To Love-Ru: Rito and the Harem Project

by Rapshaw

[Set after the manga] After finally confessing to Haruna, Rito struggles with the knowledge that a dozen girls are in love with him. With his heart telling him that he loves them all back, he resolves to go through with Momo's harem plan. But a ruthless cyborg-alien seeking Rito's life and the throne of Deviluke intervenes. Please Review.

13. The Calm

Chapter 13 - The Calm

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Rito opens his eyes.

He's shocked and confused to find himself in an empty space, surrounded by hazy darkness.

Another nightmare.

"No, no," he says to himself, whirling around, looking for something, anything.

"Yes, Rito," says a familiar voice.

Rito spins to the voice, and comes face-to-face with a gloomy doppelganger of himself.

"Wh-Who are you?" asks Rito.

"Who am I?" speaks the doppelganger in the creepiest of voices. "I am who you should be."

Then he suddenly transforms into the beast that is Black Darkness.

Rito steps back, frightened by the monster; a monster of his own making. The doppelganger points at Rito; his finger extends into a five-foot-long spear, and impales Rito in the chest. Before Rito can react, a shadow fills his chest and spreads across his body like a virus.

"It's time to embrace," says the doppelganger.

Rito panics as the shadow consumes his body, making its way up his neck, about to claim his eyes-

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Rito bursts awake, water splashing all around him; he fell asleep in the bathtub.

Then he notices Mikan crouched on the floor next to him, her expression a mixture of worry and anger.

"Geez, how stupid are you?" scolds Mikan.

"Mikan," says Rito.

"All those brushes with death courtesy of Stem, and you nearly drown in the bath," she says, washing her hair.

"I'm sorry," he says, hanging his head. Then he touches his chest, lost in thought.

Mikan stares at him for a moment. "You okay?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, yeah, I'm fine. That is, I…I'm just worried about becoming a king, you know. Life's gonna be so much different for me, for all of us. I mean, I don't even know how often I'll be able to bathe with you like this," he says.

Mikan steps into the tub, and sits opposite Rito. "Yeah, that might be the case. You're gonna be super busy with your politics and meetings and such, not to mention all your wives and children. But chin up, I'll help you out."

"You will?" he asks.

"Well, duh. I can't just leave the universe in the hands of my doofus brother, hmm-hmm. You're gonna need all the help you can get, caring for this big universe AND your big family. Besides, you're totally hopeless without me," she says.

"Yeah, that's true. But are you sure? You have your own life to live, Mikan. Do you really wanna spend it taking care of mine?" he asks.

Mikan giggles. "Rito, that's exactly how I've been spending my life since I was born, just as you've been spending yours taking care of mine. There's no reason either of us should stop taking care of each other now."

Rito smiles. "Okay, Mikan. You win."

"Don't I always?" she teases.

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Meanwhile in Lala's bedroom, the three Deviluke sisters sit on Lala's bed, and face-time their parents, Gid and Sephie, using Nana's pink laptop.

"I'm so happy for you, girls. Aren't you as well, dear?" asks Sephie.

"Hmph," grunts Gid.

"Yes, Mother. We're delighted to become his brides," says Lala.

Even though, I'm still technically not part of the harem yet. But Mother and Father probably assume I am, so I'll just go with it, thinks Momo.

"We've no doubt you'll all make great wives for Rito," says Sephie. The three sisters exchange smiles. "However, whether you'll all make great queens for the universe is another matter," she says.

"What?" asks Momo.

"But Mama, I promise we've been studying. I know we ran away to avoid our regal responsibilities, but ever since Rito accepted us, we've been working hard to become queens," says Nana.

"I understand that, dear. And again, I support the harem plan. That being said, all the girls who'll become Rito's wives will also become queens themselves. But just because they'll become queens, it doesn't mean they'll have the same responsibilities as you three. The role of primary queen will be split amongst you girls. Is that clear?" asks Sephie.

"Sapphire, Mother. Oh, wait, I mean crystal, hehe," says Lala.

"Lala, you have a kind heart, but lack focus. Nana, you're stern and on top of everything, but also quick-tempered," says Sephie.

"I am NOT," says Nana.

"And Momo, you're mature, but occasionally reckless. You all have flaws, but you also have each other; what each of you lacks individually can be compensated for by your sisters," says Sephie.

"Listen to your mother, girls. This is why all the monarch and ruling duties were left to her instead of me," says Gid.

"Yes, Father," say the girls in unison.

"Well, that's because you just wanted to fly and fight and conquer planets, dear," giggles Sephie.

"Hmph," grunts Gid.

"But just as I carried the political weight for your father, girls, you'll have to do the same for Rito. Everything's gonna change for him, and he's gonna need all of you to lean on in the future. Are you certain you're ready for such an undertaking?" asks Sephie.

"Honestly, Mother...no. But we can be. And we will be," says Momo. Lala and Nana nod their heads with confidence.

"Ugh, this is outrageous! Girls, are you absolutely sure this is what you want? Sharing a husband amongst you three is one thing; not to mention, a doofus earthling of a husband at that. But sharing him with a dozen other women? I'll have Rito's head for-OW!" whines Gid after Sephie smacks his head.

"That's enough, dear," she says.

"Believe me, Papa. I was in the same boat as you. But I don't want my pride to mask my feelings anymore. I truly love Rito, and of course, I want him all to myself. But if that means hurting Big Sis, Momo and so many others, then I'll do what's right and share him equally," says Nana.

"Wow, Nana. How grownup of you," jokes Momo.

"What're you talking about, Momo? I'm two minutes older than you!" says Nana.

"Hmm-hmm. Like Nana said, Father, this IS what we want. And Rito and all the other girls feel the same. He has it in him to love all of us, and to make us happy. And one day, I'm sure he'll become a great king. Just like you," says Lala.

"Ha! We'll see," says Gid.

"Excellently spoken, Lala. Oh, my, is it that late already? Sorry, girls. I hate to cut this off, but duty calls. We love you," says Sephie.

"Goodnight, girls," says Gid.

"Goodnight, Mama and Papa. We love you too," say the girls in unison. Once the call ends, Lala closes the laptop, and the sisters sigh in relief. Then they start cracking up. Momo stops laughing first, and puts on a somber expression.

Lala wraps her arm around Momo's shoulders, knowing what's on her mind. "It's okay, Momo," she says.

"Huh?" asks Momo.

"Yeah. After all, this whole harem plan was your idea. If Rito's gonna accept anyone into it, it's gonna be you. And if he doesn't, I'll pummel him," says Nana.

"Thanks, you guys," says Momo. I sure hope you're right, Big Sis, Nana, she thinks to herself. "Okay, let's change the subject. There's something serious I need to discuss with both of you at school tomorrow. Actually, not just you both, but everyone in the harem," she says with excitement. Lala and Nana trade confused looks.

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Back in the bathroom, Mikan gets out of the tub. "Alright, think I'll turn in for the night," she says.

"I'm, uh, gonna stay in a little longer," says Rito.

"Rito," says Mikan, sternly.

"Relax. I promise I won't pass out again," he says.

"Hmm-hmm. Should I send Lala, Momo, Nana or all three of them in just to be sure?" she jokes.

Rito panics, and his face goes red. "HUUUHHHHH? No! No way! Of course not. Why would you even ask that?"

"Rito," she says, getting serious. "All kidding aside, you really should consider bathing with them. And the other girls in your harem."

"What? Where's this coming from?" he asks.

"The other day, when Yami bathed with us, she was really stung over you wearing the towels around your eyes and waist," she says.

"Yeah, I know. But I, um…" he starts.

"Geez, I can't believe I have to explain this to you. Listen, big brother, when you marry Yami and the other girls, you're gonna be seeing them naked. A lot. And you're gonna be doing naked stuff with them too, a LOT of...naked stuff," she says, slightly embarrassed.

"Mikan!" he shrieks.

"Hey, they teach this stuff in my school too, you know. Look, I'm not saying you should go around, making love to the girls. Like seriously, don't do that. I'm just saying you should prepare yourself for when that time comes. Otherwise, if you keep putting it off until your wedding night, knowing you, you'll just get a nosebleed and pass out. And believe me, the girls will divorce you the very next day if that happens," she says.

"They will?" he asks.

"Without a doubt. So whether it's bathing or cuddling or PG-13 foreplay, just think about getting a little more intimate with Lala and the rest. I'm not telling you to be a creepy pervert. I'm just warning you that if you don't show a LITTLE physical interest, you're gonna lose them. Come on, bro, man up already," she says.

Rito ponders her words while she dries herself off with a towel. "Never thought I'd hear you giving me this kind of advice," he says.

"Yeah, well, I love you, Rito. And I enjoy bathing with you. At first, I was just doing it to stop Momo from doing it, because you were too much of a doofus to stop her yourself. But now, I consider it my own special privilege. However, if Momo and the other girls are willing to share you, then I have to do the same. You and I may not get to bathe together as often, but nor will we be any less closer because of it," she says.

Rito smiles at her. "I love you too, little sis. And I don't deserve you."

"No, you do not. And seriously, don't you dare fall asleep again," she teases, closing the door.

"I won't," he says.

As Mikan blow-dries her hair behind the door, Rito stares up at the ceiling. I wonder, was she always that mature? he thinks.

A sudden pain fills his heart, and he clutches his chest; Black Darkness at work.

No! I will not lose myself to that power again, he thinks with fierce resolve.

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Friday morning at Mea's apartment, only it's not just hers anymore.

A wake-up alarm, courtesy of Lunatique, rings throughout the entire apartment. "Good morning, everyone," he says.

In Yami's bedroom, Yami is the first to awake. "Good morning, Lunatique."

In Mea's bedroom, Mea yawns herself awake. "Morning, dude."

In Tearju's bedroom, Tearju wakes up and heads to the shower. "Good morning, yourself."

In Nemesis' bedroom, Nemesis snores like a hippo, still fast asleep.

Her door opens, and Mea enters the room. "Neme, how many times are we gonna go through this? You've gotta get up," she says, shaking Nemesis' shoulders with no luck. "If I have to get up and go to school, then you have to do the same," she says.

Nemesis rolls her pillow over her head, ignoring Mea.

A wicked grin crosses Mea's face, and dashes out of the room.

...

Mea returns with a glass of cold water, and dunks it all over Nemesis' face, causing her to scream.

"Oh, good, you're awake," says Mea.

"MeeaaaAAAAA!" roars Nemesis, turning her arms into blades. Mea laughs, and high-tails it out of the room before Nemesis slices her into ribbons.

As Nemesis chases her onto the upper landing, Tearju steps out of the bathroom wearing a towel.

"Hey, the shower's free for anyone who-ah!" yelps Tearju as Mea comes crashing face-first into her breasts, and they both go tumbling down the stairs.

Nemesis can't help but laugh at Mea's predicament. "Serves you right."

As Mea and Tearju groan in pain at the bottom of the stairs, Mea can't resist fondling Tearju's large breasts.

"So big, hehe," says Mea.

"Eeekk! Mea, please, ah," moans Tearju.

Downstairs, Yami cooks in the kitchen. She listens to all the nonsense in the house, and sighs in annoyance.

"Another day in the life," she says with a smile.

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Several moments later, the four enjoy breakfast together at the table. They laugh, trade food and attempt to steal each other's food; a brand new, happy family having fun together.

"You know, I've been wondering something for a while," says Yami.

"What's that, Eve? I mean, Yami. Sorry, old habits," says Tearju.

"It's fine. I was just wondering, now that we're a proper family, I think we should have a proper surname," says Yami.

"A proper surname?" asks Mea.

"That's a good idea, Yami," chimes in Lunatique.

"Yes, that would make things easier. Did you have any in mind?" asks Nemesis.

"Actually, Nemesis, I was thinking we could use the one you gave Mea," says Yami.

