no matter what country they hail from or how much money and so-called power they have…or like to THINK that they have.  I’m not for violence, don’t misunderstand, Darling, but if anyone on the planet - the Japanese government, the Chinese government, the Russians, the Americans, the Europeans, the Indians, and anyone else for that matter -  seeks to imprison me or my family or bring harm to us in any way for simply existing, well…I’ll make them genuinely sorry for thinking themselves capable of even managing such a thing.  If I have to topple all of the governments of the world and proclaim myself empress or even goddess of the planet so that our family is left alone, then so be it.  And of course, Okaa-san and the others would join in Evermillion’s power so it’s not as if I’d have to do literally EVERYTHING all by myself if I have to take on the world.”

“Do you hear yourself, Ayaka-chan?” Honoka scoffed.  “Take on LITERALLY the entire world?”

“If I have to obliterate all of their nuclear weapons, rip through their aircraft carriers, flatten their tanks, demolish their bases, and crush every soldier at their disposal, then so be it,” Ayaka said calmly.  “And again, with help from Okaa-san and the others, it woudln’t be as difficult as you make it out to be, Honoka-kun.”

Seconds later, Honoka buried his face into Ayaka’s bosom and wrapped his arms around as much of her waist as he could, hugging tightly against her much larger frame all the while.

“Please don’t talk like that,” he tearfully muttered as he hugged her body and buried his head into her breasts.  “I don’t like…hearing you talk that way.  It makes me both sad and…a little frightened, like you’re becoming…some kind of power-hungry monster.”

A moment later, Honoka’s head was gently lifted up from Ayaka’s G-cup bosom as she planted a slow, sensual kiss on his lips, which inevitably turned into a French kiss not long afterwards, lasting several seconds as she smooched him.

“Honoka,” she semi-whispered after breaking off the kiss, “I understand your concerns and I’m sorry that I’ve frightened you with what I said.  I didn’t mean to alarm you or make you worry in any way.”  She placed another kiss on his lips to further calm him before continuing.  “Please know that I don’t seek power for the sake of power nor desire to dominate the world and proclaim myself some kind of empress or goddess over the planet.  I simply brought up that second option as a last resort if there were no other feasible options, that’s all.  Like I said earlier, if necessary I’ll simply cast a memory-wiping spell over the globe so that nobody outside the magic community knows about us.  It’s a technique witches and magic-users have used in the past before, usually for the safety of our own communities, that’s all.”

“Sure, I get it…but on a global scale?” Honoka asked.

“As I said, with Evermillion’s power, such a thing is conceivably possible, Takamiya-kun,” Ayaka answered.  “Yes, it would take a LOT of magical power, but Evermillion is a being who contains such a level of magical power that it could be done.”

“The way you talk about her, you make her sound like some kind of goddess,” Honoka noted in genuine awe.

“If she’s not a goddess, Honoka-kun, she’s as close to one as I can think of.  At bare minimum, she’s a magical entity that I’d consider to be a demigoddess in overall ability.  She might be able to be killed or vanquished…maybe.  But it would take a LOT of power and luck to defeat a being of her power, that’s for sure.  In any case, I wouldn’t worry about that, Darling.”

“How can you be so certain about that?” Honoka asked.  “From what I’ve heard about her, Evermillion sounds pretty dangerous.  I can see why many of the Tower Witches desire her for her power, but isn’t there the concern that she could go rogue and bring calamity upon the world?  I mean, I can understand the potential need for sealing me alongside her to keep that from happening and all and mmmphf!”

Once again, Honoka Takamiya found his lips snatched within Ayaka Kagari’s larger lips as she French kissed the hell out of him, breathing through her nostrils so that she didn’t need to break the kiss at all.  However many seconds passed (probably a minute’s worth if not longer), Ayaka eventually broke off the kiss and gazed intently into Honoka’s eyes.

“Darling, we’ve been through this already,” Ayaka sighed in mild annoyance.  “You’re NOT being sealed and that’s that.  I simply won’t allow it, and I’m pretty sure that the sentiment is universal among our family, including Okaa-san, so no more talking like that, okay?  And as for your worries about Evermillion, I wouldn’t fret over the idea of her going rogue…and do you know why, Honoka-kun?”

“W-why?” Honoka asked, genuinely confused.

