DW DXD Chapter 96 Akitsu’s Second Date Part 3 (Patreon)

The further Akitsu, Issei, and Kuromaru ventured into the depths of the frozen labyrinth, the stronger the mysterious spiritual sensation became. At this point, the air itself felt heavy with anticipation, and even Issei could tell that they were getting incredibly close to the source.

Every few minutes, Akitsu would pause mid-stride, close her pale brown eyes, and silently feel the rhythmic, magnetic pull vibrating inside her chest. After a brief second of absolute focus, she would silently continue forward, her pace gradually quickening. Whatever ancient power was calling out to her was no longer a distant whisper; it was an active, commanding presence right around the corner.

As they stepped through a narrow fissure and entered the next massive section of the cavern, both Issei and Akitsu immediately noticed another dramatic change in their surroundings. Rather than the smooth, structural frozen rock sheets they had seen earlier, the ice here covered the entire cavern like clusters of vibrant, raw crystals. 

They grew wildly and without any restraint in every single direction, sprouting a dim, pulsing magical light from within their crystalline structures that painted the dark cave in a spectrum of mesmerizing, ethereal colors of brilliant blues, pristine whites, shimmering silvers, and deep violets. Some clusters grew like giant jagged teeth from the cavern floor, others burst violently from the walls, and many hung down like frozen chandeliers from the ceiling. The colorful crystal ice spread wildly throughout the space, looking as if it had been growing unchecked for centuries.

Intrigued by the strange, stunning phenomenon, Issei and Kuromaru stepped closer to the edge of the path, wanting to get a better look at the glowing formations.

"Wow... look at the way the light comes out of these things," Issei muttered, leaning his upper torso in toward a particularly large, jagged cluster that looked almost like a massive cluster of precious gemstones.

"...It is very pretty," Akitsu observed quietly from a few paces behind him, turning her head in a different direction to watch the glittering walls bounce the light off her white sundress.

Beside Issei, Kuromaru let out a curious, low rumble. The massive black wyvern lowered his snout, sniffing cautiously at the glowing crystal structures before tilting his head in complete confusion.

Suddenly, just as Issei was about to reach out his hand to touch the smooth surface of the ice, the colorful crystals reacted with hostility.

"Master, back away immediately!" Sherri's voice exploded from the Dimensional Watch, slicing through the quiet air with urgency.

Without a single millisecond of the warning, several jagged, razor-sharp ice spikes shot violently outward from multiple crystal clusters like a spring-loaded trap, aiming directly to pierce the two of them straight through the chest.

"Whoa—!" Issei leaped backward by pure instinct and reflex, his boots skidding across the frosted floor as he grabbed the leather reins of Kuromaru's saddle.

The massive black wyvern instinctively threw his immense weight backward as well, fiercely fluttering his powerful leathery wings to escape the sudden thrust. The sharp, multi-colored ice spikes snapped shut with a deafening CRACK exactly where they had been standing a fraction of a second prior, grazing the fabric of Issei's jacket.

But the sentient ice wasn't done yet, as more and more crystals began moving in a chaotic chain reaction. Above them, a dozen colossal stalactites groaned, snapping cleanly off the high ceiling and dropping down toward them like heavy, descending spears. Simultaneously, dozens of fresh crystal spikes began sprouting and twisting rapidly from the ground right underneath their feet, threatening to impale them.

"Kuromaru, watch out!" Issei shouted, spinning cleanly on his heel. He threw a lightning-fast, heavy punch, channeling his raw physical strength to shatter the rising spears before they could catch them, while Kuromaru swung his heavy tail in a massive arc to smash a cluster of oncoming ice.

To their utter shock, the heavy impacts echoed through the vault with a dull ring. The crystals didn't break into pieces. In fact, their powerful physical strikes barely managed to leave a single, faint scratch on the colorful surface, as if the mysterious ice were completely and totally immune to kinetic force.

"What the hell?! How is that even possible?!" Issei gritted his teeth, his left arm instantly lighting up as the red gauntlet of the Boosted Gear materialized on his forearm in a brilliant flash of light.

(BOOST!) Ddraig’s booming voice resonated powerfully through the cavern walls.

Issei executed a fluid, low roll beneath a massive falling crystal before springing back up to his feet and firing a rapid barrage of compressed fire magic. "Fire Dragon... SHOTS!"

Multiple spheres of roaring red fire slammed directly into the attacking crystal formations. The resulting explosions brilliantly illuminated the entire cavern as raging flames engulfed the multi-colored ice. 

For one brief moment, Issei thought his fire had successfully destroyed them, but as the smoke parted, his green eyes widened in utter disbelief. "...What?"

The crystals were completely unharmed. They weren't cracked, they weren't melted, and they weren't even slightly scorched. The flames had simply washed over them harmlessly, as if the fire had never been there in the first place.

Another massive wave of sharp spikes suddenly erupted from the surrounding walls as the cavern grew increasingly hostile, aggressively trying to corner the intruders. Everywhere they looked, crystals emerged to attack.

(BOOST!) The second boost echoed out, amplifying his power. 

Desperate to melt the incoming onslaught before they were completely trapped or pinned to the walls, Issei threw both of his hands forward, unleashing a highly concentrated, roaring torrent of Fire Dragon Slayer magic. Intense red flames erupted from his palms, completely engulfing the oncoming wave of crystal spikes. But again, to his absolute horror, the fire merely washed over the colorful ice. Instead of melting, the strange crystals actually began to absorb the intense heat, using the raw energy to grow and multiply even faster as they lunged viciously toward the trio.

"My fire isn't working either?! Damn it, I'm gonna have to go all out and blow this whole place sky-high—" Issei bellowed, his green eyes turning predatory as his aura flared, preparing to summon his balance breaker to release a massive, devastating explosion of dragon fire to force the cave back by brute force.

(Partner, wait!) Ddraig warned urgently inside his mind. (Do not waste your mana! These things are absolutely not normal ice! They are feeding on the energy!)

"No kidding!" Issei gritted his teeth, his ankles tensing as the crystal trap closed in.

But before things could escalate into an all-out explosion, Akitsu swiftly moved. Stepping directly in front of Issei's frame, she raised her slender, pale hands, her eyes narrowing with a rare, fierce intensity as she prepared to channel her own unique ice properties to shield her beloved Ashikabi from harm.

The exact moment she stood defiantly before the onslaught, however, a sudden, absolute stillness washed over the entire cavern.

The wildly thrashing crystal spikes abruptly halted, frozen in place just inches from her palms. The multi-colored tips trembled slightly, pulsing with a gentle light as if actively recognizing her presence and her unique spiritual signature. Then, slowly and deliberately, the aggressive crystal formations began to recede back into the walls and floor, splitting cleanly down the middle to clear a wide, completely unobstructed path forward that pointed directly toward the deepest recesses of the tunnel.

Issei slowly lowered his glowing gauntlet, blinking his emerald eyes in sheer, unadulterated disbelief. "What... what the hell was all that about? It just completely stopped because you stepped up?"

Kuromaru let out a low, incredibly confused whimper, shaking his scaly head as if trying to process the logic of the cave.

