“I want them punished,” said Gengo Aoi in a particularly cold tone of voice.

“Obviously they will be, sir,” replied the individual on the other end of the conference call, “but perhaps you’re going just a tad bit too far in meting out a fitting punishment for them.”

“They’re 2nd-year Pandoras.  They knew the rules.  And they chose to act out on their petty grievances regardless.”  Given the quiet rage that was forming deep within Gengo, he was on the verge of literally growling when he spoke.

“You make a valid point, Mr. Chairman,” replied the male Genetics administrator, wearing a typical white lab coat over a plaid, button-up dress shirt, dark gray slacks, and a pair of standard eyeglasses.  “That being said, I believe that expulsion, removal of their stigmata, and criminal charges might be a bit extreme under these circumstances.”

“Are they now?” asked Gengo, the sarcasm in his voice only too obvious.

“Not to speak out of turn, Mr. Chairman,” replied the administrator, holding his ground, “but if this didn’t involve your own grandson, would you be as adamant in exacting punishment out of those three Pandoras?  Some might read outright nepotism in such a decision.”

Gengo paused quietly in response.  While he was loath to admit it, the perception of favoritism towards a member of his own family might come back to bite him in the ass in the not-so-distant future.  The top board members of Chevalier High Command may very well bring that up with him at the next meeting.  And while Gengo Aoi enjoyed a significant amount of leeway in his decision-making as chairman of the board, he wasn’t an outright emperor, not even within the hierarchy at Chevalier or Genetics…unless he wanted to risk an all-out civil war and literally seize power in some type of coup.

“So then, what would you recommend then?” asked Gengo as he took a sip from his drinking glass, this time filled with bourbon (he needed something with a nice burn to match his mood).

“One week in the brig, with perhaps a dozen lashes if you feel the need for corporal punishment, followed up with one month’s worth of mandatory on-campus community service,” replied the administrator.  “They can also be notified that another incident like the one they pulled will result in either expulsion or a forced transfer to another Genetics facility.  I feel that would be a more adequate punishment under these circumstances.”

Gengo paused for a moment, internally debating on whether or not he wanted to tweak the punishment in order to make it more severe.  In the end, he decided to err on caution.

“Very well then,” replied Gengo.  “I’m tempted to go with two dozen lashes, but I’ll defer to your recommendation.  They should consider themselves lucky that Kazuya is making a good recovery, otherwise I’d not be feeling so generous.”

“Understood, sir,” replied the administrator.  “Will there be anything else then?”

“No, you’re dismissed,” replied Gengo as he hit a button, turning off the screen on which he was communicating via video conference.

It had been twenty-four hours since the close-call incident involving Kazuya, Ganessa, Kaho, and the trio of 2nd-year pandoras who attacked them.  Aside from getting the wind knocked out of him and some bruising to his torso, Kazuya had incurred no serious damage during the brawl.

What was somewhat surprising was that none of the pandoras in his harem had lashed out and tore apart any of the three bully pandoras who attacked him.  Granted, if left to their own devices, some like Satellizer, Rana, or Ingrid may have very well been tempted to rip off a limb, or at the very least break a few bones to get the point across.  No doubt cooler heads like Chiffon and Ticy stepped in to keep the attack dogs in Kazuya’s group at bay and from acting out in pure animalistic rage.

After all, when a pandora’s “one” is attacked, she can enter into such a battle-frenzy state of mind that she becomes a viking berserker on steroids, ready to go multiple rounds in a veritable fight to the death.

In any case, Gengo was just glad that Kazuya was out of harm’s way, given how bad things could have become during that brawl.  If there was one silver lining, it was that the pandoras in his harem would be a lot more protective and hawk-eyed to their “little brother” from that point on, including the older members of the group.

Gengo would bet that out of the seven newest arrivals to Kazuya’s harem, it would be Kazuha herself who would be the most livid about the little incident, and if she were just a few years younger (back when she was slightly more temperamental), she would probably join in alongside Satellizer and Rana in dishing out some particularly gruesome and graphic punishment onto those three.  If Kazuya ended up suffering physical damage that was more long-term or even permanent, then chances were good that Kazuha would do just that…alongside Satellizer, Rana, Elizabeth, and perhaps even Chiffon for that matter.

