The Pandoras and their Limiter made their way into the food court, with Kazuya still held securely in Ingrid’s arms and against her torso.  The young man was rather shocked by the redhead’s display of affection earlier, given the “no nonsense” kind of attitude she generally conveys.  However, Kazuya apparently got a glimpse behind the emotional wall she normally puts up between herself and others and discovered that like the other Pandoras, Ingrid had a rather cutesy girly side to her, not too far off from that of Rana, Ganessa, or Satellizer for that matter.

‘I guess Arnett wasn’t kidding about Ingrid “lowering her shield” so to speak, and I must admit, it IS rather adorable to see the softer side of Ingrid whenever she wills herself to let that more vulnerable side of her be exposed.  I’d like to see more of that from her if possible,” thought Kazuya as he gently bounced in Ingrid’s embrace.

Kazuya pondered whether or not there would be adequate seating for both him and all eleven of his partners to sit together.  As spacious as the mess hall was and as numerous as the amount of free seating there was available, Kazuya felt that the chances were statistically low of there being a table big enough for him and all of his partners to be seated at simultaneously.

As if the will of the universe decided to surprise Kazuya for pondering this potential quandary, the group had indeed found such a table which was both large enough to comfortably accommodate the entire group AND was currently unoccupied.

‘Well now,’ pondered Kazuya, ‘that’s as convenient as it is ironic.’

Deciding to reserve the table before somebody else came along and grabbed a spot, a few of the Pandoras decided to stay behind in order to keep the table reserved for their party.  That left the others to go and pick out their afternoon meals from the various stalls within the food court.  Once they returned with their selections, the Pandoras who stayed behind would switch places with them and go get their lunches in turn.

Once everyone had picked out what they desired to eat (including Kazuya), they began enjoying their meals and making smalltalk with each other, mainly about how their previous classes had gone on so far.

It was also at this moment that Kazuya was seated separately from the Pandoras, in his own seat which was elevated so that he could sit (and eat) at a comfortable height at the table.  From what he could tell, some of the Pandora’s had longing looks in their eyes, indicating that they would prefer he sit in one of their laps during the lunch break.  While Kazuya could appreciate the subtle show of affection and desire they exuded in this simple visual display, he was happy that they understood that this would be somewhat impractical.  Given the size disparity between Pandoras and Limiters, having Kazuya seated in the lap of pretty much any of these women would result in one of two outcomes: (1) Kazuya would be slightly too short to eat at the table while sitting in the lap of one of these amazons, or (2) if one of the Pandora tried to adjust and raise her chair for Kazuya to eat comfortably while in her lap, then she in turn would have to bend slightly and eat her meat while somewhat hunched over the table.

Therefore, for the time being anyway, the Pandoras would simply have to spend a few minutes without having their darling Limiter in the tender embrace of any one of them, at least until one of them finished her meal and could spend the remainder of the period cuddling up to Kazuya (or more accurately, having HIM cuddle up to HER, given the relation in their sizes).

Overall, the mood was upbeat amongst the women in Kazuya’s party.  The more talkative ones like Attia, Arnett, and Rana kept the conversation going, while the more reserved ones like Satellizer, Ingrid, and Creo kept their responses and opinions relatively brief and spaced apart during the talks.  The other women were somewhere between those two ends of the conversational spectrum, less talkative compared to the first three, but more talkative compared to the latter three.

As Kazuya was finishing up his meal, he was suddenly cast in shadow once more.  Having a sneaking suspicion of what that would most likely entail, he turned to find the student council president hovering over him, wearing that trademark smile of hers as she leered at him with those fox-like eyes.

“Say, Kazuya,” began Chiffon, “since you appear to be done with your meal, mind if I have a little one-on-one time with you before the start of next period?  I’ve already finished my lunch, so there’s no need to worry about complications, at least not on my part anyway.”

Kazuya wasn’t sure on whether or not Chiffon engaged in a bit of speed-eating just so she could be first to call dibs on having Kazuya be her figurative teddy bear and spend the rest of lunchtime in her lap.  Whatever the case may be (by design or just random chance), he didn’t want to deflate the lovely lady’s hopes and expectations by saying “no thank you” to her.  Therefore, he simply sighed, smiled, and replied accordingly:

“Sure thing, Madam President…I mean, Chiffon,” said Kazuya, catching himself quickly by calling Chiffon by her name rather than her title.