Akitsu stood completely frozen for a moment, her pale, slender fingers twitching slightly as the heavy pull inside her chest flared violently, sending a wave of warmth through her body. "...The calling," She said softly, her melodic voice echoing in the sudden silence. "It is telling me to go that way. It is welcoming me, Ashikabi-sama."

With absolutely no other choice but to see this incredible mystery through to the very end, the trio followed the newly formed path, stepping carefully through the narrow, glittering crystalline threshold. As they finally entered the deepest, most secluded part of the cavern, the narrow space suddenly opened up into a breathtaking, gargantuan vault that looked like an underground cathedral.

And right in the absolute center of the grand chamber stood a colossal, monolithic glacier, made entirely of the same wildly growing, pulsing, and colorful crystal ice.

Akitsu stopped dead in her tracks, her brown eyes locking onto the towering, majestic structure as her breath caught. "...This is it. This is the exact thing that has been calling out to me from the very beginning, Ashikabi-sama."

Issei walked up beside her, staring up at the giant, radiant block of unyielding crystal. He lifted a hand to scratch the back of his neck in utter confusion, trying to wrap his head around the situation. "How is that even possible? I mean... don't get me wrong, it's absolutely beautiful, but it's literally just a giant block of multi-colored ice. How can a glacier actively call out to someone?"

Before Akitsu could offer a theory, the digital screen of the Dimensional Watch suddenly flickered to life, glowing with complex biometric charts.

“Master, upon entering this chamber, my internal scanners are detecting a massive, highly concentrated signature of life energy emanating directly from the glacier,” Sherri reported, her crisp voice echoing clearly in Issei's mind. “The smaller crystal formations outside contained only small traces of this energy, which is why I initially overlooked them during our ascent. However, at this exact proximity, the biological and magical resonance is completely undeniable. This glacier... is alive.”

Issei's jaw dropped, his eyes widening. "Life energy? From a glacier? Sherri, are you seriously telling me this giant block of ice is a living, breathing thing?"

From within the Sacred Gear, an amused, rumbling chuckle echoed as the large green jewel on his gauntlet glowed. (Heh, who knows, partner,) Ddraig spoke up, his deep voice carrying a tone of genuine fascination and respect. (This world has shown us time and time again that it is constantly filled with strange, miraculous entities born from pure, concentrated magical anomalies. Perhaps this block of ice is indeed a living, thinking being, just like you and me. And right now, it seems to be exceptionally interested in Akitsu.) 

It then happened in an instant as Issei turned around, his eyes instantly widening as he saw Akitsu stepping closer and closer to the massive wall of multi-colored crystal ice. Driven by a powerful, irresistible urge vibrating deep within her chest, she completely ignored everything else and gently brought her hand forward, pressing her pale palm flat against the glowing surface.

"...Akitsu?" Issei frowned, his instincts screaming. Something about her expression seemed entirely different like she looked completely entranced, her eyes locked in a deep, hypnotic glaze.

Before Issei or Kuromaru could even yell out a warning to pull her back, the frozen surface suddenly rippled like liquid. Akitsu was instantly pulled forward, her slender body sinking into the colorful ice as if the solid structure were nothing but mist.

"Akitsu!" Issei screamed, his heart stopping dead in his chest.

He lunged forward at a blinding speed, his right arm extending frantically through the air to grab her hand, his fingers just barely missing her smooth fingertips by a fraction of an inch. For a brief, agonizing second, he saw a flash of genuine surprise enter Akitsu's eyes as she looked back at him through the translucent barrier.

But he was a split second too late. The living glacier violently dragged her deeper inside its vibrant core, swallowing her completely and instantly sealing the surface behind her into an impenetrable, solid wall of flawless ice once more.

"AKITSU!" Panic unlike anything Issei had felt in years surged through his veins, setting his blood on fire.

ROOOOOOOOOOOOAAARRRRRRR!!

Behind him, Kuromaru let out a deafening, monstrous roar, his instincts flaring to life at the sudden abduction of their companion. The giant black wyvern didn't hesitate for a single moment; his powerful muscles coiled tightly as he unleashed a brilliant, jagged torrent of purple lightning straight into the surface of the glacier, his massive razor-sharp claws slamming heavily into the frozen barrier to tear it apart.

"GET HER BACK!" Simultaneously, Issei swung his left arm forward, the heavy red gauntlet flashing with blinding power as he funneled his Fire Dragon Slayer magic directly into the barrier.

(BOOST!) Ddraig's booming voice roared in perfect tandem with Issei's explosive fury.

A colossal, swirling wave of red draconic fire erupted from his fist, slamming dead-center into the ice.

BOOOOOOM!

Raging flames completely engulfed the glacier, causing the temperature of the entire subterranean chamber to skyrocket in an instant. Yet, to their absolute, staggering horror, the combined onslaught of devastating dragon fire and destructive purple lightning did absolutely nothing to the living structure. The unique physical and magical resistance of the crystal ice absorbed the massive concussive shockwaves perfectly, generating a violent, crushing kinetic backlash that sent Issei skidding violently backward across the cavern floor and pushed Kuromaru back several heavy paces.

To make matters worse, the sentient cavern began to shake violently, entering a state of absolute defense. From the floor and ceiling, several massive formations of living ice sprouted wildly, twisting and carving themselves into a dense labyrinth of defensive spikes and shifting walls that completely obscured their path to Akitsu.

(BOOST!)

"Damn it! Move out of my way!" Issei bellowed, his emerald green eyes flashing behind his hair with pure desperation as he shattered several incoming ice spikes with a heavy backhand.

Kuromaru obliterated another oncoming wave with a burst of lightning, but more structures immediately replaced them. Issei was rapidly running out of patience, and every single second that passed felt like an unbearable eternity. Akitsu was trapped inside that living anomaly, and he refused to let anything happen to his family. Reaching deep into his soul, he pushed his power past its absolute limits, letting his aura manifest as a terrifying, crushing pressure that physically shook the foundations of the mountain.

(Welsh Dragon... BALANCE BREAKER!!)

A blinding, towering pillar of intense red light exploded around his frame as the majestic Scale Mail armor wrapped tightly across his body, his red leathery wings spreading out with a powerful snap. The internal thrusters on his back and the glowing emerald jewels embedded across the armor hummed with immense, terrifying energy as the gauntlet began to rapidly cycle power. 

(BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST! BOOST!) 

The grand cavern buckled as the massive wave of power exploded outward. Several ice formations shattered into dust from the sheer pressure alone.

Behind his visored helmet, Issei's eyes burned with a lethal light. "Give!" He took a heavy step forward, the ice melting beneath his boot. "Her!" Another step, cracking the bedrock. "Back!"

The living glacier, sensing the threat the armored dragon warrior now posed to its existence, reacted with sheer, unbridled terror. Thousands of colorful ice weapons erupted simultaneously throughout the chamber, launching themselves toward Issei in a frantic, desperate attempt to impale him.

Issei didn't even flinch. With a simple swing of his armored arm, the overwhelming kinetic force of his accumulated power shattered the incoming lances into sparkling dust. The entire assault was completely annihilated instantly.