"Huh? You mean Kurosaki?" asks Mea.

"What a wonderful thought. Yami Kurosaki. Oh, yes, that has a lovely ring to it," says Tearju.

"Would that be alright with you, Mea? Nemesis may have given you the name, but it's still yours to keep," says Yami.

"Are you kidding, Big Sister? I'd love to share my name with you," says Mea.

Yami smiles at Mea, then turns to Nemesis. "And what do you think, Nemesis?"

"Neme," says Nemesis.

"What's that?" asks Yami.

"Since we're changing names and all, I'd like to change my first name to just Neme," says Nemesis/Neme, winking at Mea. "I am no longer Nemesis the weapon. From now on, I am Neme Kurosaki, sister of Yami and Mea, and bride-to-be of future king Rito Yuki."

"YAY!" cheers Mea.

Yami smiles and nods in approval. "Very well, Neme."

"In that case, I think I'd like to shorten my name as well," adds Lunatique.

"You would, Lunatique?" asks Tearju.

"Yami gave me the name 'Lunatique' in honor of you, Tear. But that name has always been yours. So from now on, to avoid any confusion, I'd like to simply be called Lune," says Lunatique/Lune.

"Are you sure?" asks Yami.

"Positive," responds Lune.

"Then Lune it is," says Yami, raising her cup. "A toast to our new names."

Everyone else raises their cups, and clanks them together. "Cheers," they say in unison.

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Later, the four depart their building, and head off to school.

"By the way, Neme, how are you enjoying your new life as a student?" asks Yami.

"Fufu, a year ago, you wouldn't have asked me that. But I must say...I never imagined my life turning out like this, nor how fun it would be. I feel so blessed, and I'm eternally grateful for this peace everyone worked so hard to give me. I won't waste it," says Neme, smiling.

"I'm happy to hear it," says Yami, also smiling.

"Me too," agrees Tearju.

"Me three. Oh, almost forgot. Did either of you get a text from Momo last night?" asks Mea.

"Well, now that you mention it, I did. She asked to meet during free period," says Neme.

"As a matter of fact, she asked me the same. I wonder why," says Yami.

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In an empty classroom, Momo has the following girls gathered around her; Lala, Nana, Yami, Mea, Neme, Haruna, Run, Risa and Rin.

Run sets her phone on the desk next to her. "Can you hear me, Kyouko?"

"Loud and clear, Run," speaks Kyouko through the phone.

"Good, we're all here. First off, thanks for coming, everyone," says Momo.

"So what'd you wanna discuss, Momo?" asks Nana.

"Whatever it is, please make it quick. I need to return to Miss Saki," says Rin.

"This won't take long, but it is important," says Momo. She clears her throat, like she's preparing a speech. "So, as I'm sure you've all noticed, Rito hasn't been having any perverted accidents lately."

"Good riddance," says Yami.

"About time," says Nana.

"Bummer," says Risa.

"I wanted him to lick me," pouts Mea.

"Yes, Momo, we're aware. What of it?" asks Neme.

"Well, when Rito and I last visited Dr. Ryouko, she had all but confirmed he wouldn't fall on or grope any girls ever again. But even so, something about her evaluation worried me," says Momo.

"What's that?" asks Lala.

"Well, what if…what if Rito's no longer attracted to girls?" wonders Momo.

The whole room goes quiet. And then Neme, Mea and Risa burst into fits of laughter.

"No longer attracted to us? Rito?" jokes Neme.

"That's the craziest thing I've ever heard," jokes Mea.

"Yeah, I mean, come on. Just look at us," jokes Risa.

"Okay, then let me ask you this. Have you ever known Rito to do anything perverted intentionally?" asks Momo.

"You mean, besides when he groped me to save me from Golden Darkness?" asks Yami, making everyone feel comically awkward.

"R-Rito isn't like that, Momo. He's pure, innocent, and would never do anything perverted intentionally," says Haruna.

"And that's exactly the problem. Rito's a boy, and all boys need some sort of outlet to purge their sexual urges. Ever since Rito was young, he's been constantly suppressing those urges out of his respect for women. That's why they kept getting released on their own via his perverted accidents. But now, he doesn't suffer those anymore, and he STILL won't act sexually on his own," says Momo.

"Uh, Momo, I'm not really seeing a problem here," says Kyouko.

"Me neither," says Rin.

"I think I get it. Let me ask you all this; do you wanna make love to Rito?" asks Neme. Half the girls gasp and blush, while the other half smile with thirst. "I know I do. And I know that when I become his bride, my life is never going to be the same," she says.

Haruna hangs her head; Lala clocks her expression.

Neme paces around the room as she continues. "So after we're wed…I'm gonna ravage him senselessly," she quips, causing all of the girls to squeal.

"Wow, Neme, you're so bold," says Mea.

"No! If anyone's gonna ravage Rito, it's gonna be me," declares Run.

"You're missing the point, guys. None of us are gonna make love to Rito, because when the time comes…" says Neme.

"He'll just get a nosebleed and pass out. After all, every time he encounters a naked girl, he gets too overwhelmed to act," finishes Momo.

"You may be right, Princess Momo. When Rito and I had to bathe together, he refused to look at me or reveal himself to me. Before, I would've felt grateful. But now that I'm his lover, I honestly felt quite offended," says Yami.

"Well, maybe he's just not ready for those kinds of things yet," says Kyouko.

"Maybe. But unfortunately, we can't just wait around until he is. One day, Rito's going to become king of Deviluke, and he'll bring peace to the universe. I truly believe that. And the children we bear for him will carry on in his stead to maintain the peace he worked so hard to create," says Momo.

"Whoa, whoa, Momo. It is WAY too early to be talking about kids," says Nana.

"If Rito's no longer attracted to women, how's he ever going to father children in the first place? Believe it or not, girls, if he doesn't make love to us, the whole universe will be in jeopardy," says Momo. Her words hang in the air for a moment.

"Wait, for real?" asks Lala.

"I think that's a bit of a stretch," says Nana.

"What is it you're proposing, Momo?" asks Neme.

"I'm proposing we seduce Rito," says Momo.

All of the girls react in their own ways; flustered, excited, shocked.

"Now, now, I'm not suggesting any of us make love to him; that should be reserved for the wedding nights. All I'm saying is we try to stimulate his libido so that he doesn't lose interest in us. Think of it like weekend homework," explains Momo.

"Ah, man, I've got enough of that already," whines Risa.

"Each of us should approach Rito in a seductive manner over the next three days. We can even pair or group up, so long as we don't overwhelm him. Then on Monday, we report back here to compare results. Who's with me?" asks Momo.

"Count me in," says Neme, raising her hand.

"I'm gonna seduce him better than all of you," says Run, raising her hand.

"Challenge accepted," says Mea, raising her hand.

"Yeah, sure. This is the kind of weekend homework I can get behind," says Risa, raising her hand.

"Sounds fun," says Lala, raising both hands. "Hmm? Nana?"

"Forget it, Big Sis. I only just became Rito's lover. I didn't sign up to become his mistress," says Nana.

"Yeah, I'm gonna have to pass on this one too," says Kyouko.

"I refuse as well," says Rin.

"I, um, I don't think it's wrong to just wait until the wedding night for that sort of thing," says Haruna.

"What about you, Yami?" asks Neme.

"I'm not sure. I hate perverted things, yet I'm being asked to do them. And I'm worried that if I don't, it'll drive a wedge between us. And I'm worried that if I do, it'll only reactivate Rito's perverted accidents," says Yami.

"Would that be so bad? Fufu," jokes Neme.

"Come on, girls. This is training for us just as much as it is for Rito. Besides, it's not like he hasn't seen or touched all of us naked before," teases Momo.

"EEEYYY? You shut your mouth, Momo!" says Nana, angry and flushed.

"Look, you're all free to make your own choices. If you wanna remain pure and celibate until your wedding, be my guest. But I'm going for it this weekend, with or without you," says Momo.

"That's cute, especially since you're not even a harem member yet, fufu," teases Neme.

Momo becomes comically depressed; Lala and Nana console her.

"In any case, you have to do it, Haruna," says Neme, pointing to Haruna.

"Huh?" asks Haruna, flustered.

"And you have to go first," says Neme.

"What? But why?" asks Haruna.

"Because you're Rito's best girl. If he can't get aroused by you all of people, what chance do we have?" implies Neme.

"Yeah. Come on, Haruna, you can do it. Especially with those babies," says Risa as she mimes groping Haruna's breasts. Haruna quickly guards her chest with both arms.

"Hmph. You can be his best girl, but I'll be his best wife," says Run.

"Please, Haruna? The sooner you seduce Rito, the sooner I can too," says Mea.

"I, uh, um," mutters Haruna, not sure of what to say. Lala stares at her with concern.

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Meanwhile at Sainan First Elementary School.

In the outdoor courtyard, Mikan stands under a tree with a punkish boy named Fuu.

"I'm flattered, Fuu. But no thanks. I'm not interested in dating," says Mikan.

"What? But...but I've had a crush on you since last year," says Fuu.

"I'm really sorry. Now please excuse me," she says with a respectful bow. But as she walks away, Fuu grabs her arm. "Hey," she says.

"Is it someone else?" he asks.

"No. Like I said, I'm just not interested in dating anyone. Now please let go," she says.

"You know, I've heard how much you talk about your brother. Is that why you keep rejecting every boy who asks you out?" he demands, gripping her arm tighter.

"Fuu, let me go," she says, struggling to break from his grip.

"You wanna a boyfriend like him, don't you? Or do you want HIM as your boyfriend?" he says, getting angrier.

"Fuu, please," she begs, trying to unclasp his hand, but his grip's as strong as a vice.

She gets scared and is about to scream when a lanky boy suddenly grabs Fuu's shoulder from behind.

"She said let go, Fuu," says the lanky boy.

"Mind your own business, Genno," replies Fuu, shaking off the lanky boy/Genno's hand, and returning his attention to Mikan.

Genno grabs Fuu's shoulder again, and spins him around to face him. "Leave her alone."

With that, Fuu releases Mikan, and punches Genno square in the face. Genno drops to the ground, clutching his nose. Mikan gasps in shock.

"Fuu!" yells the voice of their teacher, Haruko Nitta, as she storms into the courtyard.

"Gah! Ms. Nitta," yelps Fuu, reacting like any boy in trouble with his teacher would.

He makes a break for it, but Genno slyly sticks out his foot, causing Fuu to trip. Ms. Nitta grabs Fuu by the ear, and forces him on his feet.

"You're coming with me, young man," she scolds.

"H-He tripped me," pleads Fuu.

"Lying on top of bullying. Your parents are gonna have a field day with you," says Ms. Nitta.

"Genno, are you okay?" worries Mikan, rushing to Genno's side.

"Yeah, I'm good," says Genno, bleeding from his nose.

"No, you're not. Come on," says Mikan, helping him stand.

"Oh, Genno. Let's get you to the infirmary," says Ms. Nitta.

"It's all right, Ms. Nitta. I'll take him there," says Mikan.

"You will?" asks Genno, slightly blushing.

"Sure. Let's go," says Mikan, taking Genno's hand and leading him away.

"Thank you, Mikan. Come along, Fuu," says Ms. Nitta, yanking Fuu by the ear.

"Ow, ow, ow," yelps Fuu.

Mikan and Genno enter the hall, heading for the infirmary.

"I'm sorry, Mikan. Didn't mean to treat you like some damsel-in-distress back there," he says, cupping his nose.

"Genno, you've got NOTHING to be sorry for. If anything, I should apologize. You got hurt because of me," she says.

"Oh, a little pain like this is nothing. I just didn't like seeing you scared, that's all," he says.

Mikan gasps, smiles and hides her blushing face.

The two continue walking and talking, sometimes laughing, down the hall.