The brown-haired beauty stifled a squeal of elation and a moment later placed her arms underneath Kazuya’s armpits before lifting him effortlessly out of his seat and over towards where Chiffon was seated a moment earlier.  Once again, Kazuya Aoi found himself in the warm, soft embrace of one his many female companions.

‘Maybe this is their way of trying to get me comfortable with this whole setup,’ thought Kazuya as he shuffled about so that he was comfortably seated in Chiffon’s lap and against her torso and breasts.  ‘Maybe they’re thinking that the more personal contact I have with them all for longer and longer, then the more natural this whole arrangement will start to feel for me.  At least, that’s my hunch as it currently stands anyway.  I certainly don’t mind the constant affection and doting; I just don’t want it to lead to any infighting between them and turn into an outright catfight, especially given their size and physical abilities.’

Stirring him from his thoughts, Chiffon gently tightened her grip on Kazuya’s torso, pressing him deeper into and against her body, but always being considerate to the point that she never harms him one little bit.  The mix of raw power with feminine care was always exhilarating from Kazuya’s perspective.  It always reminded him that even though any single one of these women had the power to snap him in two with next to no effort, their dispositions and inherent ladylike charm overruled the possibility of that happening.  Even the more saucy types like Arnett showed amazing levels of tenderness whenever they physically handled Kazuya, as if she were handling a small newborn babe or a delicate piece of glassware or fine china.

As Kazuya looked around the table at his gathered assembly of female companions, he couldn’t help but scan the mess hall more broadly.  In doing so, he couldn’t help but notice that a great many of the other Pandoras and some Limiters were eyeing the table where Kazuya’s group currently sat.  Kazuya must have been zoning out for some time, because a moment later, he was jarred out of his thoughts by one of his partners.

“Something wrong, Kazuya?” asked Kaho with noticeable worry in her voice.  “You seem rather out of it.  Everything okay?”  This of course drew the attention of literally all of Kazuya’s other partners directly onto the freshman Limiter.

“Oh…um, sorry,” replied Kazuya.  “I just took a look around the place and I couldn’t notice that our group appears to be drawing a good amount of attention, that’s all.”  Kazuya finished with a chuckle to try and alleviate whatever worry was being focused his way.

Seconds later, all eleven of Kazuya’s Pandoras turned their gazes outwards towards the broader mess hall and looked back upon all those who were staring at them.  The collective action from the group was rather intimidating, because in the span of a few seconds, all the other Pandoras and Limiters seated at the surrounding tables turned their gazes in literally any direction other than at Kazuya’s group’s table.  Many of them were obviously sporting rather embarrassed looks on their faces, having been caught staring just a moment earlier.  The entire mess hall became much more noticeably quiet in the aftermath of it all.

“Well, that was rather odd,” stated Kazuya.

“It’s to be expected, given the circumstances,” commented Elizabeth.

“What do you mean by that?” inquired Kazuya.

“Given the people sitting at this table, it’s only natural that people would be rather curious at our little group gathered here,” explained Chiffon.  “Think about it.  The third-year Pandoras ranked first through ninth are ALL gathered here, along with the first-ranked second-year Pandora and the first-ranked freshman Pandora.”

“That many Pandoras of noticeable reputations gathered together at the same table is almost guaranteed to make others curious and to peek a glimpse from time to time,” added Ticy.

“There’s also the chance that people are starting to know about you as well, dear Kazuya,” said Arnett with a grin.

“Me?” asked a somewhat confused Kazuya.

“No, the other Kazuya Aoi that arrived here recently,” teased Arnett with obvious sarcasm.  “Of course YOU, silly boy.  You’re the grandson of Gengo Aoi and the little brother of Kazuha Aoi.  That in and of itself is practically a guarantee that you’ll catch people’s eyes wherever you go.”