Then covering his entire armored frame in a blazing, aggressive cloak of Fire Dragon Slayer magic, Issei ignited his rear thrusters to their maximum capacity. With a deafening sonic boom, he shot forward like a red meteor, determined to shatter the glacier into microscopic pieces. Spears, thick columns, and massive ice walls erupted in a desperate bid to block his trajectory, but he tore right through them, his burning momentum entirely unstoppable. More attacks came, walls, spears, stalactites, and spikes, as entire sections of the chamber attacked simultaneously. None survived. The dragon armor smashed through everything like paper, like fragile glass.

"AKITSUUUUUUU!" 

He was just feet away from the glacier's main body, drawing back an armored, flaming fist to deliver a devastating, shattering impact, when a massive, slimy shadow suddenly cleaved through the thick steam. 

BAM!

It was then that something massive slammed violently into his side, intercepting his flight mid-air and hurling him hard against the jagged cavern wall.

BOOOOOM!

The solid stone cracked deeply under the sheer force of the impact, but the heavily reinforced dragon armor kept him from breaking any bones.

"What the hell?!" Shaking off the brief dizziness, Issei snapped his head up to see their new attacker.

Emerging rapidly from a hidden, colossal deep-water reservoir nestled within the mountain's core was a gargantuan land-octopus. Its thick, rubbery skin was covered in jagged crystal growths, and its bulbous eyes glowed with an eerie blue light, a bizarre, mutated land-dwelling abomination that the glacier had clearly summoned and brought to this chamber out of sheer, panicked fear of being destroyed. 

The monster screeched angrily, its voice a grating, high-pitched whine as it raised three more massive tentacles to crush the downed dragon warrior. 

But before the heavy appendages could fall, a massive black shape intercepted the blow. Kuromaru charged forward with a roar, his heavy frame violently tackling the land-octopus’s main body. Despite the creature being even larger than the wyvern, Kuromaru unleashed a vicious, untamed barrage of claw strikes and deep bites, his scaly body crackling violently with arcs of deadly purple lightning to keep the creature completely pinned down and distracted.

Seeing Kuromaru holding the line with absolute loyalty, Issei's fury reached a boiling point. The emerald jewels across his Scale Mail armor burned with a blinding light. "Get... the hell out of my... WAY!"

The temperature around his frame skyrocketed past the boiling point. Intense Dragon Slayer flames erupted across the entire chamber as an unbelievable wave of volcanic heat detonated outward from Issei's armor. The sheer intensity of his Fire Dragon Slayer magic was so extreme that the surrounding sentient ice formations immediately began to turn into boiling slush and vaporize into thick mist. 

Issei then began firing wild, explosive gouts of blinding flame across the chamber, burning through the remaining defensive crystals and heavily scorching the thick hide of the giant octopus while Kuromaru relentlessly battered its body. 

—--------------------------------

Meanwhile, deep within the center of the giant glacier, Akitsu was completely unaware of the absolute chaos and destruction unfolding outside.

As she had been dragged gently through the dense, pulsing layers of ice, all feelings of physical weight, heavy gravity, and biting cold had gradually drifted away, replaced instead by a profound, comforting sense of weightless serenity. When her feet finally came to a gentle halt at the absolute core, she found herself standing before a brilliant, pulsing heart of pure magical energy.

The exact moment she neared the floating anomaly, a powerful, beautiful spiritual resonance snapped flawlessly between them. The core didn't possess a single ounce of hostility; instead, it radiated an overwhelming, childlike sense of pure, unadulterated joy and immense relief at finally being close to her. Somehow, completely without words, Akitsu understood exactly what the ancient, living anomaly wanted. It was lonely, stagnant, trapped in the freezing dark for centuries, and desperately seeking a way to grow, waiting for someone who could finally hear its voice. For someone who could truly understand its nature.

Moving forward with a gentle grace, Akitsu extended both of her slender hands and held the pulsing core.

Immediately, a flood of its raw emotions washed over her soul, joy, pure excitement, and a deep sense of relief. After centuries of isolation, it had finally found someone who shared its element and could hear its silent melody.

"...Hello," Akitsu murmured, a soft, incredibly tender smile appearing on her face.

The colorful crystal pulsed warmly against her palms, dancing in happiness.

She then slowly closed her eyes, letting her long lashes rest, and willingly began to pour her own magic and unique Sekirei essence directly into the core, creating an unbreakable, eternal spiritual bond. Within her grip, the living glacier immediately began to rapidly evolve, growing, adapting, and beautifully changing to match the soul of its new master.

—---------------------------------

Outside, the chaotic scene in the grand cavern suddenly froze completely in place as the giant monolithic glacier began to emit a beautiful, blindingly brilliant light. 

"What now?!" Issei stopped mid-charge, lowering his flaming armored fists as the luminous, multi-colored glare expanded exponentially, completely filling the massive chamber with a radiant warmth that pushed back the freezing fog. 

Kuromaru, however, capitalized perfectly on the sudden shift, as he absolutely didn't let himself get distracted by the pretty lights. Coiling his thick, muscular neck back, the massive black wyvern gathered every single ounce of his energy and shot out a massive, highly concentrated breath of destructive purple lightning directly into the center of the giant land-octopus. The devastating electrical current cooked the colossal, mutated beast instantly, frying it dead on the spot and sending it slumping harmlessly into the deep-water reservoir.

As the blinding, ethereal shine slowly died down, the massive, terrifying glacier was completely gone. Standing right in its place, entirely unharmed, serene, and looking remarkably peaceful, was Akitsu. The only physical difference on her neck was a beautiful, small, multi-colored crystal pendant now hanging softly against her chest, pulsing with a gentle, rhythmic light.

For several long seconds, Issei simply stared through his visor, his brain struggling to process what happened. But then, a heavy wave of relief hit him.

"AKITSU!" Issei didn't waste a single millisecond, crossing the distance between them in the blink of an eye.

Deactivating his Balance Breaker, the crimson Scale Mail armor instantly vanished into fading particles as he practically threw his body toward her. He wrapped his arms tightly around her slender waist, pulling her body against his chest, burying his face into her shoulder as if she would completely disappear into thin air if he dared to let go.

Kuromaru quickly shifted his massive bulk over, letting out a loud, rumbling purr of pure affection that vibrated through his chest as he nudged them both firmly with his massive, scaly snout.

Akitsu blinked once, her small hands slowly rising to lean into the warm, desperate embrace, but her expression looked entirely puzzled. She tilted her head slightly under the brim of her hat, her calm, deadpan brown eyes staring directly into Issei's frantic, sweat-sheened face. "...Ashikabi-sama? What happened? Why do you and Kuromaru-san look so terribly frightened?"

"What happened?!" Issei gasped out, releasing her just enough to run a frantic hand through his messy, spiky brown hair. "Akitsu, you just got literally sucked into a giant, living block of ice and completely disappeared! We then had to fight off an entire onslaught of hostile ice that tried to stop us from rescuing you, and then we had to wrestle a giant octopus! I thought... I seriously thought I lost you!"

Hearing the raw, trembling emotion in his voice, Akitsu finally understood the gravity of the situation. A look of genuine, deep guilt immediately washed over her usually stoic features, and she softly bowed her head, her fingers tightening against his shirt. "...I am so deeply sorry, Ashikabi-sama. I did not mean to worry you. I did not realize that entering the Living Ice would cause such a terrible misunderstanding, or that it would scare your heart. I promise you, I am perfectly okay. I am unharmed."