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Back at Sainan High.

In the infirmary, Rito sits on a stool with his shirt unbuttoned while Mikado slides a stethoscope across his chest. Celine sleeps in a bed; Oshizu's attending class, and Tearju's teaching class; it's just Rito and Mikado.

"When did you start feeling this pain, Yuki?" asks Mikado.

"It was three days after I…" says Rito before his voice trails off, and he hangs his head.

"After you went Black Darkness?" asks Mikado. Rito nods with shame. "Have you told your sister or Lala?" she asks.

"No. I know I should, but I don't wanna worry them," he replies.

"I see," she says. She finishes examining him, and he buttons his shirt. "Yuki, because of that abrupt transformation, it seems the dark matter within you has become unstable."

"Unstable?" he panics.

"Relax, it's not life-threatening," she says. Rito sighs in relief. "At least, not yet," she adds, causing him to gape.

"W-Well," he starts. "Is there some sort of-"

Just then, Mikado dips her hand into her enormous cleavage, and pulls out a vial of antidote with a smile on her face.

"Cure?" finishes Rito, blushing.

Why would she keep it in there? he thinks.

"I had a feeling something like this would happen after you transformed, so I prepared this little elixir in advance. The good news is it'll nullify the pain in your chest," she says.

"Really? Wait, let me guess; the bad news is it's temporary," he says.

"Sharp and cute. No wonder so many women are attracted to you, hmm-hmm," she teases, which flusters Rito.

Then she gets serious.

"But you're right. While this will help, it won't solve everything. I can do what I can on my end, Yuki, but you may have to find a permanent cure on your own. Your very life depends on it," she says.

"I understand. And thank you, doctor," he says, offering his hand to accept the vial.

"Not so fast. There's only one way this elixir can be properly administered," she says.

"Uh, okay," he says in confusion.

Mikado twists the base of the vial; the antidote turns out to be a tube of lipstick, and she applies it to her lips.

"Wait, is that...?" says Rito before Mikado calmly grabs his face with both hands, and presses her lips onto his.

Rito flushes bright red, sweats like crazy, and squeals while his lips are closed. The kiss lasts a full ten seconds before Mikado finally releases him. Rito looks like he's just been incinerated.

Mikado's cheeks redden, and she smiles as she licks her lips. "Feel better?"

Rito snaps out of his daze, and touches his chest. "Wow, much," he says, happy the pain has subsided.

"I'm glad to hear it, Yuki. And until you're fully cured, come back anytime for another kiss," she teases, causing Rito to faint.

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Outside on the upper catwalk of the school, Haruna leans on the railing, staring up at the daytime moon, lost in thought.

"Haruna," says Lala, approaching her.

"Oh, hi, Lala," says Haruna.

"I was looking for you, but you disappeared after the meeting," says Lala.

"Oh, sorry, I just…needed time to think," says Haruna.

Lala leans on the railing next to her, and stares at the moon with her. "Haruna, you're my best friend. You know you can tell me anything."

...

Haruna squeezes the railing, and takes a moment before speaking.

"I…I'm a little worried. When Nemesis, I mean Neme, said my life is gonna change once I marry Rito, I guess I...I started having doubts. I do love Rito, more than anyone else. But when he marries you, he's gonna become a king. And when he marries me, I'm gonna become a queen. Lala, I don't know the first thing about being a queen. Earth is all I know. And one day, I'll have to leave it and everyone here behind. My mom, my dad, my sister, my friends. When I thought about that, I became scared," she says.

"Scared of leaving?" asks Lala.

"No. Scared of getting cold feet. What if I back out of marrying Rito? If I do, he'll be heartbroken. In fact, since I'm the one he loves most, if I don't marry him, he might not wanna marry any of the other girls. I can't do that to them, or to you. But at the same time, I…I just…I…" says Haruna, hands shaking.

Lala touches her hand, calming her down. "It's going to be okay, Haruna, because you have me."

"Lala," says Haruna.

"To be honest, I'm still anxious about becoming a queen myself. Even though I've been training for it my whole life, I'm still nervous, but that's perfectly fine. I'll get there eventually. Besides, you don't have to worry about ruling the universe or negotiating peace treaties or anything like that; my sisters and I can handle that stuff. You still have plenty of time to learn what you can offer as a queen. And in the meantime, I'll help you adjust to your new life as a queen," promises Lala.

"You will?" asks Haruna.

"Of course. Plus, I also love living on Earth; it's not like we have to leave it for good. And Risa and Rin may not show it, but I'm sure that as fellow earthlings, they're just as uncertain as you are. But the best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time. We can learn as we move forward, and help each other grow. Just remember, Rito and I love you, Haruna. And whatever you decide, we always will," says Lala with a smile.

A gentle gust blows pass the girls.

Haruna smiles, and hugs Lala. "Thanks, Lala. You really are a good friend. I love you too," she says.

Surprised at first, Lala hugs her back.

A moment later, they break away, and Haruna takes a stance. "Alright. I better get ready."

"Huh? Ready for what?" asks Lala.

Haruna answers with a mischievous grin.

000000

Later that night at Haruna's apartment, Haruna cooks dinner in the kitchen while Rito sets the table. They're both struggling to compose themselves from being in close proximity of one another.

Oh man, oh man, thinks Rito. I never imagined Haruna would invite me over out of the blue like this. And with her sister out on a date, no less.

Get it together, girl, thinks Haruna. You already decided. No turning back.

While they're in the kitchen, Haruna's dog Maron sleeps on his mat in her bedroom.

Outside the window, Momo and Neme spy on the lovers, making sure everything goes according to plan.

"Ugh, they've been dancing around their libidos for half-an-hour. Get to the nitty-gritty already," says Neme.

"Just be patient. They can't perform on an empty stomach," assures Momo.

"Nah, I'm moving this along," says Neme, raising her hand, ready to use her dark matter. "Just a little push, fufu."

"No, Neme. They have to do this on their own," says Momo.

Neme pouts, and lowers her hand. "Fine."

Back inside, Rito and Haruna enjoy their meal at the table.

"Hmm, this is so good. You're a natural, Haruna," says Rito.

"Thank you, Rito. It's a special dish I learned from my mom," says Haruna.

"Oh, it's special all right," he says, munching down more of the dish.

"I can teach you how to cook it yourself if you like," she offers.

"You'd do that?" he asks.

"Yes. After all, we'll be spending a lot more time together from now on," she says, only just realizing the meaning behind her words.

Both she and Rito flush bright red, and eat faster to hide their embarrassment.

Come on, dude, make a move, thinks Rito. Remember what Mikan said? You can't just wait until the wedding. If you treat marrying Haruna like a foregone conclusion, she'll lose interest in you. Tell her you want her. Better yet, show her.

Oh, this is so awkward, thinks Haruna. My face feels warm and my heart's pounding like crazy. No! Momo was right. If I don't become more intimate with Rito, he'll lose interest in me. I won't let that happen, not after we finally became a couple.

Outside, Momo watches while Neme grows agitated.

"Patience," says Momo.

When they finish their meals, Rito stacks the dishes. Meanwhile, Maron walks to his bowl in the kitchen.

"Rito, I was thinking…maybe we could put on a movie?" insists Haruna.

"Ooh, that sounds good. What'd you have in mind?" says Rito, walking into the kitchen, not noticing he's about to step on Maron. The dog barks, causing Rito to stumble, fall and crash onto the hard floor.

"Rito!" worries Haruna.

Rito lies on the floor, still holding the dishes; he managed to save all of them from breaking. Unfortunately, the sauce and crumbs on the dishes splattered all over him during his fall; he's a sticky mess.

"I'm okay," he says.

"Maron, you have to watch where you're going," scolds Haruna. Maron simply barks, and drinks from his water bowl.

Outside, Momo and Neme continue watching.

"Well, there goes the night," sighs Momo.

"I think you're giving up too soon, Momo, fufu," says Neme, grinning.

Rito stands, sets the dishes in the sink, and examines his clothes. "It's okay, Haruna. I can wash myself off at home."

Haruna's cheeks redden as she twiddles her thumbs. "Uh, actually, Rito…if you want, you could, um, t-take a bath," she offers.

"Eh?" asks Rito.

"Told ya so," says Neme to Momo, both their eyes sparkling.

"And," continues Haruna, "I can, uh, wash your clothes for you in the meantime."

"O-Okay," says Rito.

...

He gulps, and inhales deeply.

"Haruna, would you, uh, care to…care to…care to join me?" he asks.

Haruna gasps, and her head practically erupts with steam.

Outside, both Momo and Neme react in surprise by his initiative.

Later, Rito sits in the tub by himself.

His head is half-submerged in the water while he blows angry bubbles. He looks like hell. I'm an idiot. An idiot! he thinks. Why'd I have to go and ask her something like that? How am I gonna face her when I get out?

A knock on the door snaps him out of it.

"Y-Yes?" he asks.

The door opens ajar. A hand reaches in, and switches off the lights.

"Huh?" gapes Rito.

The door swings open, and Haruna steps inside, wearing only a towel. "H-Hi, Rito," she says, shy and nervous beyond reason.

Rito doesn't respond; he's still taking in the sight before him. The girl he loves most, practically naked, willingly entering the bathroom to bathe with him. No way. Is this a dream? he thinks.

Outside, Momo and Neme cluster by the bathroom window, but the steam and darkness make it difficult for them to see.

"It's happening. It's actually happening. She even killed the lights to add atmosphere," says Neme.

"We're all counting on you, Haruna. Don't lose your nerve now," says Momo.

Inside, Haruna gulps and takes the deepest breath she can. She forces her legs to stop quivering. Her eyes filled with confident determination, she lets the towel slide off her body, bearing her all in front of Rito.

"May I join you?" she asks.

If Rito was frozen before, he's a statue now. Eyes wide, jaw slacked, and his mind's totally a blank. He's seen Haruna naked before, albeit accidentally, but now that they're lovers, it has a much greater impact.

The excitement becomes too much for him. He's about to faint. But then, he suddenly punches himself in the face. Haruna gasps with worry. Rito calms himself down. He takes a moment to think, brace himself and man up.

And then, without warning, he rises from the tub, exposing himself to Haruna; if she was brave and willing enough to expose herself, he's obligated to return the favor. The sight of Rito's body, specifically his groin, flusters Haruna immensely. Meanwhile, Rito's shaking like a leaf and doing his best to hide it.

"I'd, I'd be happy if you did," he says, offering his hand.

"O-Okay," she responds.

She walks forward, takes his hand and steps into the bath. They both stare at each other for a moment, and then sit down on opposite ends of the tub.

Momo and Neme press their faces against the glass window, eyes sparkling and mouths watering.

A few moments of awkward silence tick by.

Neither Rito nor Haruna move or speak. They catch themselves gazing at each other every now and then.

Suddenly, Rito starts cracking up. It's subtle at first, but then he laughs even louder, unable to contain it. Haruna can't help but giggle too. Within seconds, they're both laughing like crazy.

"What're we doing?" laughs Rito.

"I've no idea. This is so ridiculous," laughs Haruna.

They laugh for a few more moments before finally calming down.

And then, Haruna crawls closer to Rito, takes his face in her hands, and kisses him with sensual passion.

Holy crap, he thinks. This is...this is just like that dream I had way back when. But it's real. Haruna's kissing me in the bath. I'm about to…he reaches around Haruna's back. No! It took all her courage to do this. I won't pressure her into doing more. So for now…he reaches around her back, pulls her in close, and kisses her back with greater fervor.

Oh, Rito, thinks Haruna. This is…oh. Oh!

They break off the kiss, and gaze longingly into each other's eyes.

Then Haruna turns around, and slides her back up against Rito's chest. "That was the best kiss of my life," she says.

Rito wraps his arms around her abdomen, holding her naked body close to his. "I look forward to the next one," he says.