“Because she’s drawn to you, just like the rest of us are, Honoka-kun,” Ayaka replied with a slight smile.  “You’ve managed to influence her and win her over to the point that she…that she likes you now, so you don’t have to worry about her doing things that would make you sad or upset, given that she doesn’t want that for you, just like I don’t want that for you, understand?”

“I…I’m not sure that I DO understand,” Honoka responded.  “How do you know that Evermillion likes me…the way that you’re implying that she likes me?  And how you do know that she wouldn’t use her power to dominate the world or bring chaos and ruin to it and hurt people?”

“Because of YOU, Honoka-kun,” Ayaka calmly replied.

“Me?” asked a confused Honoka.

“Yes, YOU, you silly boy,” Ayaka chuckled.

“But…how do I figure into this equation exactly?”

“Because you’re the one whom Evermillion is anchored to…or I should say that she has been anchored to you for quite some time now, years at this point.  And given that she’s effectively tied to your very soul, she knows what kind of person you are.  She’s familiar with your kindness and gentleness, your desire to avoid fighting and violence, to seek a peaceful world and all that, and it’s made an impression on her.  You may find this hard to believe, Honoka-kun, but Evermillion…she likes you…the same way that I like you, that ALL of us here like you, Darling.  Does that help clarify things?”

For a few seconds, Honoka simply blinked his eyes in rapid succession, processing what he just heard.  He had no reason to think that Ayaka would be pulling his leg over something like this.  It wasn’t in her nature to joke or tease, and certainly not over something as serious as Evermillion of all things.

“Sh-she…she really…likes me?  You mean “likes me” likes me?”  Honoka asked.

“Yes, you silly little goofball,” Ayaka mildly giggled before leaning in to plant on more quick smooch on Honoka’s lips (she was still holding him against her body all the while during this time).  “You can simply think of this as one more addition to our family, but enough on that for now.  Let’s go see how some of the others are doing, shall we?”  Ayaka got up off her bed and set Honoka back down on the floor at this point.

“Who did you have in mind?” Honoka asked.

“Well…we’ve already spent some time with Rinon-chan, so I was thinking about checking on things with the other girls…either Touko-chan, Atori-chan, Natsume-chan, or Kanae-chan.”

“No Kasumi-chan?” Honoka inquired.

“Oh, if we bump into her, I’m pretty sure she’ll want to drop whatever she’s doing and spend some time with us…well, spend time with YOU for the most part, Darling,” Ayaka chuckled.  “In any case, let’s check up on the others.  This sort of thing is necessary in the big picture.”

“Big picture?” asked a confused Honoka.

“For solidifying our family, Takamiya-kun,” Ayaka elaborated.  “In case I was too cryptic, allow me to be a tad bit more literal right now.  You know by this point that all of the ladies in our family are now partnered to you, right?”

“Yes, to help strengthen the seals keeping Evermillion in check, right?”

“Well, yes, there’s that of course,” Ayaka confirmed, “but the sealing ritual serves another purpose, so to speak.”

“That being?” Honoka asked.

“Well, insofar as us all being “partnered” to you, it’s not just in the sense of being “comrades in arms” or anything so blase as that, Darling,” Ayaka’s tone held a touch of playfulness to it, which was surprising given her usually stoic demeanor.

“A-Ayaka-chan…are you…are you saying that…”

Before he could finish the question, Honoka’s lips were silenced one more as Ayaka bent significantly at the waist to plant another kiss on his lips, slowly pulling back and making a gentle sucking noise as she did.

“Honoka-kun,” she began once more, “just to make things perfectly clear:  Every woman partnered to you is now your lover and no less than that.  Whether you wish to use the title of “wife” when referring to us is a matter of conjecture, but make no mistake on this, Darling.  We - all of us, including Okaa-san - are now bonded to you, as both your protectors and your lovers, and I intend for us to make the most out of this relationship we’re now in, which as I’ve stated before will last for a very, VERY long time on the order of centuries if not millenia.  Just like our bodies have over these past few days, I intend for our love to grow and grow and GROW, Honoka-kun.”

Upon hearing that, Honoka couldn’t help but tense up a little bit when hearing anything related to the word “growth” of all things…though if he was being completely honest, he DID find the concept to be a little bit titillating as well.  Being in the company of so many beautiful women who both looked after and cared for him as well as towered over him…it stirred something rather primal within his being.  Of course, Honoka was too old-fashioned to go and admit enjoying such a concept.  He imagined that the vast majority of people with whom he might vocally share such a fantasy with would look at him and think him a weirdo at the very least, hence why he kept such a fetishistic fantasy to himself.