The absolute, unyielding sincerity in her melodic voice immediately softened the residual panic and anger in Issei's chest. He let out a long breath, a wry smile finally forming on his lips. "...Just promise me you'll never do something like that again without warning me first."

"...I will certainly try," Akitsu murmured.

"You'll try?" Issei raised an eyebrow.

"Just like you always say...the world is highly unpredictable, Ashikabi-sama." Akitsu jested as she remembered her and the other girls asking for the same promise from Issei.

Issei let out a comedic groan, slumping his shoulders as he knew what she meant.

Akitsu then looked down, her fingers delicately tracing the smooth edges of the pendant resting against her chest as the colorful crystal softly glowed in response to her touch. "The Living Ice is deeply sorry as well."

Issei blinked, his mind short-circuiting. "The... what now?"

"The ice did not wish to harm me or separate us," Akitsu explained, her voice calm and soothing. "It simply felt my elemental presence and desperately wanted me to come closer to its core. It requested a small piece of my spiritual essence so that it could finally advance its stagnant state and evolve its magical consciousness."

Issei blinked again, scratching the back of his neck in absolute, utter confusion. "Advance? Evolve? Wait... if the entire giant glacier is completely gone from the room, where exactly is it now?"

Akitsu quietly and elegantly pointed down to the colorful, glittering pendant resting beautifully against her breasts. "It is right here. This vessel is the Living Ice. After our essences successfully bonded, it grew incredibly attached to me and flatly refused to let me leave its presence. But..." She paused, a soft, incredibly tender and warm expression crossing her face as she looked directly into his emerald-fading eyes. "...I firmly told it that I could not stay behind in this dark, lonely cavern. I told it that my rightful place... is always next to you, Ashikabi-sama." 

Issei’s cheeks instantly flared into a bright, comical blush, his heart catching squarely in his throat at her uncharacteristically sweet, direct, and completely honest words. He rubbed his nose, completely flustered.

"T-Thankfully," Akitsu continued, a tiny, rare ghost of a beautiful smile touching her lips, "it was very considerate and understanding. Since it did not want to separate from me, it chose to voluntarily compress its entire colossal physical form into this small crystal vessel so that it could safely travel the world with us."

(Plus it was completely scared of the first thing in this world capable of melting it.)

Issei looked skeptically at the shimmering, pulsing pendant, highly distrustful of a magical anomaly that had just tried to swallow his girl whole. "Are you absolutely sure it's completely safe, Akitsu? I don't want this thing suddenly acting up, harming you or the others back at the mansion when we aren't looking."

Akitsu placed a soft, reassuring hand over Issei's warm palm. "I promise to make sure it listens to my commands and does not attack anyone. While it is ancient and highly sentient, its actual intelligence and temperament right now is not much higher than that of a newborn baby. It only wishes to see the learn. Please, Ashikabi-sama... may I keep it?"

Looking at her unwavering resolve, her protective stance over the ice, and the rare, soft pleading in her deep eyes, Issei let out a long, defeated sigh, a fond smile breaking across his face. "Alright, alright. You can keep it. But the exact moment we get back to the surface, we're heading straight home to the mansion. I want Matsu and Tamamo to run every single magical and technological test they can think of in Matsu’s lab on that pendant so we can find out exactly what it does and how it affects you."

Akitsu’s eyes sparkled with profound, quiet happiness. "Understood. Thank you for allowing my selfish request, Ashikabi-sama."

Issei nodded then turned his body around, shielding his eyes as he looked up at the towering, pitch-black tunnels they had spent the last hour traveling through. "Now then... how the heck are we supposed to get back up to the surface from all the way down here? We must be miles deep inside of Mt. Hakobe."

"Do not worry," Akitsu murmured softly, lightly tapping the colorful pendant with her index finger. "The Living Ice knows the exact layout and physical structure of this entire mountain perfectly. It will show us our way out."

Right on cue, the pendant pulsed with a brilliant, harmonious flash of multi-colored light. High above them, a massive, ancient section of the cavern's heavy ceiling and previously heavily reinforced by thick, unyielding layers of primeval ice, began to smoothly shift, grind, and slide outward like a perfectly calibrated mechanical door. As the heavy formations parted cleanly, a glorious, wide-open vertical pathway was revealed, allowing the brilliant, warm, and golden daylight of the outside winter world to cascade down, beautifully illuminating the entire ruined chamber.

"Whoa... well, talk about convenient," Issei laughed heartily, rolling his broad shoulders as the heavy tension finally left his frame.

A few minutes later, Issei and Akitsu quickly climbed back up into the comfortable leather saddle on Kuromaru's back, buckling their safety straps securely. With a powerful, triumphant, and deafening beat of his massive obsidian wings, the giant black wyvern launched himself high into the sky, soaring straight up through the sunlit vertical opening and leaving the mysterious, ancient labyrinth far behind them as they flew out into the beautiful, crisp daylight.

—----------------------------------

Evening, Lakeside Hyoudou Mansion

The cool evening breeze rolled softly off the shimmering lake, rustling the dense leaves of the surrounding trees and carrying the crisp, nostalgic scent of freshwater and damp earth across the expansive grounds. The sun was beginning its slow, majestic descent far beyond the distant horizon, painting the vast skies above Magnolia in beautiful, bleeding shades of fiery orange, soft pink, and brilliant gold.

Out on the spacious yard near the side pasture, Miya and Tamamo were busy pulling the household’s freshly washed, sun-dried clothing from the long, taut clotheslines. Large woven baskets rested on the grass nearby as the two women meticulously folded a mountain of shirts, dresses, towels, and crisp bedsheets.

Even during such completely mundane household chores, Miya moved with an ethereal, almost mesmerizing grace, her warm reddish-brown eyes tracking each piece of catching fabric before folding it with absolute, practiced perfection. Beside her, Tamamo’s three golden fox tails swayed pleasantly and fluidly with every single step she took, her cheerful humming echoing lightly through the quiet, peaceful yard like a comforting melody.

“Here you go, Mama! Mama Miya!” A sweet, childish voice suddenly chirped from below.

Next to them, little Sakura proudly marched forward, carrying a much smaller wicker basket filled with folded undergarments that was almost too large for her tiny, adorable frame to handle. Hovering just over her shoulder was Ruby, using her delicate wings to help steady the awkward load from above and keep the stray, colorful socks from tumbling down onto the green grass.

“You’re doing an absolutely excellent job, Sakura-chan,” Miya said softly. Her usually poised, serene expression completely melted into a warm, deeply maternal smile as she bent down, taking another piece of clothing from the little girl and placing it gently into the main basket.

“Mikon~! Truly the most precious, hardworking little helper in the whole wide world!” Tamamo cooed happily. She dramatically leaned over, her golden ears twitching with affection as she pressed a soft, playful kiss right against Sakura’s forehead, causing the little girl to let out a bright, musical giggle.

"And I'm helping too! Don't just ignore me!" Ruby yelled from the air, puffing out her chest, deeply offended at not getting her proper share of the recognition.

Tamamo laughed softly, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "Yes, yes, Ruby-chan. We can all see your grand contribution. Thank you as well."