Then those three pandoras would really get to appreciate Chiffon’s moniker of “The Unmatched Smiling Monster.”

That wasn’t to say that the other women in Kazuya’s harem wouldn’t be just as livid and eager to give those three bullies a thrashing for what had happened…just that the more “head-over-heels in love types” among Kazuya’s group would be the most eager in lashing out against those who dared to harm their “one.”

In any case, Gengo was glad that Kazuya was doing well in recuperation.  No doubt the sixteen student pandoras would be acting with a heightened and more hawk-eyed approach towards him after what had occurred.  In a way, Gengo envied Kazuya while at the same time felt perhaps just a tad sorry for him, knowing that he was going to be smothered with such protective care from so many beautiful women.  And once he had achieved baptism with all of them, that protective/affectionate streak would become even more pronounced over time…and that was just sixteen women to keep in mind, not factoring the other seven whom Gengo planned to bond with his grandson in the exact same manner.

‘Perhaps I should feel a touch guilty at saddling my grandson with so many soulmates,’ pondered Gengo as he sipped his whiskey.  ‘But even so, I know that Kazuya will rise to the occasion.  Once he’s achieved perfect synchronization with all of them, he’ll step into his role perfectly…I just know that he will.’

Some may very well perceive Gengo Aoi as arrogant in his assumptions, but up to this point, when it came to matters regarding combating the Nova and improving and refining the fighting capabilities of the pandoras, his brilliant mind bought him that right to be arrogant.  Love him or hate him, loathe him or revere him, Gengo Aoi was the man whom anybody in their right mind would declare as being in the right when it came to the important stuff.  And as long as he was frighteningly accurate in both his assessments on all things regarding the Nova as well as how to further strengthen and improve on the fighting prowess and the overall capabilities of the pandora, then the proverbial “powers that be” within Genetics and the world at large would let him have his way and make the call on such matters.  After all, if Gengo were out of the picture, who then would humanity turn to in how to beat back the Nova?

As for Kazuya and company…

After the close call, Kazuya was kept under very strict watch, not because he did anything wrong obviously, but because of how precious he was to the many women whom he was partnered up with.  While initially he put up some degree of resistance to being watched after so closely to his partners, he acknowledged the simple fact that there was little he could do to dissuade them from their “mother hen” mode when it came to him.

The only thing Kazuya could probably do as a means of proverbially putting his foot down would be to activate a Freezing area and render the whole lot of them as a collective moaning, panting mess sprawled across the floor having had a rather intense orgasm or on the verge of having one.  And while his lovely ladies would probably appreciate the pleasure from such an act, Kazuya would rather not resort to such underhanded means in order to make them back down and ease up from being so overprotective of him.

It was one day after the close call that Kazuya was sitting in the lap of Sister Margaret, who at that point was dressed in her business attire consisting of a form-fitting black dress top alongside a somewhat short skirt (ending just a few inches below her crotch), sleek gray stockings, and heeled shoes.  Given that she was in business attire as opposed to her holy garments, she didn’t wear her nun’s habit either, letting her dark brown hair hang freely.

“Please understand, Kazuya,” she said as she secured him in her lap, looping her arms around his torso, “you are very important to each and every one of us here.  So if we come off as somewhat smothering or suffocating in looking after you, please know that we only do it out of genuine care and concern.”

“I know, Madam Principal,” replied Kazuya with a sigh.

“Please, Kazuya, just ‘Margaret’ will do,” replied Margaret as she gently increased her grip on the young man, pulling him against her bosom in the process.  “After all, if we are to truly become partners to one another, then we should be comfortable speaking to each other on a first-name basis.”

Kazuya couldn’t help but feel both awkward and flustered at what Margaret was implying, given how intimate the word “partner” was when it came to relationships between pandoras and limiters.  After all, while it could be simply interpreted as a bond of close kinship between comrades on the battlefield, Kazuya learned quick enough that it generally held a romantic undertone to it all, usually indicating that it was more akin to that of mating partners if not outright lovers or spouses.

“And…are you honestly okay with this…Margaret?” asked Kazuya.