As if she were reading his mind, Ayaka cracked a small grin and knelt down so that her head was level with Honoka’s head.  Gazing rather intently into his eyes, she leaned in until their faces were only inches apart.

“It excites you, doesn’t it?”  Ayaka whispered.

“Wh-what does?” Honoka replied.

“Us girls growing…getting bigger and bigger, towering over all that surrounds us…becoming larger and more powerful as a result…it turns you on at least a little, doesn’t it?”

Honoka turned his head to the side, staring at the floor, shame clearly written on his face.

“N-n-n…” Despite his best efforts, Honoka coudln’t quite will himself to simply say “no” and lie in an attempt at denial.  A second laer, he felt Ayaka’s thumb and forefinger gently cult his chin and turn his head so that he directly faced her own.  After staring for a few seconds into Ayaka’s lovely features, Honoka found his lips being gently swallowed by Ayaka’s lips once more, her tongue playfully demanding entrance to his mouth.  Impulsively, Honoka acquiesced.

After another minute of two of kissing, Ayaka pulled back to face Honoka, making sure his eyes were locked with her own.

“Darling,” Ayaka nearly whispered in a rather sultry and salacious tone, “please don’t feel ashamed or embarrassed over what you like.  It’s completely harmless…and if I’m being honest, it makes me happy that this excites you.”

“It…it does?” Honoka asked nervously.

“Of course it does, you silly boy you,” Ayaka replied earnestly.  “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I know that you’d like for these growth spurts to eventually level off in the not-so-distant future for various reasons, and they will, I assure you.  But there’s nothing wrong with enjoying them while they happen, at least a little bit.  I can tell that you find them rather exhilarating.  After all, here you are in the company of several girls who stand several feet above you, all of whom are now sworn to look ater you, protect you, and love you to boot, my darling little Honoka-kun.  I imagine that some guys would freak out in joy being in the midst of such a thing, and if you’re reactions are anything to go by, you enjoy this as least a LITTLE bit, am I right?”

“I…” Honoka struggled to get the words out.

“Yes?” Ayaka replied with bated breath.  “Go ahead, Darling.  Tell me…”

“I…I do…” Honoka quietly muttered.  “I won’t lie.  It’s…really something to behold.  I mean, a part of me got nervous out of fear and worry - worry for you, to be clear - but I also couldn’t help but be…how to put it…mesmerized, I suppose is the best word I can think of.  It was all just so captivating and breathtaking and overwhelming and so many other things that made my heartbeat pick up.  It’s just that…well, it’s not something that most guys would openly admit to in public.  And if I were to tell you how I felt about this kind of thing, then what would you think of me in turn?”

“What do you mean by that?”  Ayaka asked in a somewhat baffled tone.

“You wouldn’t think me at least a LITTLE bit weird for having such…odd tastes?”

“You honestly believe that I would think less of you for enjoying this?  Is that what you honestly think?”  Honoka slowly nodded his head, his eyes gazing down at the floor, too embarrassed and ashamed to face Ayaka at that moment.

“Honestly,” Ayaka sighed as she cupped the side of Honoka’s head and brought him in for another smooch.  “You REALLY need to have a little more faith in yourself, Darling.  I’m sure you know by now that I don’t like it when you go about putting yourself down like this.”

“I know…and I’m sorry for that,” Honoka replied.  “I guess the old saying about old dogs and new tricks holds true in some ways.”  He ended with a mild, half-hearted chuckle.

“You’re not old, Darling,” Ayaka replied, “and I’m not mad or disappointed in you or anything even CLOSE to that.  I know that’s just how you are, Honoka-kun, and it’s part of the reason I truly love you, Darling.  I just wish that you’d have a little more self-confidence from time to time, that’s all.  But enough about that stuff for the time being.  Let’s go see how some of the others are doing, shall we?”