A few yards away, completely detached from the sweet domestic scene, the rhythmic, whistling crack of heavy wood cutting violently through the air sliced through the peaceful atmosphere. Karasuba stood solid and unyielding on the grass, a solitary figure of absolute focus. Holding a heavy wooden bokken, her piercing grey eyes were hyper-focused as she executed a relentless series of flawless, lethal sword swings. Each strike was perfectly measured, a terrifying display of raw martial focus delivered with frightening speed, precision, and killing intent.

Then, suddenly, the smooth, deadly rhythm broke.

Karasuba’s wooden blade froze completely mid-arc, hovering perfectly parallel to the ground. Simultaneously, Miya’s elegant hands stilled instantly on the clothesline, and Tamamo’s sensitive golden fox ears perked straight up, immediately standing at rigid attention. A deep, familiar, and incredibly potent warmth suddenly pulsed directly through their souls, the unmistakable, undeniable presence of their shared husband coming closer. All three of them looked up toward the breaking sky simultaneously.

Sakura blinked, tilting her head to the side as she noticed her mamas and Karasuba freeze like statues. “Huh? What’s wrong, Mama?”

"What is it? Did something happen?" Ruby questioned, flying down to join Sakura as she tilted her own head in curiosity.

Karasuba slowly lowered her bokken, resting the tip against the grass as a sharp smirk touched her lips. "Issei is returning."

Miya placed a delicate, fair hand against her cheek, a faint, thoughtful frown gracing her beautiful features. “But they are returning far too soon. I wonder if something unexpected occurred during their date…”

Tamamo nodded in agreement, her golden tails tensing slightly as she glanced toward the shifting horizon. "You're right, Miya. They should not be returning until much later tonight. Darling wouldn't cut a date short unless something forced his hand."

Curious, Sakura followed their collective gaze upward into the darkening sky. A brief moment later, her face lit up with pure, unbridled joy. "KUROMARU!"

Far above the mansion grounds, a majestic, dark silhouette cleanly broke through the evening clouds. The thick, obsidian scales of Kuromaru glinted beautifully under the fading rays of the setting sun as the giant black wyvern cut through the upper atmosphere, beating his massive wings in a steady, powerful rhythm straight toward the mansion yard.

Before anyone on the grass could speculate any further on the early return, the heavy front double doors of the mansion suddenly exploded open with a resounding, deafening BANG.

“DATA! UNPRECEDENTED, EXOTIC, GLORIOUS DATA IS COMING MY WAY!” Matsu screamed at the top of her lungs, practically skidding out onto the wide wooden porch. Her long orange hair was wildly tousled in a chaotic halo, her thick glasses were completely lopsided on her nose, and her eyes were blown wide with an absolutely giddy, mad-scientist level of pure excitement. She was clutching her custom smartphone tightly in her hand. “My dear, sweet Ashikabi just called me from the road! Oh, the sheer potential! The glorious, wonderful science of it all!”

“Matsu, for heaven's sake, slow down! You’re going to trip over your own feet and break your neck!” Misuki called out anxiously, exasperatedly stepping out onto the porch right behind the frantic, pacing scientist.

Uzume followed right after them, her slender fingers playfully twirling a strand of her ponytail as she looked on at the spectacle with a perfect mix of lazy amusement and genuine curiosity. “What in the world is going on out here?” Uzume asked, raising a playful eyebrow at Matsu’s hysterical pacing. “Did hubby accidentally blow up a town or another local forest during his romantic getaway?”

“Better! Far, far better!” Matsu cheered ecstatically, pointing her smartphone dramatically toward the sky. “Issei just gave me a brief rundown of the bizarre turn their date took! They found things, girls! Strange, magical, magnificent things! There were ancient magical herbs! Aggressive ice monsters! A living glacier! A sentient crystal lifeform! And I am personally going to study, analyze, disassemble, and experiment on every single scrap of it!” Matsu practically bounced in place on her heels, her frantic grin somehow growing wider by the second. "I am so incredibly happy right now!"

Misuki let out a soft sigh, rubbing her temples. "Well... that certainly explains a lot."

Uzume laughed heartily, leaning against the porch railing. "Classic. Only Issei can somehow turn a standard romantic date into a massive scientific breakthrough."

As if right on cue—

WHOOSH!

Kuromaru descended gracefully from the sky. The powerful gust of wind generated by the sudden flare of his massive wings sent loose leaves, folded laundry, and grass clippings flying everywhere across the yard. And with a thunderous, heavy THUD that physically shook the ground, Kuromaru touched down perfectly in the center of the wide lawn. The black wyvern lowered his massive, armored head, letting out a loud, rumbling huff of absolute satisfaction to be back on his comfortable home turf.

"KUROMARU!" Sakura squealed with pure delight.

Forgetting the small laundry basket entirely as it dropped to the grass, the little girl bounded across the lawn with staggering speed, throwing her small arms right around the wyvern’s massive snout. “I missed you so, so much!”

Kuromaru lowered his massive head all the way to the grass, happily and gently accepting the child's affection. A deep, vibrating, cat-like purr escaped his massive chest as Sakura hugged his snout, his thick tail swishing happily behind him like an oversized housecat as he gently nudged the little girl back with a warm puff of air.

Meanwhile, from the leather saddle secured atop the wyvern’s back, Issei Hyoudou and Akitsu quickly unbuckled themselves and dropped down onto the lush grass. Issei exhaled a long breath, rolling his stiff shoulders after the flight. But before he could even utter a simple greeting to his gathered family, a violent flash of bright orange hair blurred directly across his field of vision.

“Out of the way, Ashikabi! Move aside! Science takes immediate priority over pleasantries!” Matsu shouted at the top of her lungs, aggressively shoving Issei to the side with surprising, manic strength.

“Whoa—hey!” Issei stumbled back a few steps, blinking in complete confusion as he tried to regain his balance.

But Matsu completely and utterly ignored his existence, immediately surrounding a stoic, unmoving Akitsu. The eccentric scientist’s nose was practically brushing right against Akitsu’s breasts as she stared open-mouthed, her eyes completely glazed with scientific lust at the shimmering, multi-colored ice pendant resting softly against the Sekirei’s chest. 

Whipping out a high-tech, custom hand-scanner from her lab coat pocket, Matsu began running it frantically over the crystal, muttering incoherently under her breath. “Fascinating… the thermodynamic reading is completely off the charts… it’s actively radiating a completely unregistered wavelength of energy…”

Akitsu blinked once, remaining perfectly still, calm, and emotionless, allowing the frantic scientist to circle her like a vulture examining a prize.

The rest of the girls quickly gathered around Issei, looking him over for any hidden injuries.

“We certainly didn’t expect you back until much later tonight, Hubby,” Uzume teased shamelessly, a sly, deeply mischievous smirk dancing on her lips as she leaned in close to his personal space. “Honestly, after how long you took on your date with Yashima, I thought you’d try to pull another one of your classic black-ops operations tonight. You know, sneaking into the house in the dead of night, trying to quietly creep up the stairs to your room so we wouldn’t catch you in the act~?”

Several of the girls immediately perked up, looking highly interested as Issei froze completely stiff.

“Papa had to sneak into his room with Mama Yashima?” Sakura innocently asked from across the yard, tilting her head up from brushing Kuromaru’s dark scales, her big, round eyes blinking with pure curiosity. “Why did you have to hide, Papa? Did you do something bad?”