“Okay with what?” she replied.

“You know…pairing up…with me, and all that implies…” Kazuya muttered, blushing somewhat in the process.

Margaret couldn’t help but mildly snort through her nose in a subdued chuckle, finding Kazuya’s sense of embarrassment to be adorably amusing.  Truth be told, if she were a younger woman, closer in age to the other pandoras in Kazuya’s harem, she’d probably be just as adamant in pursuing the young man romantically like the rest of them were pretty much doing.  Perhaps it was a sort of hidden gift due to age that allowed her not to be so ruled by emotions and hormones compared to the younger members of Kazuya’s other partners.  That wasn’t to say that Margaret didn’t have her own desires when it came to romance and companionship, even though she tried her best to restrain such things when she decided to take up her role with the title of “Sister” within West Genetics as its chief religious figure.  It was just that she - like the other six members of the staff at West Genetics who were assigned as Kazuya’s latest partners - had learned to be more patient and understanding when it came to relations with their paired limiters.

“The short answer would be ‘yes,’ dear Kazuya,” chuckled Margaret.  “While I realize that this is a rather substantial load to be placed upon your shoulders, please know that the other staff members and I will do our utmost to ease this burden.  You need not worry on our account on being paired up with us, and I promise that we’ll do our utmost to educate the younger members of the group in being patient and understanding when it comes to being with you.  After all, you are only one man, and you shouldn’t feel needlessly pressured at having to be a worthy limiter towards all of your partners.”

“I appreciate that, Sist-...I mean, Margaret,” replied Kazuya, doing his utmost to respect Margaret’s request at keeping things on a first-name basis between them.  “But what I was getting at was…well…are you okay with being partnered up again?  Not just in general, but with me?”

The double meaning was understood.  Kazuya was basically asking Margaret if she was okay with being paired up once more AND being paired up with someone who was significantly younger than her.  While she didn’t convey her age to Kazuya, it was a fair guess that - biologically speaking - she was old enough to be his mother, though her figure was still quite youthful in its appearance overall.  Perhaps her face had shown subtle signs of her age (mainly light wrinkles from all of the excessive worrying she did over the health and safety of the pandoras whom she shepherded over as headmistress and as a woman of faith), but her figure was still rather striking and youthfully vibrant overall, at least if the comments that Yu-Mi, Kazuha, Violet and Elize had given to her in recent memory were any indicator of such.

“I know that this is a rather odd situation in which we find ourselves, Kazuya,” answered Margaret, “but I trust in your grandfather’s judgment as chairman of the board of Genetics…but aside from that…”

“Yes?” the young man asked in curiosity.

“Well…I don’t wish to trouble you with anything that might emotionally burden you, Kazuya dear, please don’t misunderstand…” said Margaret with the faintest of blushes.  Kazuya simply waited in silence, effectively letting her know she could proceed with her explanation.

“I know this is going to sound a bit sudden and somewhat out of place,” continued Margaret, “but…well…odd as this may sound, Kazuya…I…I’ve…taken a liking to you…so to speak…”  The blush on Margaret’s face had become more pronounced at this point, which was something that Kazuya had picked up on as he turned to face her.

“I don’t mean to drop this on you so suddenly of course, Kazuya,” Margaret continued, “and I apologize if I’ve come to upset you or burdened you with more emotional baggage, but I…I…I think that…with enough time…I could…rrgh…”  It was clear that Margaret was internally struggling with vocalizing her feelings towards the limiter currently seated in her lap, with her emotional state flickering between that of a full-grown woman and an emotionally-driven schoolgirl.

“Please, Margaret,” replied Kazuya, “I don’t want to put you through anything that’ll make you uncomfortable.  You don’t need to say anything more if you don’t want to.”

‘Ugh…just like your grandfather,’ thought Margaret, ‘a natural-born charmer and lady’s man.  It’s no wonder that women are drawn to you like they are.  You’re sweeter than honey and sugarcane combined, you know that?’

“Your consideration is both duly noted and appreciated, Kazuya,” replied Margaret, “but you need not worry over my emotional state on all this, sweet as it is for you to do so.”  Margaret proceeded to gently tighten her grip on Kazuya on that last part as she spoke, pulling him more firmly against her abdomen and bosom in the process.