“I guess you’re right when you put it that way,” sighed Kazuya.  “I just don’t want people thinking that I’m some kind of arrogant, “make way for the king” type of guy who expects special treatment because of his last name, that’s all.  I don’t like the idea of lording over others and expecting them to bow before me.  It’s embarrassing and demeaning, for both me and them.”

“Oh don’t worry, Kazuya,” replied Chiffon as she playfully strengthened her grin on the Limiter in her arms and lap, pressing him further against her boobs as she did so (on purpose was Kazuya’s guess).  “We’ve come to know you as anything but arrogant or petty-minded.  It’s among the main reasons that we’re all so fond of you and were willing to pair up with you.  So please don’t worry yourself over how others perceive you while you’re here.  You just keep being the loveable Little Brother of ours and let your Big Sisters look after and spoil you.  And if anyone gives you trouble, just let one of us know and we’ll take care of it, pronto.  Okay?”

“Just promise me that you won’t resort to violence, please?” replied Kazuya.

“As long as you’re not being accosted by a Pandora carrying ill intentions, then sure,” replied Elizabeth.  “Otherwise, all bets are off.”

“Indeed,” added Creo bluntly, while Ingrid, Arnett, Rana, and Satellizer all nodded firmly in silent agreement with that one word answer as they ate.  The mood amidst the vast majority of Kazuya’s partners had taken on a somewhat more serious tone.  Apparently, the very idea of their collective partner being harmed or threatened brought out the protective streak within their very beings, akin to that of a mother bear or a mother lion protecting her offspring.

‘These women are as beautiful and nurturing as they are powerful and frightening,’ thought Kazuya, ‘which is to say extremely on all four.’

Soon enough, the meal had come to an end and the group began gathering up their trays for disposal.  A moment later, Kazuya was being carried once more in the arms of one of his partners.  This time around, it ended up being Kaho Hiragi, and while the freshman Pandora was initially flustered at the prospect of her turn actually being up, she didn’t object to it either.

“R-ready, Kazuya?” asked Kaho somewhat nervously as she held her arms out towards him, bending slightly at the waist and knees as she faced him.

“Whenever you are, Kaho,” replied Kazuya with a calming grin.  “Just relax.  Take a deep breath and don’t think about it too much.  You’ll be fine.  I trust you.”  Kazuya spoke with a natural calmness that seemed to work almost like magic.  For while Kaho was somewhat flustered at just how cute and adorable he could be, she was also cleared of whatever worries she had in potentially dropping him or holding him too tight or awkwardly.  A moment later, she placed her hands underneath his armpits and slowly lifted him until he was securely against her torso and bosom.  To help alleviate her worries, Kazuya wrapped his arms around her neck to help secure himself against her.  This of course, resulted in Kazuya’s face nearly touching Kaho’s face in the process, which inevitably led to Kaho blushing distinctly at such proximity.

‘H-he’s so close right now,’ thought Kaho as her heartbeat increased in both pulse and intensity.  Already, her head was swimming as she could hear proverbial harps playing heavenly chords in the distance.  Soon enough, her baser female instincts were taking over as she found her face drawing closer towards Kazuyas as he finished up securing himself against her, his head looking down as he did so.  A moment later, he pulled his head up to face her and began speaking.

“Alright then, I’d say we’re good here,” stated Kazuya as he lifted his head.  “Ready to move out when you are Ka-”

Once again, Kazuya was silenced as the lips of Kaho Hiragi pressed gently against his.  This time around the kiss was rather innocent compared to that of the other Pandoras, given Kaho’s more virgin-like nature compared to her fellow seniors.  Her lips trembled as she pressed against Kazuya’s, and the pressure she applied was far more reserved compared to the other Pandoras, but the passion was strong all the same.  Kaho’s eyes were shut as she leaned into the kiss, her eyebrows furrowed upward in a sign of nervousness and worry, hoping that she wasn’t being too forthcoming in the show of affection.  After five seconds or so, she slowly pulled away from the kiss and opened her eyes, gazing deep into Kazuya’s as she looked at the Limiter being held in her arms.