Absolute, suffocating silence fell over the yard.

Issei’s entire face instantly erupted into a brilliant blush that reached all the way to the tips of his ears. He choked violently on his own breath, his eyes darting frantically between Uzume’s smug, triumphant face and his daughter’s painfully innocent stare. Stammering wildly over his words, his hands waving in the air, he quickly rushed over, placing a gentle, protective hand over Sakura’s head to guide her attention back to the wyvern.

"W-Well, you see, Sakura-chan… that’s… it's a game! Yeah, a ninja game! I'll explain the full rules when you're much, much older," Issei sputtered out, rubbing her hair frantically as his face burned hotter than his dragon fire.

"Oh. Okay!" Sakura nodded happily, completely accepting the classic deflection and immediately going back to tracing patterns on Kuromaru’s smooth scales.

The adults, meanwhile, were desperately holding back their laughter at his sheer misery. Karasuba wasn't nearly as polite or reserved, however, as she openly and loudly laughed at his expense.

Tamamo folded her arms across her chest, letting out a sharp, highly theatrical huff as she narrowed her golden eyes at him with a dangerous glint. “Fufufu~! Do not think for a single second that a childish distraction will save you from a proper, thorough interrogation later tonight, Darling. But for now, please explain yourself. What exactly happened for you to come back so soon?”

Issei took a deep, centering breath, incredibly thankful for the sudden shift in topic. “Right, right. Well, our date started out completely normal. We arrived at Sunrose Town and had a really great time just ice skating together by the frozen lake. It was nice. But while we were enjoying ourselves, Akitsu suddenly froze up. She said she felt this incredibly strange, powerful pulling sensation, like something was actively calling out to her soul from deep inside Mt. Hakobe.”

Akitsu nodded once in firm confirmation, her quiet, melodic voice cutting effortlessly through the clicking and whirring sounds of Matsu’s hand-scanner. “It was… a very persistent feeling that I couldn’t ignore.”

“Exactly,” Issei continued, gesturing up toward the mountains. “So, we climbed onto Kuromaru and flew over the mountain range to investigate. We ended up finding a massive, hidden cave entrance that led directly inside the core of the mountain itself. Using Akitsu’s weird connection to navigate the paths, we walked deeper and deeper into the frozen labyrinth, coming across all kinds of crazy sights.”

Karasuba rested her wooden sword casually against her shoulder, her sharp grey eyes narrowing with sudden, intense curiosity. “And? Did you actually manage to find a decent fight down in that ditch, or just a bunch of pretty rocks?”

“Actually, yeah, we did,” Issei said as he remembered the journey. “Deep inside, we stumbled across a massive subterranean field filled with these glowing, green lettuce-like herbs. But it wasn’t unguarded. Protecting the entire field was another wild wyvern, just like Kuromaru.”

Kuromaru let out a sharp, highly attentive snort at the proud mention of his species, tossing his head back.

“Except this one was completely, stark white,” Issei explained, his eyes shining with excitement. “And it had great control over the ice element. It attacked us the exact moment we started taking the green herbs. We had to fight it head-on, but thankfully, with everything we’ve been through lately, it wasn’t too much of a fight compared to our first brutal brawl with Kuromaru back then. We managed to cleanly beat it, defend ourselves, and part ways peacefully.”

Karasuba’s grip tightened visually on the handle of her bokken, a bloodthirsty, eager grin slowly spreading across her lips. “A white wyvern? It must have been an exceptional creature. Next time you find something like that lurking in the wilds, step aside, Issei. I would absolutely love to test my blade against a dragon-blooded creature entirely by myself. No interference, no backup. Just me cutting its pride down.”

“I’ll... definitely keep that in mind,” Issei chuckled nervously, knowing better than to ever argue with the master swordswoman's bottomless lust for battle.

Then, shifting gears back to business, Issei raised his left arm. With a swift, flawless flash of magical light, he utilized his Requip ability, summoning one of the vibrant, magic-amplifying green herbs he had harvested from the mountain cave and holding it out flat for the entire group to inspect.

“Talking about those herbs, Akitsu and I were able to collect a huge amount of them before the chaos. This specific plant permanently increases a person’s overall magic power by a small amount just by eating it raw. We harvested a whole bunch of them from the field, hoping it could help the entire family get stronger and build up our reserves.”

Tamamo’s golden eyes locked onto the plant instantly. Intrigued by the concept of a permanent stat-booster, she reached out with her slender fingers, quickly ripping a piece of the crisp, glowing green leaf away and tossing it straight into her mouth to chew. Seeing this bold move, Misuki, Miya, Sakura, Karasuba, and Uzume all stepped forward in curiosity, each taking a small piece of the remaining herb to test its properties for themselves.

Even Matsu temporarily abandoned her frantic scanning of the pendant. Hearing the magical words ‘permanently increase magic power,’ her scientific mind completely shifted directions. She abandoned Akitsu’s side entirely, lunging forward with a desperate gasp to snatch a large piece of the glowing leaf and shoving it aggressively into her mouth.

For a few tense seconds, the entire yard went completely silent as the herbs were consumed and digested. Then, without warning, a sudden small surge of pure magical pressure rippled through the evening air causing everyone to blink in surprise.

But Misuki’s eyes went wide as saucers, her breath hitching sharply as a vibrant, glowing green aura briefly flared around her skin. Out of everyone present in the household, her magical reserves were by far the smallest, making the sudden, permanent influx of raw power incredibly jarring and noticeable. “Oh my goodness… I feel… incredibly powerful! It’s like a warm, rushing wave just filled my entire body from head to toe!”

Uzume nodded in absolute fascination, checking her own hands. "Yeah, my magic increased just a bit too."

Karasuba looked thoroughly impressed, feeling the slight tick in her reserves. "Interesting. A plant that directly affects a person’s power."

Miya gently closed her eyes, exhaling a slow, deeply refreshed breath as a faint, elegant white light shimmered gracefully around her form. “It is remarkably refreshing, Issei. Honestly, I would quite like to harvest more of this and turn the leaves into a proper, refined tea for the household.”

“I must absolutely agree with Miya on that one,” Tamamo chimed in, leaning her head thoughtfully to the side as she tasted the lingering magical aftertaste.

Issei smiled and nodded in agreement. “Yeah, that was originally my exact plan too. But after Akitsu and I discovered its ability to permanently increase mana, I figured we might want to consult Matsu first and find a way to refine it, maybe make its effects even greater for everyone in the mansion.”

Tamamo hummed softly, tapping her chin with a manicured nail. “The herb is undoubtedly rich in raw magic, but since I am technically a Spirit and a Servant, I highly doubt a simple biological plant will offer my legendary soul any permanent growth. Furthermore, herbology and the apothecary arts were never my personal strongest suites… though, with my magecraft, I might be able to compress these harvested leaves into high-grade pills that instantly recover a person’s entire magic. That would be incredibly useful in a prolonged, dangerous fight if someone runs completely out of mana.”

Matsu, however, was already vibrating with intense, rapid calculation, her fingers typing furiously into her phone at a speed that blurred. “Leave the refining process entirely to me! The molecular structure must be highly volatile and bound to specific elements, but if I run a few synthesis and extraction trials down in the lab, I will absolutely figure out a breakthrough way to maximize, stabilize, and double the baseline effects for the human body!”