Haruna leans her head back, so her face can graze against Rito's. They lay still and hold each other in the bathwater, neither wanting this moment to end.

The bathroom steam grows even denser, clouding the window Momo and Neme are observing through. They can't see anything now, but it looks like they don't have to. They're both flushed and sweating from the show.

"That'll do for now. Guess we weren't needed after all," says Neme.

"No kidding. Let's leave them to it, and get outta here," says Momo.

They both spread their wings and take off into the sky, leaving Rito and Haruna be.

"Hey, Haruna," says Rito.

"Yes, Rito?" asks Haruna.

"I love you," he says.

"Hmm-hmm. I love you too," she says.

As they lean in for another kiss, the bathroom door suddenly bursts open and the lights are switched on; it's Akiho, back from her date.

"Hey, Haruna! Sorry, sorry. I just really need to use the sink," says Akiho, washing the makeup off her face. "Ugh, it stings so bad when it gets in…your…eyes," trailing off as she notices her sister and Rito naked in the tub together.

Rito and Haruna stare at her with shock and embarrassment. "S-Sis?" asks Haruna.

...

"EEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYY! Haruna, Yuki, I'm so sorry!" shrieks Akiho, covering her eyes.

"AAAYYYYYYYYY! Sis, why didn't you knock? Or better yet, why didn't I lock the door?" shrieks Haruna.

"AAAAAHHHHHH! Why is it always me?" shrieks Rito.

000000

Later that night, back at Rito's house.

Rito, wearing his washed clothes, trudges up the stairs leading to his bedroom. That had to be the most humiliating experience of my life, he thinks. All this time, I only thought about confessing to the girls. I never considered having to tell their families too. Or ask them for their blessing. Well, at least, Haruna smoothed things over with Akiho; better yet, she supports our situation. Even better, Haruna and I both took a huge step to get closer. But still, I want our first time to mean something, and I'm glad she feels the same. Man, I can't wait to marry her.

He yawns, reaches his bedroom, and opens the door. Soon as he enters, his leg bumps against his bed. "Huh?" he says, closing the door behind him. His bed is bigger; so much bigger, it takes up half the room. "What the?" he asks.

Something stirs under the blankets. "Welcome home, Rito," says Lala, rising from the sheets.

"Lala? What happened to my-dah!" says Rito, freaking out once he realizes Lala is naked.

"Oh, this? I used my super-size-inater to enlarge your bed," she says, innocent as always.

"What? Why?" he asks, averting his eyes.

"Because I wanted it to be big enough for you and I to sleep on," she says.

"S-sleep together? No, that's not the main issue here. Will you please get dressed?" he pleads, still looking away.

"No," she says, serious.

"What?" he asks.

"I said no. I won't get dressed. I wanna sleep naked with you, and I want you to get naked too," she demands.

"Huh?" he squeals.

"Rito, you and I are going to be husband and wife someday. Which means we're going to be spending a lot of time together being naked, so we should learn to get used to it. We don't have to make love; I'm willing to wait until our wedding night for that. I just…I wanna be closer to you," she says.

"Lala," he says.

"Do you…not want to be closer to me?" she asks, her eyes becoming misty.

Something snaps within Rito. Oh, way to go, Rito. You're making her cry, he thinks. Get it together. Yes, I was just with Haruna. I figured I'd have more time before something like this happened again. But forcing the girls to wait might hurt their feelings. I never know when one of them needs some attention, so I need to be ready at all times. I can do this. I already told myself I would. And besides, I love Lala. I'd be a spineless coward to pass up this chance.

"Lala," he says.

"Yes?" she asks.

Instead of answering with his words, Rito strips himself naked. It takes him a moment to pull down his boxers, but he goes through with it. Lala marvels at his courage, and becomes flustered to see his body.

"You've…gotten…more muscular," she says.

"And you're as beautiful as the day I met you," he says.

"Hmm-hmm. We were both naked back then too, weren't we?" she says.

"We sure were," he says. Then he climbs onto the massive bed. As he approaches Lala, she lifts up the blankets for him, and they snuggle together. They embrace each other lovingly, and then they share a deep, passionate kiss. When they finish, Lala feels something move. She looks down at Rito's groin, and blushes feverishly.

"S-sorry," he says.

"Don't be. After all, it's...it's just another part of you," she says.

"Yeah," he says.

"So…on our wedding night…that'll be inside me?" she asks.

All of time and space itself seems to crack inside Rito. Steam erupts from his head, and he nearly jumps out of bed. But he stops himself from doing so, and clears his throat. "Yes, it will," he says.

Lala snuggles even closer to him. "I can't wait," she says, kissing his neck with a smile.

Rito smiles back. "Uh, this bed sure is big," he says.

"Don't worry, I can always shrink it back to its original size," she says.

"But then, why enlarge it in the first place? If you just wanted to sleep together, the original size would've been big enough for the two of us," he says.

"Hmm-hmm. True, it would've been big enough for the TWO of us," she says. Then she gestures to Rito's closet. "Okay, you can come out now," she says. Rito turns to the closet in confusion. The closet doors open, and Momo and Nana emerge, both wearing negligees, and both their faces flushed. While Momo smiles, Nana appears timid.

"Ah!" panics Rito.

"Wow, I'm proud of you, Rito, Big Sis. That was very steamy," says Momo.

"You guys were in there the whole time? So you saw me…uh," says Rito, realizing they watched him strip.

"Sorry, Rito. We didn't wanna overwhelm you by attacking you all at once. Though we were pretty overwhelmed ourselves just from watching you get naked. Poor Nana almost passed out," says Momo.

"What? I did not. It was just a little much, that's all. But I'm fine now," says Nana.

"Oh, really?" teases Momo. In a flash, she tears off Nana's negligee, revealing her in her underwear.

Nana freaks out, and covers herself. "Momo, what'd you do that for?" she barks.

"Come on, you agreed to this too," says Momo, slipping off her own negligee. Only unlike Nana, she's not wearing any underwear. She stands before Rito fully nude, flustering him even more.

"Wh-what's going on?" asks Rito.

"Isn't it obvious? The three of us are gonna sleep with you," says Lala.

"You're what?" asks Rito.

"That's why I made your bed bigger. Now the four of us can sleep without anyone falling out," says Lala.

"But that's…" starts Rito. Wait a second, he thinks. This actually sounds like a golden opportunity. I just assumed I'd take on each of my brides one at a time. I'm such a dumbass. Of course, there'll be nights when I have to make love to two or three at once. Not my ideal scenario, of course; I'm not some sick, horny pervert craving sex every minute. But this isn't about sex; this is about love. If I don't have the guts to at least sleep with three of them now, what hope is there for when I become their husband? Also, he thinks as he looks at Momo. I haven't been spending enough time with Momo, and she's the whole reason I am where I am now. I owe her some serious gratitude. And if Lala's willing to share me with her sisters, I owe her too. As for Nana, she may have only just become my lover, but her as well. "Ahem. If it's alright with you…please join us, Momo, Nana," he says.

Lala and Momo are elated while Nana becomes speechless. "Don't mind if I do," says Momo, creeping into the bed; Rito's got her on one side, Lala on the other.

"Get in here, Nana," encourages Lala.

"Y-yes. Please, Nana," says Rito.

"I, erm, uh, well, I, just…" says Nana, blushing insanely. Any moment now, she's gonna yell, claim she can't do it and storm out of the room.

"You don't have to, Nana," says Momo. Everyone reacts with surprise. Nana sighs in relief, grateful to her sister for being so caring and understanding. "It just means more for me," she teases.

"Eh?" says Nana.

Momo starts kissing Rito's chest. While he becomes aroused, Nana becomes jealous. "As if you could ever do this, hmm-hmm," teases Momo, working her way up Rito's neck, getting closer to his lips.

"AAAHHH!" yells Nana, stripping off her bra and panties. "I'll show you what I can do!" she says, and then leaps onto the mattress, pouncing right on top of Rito. Then she forces her lips onto his, and pushes her tongue deep into his mouth. While Rito was caught off-guard at first, he grabs Nana's head, and pushes his own tongue into her mouth. Lala and Momo watch in awe and disbelief.

"Nana, how bold of you," says Lala.

"W-well, hmph. I can do that too," says Momo.

When Rito and Nana finally finish, they pant heavily, both enamored. Then they smile at each other.

"Okay, my turn," says Momo.

"Wait, I'm next," says Lala.

"Hey, I'm not done yet," says Nana.

"Uh, girls," says Rito, but it's no use; the three sisters wrestle and smother him all night long. Be strong, Rito, he thinks. This is gonna be your life from now on. For your sake, endure it. And for the girls' sake, enjoy it.

000000

The next day. Saturday at Rin's house.

In the dojo, Rin trains Rito as they compete in a sparring match. Mikan watches them off to the side, enjoying some watermelon and iced tea. Wow, Rin is so awesome, she thinks. And Rito…

Rito blocks every one of Rin's attacks, and even lands a blow on her shoulder with a swift counter. Rin doesn't react in anger, but in pride; her pupil has grown. Mikan can't believe her eyes. He's awesome too, she thinks. When did that happen?

Rito and Rin strike their shinai into a blade lock. With that, they lower their weapons and bow. "Excellent work, Rito," she says.

"Thanks," he says.

Mikan brings them both bottles of water. "That was amazing, you guys. Rin, thanks so much for letting me come over to watch," she says.

"Of course, Mikan. It's been far too long since you and I last hung out," says Rin.

"Yeah, no kidding," says Mikan.

"And Rito, it's been a while since you've been here yourself," notes Rin.

"Yeah, sorry about that," says Rito.

"Don't be. Your skills haven't rusted at all during your absence. In fact, I'd even say they've improved," says Rin.

"You think so?" asks Rito.

"Indeed. But I guess that's what happens when three alien, trans-weapon sisters whip you into shape," says Rin.

"Well, it wasn't easy, hehe," says Rito.

Outside on the roof of the dojo, Momo and Neme are once again spying on Rito. "No, it most certainly wasn't, fufu," says Neme.

"Shh. This is getting good," says Momo.

"It'd get a lot better if Mikan got lost," says Neme.

"I know, I know. Hmm. Maybe we should interfere and get rid of her somehow," says Momo.

Back inside, Rito walks off to the restroom. "I'll be right back," he says.

Rin and Mikan take a seat on the outdoor veranda, both enjoying some watermelon. "I really am grateful, Rin, especially since it's your day off and all," says Mikan.

"Nonsense. Like I said, I'm happy to see you both. Actually, if you want, Mikan, I can teach you kendo too," offers Rin.

"Wow, really? I'd love to," says Mikan.

Rin smiles at her. Then she realizes this is where she and Mikan first sat together all those months ago. "Life sure is strange. Who would've thought we'd ever end up here?" she says.

"I know, right? If you had told me back then that you'd fallen in love with my doofus brother, I would've lost my mind," says Mikan.

"As would I, but here we are. Back then, what you said about him, you were right. And now…I'm gonna be his bride. Not only that, but your sister too," says Rin.

Mikan's lips quiver, and she suddenly embraces Rin. "I can't wait, Big Sister," she says. Rin's taken aback at first, but then returns the hug. When they break off, Mikan says, "By the way, I wanted to ask you something."

"What is it?" asks Rin.

"What can I do to become as beautiful as you?" asks Mikan.

"Huh? Well, um," says Rin at a loss for words. Just then, the buzz of a delivered text message hits Mikan's phone.

"Oh, hang on a sec," says Mikan, checking her phone.

The text reads: "Hey, Mikan. We still good for today?" Mikan blushes, and feverishly texts back, much to Rin's bewilderment.

"Yo. I'm ready to go again if you are, Rin," says Rito, returning from the bathroom.

"Very well," says Rin.