“Alright then,” Honoka nodded before being picked up and cradled against Ayaka’s larger body.  By this point, he knew damn well that whenever the opportunity came to hold him snuggly against her body like a small child, Ayaka would take it without hesitation, and therefore it would be almost pointless to make a fuss or raise an objection to such treatment.  That wasn’t to say that Ayaka would NEVER let Honoka walk on his two feet, just that she was pretty clingy in her own lovey-dovey way of showing affection, and Honoka could tell that feeling him against her brough Ayaka some degree of peace in and of itself, so there wasn’t any harm in letting her hold him against her torso and bosom from time to time…

…that and Honoka was pretty sure that Ayaka did it in part to get a sexual rise out of him, which to her credit she managed to pull off every time she did so.  Honoka WAS an adolescent, heterosexual male after all, and he most certainly could appreciate the female form.

Navigating through the hallways with Honoka in her arms, Ayaka politely responded to whichever servants she passed in the hallways as she sauntered through them with Honoka propped against her hip like a small child, making sure to (a) hold him securely against her all the while and (b) have his faced gently pressed against her G-cup bosom as she walked to continuously get a rise out of him.

………

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the Kagari Household…

Kasumi Takamiya, Natsume Mikage, Touko Hio, and Atori Kuramine were gathered in one of the study rooms going over various spells.  Each of the four young ladies was seated at a table scaled to their size.  Apparently, now that they were contracted to Honoka, any furniture they required use of would magically be scaled to accommodate their larger bodies as was the case with Ayaka and Kazane.

Initially, it was just Kasumi and Atori going over the finer points of various spells within the spellbooks they were perusing, but not long after, both Natsume and Touko decided to join them and turn it into a study session, having wrapped up the phonecalls with their respective families.

After all, they were all workshop witches and needed to hone and sharpen their skills as such.  Though it was tempting to let Ayaka and Kazane do most of the heavy lifting when it came to managing the magical affairs within Tougetsu City, the four ladies has their own pride as witches to defend (even the more laid-back types like Touko).

The four flipped over page after page, conversing with one another about which spell would work best for which among them, given their affinities towards certain types of magic.  For instance, any spell involving the use of water would probably suit Touko best, given ther affinity towards ice-themed magic, while any combat-related magic would probably suit Atori best, given her propensity towards swordplay.  Kasumi would probably be best for long-range type magic, given that she tended to rely on using a sniper rifle from time to time, and as for Natsume, she was generally considered best in formulating new potions or support-style magic to assist her fellow witches in increasing either their offensive or defensive capabilities.

Between reviewing the written materials and occasional chit-chat here and there, the study session was pleasant enough.  It certainly served as a useful enough distraction in light of the last few days, what with all of them now being partnered up with Honoka AND turning into towering amazons in a rather short window of time.

Regarding Natsume and Touko, the former was pretty upfront with her uncle, with him being a wizard and thus not someone who would freak out upon seeing his niece suddenly towering over him by several feet the next time they met.  As for Touko, she had yet to tell either her mother or her siblings about suddenly growing to be over ten feet tall.  While she felt guilty about not telling them, she did so to not alarm them or make them worry over what was happening to her.  She would rather not use a mind-alteration spell to tweak their memories so that they always thought she was such a statuesque stunner from her prepubescent days; Touko frowned upon that sort of thing as she found it to be underhanded in its dishonesty.

In any case, for the time being, the day was moving along smoothly enough among the four young women.  At one point, the question came up as to whether or not one of them should go look for Rinon to see if she’d like to join in the study group, given that she was a fellow workshop witch and all.  Even if Rinon largely relied on physical brute force as opposed to magic, it would be nice to have her join in the session for the sake of extra company.

“Knowing her, she’s still probably training in the gymnasium,” noted Kasumi.  “Probably punching the crap outta some speedbag or punching bag.”

“Either that or hitting the weights, just to gauge her overall strength,” added Natsume.  “She’s never really been much for study, after all.”

“Still, the company would be nice all the same,” Touko chimed in, feeling a little crestfallen at one of their group not joining in on the session.  “Maybe we can take a break from studying and…I don’t know, watch a movie or some television or something like that?  It would be nice to get Kanae-san in on it as well, make it a group outing.”

“No Kagari-san or Takamiya-kun?” Natsume asked.

“Oh, of COURSE I’d love it if they’d join us as well,” Touko responded, “but knowing Hime-sama she’d rather have as much “alone time” with Takamiya-kun as possible.  If they were to join us, I’m pretty sure that Hime-sama would have him snuggled up securely in her lap all the while.”

“Maybe…maybe not,” Atori quietly commented.