“O-oh my goodness,” said a flustered Kaho.  “I’m so sorry, Kazuya.  I didn’t mean to be so forward.  I was just…I just…I…”  Already, the freshman Pandora was turning deep red with embarrassment and found her confidence wavering.

“Kaho,” stated Kazuya clearly, “it’s alright.  I’m not upset with you for doing that.  A little surprised, sure, but I certainly enjoyed it all the same.  So please, don’t go apologizing over something like that.  I certainly wouldn’t be a worthy partner if I was angry over something as innocent as that now, would I?”

Kazuya’s calming words seemed to work wonders on the freshman Pandora, for a moment later, Kaho’s head was cleared of doubts and worries and she had calmed herself in a matter of seconds.  After taking a deep breath, Kaho gazed into Kazuya’s eyes and simply replied with “Thank you, Kazuya,” followed by another tender kiss, this time on his cheek.

“He really IS a little charmer, isn’t he?” stated Arnett with a wry smile as she eyed the latest kissing session amidst Kazuya’s growing harem of female companions.  “Kazuya, I swear, at this rate, you’re going to have like half of the women here at West Genetics throwing themselves at you and begging you to marry them, you know that?”

“Would you end up being one of those women, Arnett?” stated Attia with her own grin towards the taller redhead.  Arnett simply turned and blushed somewhat in response.  For while she didn’t appear the type to say “no” to Attia’s question, even she seemed too embarrassed deep down to outright say “yes” to that, given that all the women were still freshly partnered up with Kazuya.  Hell, they haven’t even performed a baptism with the young man just yet.

“Alright now, ladies,” stated Chiffon.  “Enough playful banter.  We should get going to our next class.  We’ve only got a few minutes before the starting bell rings.  Shall we take our leave now?”

“Lead on, Chiffon,” answered Elizabeth for the group, smirking at her own little makeshift poetry in her response.

The assembled group began making their way out the mess hall and back onto the campus grounds proper, when suddenly a shift in the calm tone of the overall day took a sudden turn into something more heated.

“Hey!  Lay off him right now!” shouted a female voice.

“Back off, bitch!” replied a second voice.  “If you don’t want some of this, you’ll keep to yourself and stay outta this!  I’m just giving this maggot his dues, that’s all.”

“What the hell?” muttered Creo upon hearing this.

“Sounds like it’s coming from that direction over there,” stated Ticy, pointing off towards a particular direction around the corner of the food court’s exterior, away from the broader campus.

“Certainly doesn’t sound like friendly banter,” stated Attia in a matter-of-factly tone.

“Better head over before this gets worse,” stated Chiffon, taking charge of the situation and starting to pick up the pace as she ran towards the source of the altercation that was no doubt taking place.

“Right behind you, Chiffon,” said Ticy following close behind.

“And me as well,” added Elizabeth.

Sure enough, the whole lot of Kazuya’s partners were moving as one unit towards the sounds of shouting, intent on breaking up whatever fight was no doubt taking place.

“Kaho,” stated Ingrid, “you and Ganessa keep back when we get there.”

“B-but why?” asked Kaho.

“Yeah, what for?” inquired Ganessa.

“You two are the junior-most Pandoras in our group, so it’s best you stay back if this ends up getting messy, especially if it involves other second-years or third-years.  And of course, there’s also Kazuya to look after.  Can’t have our Little Brother getting himself hurt in the midst of all this now, can we?”

“I suppose you have a point there,” muttered Kaho, feeling a bit left out given her status as a freshman.

“But I can fight though,” stated Ganessa bluntly.  “I’m healed from my Carnival and everything.”

“This isn’t up for debate, Ganessa,” replied Ingrid with military force in her words.  “As your senior Pandora, I’m ORDERING you to stand back when we get there, understand?”  The tone in Ingrid’s voice implied that she was in no mood for arguing or a debate; that and the look in her eyes was somewhat frightening to boot.

“Uh…alright,” muttered Ganessa in response, not in the mood to argue.

A few seconds later, the group had rounded the corner to see just what was happening with all that shouting.  Needless to say, it certainly was nothing good…unless you were one who had a penchant for pointless cruelty and sadistic punishment.