Mikan stands up. "Hey, Rito, Rin, sorry, but I gotta run," she says.

"You do?" asks Rito.

"Yeah, I'm supposed to meet up with a friend for ice cream later," says Mikan.

"A friend? Is it Yami?" asks Rito.

"No," answers Mikan.

"Sachi or Mami?" asks Rito.

"No. Geez, I have more than three friends, you know," says Mikan.

"Then, is it a boy?" asks Rin.

"Eh? Well, yeah," replies Mikan.

"Boy? What boy?" asks Rito.

"Oh, feeling angry and jealous, Big Bro? That's hilarious, considering you already have Rin," teases Mikan, which makes both Rito and Rin blush. "Anyway, I'll be back home in time to make dinner. Thanks again for having me, Rin," she says.

"Anytime," says Rin.

"Later," says Mikan, running off. Momo and Neme watch her go. They trade confused looks, and then they shrug and high-five; they wanted Mikan gone, and by a stroke of blind luck, she is.

"Man, she's growing up," says Rito.

"Relax. You'll always be her…doofus big brother," teases Rin with a wink. Rito's cheeks redden from her comment. "Now, let's pick up where we left off," she says.

"R-right," says Rito.

An hour later, Rito and Rin finish their training for their day. Rito wipes the sweat from his brow. "Man, I forgot how exhausting fighting without dark matter can be," he says as he walks to put away his shinai. Then a sudden pain attacks his left leg. "Ouch," he grunts.

"You okay?" asks Rin.

"Oh, yeah, just a little sore, that's all," he says. Dammit, this is just like the first time I trained with her. Why am I always getting sore after she trains me? he thinks. But when he starts walking again, it's less of a walk and more of a limp. He even has to use the wall for support.

"I'd say that's more than a little," she says.

"I'll be fine, Rin, trust me," he says.

Rin gets up right in Rito's face and stares him down with angry eyes, frightening him. "You seriously expect me to just let you walk home in your condition?" she says.

"Well, I, uh..." he stutters.

"You're not going anywhere until you've fully recovered," she warns.

"O-okay. W-what'd you have in mind?" he asks.

Rin begins to blush, but tries to act aloof. "Ahem. G-go into the other room. I'll give you a...a m-massage," she answers.

"HUUUHHHHH?" he squeals.

A few minutes later, Rito lays on a futon, still wearing his kimono. His face is flushed from what's about to happen. A massage from Rin? he thinks. Well, she is a martial artist. I'm sure she's had plenty of experience tending to injuries with massages. But that's not the issue here.

Rin sits in seiza position next to Rito's sore leg. "I'll begin now, Rito. Just relax," she says.

"O-Okay," he responds.

Rin rubs her hands together, and then begins massaging Rito's left leg. She rubs, squeezes and twists his muscles, loosening his joints and easing his pain. "Ah," moans Rito. While it's somewhat painful, it's also arousing. Dammit, he thinks. If I enjoy this too much, she's gonna think I'm lewd, get mad and slap me. I've gotta keep my cool.

Rin continues the massage. Oh, wow, she ponders. I've never felt anything like this before. Who knew boys could be so…wait, what is wrong with me? Snap out of it. This is just another healing massage needed by a fellow student. Don't get all worked up just because it's your boyfriend. And don't think you can act all seductive with him. Even though, this could be my chance...

Momo and Neme watch them through the window. "Come on, Rito. Make a move," whispers Momo.

"This is your moment, Rin. Go for it," whispers Neme.

Not to mention, thinks Rin. As a king, Rito's gonna be swamped with work. For the good of him and the universe, he'll need a massage every now and then to deal with the stress. Maybe I should take this time to…no! I don't want him to think of me as some dirty girl. But if I don't act now, then when? "Uh, Rito, d-do you feel better now?" she asks, finishing the massage.

"Oh, much, thank you," he replies. Seriously, I feel like I could take on ten Stems, he thinks. Glad that's over. Now I'll just head on home and…his thoughts cut off as he contemplates the situation. And the next step he should take.

"You're welcome, Rito. I'll, um, get us some more drinks," she says. But as she rises, Rito takes her hand. "Rito?" she asks.

"Rin, would you like a massage yourself?" he asks without hesitation.

"Huh?" she asks.

"I'm not as skilled as you are, but I thought that, you might be sore too, and I…I wouldn't mind doing it. But I understand if you don't want to," he says.

"No, no. I…I wouldn't mind either," she says.

"Dah. O-okay, then let's get started," he says.

Rin lies on the futon, and Rito begins massaging her back. Then he works his way across her body, focusing on her shoulders, arms, hips and legs; he purposely avoids any sensitive areas that would elicit pleasure. "Ah," moans Rin. Oh, my, she thinks. How? How is he so good at this?

Momo and Neme are once again in awe of the erotic scene unfolding before their eyes. "Who knew he'd be so skilled?" whispers Neme.

"Rito's always been good with his hands. All that time spent playing video games must've boosted his dexterity. Oooh, now I'm itching for a massage," whispers Momo.

Good, Rito, good, thinks Rito. Just don't touch her boobs. Or her butt. Or between her legs. That is, unless she's okay with it. No, even then I...wait. Should I or shouldn't I? Which is worse? Would a real man just go for it without permission? I don't want her to see me as a wuss, but I don't want her to see me as a perv either. So what do I do? Ugh, this is so frustrating.

As Rin enjoys herself, her mind wanders back to that day when she, Saki and Aya were harassed by the thugs outside the movie theater. Their harsh words echo through her mind. You're a freak! Rin shakes her head, blocks out those words, and replaces them with different thoughts. The first one that comes to mind is her chat with the other girls in the restroom. If Rito dies, then I want to make as many precious memories with him as I can. That's what Yami said. As do I. Rin said those very words herself. The next thought is what Momo said when she gathered all the girls in the empty classroom. All I'm saying is we try to stimulate his libido so he doesn't lose interest in us.

"Okay," she whispers to herself. Then she sits up, her back to Rito.

"Huh? Rin?" asks Rito.

For a moment, nothing happens. And then, Rin slowly undoes her kimono, keeping her back to Rito so he doesn't see her bright red face. Rito begins turning bright red himself, but he's too flustered to speak. Rin removes her kimono, revealing her naked body to the man she loves.

"P-please continue," she says, lying back down on the futon.

"S-sure," he gulps. He resumes the massage, caressing and squeezing her bare skin. Oh, wow. She feels...so tough, he thinks. Guess that's what happens when you spend your whole life doing kendo. But…it's like a soft kind of tough. He gulps again, and then slides his hands down her back. Okay, Rin. If you're gonna be brave, then so will I. This is for you. He grabs her butt, and squeezes tightly.

"Ah, ah," she moans, not expecting Rito to be so forward nor expecting his touch to feel so good.

Rito musters all the courage he has, and massages all of her sensitive parts. As he finishes, he feels his nose starting to bleed; he quickly wipes it away, and shakes his head; he won't cave now. "Okay. Your front is next," he says.

"Huh? Um, alright," says Rin. She takes a moment, breathes deeply, gulps and rolls over, exposing her bare breasts and frontal area to him. "B-be gentle," she requests.

Rito slaps his face with both hands to keep his head in the game. He rubs his hands together, and works his magic all across Rin's front; her collarbones, her waist, her inner thighs, and her voluptuous breasts. Oh, gosh, they're like giant marshmallows, he thinks, face burning.

"Ah, ah," she moans before covering her mouth.

Outside, Momo and Neme are frozen in place. Drool oozes from their mouths, and blood spews from their noses. The sight has become too much for them, and they pass out.

"All done," says Rito, spinning around and catching his breath.

"Th-thank you, Rito," says Rin, also sucking in great gulps of air. From the looks of them both, it appears the massage was even more strenuous than the sparring. "Now it's your turn," she says.

"What?" he asks.

"You were kind enough to do my whole body whereas I only did your leg," she says.

"Oh, that's okay…" his voice trails off when he meets her eyes. While she appears to be glowing due to the massage, there's a tinge of sorrow to her as well. She wants this. And as modest and chivalrous as Rito is, deep down, he wants it too. "I mean, yes, okay," he says. A tiny smiles crosses Rin's face. Rito spins around, and takes in the sight of her naked body kneeling before him. Then without warning, he strips off his own kimono; now they're both naked. Rin goes wide-eyed and redder than she ever has in her life. "I just thought, you know," he says.

"Y-yes, of course," she says. I've never seen a naked man before, she thinks. Let alone touch one. Is it because it's my first time? No, it's because it's Rito. She moves aside so that Rito can lie down in her place, only he's lying on his back this time. Rin can't help but look at his erected area, and flush even greater.

"Rin," he says calmly. Then he gives her a warm smile. "It's just a massage," he says, not wanting to scare her off or force her to do more than what she's comfortable doing.

Rin stares at him for a moment, and then returns the smile; she's happy and blessed to have such a considerate boyfriend. "Yes, just a massage," she agrees. And then, much to Rito's surprise, she positions her naked body over his.

"Uh, Rin?" he asks.

"My hands are tired, so let me use something else," she says. And then, she lowers her body onto his. Her breasts squish onto Rito's thick chest, and her pelvis lies right on top of his while avoiding his erected member. She glides over Rito, using her entire nude body to massage his own nude body.

"Oh. Oh, wow," he moans.

"Ah, ah, ah," she moans.

Without thinking, Rito's arms rise and wrap around Rin's back. Now they both start cuddling and rubbing against each other in the nude. Their bodies become hotter. Their moans become louder. They're seconds away from just going for it. They're about to reach their limit.

"Stop," they say at the same time. They gasp, and look at each other, dumbfounded. They were both thinking the same thing, but didn't expect the other to say it. Then they both laugh. Rin remains where she is, leaving her body on top of Rito; he's definitely not complaining. They hold each other close.

"That was intense," she says.

"It sure was," he says.

"Thank you, Rito. If we kept that up, things would've gotten too extreme," she says.

"Yeah. I'm willing to wait if you are," he says.

"I am. But this was a good start, and we can always do it again," she says.

Rito leans his head up, and plants a surprise kiss on Rin's lips. "I love you, Rin Kujou," he says.

"And I love you, Rito Yuki," she responds before whispering into his ear. "Even more than Miss Saki."

They exchange smiles, kiss once more, and caress their hands all over each other's naked bodies, completing the massage.

Outside, Momo and Neme lie dazed on the grass.

000000

Later that night, Rito walks home with a bounce in his step and a pervy look on his face.

Rin, he thinks. Rin…Rin…that was so…hot. Rin.

His phone buzzes, snapping him out of his trance. He checks his phone. "Neme?" he says out loud. Then he reads the message and becomes perplexed.

000000

Over at the Kurosaki's apartment. Rito walks down the hall, and arrives at their door. She said she knows something about Black Darkness, he thinks. But why not just tell me over the phone? Why ask me to swing by? He knocks on the door, and it opens. "Huh? It's unlocked," he says.

Rito opens the door, and closes it once he's inside. The lights are off. "Hello? Neme? Yami?" he asks, but no answer. Rito flips on the light switch, but the lights don't turn on. "Hey, Lune, you there?" he asks, but even the A.I. doesn't respond. "Guess even computers need their sleep. Huh?" he says, noticing something on the floor.

It's three pieces of green tape forming an arrow on the floor. Rito's eyes follow the direction of the arrow; it points to another green arrow on the floor. "Come on, guys, this isn't the time for games," he says, following the trail of arrows. They lead him through the living room, up the stairs, onto the upper landing, and towards a door at the end. I haven't seen that door before. They must've asked Lala to build an extra room using her distortion technology. But what for? he thinks.

He enters the secret room, shields his eyes from the light, and gawks with awe. "Whoa!" he says, finding himself inside an indoor pool fitting for a hotel penthouse. "Man, Lala really outdid herself this time," he says.