“How do you mean?” asked Kasumi.

“Hime-sama…it’s true that she’s…well, that she keeps a VERY close eye on Honoka-kun to say the least…but, given what she told us the baths…I don’t know, it seems to me that she’s…at least somewhat open to…to…”

“To…what exactly, Atori-chan?” Natsume asked.

“To…sharing…”  The cat-eared girl couldn’t help but blush slightly to that analysis.  It was a blush which the other three women conveyed as well.  After all, when it comes to matters of romance and sexual intimacy, what fair-hearted maiden WOULDN’T be at least a little flustered and/or excited when such a steamy topic was brought up.

“Y-you’re really that sure about that?” Natsume asked once again.

“From what I recall in the baths,” Atori quietly continued, “Hime-sama told us…that we were all her lovers as well as Honoka-kun’s lovers.  The way I see it…that means that we’re also Honoka-kun’s lovers alongside Hime-sama, which means that we all have a right to spend time with him when we want to.”

“Y-you really think Hime-sama would ACTUALLY be willing to share?” asked a super-flustered Touko.

“Don’t get me wrong,” Atori continued, “I’m pretty sure that Hime-sama intends to be “Girl Number One” or whatever title she’d go with to denote pecking order within the group.  Having said that, she seems open to letting everyone else have some time with Honoka-kun.  To do otherwise would effectively jeopardize everything.”

“Everything?” asked Kasumi.  Atori nodded in confirmation.

“I think that she means that in order for the group dynamic to work as intended, then Ayaka-san is going to have to be willing to share Honoka-kun every now and then.  If she hoards him all to herself, then this setup is doomed in the long run.  What REALLY suprises me is how quickly Ayaka seems to have accepted this course, even embraced it I would say.”  The tone in Natsume’s voice indicated that she was quite surprised by the shift in Ayaka’s behavior.

“Tell me about it,” Kasumi added.  “While she clearly plans on being with Honoka-kun as much as possible, it’s like a part of her plans on being with EVERYONE in the group almost as much as him.”

“In a way…that’s a little scary,” Touko stated with apparent nervousness.

“How do you mean?” asked Natsume.

“Well…given how powerful Hime-sama is in terms of strength and stamina…I’m not sure we could…”keep up” with her hunger, so to speak…”  Touko sweat-dropped at the end of that little analysis.  It was a sentiment that wasn’t lost on the other girls in the group and also shared in equal measure by the rest of them.

“I suppose that’s why our group is as big as it is,” Natsume theorized, “not just to help out in sealing Evermillion and all that, but in…satisfying Hime-sama.”

“I hope that Rinon-chan and the chairwoman can do most of the heavy lifting on that,” Kasumi nervously muttered.  “I get the feeling that I’d be exhausted trying keep with with Hime-sama.”  Touko and Natsume nodded long in firm agreement.

It was at that moment that a certain knock came upon the door.

“Yes?  Who is it?” asked Natsume.

“Speak of the devil and she will appear,” replied the voice of one Ayaka Kagari, making the four women in the study room sweatdrop in response.

“Oh, um…please do come in, Hime-sama,” Touko nervously offered, hoping that Ayaka wouldn’t be brimming with mild, somewhat subdued irritation over being talked about.

A second later, the door slid open and in ducked Ayaka with Honoka perched on her body with one arm.  Carrying the young man on her hip, she made her way towards the table to join the other women, perching Honoka in her lap once she took a seat.

“Well then, to what do we owe the pleasure of your visit, Hime-sama?” asked Natsume nervously, wondering what Ayaka would say or do.

“Relax, ladies,” Ayaka responded.  “I’m not here to hurt or intimidate anybody here.  We’re family now after all, so you can all breathe easy.  I just felt like stopping by to see how the rest of you are doing today.  Studying, I’m guessing?”

“Indeed we are, Hime-sama,” Natsume replied, gesturing towards the spellbooks which were strewn open across the table.  “Just trying to refine and improve on our skills as witches.  Dont want to get rusty, after all.” The other three witches nodded along.

“I see,” Ayaka responded, pausing for a few seconds before continuing.  “Well, I’m guessing you’ve been at it for a little while now.  Would you all care to take a break and get some fresh air?  It would do you some good to stretch your legs a bit.”

“I suppose that would be fine,” Touko responded.  “Anything in particular?”