“Kazuya,” she continued, “I won’t burden you with anything further than simply stating this:  Know that you are very dear to all of us, both myself and the other women in our…well, I suppose those like Chiffon and Kazuha would refer to it as a family and so I guess I’ll refer to it in the same way.  Just know that there is no discomfort or displeasure on my part in being a part of this group, as I like to think that I have good rapport with every one of the women in this group setup we have here.  And while it may come off as rather…unorthodox, in a way of wording things regarding the relationship between us, know that I do this not just out of a sense of duty as the headmistress of West Genetics and a member of Chevalier…but as a woman as well…in all that that entails…”  Once again, the blush on Margaret’s cheeks became more pronounced, giving Kazuya the indicative hint as to what she was implying regarding this relationship.

“Oh…umm…well, know that I’m certainly flattered and humbled in that regard, make no mistake about that,” replied Kazuya with his own blush.  “I…just hope that I can be worthy of such…interest, if that’s an accurate word to use.”

“You may be so bold as to use the word ‘admiration’ or something more along those lines,” answered Margaret with a chuckle, which in turn got Kazuya even more flustered than he already was, which in turn made Margaret chuckle all the more.  She simply couldn’t help herself.  Kazuya had a tendency of being so innocently adorable, whether he intended to be or not..  Perhaps that was simply part of his nature as a natural-born charmer, just like his grandfather, only with a more innocent and naive streak to him.

“And as for ‘being worthy’ as you put it,” continued Margaret, “I would say not to fret over that sort of thing, dear Kazuya.  If things should take a turn in another direction on that matter, I’m quite certain you’ll find out about it almost immediately…though with the way things are looking, I’d be so bold as to say not to worry in the slightest on the topic of whether you consider yourself worthy of any…scratch that, of all of us, Kazuya.”

“W-what do you mean by that?” asked the limiter in Margaret’s lap with a cocked eyebrow.

“I can’t help but think that deep down you know what I mean by that,” replied Margaret with a smirk.  “That being said, I won’t push things any further than they are already.  Just know that you should relax and not fret over the situation as it stands.  And know that if the others come off as a little…well…I suppose the word ‘smothering’ is probably most apt…if they come off as that, know that it’s only out of concern for your well-being, Kazuya.  You are their collective partner, after all.”  Margaret finished with a chuckle on that last part.

Once more, Kazuya was at a loss for words.  While he understood that someone like Sister Margaret was generally more composed and level-headed compared to the younger pandoras he had met, he was somewhat blindsided at hearing such endearing talk coming from her.  It’s not that it wasn’t appreciated, of course (quite the opposite!).  Aside from an outright masochist or glutton-for-punishment, who doesn’t appreciate words of endearment, especially from someone with such poise and grace as Margaret Lindman to boot?  It just took Kazuya by surprise that Margaret was more-or-less indicating that she was showing genuine interest in the young man…in the same way that the younger pandoras within Kazuya’s harem were showing.

“Well…I appreciate the…concern…that’s the best term I can think of on the fly at present, Sister Margaret,” replied Kazuya.

“Again, no need for the ‘Sister’ part at this point, Kazuya,” said Margaret with a grin.  “As I mentioned earlier, I believe things should be on a first-name basis at this point between you and I.  I’m pretty sure that the sentiment is universal among the other women in our family at this point.”

“Sorry,” said Kazuya.  “Old habits die hard and all that, as the saying goes.”

“I know,” chuckled Margaret.  “To be honest, it's a character trait which I find rather endearing, so while I may find the need to remind you not to be so beholden to such formalities, just know that I don’t do it out of frustration or anything of the sort.  And not to sound like a broken record, but I’m fairly certain that it’s a sentiment which is shared among the other women as well…all twenty-three of us, just to elaborate.”

“Even Miss Su-Na?” asked Kazuya.

“Even Su-Na,” answered Margaret.  “While she might be somewhat reticent in opening up to others, know that she is a good woman at her core.  She simply needs some time to willingly let her guard down and make herself vulnerable to you, given that she has a tendency to keep her proverbial shield up around others…well, aside from Chairman Gengo, of course.  He’s probably the one man who she would have no problem being open towards.”