But just as Matsu finished her grand declaration, a sudden, sharp hissing sound drew everyone’s attention directly back to Issei’s open hand.

Right before their collective eyes, the once vibrant, glowing green herb sitting in Issei’s palm violently began to deteriorate. Within a mere span of three seconds, the crisp, radiant leaf turned a sickly, rotted brown, shriveling up into a decayed, foul-smelling mush before entirely disintegrating into a pile of fine ash and dust that swept away harmlessly into the evening wind.

Issei’s jaw dropped to the floor. “What the…? No way!”

“Oh dear,” Misuki muttered, stepping back in absolute shock and pinching her nose. “What just happened to it?”

"...Well, that's definitely bad news," Uzume finally said, her playful demeanor vanishing.

Issei let out a heavy, defeated sigh. "There goes my grand farming plan."

A heavy wave of profound disappointment washed over Issei’s face as he stared down at his completely empty, slightly stained palm. “Damn it… I was thinking we could easily cultivate these things in the garden or build a greenhouse so we’d have a permanent supply for the family. But if they rot and decompose this fast the moment they leave the mountain…I guess there’s no point. Luckily, I have a ton more stored safely inside my pocket dimension where time is completely stagnant, but now I’m afraid to even take them out in case they immediately turn to useless mush.”

Matsu instantly fell into a deep, intense state of thought, her chaotic energy shifting seamlessly into a focused stance. She adjusted her glasses with two fingers, her sharp eyes scanning the residual ash on Issei’s hand.

“Question, Ashikabi,” Matsu demanded, her voice dropping all playfulness. “You said you found this plant growing in a massive, bountiful subterranean field inside a cold, completely isolated mountainous cave, correct?”

Both Issei and Akitsu nodded in perfect unison. “Yeah. The deeper we went into Mt. Hakobe, the colder and thicker the ambient ice magic in the atmosphere became. It was freezing.”

Matsu snapped her fingers loudly, a look of absolute triumph crossing her face. “Then the surrounding environment is entirely the key! The extreme cold, coupled with the dense, stagnant ambient ice magic, must act as a natural preservation field and nurturing fertilizer for the plant's unique cells. The herb’s biology must be heavily dependent on those exact conditions; the moment it’s exposed to a normal, warm, and standard oxygen environment, its cellular walls collapse under the pressure and it rots entirely!”

The logical explanation made perfect sense, much to Issei's annoyance.

"Can you save them, Matsu? Can we even replicate it?" Issei asked, hope returning to his eyes.

Matsu simply adjusted her glasses dramatically, the lenses catching the fading sunlight. "Please." The brilliant scientist pointed a proud thumb toward herself. "Who do you think you're talking to? You're talking to Matsu."

That wasn't actually a direct answer to his question, yet somehow, everyone present felt completely reassured by her sheer confidence.

Matsu then spun on her heel, pointing a dramatic finger right at Issei’s chest. “For now, do not take a single one of those herbs out of your pocket dimension! Keep them safely sealed exactly where they are. I am going to head straight down to the laboratory right now and construct a state-of-the-art cryogenic chamber that will perfectly replicate the exact conditions of Mt. Hakobe! Once the habitat is fully complete, we can cultivate and clone them perfectly right here at home!”

She then immediately whipped around, grabbing Akitsu by the wrist. "Come with me right now."

Akitsu blinked, her face expressionless. "...Why?"

"I still need to study your pendant and perform some rapid-fire tests, Akitsu-chan! Plus, I will absolutely need your mastery over ice to help calibrate the chamber's settings perfectly to match what you felt!"

Akitsu blinked again, offering Issei a quiet, questioning glance over her shoulder. Issei chuckled warmly, giving her an appreciative, encouraging nod. “Go ahead, Akitsu. Help her out so we can get this garden started.”

“Understood, Ashikabi-sama,” Akitsu murmured softly. She allowed herself to be aggressively and ecstatically dragged toward the mansion doors by a cheering, hyperactive Matsu.

"TO THE LAB!" Matsu cheered as she practically hauled Akitsu up the porch steps.

As the heavy double doors clicked firmly shut behind them, the pair vanished into the grand mansion.

For the remainder of the beautiful evening, Issei sat comfortably on the lawn and porch with the rest of his gathered family, laughing and continuing to tell the grand story of everything that had unfolded inside the depths of Mt. Hakobe. And with every new revelation and interruption from the girls, the crazy adventure somehow sounded even wilder than when it had actually happened.

—------------------------------------

Night, Lakeside Hyoudou Mansion, Master Bedroom

The quiet rustle of the wind drifted through the open balcony doors, cooling the expansive master bedroom. It had been a whirlwind of an evening. Between aggressively helping Matsu with her data on Akitsu's pendant and surviving yet another boisterous family dinner full of teasing, chaos, and the girl’s endless energy, the mansion had finally settled into a rare, peaceful hush.

Inside the bedroom, Issei and Akitsu were finally completely alone. Both were still wearing their clothes from the date. Akitsu sat on the edge of the large king-sized bed, her small hands resting in the lap of her light summer sundress. Her head was slightly tilted downward, a faint, heavy shadow hanging over her usually unreadable features.

Unbuttoning his shirt to prepare for the night, Issei glanced over and immediately noticed the downward slump of her shoulders. He paused, tossing the shirt onto a nearby chair.

"Hey," Issei said softly, walking closer to the edge of the mattress. "What’s with the long face, Akitsu? If you're still thinking about what happened in the cave, you really shouldn't worry about it. I had a ton of fun exploring with you. Fighting a giant wyvern and diving into an ancient frozen labyrinth? That’s quite a memory for a second date, if you ask me."

Akitsu didn’t look up, nor did she cheer up the way she usually did when he offered words of comfort. Her fingers curled slightly into the fabric of her dress. It had just occurred to her that the date was officially over, and with the sunrise, his attention would transition to the next girl in the scheduled rotation. Her precious, exclusive alone time with her Ashikabi was coming to an inevitable end.

Seeing her stoic, expressionless face radiate a profound, quiet disappointment, Issei felt a familiar tug in his chest as he couldn't stand seeing her like this.

Stepping fully into her space, now completely shirtless, Issei leaned down and gently captured her chin between his fingers, lifting her face so her pale brown eyes were forced to lock onto his warm, brown ones.

"Look at me," Issei muttered, his voice softening into a low, affectionate tone. "Who said our date was over? The family is asleep, Matsu is locked away in her lab, and we still have all night to be completely together. It's just you and me now."

Akitsu’s eyes widened slightly at the intensity in his gaze, her breath catching in her throat.

Lemon

Before she could process the words, Issei leaned in and captured her lips in a deep, burning kiss. The sudden heat of his mouth against hers sent a wave of electricity straight down her spine causing Akitsu to shiver, her hands instinctively rising to press against his bare, warm chest as the absolute certainty of his affection grounded her.

Knowing how naturally reserved, and quiet Akitsu could be in these moments, Issei knew he needed to take the lead as he didn't hesitate. Keeping his lips locked with hers, his fingers slid to the shoulders of her sundress, finding the delicate straps and smoothly sliding them down her arms.