“I was thinking a walk in the park,” Ayaka responded.  “The day is lovely right now, so it would be nice to feel the sun and wind on our skin.  Aside from that, maybe a friendly round of volleyball or something along those lines.”

“I’m not sure I’d want to go a round of volleyball against you, Hime-sama,” Kasumi responded.  “Knowing how competitive you can be, I’m pretty sure I’d lose if you were serious.”

“Oh, relax, Kasumi-chan,” Ayaka reassured.  “I’m not saying that we’d be playing competitively, just some good-hearted fun among us girls, that’s all.  It wound’t even necessarily have to be in teams.  Just some time keeping the ball in the air is fine enough for me.”

“So…the five of us girls then?” Natsume inquired.

“I was thinking of bringing along Rinon-chan and Kanae-chan as well,” Ayaka clarified.

“Not your okaa-san too?” Touko asked.

“I certainly wouldn’t mind her joining us, but she’s probably still busy with school-related activities, or else tied down with workshop-related activities, paperwork and whatnot.  In any case, I wouldn’t worry.  I’ll make sure to bring a cellphone along if we need to get in contact with her.”

Under the circumstances, it was somewhat comical to mention bringing along a cellphone.  If Ayaka and the others were ordinary young girls who didn’t use magic, that would be understandable, but with their level of magical ability, it would be easy enough to set up a magical communication line via telepathy with Kazane, and thus making a cellphone somewhat obsolete as a result.  Still, having a cellphone on hand couldn’t hurt.

Shortly afterwards, Ayaka and the other girls vacated the study room and asked the servants if any of them saw Rinon or Kanae recently.  In short order, they were notified that Kanae was watching a movie in the living room while RInon was jogging laps in the gymnasium area.

“Please let them know that we need them to meet us in the front lobby as soon as possible.  Tell them it’s urgent,” Ayaka notified the staff as she and the others made their way towards said front lobby (with Honoka propped on her hip all the while).

“Why would you need to insist that it’s urgent, Hime-sama?” asked a confused Natsume.  “We’re just going out for a stroll in the park, nothing serious.”

“The urgency is in case Rinon wishes to opt out.  I figured that Kanae is unlikely to raise objections, given how loyal she is to my family, but knowing Rinon, she might try to find a way out of spending time with us, and I’m simply not taking no for an answer.”

“If I may be so bold as to ask, Hime-sama,” Toukou cautiously inquired, “why do you want a big group outing like this?  Not that I mind spending time like this, of course, but I figured that you’d prefer to have some quality alone time with Takamiya-kun.”

Ayaka set Honoka on the ground and then made her way towards Touko.  Despite standing at an impressive 10’5” tall, Touko was eclipsed by Ayaka’s even more impressive 11’6” height, with the former tilting her head up significantly to maintain eye contact with the latter as she instinctively backed away.  Within seconds, Touko found herself propped up against a wall as Ayaka beared down upon her, their tremendous bosoms nearly touching one another.

“Uhhh…is something wrong, Hime-sama?” Touko asked nervously, dreading that Ayaka was going to do something particularly unpleasant.

What ended up happening wasn’t necessarily unpleasant, though it WAS certainly unexpected, at least from Touko’s point of view.

Leaning both down and forwards slightly, Ayaka slowly planted her lips onto Touko’s own lips, inhaling deeply as she smooched the shorter girl, their large bosoms pressing against one another as Ayaka deepened the kiss.  Touko instinctively “yipped” in response, but her cries were muffled as Ayaka pressed the advantage and pushed further into the kiss, pinning Touko between herself and the wall behind the shorter girl.

For their part, the other girls just stared wide-eyed with their mouths slightly ajar as they witnessed Ayaka make out rather passionately with Touko, their lips and bosoms pressed oh so tightly against each other as Ayaka kissed the blue-haired beauty for all she was worth.  Honoka just gazed up in awe himself (being the shortest one of the bunch by far, after all) as these two statuesque stunners engaged in the makeout session, though it was Ayaka doing pretty much all the work while Touko’s defenses melted against the larger girl’s advances.

After a solid thirty seconds (if not a full minute), Ayaka broke off the kiss and pulled back to let Touko catch her breath, with the shorter girl panting heavily after the smoochfest she was just subjected to.  While Touko certainly wasn’t expecting such hot-and-heavy intimacy from Ayaka, she didn’t seem to be AGAINST such a display of affection either.