“At times, I feel that she would be better off pairing up with him, assuming he’d allow for it to happen.  I just can’t help but think that it would make her genuinely happy to spend her time with him as opposed to being saddled with me.  It makes me feel somewhat like a sort of consolation prize.”  The tone in Kazuya’s voice indicated that the young man was rather deflated at the prospect of being somebody whom Su-Na was merely ‘stuck’ with out of a sense of duty.

“Oh Kazuya,” sighed Margaret as she increased her hold on the young man (though never to the point of creating discomfort to him, of course).  “You really should try to have a little more faith in yourself.  Such self-deprecation is not something which your partners wish to see in you, as it wounds our own hearts whenever we see you in such a state.”  Whether Kazuya understood the meaning in the words “your partners” included Margaret alongside the others was a matter of some conjecture, but hopefully he understood the overall point she was making in the motherly tone in which she was speaking.

“Sorry,” he replied.  “I don’t mean to sound like a downer, honestly I don’t.  Nor do I want to make any of you worry or fret over me.  It’s just that I don’t like the idea of having anybody forced into pairing up with me if she doesn’t want to, that’s all.  Whether it’s Su-Na, the others, or you, Miss Margaret.  If there’s the slightest inkling that you don’t want to be in such a pair-up, then please, all you need to do is let me know up front and I’ll go straight to the old man and have him nullify the arrangement, even if I have to be particularly unpleasant about it.”

The gesture touched Margaret’s spiritual/emotional core.  By this point, it was clear enough that if Kazuya was going to be partnered up, he wanted to do so out of genuine love and not merely getting his proverbial rocks off or secure bragging rights over which pandoras he bedded.  The realization made her heart become lighter, with the older woman feeling literally blessed that she ended up being partnered to such a wonderful and kind-hearted young man.  While initially she felt that such a pairing was highly unorthodox to say the least, she was certainly happy that her designated partner had such a noble and kind soul.  It was most likely such a character trait which made the other women in Kazuya’s harem so drawn towards him.  While there were some women who sought after the proverbial “bad boy” or rogue types among men, there were women out there who genuinely liked to be with the “nice guys,” as cheesy a notion as that might sound.  In a way of putting things, Kazuya was like a fully-ripened honeysuckle, and his partners were the proverbial hummingbirds or honeybees flittering along and only too eager to get a taste of the limiter.

“Your concerns and considerations are duly noted, Kazuya,” replied Margaret with a grin as she gently increased her hold on the young man, hugging him to her like a prize teddy bear one wins at a carnival game.  The gesture made Margaret feel very very warm while at the same time making Kazuya’s heartbeat pick up slightly.  The young man simply couldn’t help it; being in the presence and embrace of so many bewitchingly charming women - including Sister Margaret - was something he never got bored or tired of in the slightest.  For Kazuya, each and every time was like the very first time in how special it was, if his increased heart rate was any indicator.

“Well then, I should give you some time with the others,” said Margaret.  “Don’t want them thinking that I’m pulling rank and hogging you all to myself.”  Kazuya could hear the smile in her voice upon saying this, even as she carried him propped up against her.  While he insisted that such treatment wasn’t necessary, Margaret simply overruled him, citing that his recent injury made such measures practically required at the moment…

…though if she were being completely honest, it was simply a desire to constantly hold her “one” in her arms at all times.  Whether that was driven out of maternal instincts or something more along the lines of protecting one’s “mate” was some matter of conjecture on Margaret’s part, given the age difference between her and Kazuya, though if Gengo Aoi’s machinations regarding Margaret Lindman being paired up with his grandson were any indicator, the older Aoi gentleman intended such protective instincts to be of the latter nature…multiplied by twenty-three women over no less.

Deciding that someone else was due some time with their collective partner, Margaret ended up handing Kazuya over to Kazuha, who held onto Kazuya extra tight the moment she embraced him (any tighter and she would have literally pressed his lungs to the point of forced exhalation).

“How are you feeling, Dear?” asked Kazuha as she gazed down at him with hawk-like focus in her eyes.

