"What now?" Goku sighed helplessly.
"M-My head's stuck… I can't get out! Please, help me!" came a panicked voice, trembling and on the verge of tears.
Just a moment ago she was begging for mercy—now she was begging for help.
Goku could only rub his forehead in exasperation. "So this is the one they call the weakest of all Sekirei… and this cowardly personality, too? What a pain…"
He waved a hand toward Akitsu. "Go on, help her out."
Before long, the trapped girl was freed. She hurriedly stood, bowing over and over with a flustered expression. "Thank you! Thank you so much for saving me… I really thought you were bad people! You scared me half to death…"
Her timid demeanor and soft, frightened tone stirred an instinctive sense of protectiveness in anyone who looked at her.
"Kunō…?" Akitsu frowned slightly. "The Sekirei said to be the weakest and most useless of them all."
Looking at the trembling girl, Goku smiled gently. "So, Kunō—would you like to become my Sekirei?"
"Eh? You're… an Ashikabi?" Kunō blinked in confusion, only just realizing what kind of man stood before her.
"Yes," Goku said with calm assurance. "Now… what's your answer?"
"I… I'm the weakest one," Kunō murmured softly, lowering her gaze. "Everyone says I'm useless. I'm afraid of fighting… I can't do anything right. Someone like me—do you really want me?"
"If you don't want to fight," Goku said warmly, "then you don't have to. Become my Sekirei, and I'll protect you. From now on, no one will ever dare mock or look down on you again."
Kunō's eyes glimmered with tears. "You'll really… protect me?"
"That's a promise," he said with a quiet smile—his tone so gentle, so certain, it filled the air with warmth and courage.
"I believe you…" Kunō whispered, her voice trembling as she rose on tiptoe. Her face was serious and sincere as she leaned forward, pressing her lips gently against his.
"From now on… everything I am belongs to you," she said softly. "You said you'd protect me…"
Their lips met.
And in the next instant, radiant white wings unfolded behind her as light engulfed the alleyway.
When the brilliance faded, an unexpected sound broke the silence.
"Guuu~…"
Kunō clutched her stomach, face flushed with embarrassment. "I… I'm hungry…"
---
Inside a small restaurant, Goku sat at a table buried beneath towers of empty plates.
He glanced at the two women still devouring food like they hadn't eaten in weeks and wiped at the sweat forming on his brow. Their appetites… were nearly on par with his own.
"So," he asked dryly, "how long has it been since either of you ate?"
"Two days," Akitsu replied evenly.
"Three…" Kunō added shyly.
"…You win," Goku sighed. "Seriously, for Sekirei to be living like this… pitiful. I'm starting to think if I hadn't shown up, you two would've starved to death in the street."
When they finally left the restaurant, Goku had to pay over a hundred thousand yen. For most people, that would've been a financial disaster. But for him—someone who could literally create living beings—mere money meant nothing.
"Well," he said, stretching his arms, "time to find a place to live. Either of you know where Izumo Inn is?"
The two women shook their heads at once.
"Never mind…" Goku sighed, rubbing his nose. He closed his eyes, spread his spiritual sense across the city, and instantly located it. "That way," he said, taking both women by the hand and leading them down the street.
With one girl clinging to his right arm and the other following close to his left, they drew envious stares from nearly every passerby.
Moments later, they stood before a wooden sign engraved with the words Izumo Inn. Goku smiled faintly. "Found it."
He released their hands and walked forward—but Kunō immediately latched onto the hem of his coat again, following close behind like a shadow.
"Hello? Anyone home? I'm here to rent a room!" Goku called as they stepped quietly along the wooden corridor.
The inn was wide and spacious, yet oddly peaceful. It didn't seem like many people lived here.
The faint sound of running water echoed down the hall—accompanied by the soft fragrance of soap and steam.
Goku's eyes sparkled mischievously. "Someone's bathing in there? Judging from the aura… that must be Asama Miya. Heh. Top-tier beauty… should I take a peek?"
His expression said torn, but his feet didn't stop. In fact, he raised his voice even louder. "Hey! Anyone here? If you don't answer, I'm coming in~!"
"Wait! Don't come in!" a flustered voice shouted from behind the door.
Beautiful voice, he noted automatically. Definitely a woman.
"Oh, so you are in there! I've been calling forever—why didn't you answer?" Goku sounded mock-offended as his hand reached for the door handle.
Yes. The man's sense of shame was, once again, plummeting.
"I told you not to open it! You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?!" came the furious cry from within.
Just as his hand touched the doorframe, it suddenly slid open.
A rush of fragrant steam spilled out—and from within emerged a stunning woman in a thin bathrobe.
Before Goku could so much as blink, a pale, delicate fist came flying toward his face with explosive force.
"What the—? Trying to murder me?!" he yelped, catching her punch with a casual motion and holding her wrist firmly in place.
"Hm?" Miya's eyes widened slightly. "You stopped it?"
A normal human shouldn't have been able to do that.
"Seems you're not just anyone," she murmured, a flash of interest in her gaze. Then, without warning, her toned leg whipped upward in a wide arc—aimed straight for his head.
"Whoa! Now that's a view!"
For a moment, Goku's brain went completely blank, filled with nothing but that stunning image.
He forgot to dodge.
The kick landed cleanly.
It felt like being hit by a freight truck. Nosebleed spraying, he flew several meters through the air and crashed into the courtyard with a thunderous boom.
"Master!" both Akitsu and Kunō cried out. Akitsu's aura flared instantly, freezing the ground beneath her feet. The air filled with icy mist, and her eyes gleamed with lethal intent.
"Cold-type energy…?" Miya frowned slightly. "That's the discarded Sekirei, isn't it? She's been winged?"
Shock flickered across her face, quickly replaced by wary seriousness. Somehow, that girl radiated danger—an aura that even she couldn't ignore.
"Akitsu—stop!"
Goku's voice rang out just as Akitsu was about to attack.
Supported by Kunō, he rose to his feet as if nothing had happened, brushing dust from his clothes. He gave Miya a sheepish grin. "Ahem… total misunderstanding. I swear, I didn't see a thing. Also, don't you think that kick was a little excessive? If I hadn't held back to avoid hurting you, that pretty leg of yours might've been broken."
---
"Who are you?" Miya asked with narrowed eyes, her tone calm and elegant, as though the violent exchange had never happened. She smiled softly—but behind that gentle expression, Goku could faintly see the terrifying visage of a wrathful demon mask.
"This woman… she's dangerous," Akitsu muttered quietly, face tense.
Meanwhile, Kunō had already hidden herself behind Goku, trembling, peeking out from behind his arm like a frightened kitten.
..
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