"She certainly did," says Neme.

"We'll have to repay her somehow," says Mea.

"Indeed. Our gracious princess deserves thanks," says Yami.

Rito turns around, and his face goes red. All three Kurosaki sisters appear out of the changing room, wearing t-shirts and nothing else. "G-g-girls! Hi, there-no! Wait, what're you wearing?" he asks, averting his eyes.

"Thanks for coming, Rito. I apologize. That text about Black Darkness was a little white lie. But if I told you the truth, you'd never come," says Neme.

"The truth?" asks Rito.

"You've been enjoying sexy time with so many cute girls, and now it's our turn. We're gonna skinny dip together, Rito!" cheers Mea.

"WHHHAAAATTTTT?!" asks Rito.

"This is happening, Rito. Don't bother trying to get away. Now look at us," orders Yami.

Rito gulps, and returns his eyes to the girls. "W-well, uh, what kind of…stuff did you have in mind?" he asks. Neme and Mea smile at each other, and then remove their shirts. Rito's jaw slackens to see their naked bodies.

"Join us for a swim," says Neme, jumping into the pool

"The water's perfect, come on," says Mea, cannonballing into the pool.

"Now it's your turn. Take off your clothes," says Yami.

"Oh, that's alright. I can just swim in my boxers," says Rito. Soon as he says those words, Yami transforms her hair into blades and slices apart his clothes, leaving him naked. Everything happened so fast, Rito hardly has time to blink. He looks at himself with a pale face; not a scratch on him. He quickly covers his private parts. "Yami, what'd you do that for?" he asks.

Yami stares at him with a fiery aura; her blades ready to strike again. Rito looks petrified. Neme and Mea watch from in the pool. It's a hilarious sight.

"I'm not who I used to be, Rito," says Yami.

"Huh?" asks Rito.

"I didn't want any part of this," says Yami. "I wanted you and I to get closer without rushing anything. But this situation, this harem, it's such an unconventional romance. With so many girls to love, I was afraid of falling behind. Not to mention, with the number of times I've threatened and hurt you, I was afraid you didn't love me as much as them," she says.

"Yami," says Rito.

"But I've changed," says Yami. "I'm not who I used to be. I wanted to be brave. I wanted to make up for what I've done to you, and prove how much I love you. That's why I forced myself to go along with this farce. I thought, tonight, if you and I simply swam together, we could become closer. I thought you had changed too. But I guess I was wrong," she says. Then she retracts her blades, turns around and starts heading for the changing room.

"Big Sis Yami," says Mea, swimming for the wall, but Neme stops her; it's better to let her go.

Rito watches Yami walk away. All of time seems to slow down. And then, Rito runs and jumps into the pool, splashing water onto Yami. She stops, and turns around with a bewildered look on her face.

Rito surfaces, and smiles at Yami. "Mea was right. The water is great," he says, offering his hand to Yami.

"Rito," says Yami. Then she smiles, and takes off her shirt. But before she jumps in, Neme and Mea attack Rito from behind.

"Oh, it's been so long since I've touched you like this, fufu," says Neme.

"Your body's gotten so muscular. I can't hold back any longer," says Mea.

"Hey, wait, you two, ah," squirms Rito. With two naked girls wrestling him in the pool, all that confidence he had built up before washes away. Yami dives into the pool, swims up to Rito's chest, and kisses his square on the mouth.

"Delicious," says Yami, licking her lips.

As the night goes on, Rito and the three sisters enjoy the pool together. They compete in a swimming race, toss a beach ball back and forth, and even lather each other up with suntan oil despite being in an indoor pool at night. They're all having fun, and Rito grows more comfortable with them all being naked.

Meanwhile, the front door opens and Tearju steps inside the apartment. "I'm home," she says, flipping the light switch; this time, the lights turn on. Not only that…

"Welcome back, Tearju," says Lune.

"Thanks, Lune. Uh, where is everybody?" asks Tearju.

"Oh, don't mind them. They're just enjoying some quality sister time," says Lune.

"Wonderful. In that case, I think I'll take over dinner duty tonight. After I get a shower," says Tearju.

Back at the pool, Rito lies on a mat with all three girls cuddled around him. They gaze up at the stars through the skylight.

"I'm sorry, Yami," says Rito.

"Hmm?" asks Yami.

"I didn't wanna rush anything either," says Rito. "I do love you. Very much. And while I am interested in you, and…doing sexy things with you…I just figured that stuff would happen naturally after a few years. But that was selfish of me. Dr. Ryouko said the whole reason I started falling onto girls was because I showed them too much respect. I don't really understand that, but it's clear to me now that respectfully refusing to do this stuff with you was hurting your feelings. So I'm sorry," he says.

Before anyone can respond, Yami steals another kiss from Rito's lips. "Apology accepted. So how 'bout you don't wear any towels the next time we bathe together," she implies.

"Promise," says Rito.

"Speaking of bathing, unfortunately, this pool doesn't have bathrooms," says Yami.

"What?" asks Rito.

"It was super last-minute when we asked Lala to build this pool, she didn't have time to install any showers, fufu," says Neme.

"Yes. Apologies, Rito, but if you need to wash yourself off before you head home, you'll have to use the shower out in the hall," says Mea.

"Oh. Okay. But…" says Rito, embracing all three naked girls together. "I can wait a little longer," he says.

"Oooh. I love this bolder side of you," says Mea.

"Where was this all those times I seduced you? Fufu," says Neme.

"I still hate perverted things, but I do love you, Rito Yuki," says Yami.

Rito and the three trans-weapons/sisters cuddle some more, and continue watching the stars.

Moments later, Rito emerges onto the upper landing with a towel around his waist, and a folded pile of fresh clothes in his arms. He walks to the bathroom door at the end. Yami had these clothes ready for me, he thinks. Something tells me shredding my old clothes was part of her plan. Ugh, that girl. Even so, it's nice of her and her sisters to let me use their shower. I don't wanna smell like chlorine all night.

As Rito approaches the bathroom, Tearju steps out, wearing a towel. Neither of them see the other in time, and they crash into each other whilst yelling. The new clothes fly out of Rito's hands, and both he and Tearju start falling towards the stairs. Rito thinks fast, hugs Tearju, spins around, and angles himself so he can take the brunt of the fall. They both go rolling down the stairs together, with their towels flying off. They come to a rest at the bottom, with Tearju's naked body on top of Rito's.

Tearju opens her eyes, rubs her head, and moans in pain. "Ouch, not again. Huh, Yuki?" she says, only just now realizing they're both naked. "EEEEKKKK! W-w-w-why are you naked?" she says flushing like crazy. But then, she notices something wrong. "Yuki?" she asks.

Rito doesn't respond, because he's unable to; he's unconscious. Tearju notices a few bruises on his shoulders and arms. Then she looks up the stairs, realizing what happened. And then, she looks at herself; aside from the bump on her head, she's not injured. He protected me as we fell, she thinks. He put himself at risk, because he didn't want me to get hurt. Oh, Yuki.

Tearju blushes as she stares at Rito. Against her better judgement, she leans down until their faces are inches apart. "Thank you," she says. Then she pulls her hair back from her face, and kisses Rito on the lips. A few seconds pass by, and then Tearju breaks away.

"What're you doing, Tear?" asks Yami.

"AAAAAYYYYYEEEEE! Yami!" squeals Tearju, whirling around to see Yami on the upper landing, wearing a towel and surrounded by another fiery aura. "Th-this isn't what it looks like," pleads Tearju, frantically waving her arms in a hilarious manner.

A naked woman mounted on a naked younger man she just kissed; it's exactly what it looks like.

"I hate perverted things," says Yami, preparing her hair blades.

"EEEEEPPPPP!" screams Tearju.

000000

The next day. Sunday at the local hot springs resort.

In the main hallway, a doorway with pink curtains serves as the entrance to the women's bath; a second doorway with blue curtains for the men's bath, and in the middle, a third doorway with red curtains for the mixed bath. Rito stands before the mixed bath entrance, wearing a robe, reading another text on his phone. Ugh, he thinks. I know Run invited me to come, but I've got a bad feeling about this. Maybe I should…he says, turning into the men's bath.

Before he enters, a thug pushes him past him. "Hey, watch it, loser," says the thug as he and two more thugs enter the men's bath. Rito's never seen them before, but they're not just any thugs; it's the same trio of thugs who got beat up by Rin for harassing her, Saki and Aya outside the movie theater.

"Oh, sorry 'bout that," says Rito respectfully, not one to pick a fight over a mere push. He's about to follow them into the men's bath, but stops. Wait, was that a sign? he thinks. Then he turns to the mixed bath; his heart races, and his face sweats. Come on, man, you've already come this far. As he's about to enter the mixed bath, two girls exit the women's bath. They notice Rito going for the mixed bath, and whisper among themselves. Oh, great, they think I'm a creep, he thinks. Dammit, get a grip, dude. There's gonna be loads of people scorning me for the harem plan. I have to stand up to them. I can't lose my nerve over the opinions of a couple strangers. The only opinions that should matter are mine and the girls. After all, I'm gonna be a king. Okay, here I go.

Rito psyches himself up, lifts the red curtains, and enters the mixed bath. He removes his robe, grabs a towel, grips the door handle and closes his eyes. He slides the door open, and slowly opens his eyes. A cloud of warm steam fills the outdoor hot spring. Rito glances the area, and to his surprise, doesn't see Run anywhere. In fact, there's no one else around. It's just him. Or so he thought.

"I'm happy you came," says a voice.

"Huh?" says Rito. He squints, peering through the mist to make out a naked girl sitting in the enormous bath. "YIPE! Risa?" he yelps.

"In the flesh," teases Risa. She lifts her fingers, and gestures Rito join her.

Rito gulps. I knew I'd have to face her eventually, he thinks. I just wish there were other girls nearby. Being alone with her is dangerous. Shouldn't Run be here? Oh, who am I kidding? Knowing Risa, she probably arranged it to get me alone somehow. Should I wait until Run arrives? Then he notices Risa's face turning red, and a smug smile on her face. Rito realizes she's staring at his waist. He gets embarrassed, and wraps himself with the towel, though his erected organ makes it difficult. "I, um, think we should wait for Run," he says.

"Sure. You can wait right here," says Risa, patting the seat next to her. As Rito starts for the bath, Risa holds up her hand. "One condition. Lose the towel," she says.

"Ugh," moans Rito. He gets in the bath, and walks next to Risa. He sits down next to her, and with his waist beneath the water, he summons his courage and removes the towel, though he still keeps his hands over his area. Risa leans against him, causing him to quiver; her naked body leaning against his will do that to him.

"You're doing great, darling," says Risa. And then, fast as lightning, she hops onto Rito's lap and wraps her arms around his neck.

"Ah, Risa, what're you-" says Rito before Risa smashes her lips against his. Her breasts squish and glide across his chest. Her tongue dances in his mouth. Rito is helpless as she comes at him with her sexy attack.

She finally breaks away from the kiss; both panting heavily. They stare deep into each other's eyes. Risa leans into Rito's ear. "Rito…put it in me," she whispers.

"Uh, I, uh," says Rito.

"HEY!" screams another voice.

"Ah, crap. Thought I had more time," complains Risa as she and Rito turn to see Run standing buck naked, pointing at them with an angry look in her eyes.

"Risa! I should've known you were trying to get ahead. And after I agreed we'd seduce Rito together," says Run.

"All's fair in love and war," teases Risa, licking Rito's cheek, which only infuriates Run more.

"What's going on?" asks Kyouko, wearing just a towel and emerging behind Run. Once she sees Risa atop Rito, her face burns red and she looks away while covering her eyes.

"Um, hey, Run, Kyouko," says Rito, sheepishly attempting to salvage the scenario.

"All's fair? Fine then," says Run, splashing into the water and wrestling Risa for Rito's lap.