‘Dear?’ thought Kazuya in subdued bewilderment.  No matter how many times Kazuha laid it on, Kazuya could never quite be fully at peace with just how damn enamored she was with him.

“I’m…fine, Kazuha,” Kazuya answered.

“You’re not just saying that to keep me at ease, are you?” asked Kazuha with a cocked eyebrow.

“Of course not.  You know I wouldn’t ever lie to you, in part because if I tried, I’m almost certain you could catch me in the lie, so why even bother?”  Kazuha simply smirked in response at her brother’s analysis, walking the halls through the mansion as she did so.

“Oh you,” replied Kazuha as she snuggled into Kazuya’s scalp as she walked down the halls.  As far as Kazuya saw it, the physical gesture said enough.  After all, Kazuha was his “rock,” so to speak, his emotional pillar throughout the vast majority of his life up to this point.  So for a blissful moment, he simply rested his head against her bosom as she cradled him as she navigated through the mansion.

“Kazuha?” asked Kazuya a moment later.

“Yes?”

“Can a thing like this really work?”

“A thing like what?” Kazuha asked with heightened curiosity.  Kazuya paused for a moment, internally struggling to get the words out.  After taking one deep breath, he closed his eyes and spoke.

“A…a harem…just thinking about it…I can’t help but think of how insane it sounds…like some kind of hormonally-driven, pie-in-the-sky juvenile fantasy…I don’t know…I mean, I’m willing to give it a chance to make it work and all, honestly I am…but even then…even now, it all just seems too good to be true, likes it’s destined to go down in flames.  I don’t mean to be glum about it, but I just can’t help but feel like I’m in way over my head over this whole thing.  I mean, are you honestly okay with being paired up with me, knowing that there are more than twenty other women to compete with?”

Kazuha simply tightened her grip on Kazuya in response, snuggling all the more against him (and making sure that her bosom was pressed as firm as was possible against his head and upper torso in the process).

“Oh Kazuya,” she sighed.  “Out of everyone here, you’re undoubtedly the biggest worrywort over this whole setup, you know that?  You really need to have a little more faith and confidence in yourself.  Forgive me if I come off as impudent in my response, but I’d stop fretting over whether or not this arrangement will work.  You want to hear my two cents on this whole matter, Kazuya?”

“Umm…sure?” he responded.  Kazuha leaned in so that her lips were millimeters away from Kazuya’s ear before whispering.

“You possess a quality about you that most women find very appealing, Kazuya,” began Kazuha.  “You have this innate sweetness and innocence in your very character that make women naturally drawn to you.  I’m sure that grandfather told you something along those lines when you had your little heart-to-heart with him.  However, it’s not just that “casanova-like” charm which he probably told you about, but a sort of…how to put it…let’s say an “aura” about you, for lack of a better word.”

“An aura?” asked a confused Kazuya.

“When most pandoras look at you and spend time with you, they have a tendency to want to stay with you, don’t they?  I imagine that’s pretty much the case with every pandora whom you are currently paired up with up until now, right?”

“Well…I don’t know about Miss Lee, to be frank,” answered Kazuya.

“Give Su-Na time.  She’s a bit of a special case, but I say with high certainty that with enough time, her shell will crack and she’ll have the urge to pick you up and cuddle the living daylights out of you.  Aside from her, wouldn’t you say that pretty much all the other pandoras you interact with are all vying for a chance to be close to you?  To do things like have you in their laps, kiss you, snuggle in bed with you, or bathe with you?”  Kazuya couldn’t help but blush in response to that last part.

“W-well…I mean…all of the 3rd-years and their juniors, sure…I mean, I can’t say that’s the case with the others, mind you…”

“Give that time too, Kazuya,” replied Kazuha with a grin.  “Once you’ve performed baptism with all of your partners, you’ll go from having sixteen women pining for you…to twenty-three women pining for you.”

“See, that just seems like too much for one man to handle and make it work,” replied Kazuya.  “I don’t want to hurt any of you…in terms of feelings, I mean, just to elaborate.  I doubt I could do any physical harm to a single one of you whatsoever.  And if I’m going to partner up with somebody, I don’t want it to be out of sheer convenience or just along the lines of military duty and all that.  I’d want it to be for…for love, okay?  And I just can’t see a way in which one guy is able to be a happy and supporting partner to that many women.”