The fabric loosened instantly, pooling down around her waist with a soft rustle. But as the dress fell away, Issei’s hands slid down her hips, expecting the familiar texture of fabric, only to meet smooth, completely bare, flawless skin.

Issei abruptly broke the kiss, his eyes dropping down, then snapping back up to her face in utter bewilderment. The thick, heavily romantic atmosphere suddenly fractured under the weight of confusion.

"Wait—Akitsu," Issei blinked, his face turning immediately red as he stared at her bare lower half. "Where... where is your underwear?"

Akitsu let out a small, quiet gasp as she blinked up at him with deadpan honesty. "Ah...I forgot to put it on this morning," She answered in a soft, small whisper. "I was too focused on preparing for our departure."

Issei let out a long, heavy sigh, burying his face in one hand for a split second as his brain reeled. He offered a quick, silent prayer to whatever gods were listening, profoundly thankful that they had spent the day in deep caves and isolated fields rather than crowded city streets. ‘Thank Gods nobody got a lucky look underneath her clothes today, or I would have had to break some jaws,’ He thought, a protective shudder running through him as only he was allowed that privilege.

Shaking his head to clear the sudden shock, Issei looked back down at the beautiful girl before him. The lingering humor of the mistake completely melted away, rapidly replaced by a heavy surge of raw, possessive desire.

"You're going to be the death of me, Akitsu," He muttered with a crooked, breathless grin.

Leaning back in, he brought his hands up to cup her face before sliding them down to firmly grasp her bountiful curves. His palms swept over the soft swell of her hips, squeezing her perfect waist while his other hand moved to cradle her heavy chest. Akitsu gasped aloud, a small, trembling moan escaping her lips as the friction of his warm hands sent a visible shiver through her body.

Abandoning all of her usual restraint, she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, pulling Issei deeper against her as her body practically arched into his touch, yielding completely to his warmth.

Issei shifted his weight, his mouth sliding down the elegant line of her throat to her collarbone, leaving a trail of hot, lingering kisses. His hands moved upward, firmly cupping and lifting her heavy, bountiful breasts. He leaned down, capturing one pale, swollen nipple between his lips, nibbling and sucking on the sensitive bud until she was trembling beneath him.

"Ah... Ashikabi-sama..." Akitsu whimpered, her slender fingers knotting tightly into his spiky brown hair. The intense, dual stimulation of his mouth on her chest and his heavy weight pressing down on her made her head spin, her quiet composure completely shattering into ragged, breathless heavy pants.

Issei pulled back reluctantly, his eyes dark with arousal as he looked down at her. He gently guided her shoulders backward, allowing Akitsu to fall softly onto the plush pillows of the bed.

Using this brief window of separation, Issei stood up at the edge of the mattress. His hands moved to the button of his pants, unzipping them and sliding the denim down his legs along with his boxers. Free of all restrictions, his rigid, fully aroused member snapped free into the cool air of the bedroom.

Naked, breathless, and beautifully exposed on the tangled sheets, Akitsu looked up at him. Her pale brown eyes were wide, glassy with desire, and filled with an unyielding devotion. Slowly, deliberately, she uncoiled her slender legs and opened her arms wide, inviting her Ashikabi, her protector, and her most precious person in the world to finally come to her and take everything she had to offer.

Issei’s member throbbed at the sight of Akitsu laid out before him, her bare thighs glistening under the low moonlight. He stepped forward, his knees hitting the mattress as he crawled over her slender frame. Her gaze never left his, glassy and completely devoted.

He lowered himself between her spread thighs, the head of his length brushing her slick folds. Akitsu shivered, a soft, high whimper escaping her throat. Issei caught her lips in a deep, commanding kiss, his tongue pushing past her shy resistance while his hips rocked forward. He sank into her tight heat in one slow, deliberate thrust, her narrow walls clenching firmly around every single inch of him. He paused, waiting for her to adjust to the fullness, but it didn’t take long for her body to adapt and beg for more.

“Fuck, Akitsu… you’re so wet already,” He groaned against her mouth, pulling back only to drive back in harder.

Her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist, pulling him deeper into her core. Each heavy thrust made her bountiful breasts bounce, the nipples stiff from his earlier touch. He broke the kiss to watch her face, loving how her usual quiet, deadpan reserve completely shattered into ragged, unbridled moans.

Issei gripped her hips, lifting them slightly to angle his penetration deeper, his length pounding into her soaked warmth with wet, heavy sounds echoing as they collided. “You forgot your underwear on purpose, didn’t you? Walking around all day like this, just waiting for me to find out.”

Akitsu shook her head frantically, but her body betrayed her words, her hips arching up from the mattress to meet every single downward slam. “N-no… Ashikabi-sama… I just… ah!”

Her words dissolved into a loud cry as he leaned down and sucked one of her nipples hard, his teeth lightly grazing the sensitive peak. He quickly switched to the other, biting just enough to make her gasp and clench tighter around his shaft. His hand slid down between their bodies, his thumb circling her swollen clit in firm, rhythmic strokes that perfectly matched the pacing of his thrusts.

Akitsu’s fingers dug deep into his shoulders, her quiet voice breaking into desperate, uncharacteristic pleas. “Please… more… don’t stop.”

Issei obliged without hesitation, fucking her harder as the heavy bed frame creaked under the rhythmic force of their movements. Sweat slicked their skin, and the heavy scent of intimacy thickened the air of the bedroom. He could feel her getting incredibly close, her inner walls fluttering and gripping him like a vice.

He pulled out suddenly, flipping her onto her stomach in one fluid motion. Akitsu gasped as he yanked her hips up, then slammed back inside her from behind, filling her completely. One of his hands grabbed her breasts to hold her in place and tease, while the other reached around underneath her to rub her clit again.

“Come for me, Akitsu,” He ordered, his voice rough and commanding.

She obeyed instantly, her entire body shaking violently as a crushing orgasm ripped through her, her slick juices coating his shaft and dripping down her inner thighs.

But Issei didn’t slow down for a second. He pounded through her climax, chasing his own release while whispering how perfect she felt, and how much he loved her shy submission turning into raw, unbridled need. 

Akitsu pushed back against his rhythm, meeting every heavy thrust, her moans growing louder in the quiet room. He was incredibly close now, his core tightening, but he held back for just a moment longer, wanting to draw out every ounce of pleasure.

Pulling her upright against his chest, he kept thrusting up into her from behind. One arm was banded securely under her breasts to hold her weight, while his other hand continued to ruthlessly work her clit.

“You’re mine tonight, Akitsu. All of you,” he growled softly against her ear.

She nodded frantically, her head falling back against his shoulder as she surrendered completely to the sensation, another massive wave building inside her overstimulated core.

It was then that Issei’s breath came hard and heavy against Akitsu’s neck as his seed began to spill deep inside her. Akitsu’s second orgasm came just a split second after, her walls fluttering and squeezing tightly around his length one last time before he finally pulled out with a slick, wet sound, leaving them both tangled, breathless, and thoroughly content. But it didn’t take long before a desire for more came into their eyes, and the night was far from over.

I am finally done with Akitsu’s date. Tell me what you think and if I made any mistakes. What do you think will happen next as next is Miya’s date?