"Hey, back off. I was here first," says Risa, fighting back.

Rito is defenseless as the two naked beauties clamor for his lap. He watches their breasts sway back and forth in the splashing bathwater. He's about to pass out from all the excitement, but steels himself and yells, "How 'bout I wash all your backs for you?"

Risa and Run calm down, both intrigued and accepting of the idea.

Later, all three nude girls sit on the stools; only Kyouko keeps her towel on. Rito, also nude, washes Risa's back with a sponge.

"Hmm, that feels so much better when you're doing it, darling," says Risa.

"Uh, yeah, hehe," says Rito. Then he moves onto Run, and washes her back.

"Oh, yes, that feels great. Hey, Rito, would you care to wash my front as well?" says Run.

"What?" asks Rito, flustered. Run turns around, revealing her full frontal to him. "I, um, uh, oh! Look at that! I've gotta do Kyouko next," he says, dodging the request. Run comically pouts.

Kyouko gets embarrassed, and starts to rise. "Oh, uh, you know? I'm actually feeling okay. Hey, I know. How 'bout we wash you, Rito?" she asks.

"Yeah!" say Run and Risa in unison.

"Huh?" asks Rito. Before he can blink, the girls sit him down on a stool and begin washing his body; Risa washes his right side, Run washes his left, and Kyouko, still covering herself with a towel, washes his back.

"Kyouko, you don't have to be so modest, you know," says Run.

"Yeah. Like I told Rito, you can ditch the towel," insists Risa.

"Oh, well, uh," stutters Kyouko.

"It's okay, Kyouko. We understand if you're not ready, and I won't force you to," says Rito.

"Rito," says Kyouko, smiling. Touched by his kindness, and fueled by the girls' encouragement, she stands up. "Okay," she says with absolute resolution, and then removes her towel. Rito marvels at her exquisite figure. And then, Kyouko lathers soap all over her breasts, and pushes them up against Rito's back.

"Agh! Kyouko?" shrieks Rito, feeling the soft sensation gliding across his back.

"We're engaged now, so this is fine. If I can't do this much, then I'm not fit to be called one of your brides," says Kyouko with a red face.

"Hey, no fair," says Run, lathering her own breasts with soap, and washing Rito with them.

"Ooh, that's what I'm talking about," says Risa, following suit.

"Ah, ha, ha," says Rito; three nude girls washing his nude body with their breasts. They pick up the pace, circling their chests faster and faster against his limbs. It's all becoming too much for him, but even more so for the girls. They each moan with delightful pleasure.

A few moments later, the three girls lay on the ground, panting heavily, having reached their sexual limits; washing Rito took an overwhelming toll of arousal on them more so than it did him. Although Rito himself isn't one-hundred percent either. Feeling like he just ran ten miles, Rito limps towards the door. "I'm, uh, gonna get something cold to drink. You guys want anything?" he asks.

"Yes, please," says all three girls at once.

Kyouko gets up, and staggers to Rito. "Wait," she says. She stands on her tiptoes, and plants a kiss on his cheek.

Rito touches his cheek. "What was that for?" he asks, blushing.

"Hmm-hmm, nothing," teases Kyouko. She dips into the bath along with Run and Risa.

Rito shakes his head with a smile. "That girl. Oops," he says. As he's about to slide the door open, he realizes he's still naked; he was so flustered after the wash, he forgot to put on a towel. Suddenly, the door slides open; someone on the other side opened it. Rito freaks out and stands naked before the newcomer.

It's Yui.

"Uh, hey, Kotegawa," says Rito. And then his eyes go wide. Yui stands naked with a towel draped over her shoulders; her nude body inches away from Rito's. He's seen her naked before plenty of times, albeit always accidentally. But this time, for some strange reason, his heart pounds even harder than it did; it's like out of all the girls, in this moment, Yui has become the most attractive. Against his better judgement, Rito can't help but check her out top to bottom.

Yui herself blinks several times, as if to ensure the steam isn't getting to her head. "Y-Yuki?" she mumbles. Then she too checks Rito out top to bottom, having never seen him naked before, and becomes flustered by his muscular physique. But then, she glances down at his groin, and blushes crimson.

Oh, no, panics Rito. She's gonna scream and pummel me to death. "K-Kotegawa, just calm down. It was just an accident," he says, sweating bullets.

Yui neither screams nor hits him. Upon seeing the boy she loves in all his nude glory, her whole body goes as red as her face, and she passes out.

"Ah! Kotegawa!" yells Rito. The other girls in the bath see what happened, and rush over to Yui's aid.

Half-an-hour later, Yui lies on a bench in the mixed bath locker room, wearing a robe. An electric fan provides her with a cool breeze. Kyouko, also in a robe, places a wet towel on her forehead.

"Oh, thank you, Kyouko," says Yui.

"How are you feeling?" asks Kyouko.

"Well, I could use a drink," replies Yui.

"Here you go, girl," says Risa, wearing a robe and offering Yui a cold bottle of milk. She hands one to Kyouko too, and drinks one herself.

"Thank you too, Momioka," says Yui.

"Don't mention it. They don't call 'em hot springs for nothing," jokes Risa.

"Indeed. All that steam made me hallucinate someone naked right in front of me. It was…shameless," says Yui with a flushed face.

"Hehe," laughs Kyouko and Risa in unison. They sigh with relief, happy that Yui believes what occurred was all in her head.

Meanwhile in the men's locker room, Rito wears a robe and downs two bottles of cold milk; one for the bath, one for his libido. I'm glad Kotegawa's okay, he thinks. But…what the heck's gonna happen when we run into each other at school? Aw, man, this sucks.

"Rito," says Run, appearing behind Rito, wearing a robe.

"Yeah?" he asks. Run quickly hugs him from behind. This isn't like her usual hugs where she straight up tackles Rito; this one lacks energy and almost feels sad. "Run?" he asks again.

Run buries his forehead into Rito's back and closes her eyes. "I'm…really happy," she says. "I'm happy and grateful that you accepted me. For so long, I wanted nothing more than to be yours, and you to be mine," she says.

"Run," he says.

"But, when I saw you with Risa, I don't know. I just…got a little insecure. I know I have to share you with her and the other girls. I'll try to be more mature from now on. Your life is gonna get so much busier, and I don't wanna burden you. I just…" she says.

Rito spins around, and hugs Run back, catching her by surprise. "Run…I want you to know something. No matter how many girls there may be, there's only one of you. I'll promise I'll spend as much time with you as possible, and I'll make the absolute most of it. Because you deserve the best happiness, and if I can't give you that, I don't deserve you. I love you," he says.

"Oh, Rito, I love you too," she says, hugging him back, giddy with joy.

000000

The next day, Monday.

Rito, Mikan, Lala, Nana, Momo and Celine walk to school together. They reach the crosswalk where Mikan splits off to head to her own school.

"Have a good one, Mikan," says Rito.

"Thanks, bro. You too," says Mikan.

"Hey, Mikan," says a voice. Everyone turns to see Genno jogging down the sidewalk. He joins them and catches his breath.

"Oh. Good morning, Genno," says Mikan.

"Good morning, yourself. I was hoping we could walk to school together," says Genno.

"Sure, I don't mind," says Mikan.

"Great. Oh, uh, good morning to you all as well," says Genno, just noticing Rito and the others. He bows to them with respect. "My name is Genno Ashira. I'm in the same class as Mikan," he says.

"Oh, uh, cool. I'm Rito, Mikan's older brother," says Rito.

"I'm Lala. These are my sisters Nana and Momo. And this little one is Celine. Say hi to Genno, Celine," says Lala.

"Gah, gah," says Celine, cheerfully.

"Uh, hi," says Genno, not understanding Celine one bit, but doing his best to be nice. Mikan can't help but blush at his gentleman behavior; Momo clocks her blush, and smiles to herself.

"So, Mikan, are you and Genno close?" teases Momo. Mikan nearly jumps out of her skin, realizing what Momo is implying.

"Oh, well, you see," starts Genno before Mikan seizes his hand.

"Oh, look at the time. Don't wanna be late. Let's go, Genno," says Mikan, running off and practically dragging Genno along.

"Okay," says Genno, struggling to keep up, but happy to be walking with her.

"See you," says Mikan. Within seconds, she and Genno are specks of dust in the distance, leaving Rito and the others confused.

"What was that all about?" wonders Nana.

"Oh, dear sister, there is much you've yet to learn," jokes Momo.

000000

At Sainan High, Momo and the girls are gathered once again in the same empty classroom they used before; Kyouko speaks via phone.

They finish trading stories about how they all seduced Rito. Unsurprisingly, half the girls are either embarrassed sharing their stories, or too flustered from hearing the others; the other half are either proud of their accomplishments, or jealous of what the others did.

"Great job, everyone. I think we all made some excellent progress over the weekend," says Momo.

"Yeah, well, I still think we should refrain from doing such things again," says Nana.

"Agreed. I can't exactly spend every weekend seducing Rito. And even if I wanted to, I still have my TV show and concerts to attend," says Kyouko.

"That's fine. I understand some of you aren't ready to make this a habit, either due to your busy schedules or your levels of comfort. And that's okay. Besides, Rito himself is still getting used to the idea of having a harem. Coming at him all at once maybe too overwhelming for him," says Momo.

"In that case, we should use this weekend as an example. Take turns dating Rito, as Haruna and I have already agreed to, and we can cover any additional ground rules from there," suggests Lala.

"Yes. We should work as we go," says Haruna.

"Easy for you to say. You and your sisters live with Rito, Lala. How do we know you won't try to get ahead, and seduce him yourselves every night?" asks Run.

"Huh? I would never," says Nana.

"Ahem," coughs Momo. Well, I kind of already been doing that, she thinks.

"If that happens, I promise to let you have Rito whenever you ask, Run," says Lala, cheerfully taking Run's hands.

"Uh, sure," says Run.

"Besides, if anyone of us gets too frisky with Rito, he maybe too drained to do anything with the rest of us," says Neme.

"He'll have to boost his sexual stamina somehow," teases Risa.

"Ooh, yeah. I could help him do that," says Mea.

"All that said, I agree with Princess Lala. We should learn from this experience, and build upon it. That way, all of our feelings for Rito can be managed equally," says Yami.

"In that case, we should appoint someone to oversee the harem," suggests Rin.

"I nominate Momo," says Neme.

"What?" responds Momo.

"Is it really such a surprise? The whole harem plan was your idea from the start. Plus, we all know how out of hand things will get if I manage it, fufu," says Neme.

"I agree. I think Momo is the one best suited for the role," says Haruna.

"All those in favor of Momo?" says Lala, raising her hand. One by one, all of the other girls raise their hands, casting their votes.

"Just so you guys know, I'm raising my hand too," says Kyouko over the phone.

Momo looks around the room at all the girls smiling at her. Even though she isn't a member of the harem yet, they still believe in her enough to manage the harem. She smiles back, happy and grateful to have their trust.

"Thank you all. Then as my first act as harem manager, I declare the following; we can do whatever we want with Rito. But none of us are to make love to him until we're actually married to him. We'll call it the Harem Pact. Understood?" she says.

"Okay," say Lala, Haruna, Nana, Yami, Rin and Kyouko in unison.

"Fine," pout Neme, Mea, Run and Risa in unison.

000000

In the principal's office.

Mr. Principal, with a bandage on his cheek, sits in his cushy chair, staring down the unfortunate student on the other side of his shabby desk; it's Rito.

"You're in a lot of trouble, Yuki," says Mr. Principal, trying and failing to sound intimidating.

"Well, uh, you see, Mr. Principal," starts Rito.

"No, YOU see. This bandage, right here, on my face. See it? It's from when you assaulted me at Yami's party," says Mr. Principal.

"And I'm very sorry about that," says Rito.