“H-Hime-sama,” Touko said through raspy breath, “why did you do that?”

“Because you’re one of my lovers, Touko-chan,” Ayaka replied calmly.  “And feel free to let up on the “Hime-sama,” from this point forward.  We’re family now, so just “Ayaka-chan” or “Ayaka” will do from now on.  That goes for all of you here.  I already told you that ALL of you are my lovers as well as Honoka-kun’s lovers, so it shouldn’t be so surprising if I want to show my love for all of you from time to time…and I DO intend on doing so with all of you, make no mistake on that.  The sooner you all accept that inevitably, the better off we’ll all be.”

The other girls tensed up a bit on hearing that last part.  Even Kasumi - having been subjected to Ayaka’s advances - couldn’t help but instinctively gulp and tense up upon hearing Ayaka’s declaration about her intentions.

“There’s no need for any of you to worry,” Ayaka calmly elaborated.  “I have no intention of harming any of you, quite the opposite at that.  I’m sure that what I’m saying comes off as rather direct and a bit…well, fast-forwarded, for lack of a better term.  But know that I only say what I do out of love and nothing more.  Apologies if this all feels a little rushed, but in time I believe that it’ll all work out for the best, and I’m sure that my okaa-san is in agreement with that analysis.”

The others just stood there in mild awe, processing Ayaka’s latest declaration, their mouths slightly ajar.  It simply wasn’t in Ayaka’s nature to be so bold and forward when it came to this type of stuff.  Sure, she had no problem talking smack when it came to brawls and fights against her enemies, but in matters of love and romance, she was being remarkably liberal in her espousals.  Not so long ago she came off as wanting to be exclusive with Honoka and nobody else, yet here and now she was pretty much declaring that all of the other women in the group would become part of the harem with no room for refusal, as if the matter had been settled right there and then.

Moments later, both Rinon and Kanae had made their way to the main lobby, curious as to why they were summoned.

“Something wrong, Hime-sama?” asked Kanae.

“Nothing at all, Kanae-san,” Ayaka responded.  “Just wanted you two to join us for a walk on this lovely day, that’s all.”

“That’s all?” scoffed Rinon.  “The way your servants put it, it sounded rather urgent.  You just want to spend time with us?”

“Indeed, Rinon-chan,” Ayaka replied matter-of-factly.  “Is there something wrong with that?”  She placed her hands on her hips and beared down at the shorter, green-haired girl, her body language almost presenting as a sort of dare for Rinon to defy Ayaka’s desire.

“You don’t want me tagging along for this kind of thing,” Rinon muttered.  “I’m not great company for this kind of stuff.”  She slowly began to turn around, indicating that she was getting ready to walk away, when Ayaka quickly snatched her wrist, spun her around, and hugged her fiercely, smothering the 10’2” girl in her large bosom.  If only Ayaka could see how red-faced Rinon became in her embarrassment at such an affectionate display.

“Now now now, Rinon-chan,” Ayaka said calmly.  “I want to spend time with ALL of my loves, not just my darling Honoka-kun, but each and every one of you.  I find group outings like these to be wonderful, so I’m afraid that I’m going to have to insist on you joining us on this one.  You’ve had enough time to run and clear your head anyway.  It would do you some good to socialize a little more with the rest of us.  We’re family now, after all.”  While the tone in Ayaka’s voice was warm and endearing all the same, it also let Rinon (and all the others) know that there would be no room for disagreement of any kind.  Given her great height, her equally great physical power, and her natural air of “ojou-sama” like grace, Ayaka couldn’t help but expect to get her way the vast majority of the time in situations like this.

Managing to pull back slightly, a blushing Rinon muttered in response “Fine, fine, I’ll tag along…if you’re going to insist so damn much.”

“I’m afraid I will,” Ayaka grinned in response before leaning down and planting a quick kiss on Rinon’s lips, making her blush all the more in response.  Ayaka giggled at Rinon’s reaction before loosening her grip on her and  replying.  “Thank you, Rinon-chan.”

Now that the last two members of the group were assembled, Ayaka beckoned that they follow her towards the park to enjoy the day.  Scooping up Honoka in her arms once more, she signalled the others to follow her, with all of them ducking under the main doorway and heading out into Tougetsu City towards their destination.