"And what's worse, you got in my way. I had Yami in the palm of my hands. On her birthday, no less," whines Mr. Principal.

"Uh…" says Rito, not sure how to respond.

Mr. Principal climbs onto his desk, still trying and still failing to show dominance by towering over Rito. "Yuki, you are hereby expelled from this school," he declares.

"Wait, what?" yells Rito.

All of a sudden, the office door slams open, scaring Mr. Principal so much that he falls off his desk. Rito turns to see Yui storming inside, carrying a manila envelope.

"You stop right there, Mr. Principal!" she yells.

"Kotegawa?" asks Rito.

Mr. Principal collects himself, and tries to act superior again. "Kotegawa, you know you can't just barge into my office like that."

"Save it, you obnoxious pig!" shouts Yui.

Rito is awestruck by her ferocity while Mr. Principal becomes a mouse to her lioness.

"I was on my way to confront you about a certain matter when I happened to hear what you just said through the door. Mr. Principal, you're not going to expel Yuki, not now or ever," she says.

"Oh? And why is that?" challenges Mr. Principal, folding his arms.

Yui smirks and drops the manila envelope on the desk. Several photographs spill out of the envelope depicting Mr. Principal's creepy antics: chasing after girls on campus, running around in his underwear, reading dirty magazines in public areas, trying to sneak into the girl's locker room, and his countless attempts of going after Yami. The sight of the photographs strikes Mr. Principal to his core.

Yeesh, thinks Rito. I knew he was gross, but this is just disgusting.

"H-H-How did you get these?" asks Mr. Principal.

"Oh, please. You've been an old creep since day one," says Yui.

Mr. Principal quickly slides all of the photos back into the envelope, and then puts said envelope through his shredder. He laughs with victory. "How's that, Kotegawa?"

"There's plenty more where that came from," says Yui with a mischievous grin.

"Eh?" squeaks Mr. Principal.

Yui holds up her phone. "Did you honestly think I didn't make digital copies? One push of a button, and those photos hit the web. Goodbye career, hello prison," she threatens.

Wow, thinks Rito.

...

Mr. Principal drops to his knees and weeps like a pathetic child. "Oh, Kotegawa, please, please. Don't release those photos. I'll behave myself from now on, I swear," he begs.

"Not good enough," says Yui.

"Yuki! Right, right! His expulsion is henceforth cancelled. Permanently cancelled," says Mr. Principal.

Rito rises, delighted by the news. He trades smiles with Yui, but then gets an idea. "No. Still not good enough."

"Yuki?" asks Yui.

While Mr. Principal is down on his hands and knees, Rito approaches, casting an ominous shadow over him. "Mr. Principal, if you so much as ogle any women at this school, students, teachers, anyone, we'll broadcast these photos to the entire universe. Then not just Earth, but every world, every species, will know just how much of an obnoxious pig you are."

"You wouldn't," says Mr. Principal.

"Wanna bet?" challenges Rito.

Yui watches Rito in amazement. Oh, wow, she thinks. How could I have been so foolish? I was only thinking about protecting Yuki; I didn't consider protecting the rest of the female student body. Yuki used my leverage, and twisted the blackmail into everyone's favor. Impressive. Wait, ugh! There I go, thinking shameless thoughts again.

Mr. Principal's face runs wet with tears and snot. "Deal."

000000

Afterwards, Rito and Yui walk down the hall back to class.

"Thanks, Kotegawa. You totally saved my neck back there," says Rito.

"D-Don't get the wrong idea. I've been meaning to tell the principal off for some time. You just happened to be there at the same time. A-And helping a fellow classmate is just part of my job as student rep," says Yui in typical tsundere fashion.

"Even so, I appreciate it," he says.

"Y-You're welcome," she says.

The two continue walking in awkward silence. Not sure what else to say.

"Listen, Kotegawa…about the hot springs," starts Rito.

"I already know," interjects Kotegawa.

"You do?" he says.

"Run, Risa and Kyouko already filled me in," she says.

As far as Yui needs to know, here's the story according to those three…

At the hot springs, Run, Risa and Kyouko were enjoying themselves in the women's bath. Rito, being the naive idiot that he is, wandered into the mixed bath instead of the men's bath by mistake. Yui knows that's something he'd do, but she's not one to judge, because she made the same mistake herself; she meant to go into the women's bath, but wasn't paying attention to the curtains, and ended up walking into the mixed bath. And that's when she and Rito saw each other naked. Fortunately, she was so focused on Rito that she didn't notice the three girls behind him.

It's a lie, but it's for the best, thinks Rito. Otherwise, I'd have to explain why they were with me in the mixed bath.

Back to the cover story…

Yui fainted when she saw Rito naked. He covered her up with a towel, and went outside to get help. As he left the mixed bath, Run, Risa and Kyouko just happened to be exiting the women's bath. He asked them for help, and they took care of Yui. And then Rito had to leave, because Mikan needed him home.

Those girls really did me a solid, thinks Rito. I'll have to pay them back for covering for me.

"I'm grateful to them for taking care of me after I fainted. And, well, uh," says Yui, her face turning red. "I'm…grateful to you as well, Yuki."

"Huh?" asks Rito.

"If any other boy had seen me in that state, who knows what would've happened? But I know you would never do something like that. So…thank you," she says.

Rito smiles at her. "Sure thing. But even so, I'm still sorry for…you know," he says as his face also turns red.

"Aye! Forget it! Like, forget all of it! Forget you ever saw me naked!" she demands.

"Forgotten! Forgotten!" he yelps.

"Oh, who am I kidding?" she says, calming down. "It's not like that's the first time something like that happened. Honestly, Yuki, I don't enjoy getting mad at you. And I don't want you to be so afraid of me."

"Kotegawa," he says.

"That being said, I trust you'll keep what happened a secret. After all, I did just rescue you from expulsion," she says.

"You have my word," he promises.

Yui turns her head away, so she can smile without him noticing. "That's good enough," she says.

Rito stares at her for a moment. Her eyes. Her long, black hair. Her soft lips. Her voluptuous breasts. Her curvy figure. Her slender legs.

Man, he thinks. I never noticed it at first, but…she sure is beautiful.

Feeling his gaze, Yui stare daggers at Rito. "What?"

"Nothing, nothing. I-I was just wondering if you'd want to walk home after school again," he asks.

Yui gasps and blushes in response.

000000

Later that day, Rito and Yui walk home together like they said they would. But this time, they're accompanied by Celine. The little toddler holds Rito's hand as she walks.

Yui smiles at Celine, and then gazes at Rito. She thinks about that day when she was with Nana, Rin, Saki, Aya and Yami in the girl's restroom; about Rin admitting to kissing Rito; about both her and Yami confessing their love for him; about what happened afterwards.

000000

After the meeting in the girl's restroom, Yui visited Dr. Ryouko's infirmary to pick up Celine so she could take her around the school as usual.

As they toured the school, Yui spent the time cooling off and clearing her head.

When she returned to the infirmary, she dropped off Celine with Mikado.

"Thanks, Kotegawa. You know, you just missed Momo and Yuki," says Mikado.

"Yuki?" asks Yui.

"Yes. We were discussing the reason behind his decreased perverted antics. I'd tell you, but I fear that would be breaking doctor-patient confidentiality, hmm-hmm," snickers Mikado.

"W-Whatever. As long as his perversion is finally over and done with, I could careless," says Yui.

"You know, Yui...I know it's none of my business, but don't you think you should be a little more honest with your feelings?" suggests Mikado. Her words leave Yui stunned.

000000

Yui, Rito and Celine continue walking. The silence broken by Celine's cheerful laughter.

Should I just ask him? thinks Yui. I mean, isn't he supposed to be engaged to Lala? Then again, is it my place to ask? And what did Dr. Ryouko mean about being honest with my feelings? I admit, I care for Yuki. But…it can't be.

"So, uh, Kotegawa, how's your, uh, student council work going?" asks Rito, fishing for someway, anyway, to break the ice.

"Oh. Well, um, it's gotten much busier. The school board wants to throw an alien appreciation festival next month," says Yui.

"Alien appreciation festival?" he asks.

"Indeed. After everything that's happened, the school wants to celebrate the peace between humans and aliens. And since some of our fellow students are aliens themselves, they figured a festival would be the best way to celebrate," she explains.

"That's great," he says.

"Yes, it is. But…there's a lot that needs to be done. Between homework and other school matters, I'm worried how swamped the council's gonna get," she says.

Rito takes a moment to think. "What if I help out?"

"Huh?" she asks.

"I admit, I'm no good at this kind of stuff. But if you're feeling overworked, it doesn't hurt to share the load," he says.

Also, he thinks. How can I be a king if I can't even help organize a school festival? It's the perfect training experience.

"I don't know, Yuki. You're not a member of the council, so you're under no obligation to assist. Not to mention, aren't you still busy training with Yami and the others? That Stem jerk is still out there," she says.

"It's okay. I'd be happy to help. I…I'd want to," he says.

Yui blushes.

Just then, Celine takes her hand; her way of encouraging Yui to accept Rito's help. Yui looks from Celine to Rito.

If he does help with the festival, we'll be spending more time together, she thinks.

...

"O-Okay," she says.

"Great," he says, meaning it.

"But I expect you to give it your all, Yuki. I won't tolerate any slackers," she warns.

"Gotcha," he says.

The three of them walk to the upcoming intersection, with Celine holding both their hands. The way they walk, it looks like two parents walking with their child together. They stop once they reach the intersection.

"Well then, I guess I'll see you tomorrow," says Yui.

"Yeah. Say bye now, Celine," says Rito.

Yui bends down as Celine waddles into her arms. "Goodbye, Celine," says Yui.

They exchange a pleasant hug. And then, without warning, Celine kisses Yui's cheek, surprising her and Rito. Celine giggles, and returns to Rito's arms. Yui stands up, and appears spellbound.

"K-Kotegawa?" asks Rito.

"I'm okay. Later, Yuki," says Yui, heading off down the sidewalk.

"Yeah, later," he responds, carrying Celine the other way. "That was a very nice thing you did, Celine. How 'bout ice cream after dinner?" he asks. Celine cheers her response.

As Yui walks off, she looks back at Rito and Celine for a moment. She smiles to herself, and keeps walking.

Rito sneaks a glance back at Yui, and smiles to himself too.

A light boom of thunder grabs his attention. He looks up as dark storm clouds appear in the sky.

000000

Later that night, a thunderstorm rages on throughout the city.

Heavy rain falls, lightning strikes, and civilians flood into the buildings to get out of the storm.

A faint light shines on the top of the tallest skyscraper, accompanied by an ominous thumping noise.

It's the glowing heart of Stem.

He stands on the ledge of the skyscraper, letting the heavy rain pelt his body as he overlooks the city with a sinister grin.

The calm is over, little worm, he thinks. Now, it's time for the storm.

---

Author's Note: See? I said it'd be a steamier chapter. But wow, I wasn't expecting it to be so long and dense. Anyway, like Oshizu said way back when, not every girl in Rito's life has to be in his harem, such as Oshizu herself. That being said, I'm still not sure what to do with her yet. As for Mikado and Tearju, I'm implying they'll join the harem, but I won't be writing chapters for either of them. And for anyone still holding out hope for Mikan, forget it; whether on Earth or Deviluke, she is always going to be Rito's sister, which is why I've introduced newcomer Genno. Hope you like him.

Now, some more news. The next chapter is going to be the longest one to date, and it'll focus on Yui. As you know, she is my favorite character, and I wanted to save her for last (well, last-ish). Also, we're inching closer to the final showdown with Stem. For those reasons, I've decided to split the next chapter into a two-parter. I know, I know, but trust me, it's for the best. I've no idea when I'll have it published, but I'll try to make it my best work yet. Thanks for your patience.