Instead of responding, Kazuha simply lifted Kazuya up more so that his head was level with hers, then leaned in and gave a slow smooch on his lips.  There was no tongue involved in the kiss, but that didn’t make it any less passionate.  For a few seconds, Kazuya simply let it happen, melting in Kazuha’s show of affection and letting his worries and concerns about the harem dissipate and fade away, even if it would only be for a minute or so.

“Kazuya,” began Kazuha once more, “you really need to stop fretting so much over this, okay?  If any of your partners really want out of this arrangement, I’m sure they’ll say something sooner rather than later.  As far as I can tell, none of them are being held here against their will or feel like they’re being bribed, blackmailed, or intimidated into being paired up with you.  While Grandfather did make his suggestion as to having you be their partner, it wasn’t an outright literal order.  And I’m going to be so bold as to make this analysis, given how often I’ve observed the others when you’re in my class.”

“That being?” asked Kazuya.

“That out of those sixteen lovely ladies you’re partnered up with, none of them - and I do mean none of them - are disinterested in you AT ALL.  They all want to be with you, Kazuya.  And while there’s undoubtedly going to be some degree of competition among them, it’s not of an antagonistic nature…well, maybe if some of them have a little too much to drink, there could be the random catfight over who gets to cuddle in bed with you or something like that.  But aside from that, as long as they’re patient in this matter - which they should be, given that they were informed in detail about what partnering up with you would entail - then there really isn’t anything to worry about on being “worthy” of them as a partner and mate, or however you like to put it.  Just keep being the wonderful, kind-hearted, somewhat dopey little goofball that you are, and things should work out just fine in the end, especially after you’ve achieved baptism, okay Kazuya?”

“You sound so certain that things’ll work out naturally once that happens…a lot like the old man,” replied Kazuya.  “Is there something you two know that I don’t?  What is it about baptism that’ll make things come out all ‘hunky-dory’ with nothing to fret over, exactly?”

“Sorry, Kazuya, but that’s something I’m keeping as a surprise.  You’ll just have to find out once it’s been done,” replied Kazuha as she playfully stuck out her tongue.

Figuring that she wasn’t going to move on that issue, Kazuya simply sighed in response and dropped the issue right there and then.

The day proceeded onward with Kazuya spending more one-on-one time with the younger pandoras in his harem.  There was an incident in which two of them ended up surprising the young man for a moment.

………

“Wait, you wanna what?” asked Kazuya.

At the moment, he was speaking to both Kaho and Ganessa, who were both kneeling before him on one knee, heads bowed and facing the ground, in a position of what was safe to assume to be of abject deference and servitude.

“We…we feel it best that we opt out of being your partners, Kazuya,” said Ganessa, with Kaho nodding in agreement.

“But why?” he asked.

“Because…because we…” said Ganessa, struggling to get the words out.

“Because we failed you as your partners, and we don’t feel like we deserve to be as such anymore,” said Kaho, finishing for Ganessa.

“How could you even say that?” asked Kazuya.  He wasn’t stupid.  He knew they were referring to the brawl with those three 2nd-years not long ago.  “I remember the two of you rushing to me when that whole thing kicked off.  As far as I see it, you came to my aid shortly after I got the wind knocked out of me…and besides, I’m partly at fault for butting in, so please don’t go blaming yourselves for what happened.  If anything, the fault lies with those three for picking a fight in the first place.”

“Even so,” replied Ganessa, “we failed in our duty to protect you.  One of a pandora’s primary concerns is to look after her limiter and make sure he’s kept safe from harm…and we failed miserably in that task.”  The tone in Ganessa’s voice was dripping with self-loathing as she spoke.

“Exactly,” added Kaho.  “The two of us couldn’t keep you from getting hurt, Kazuya.  While I’m thankful that you weren’t more seriously injured, the fact that you got injured on our watch…it…makes me feel so ashamed…”  For her part, Kaho wasn’t far from shedding tears and breaking down into sobbing.

“Hey now, enough of that,” said Roxanne as she leaned in and wrapped an arm around each of the junior pandoras before introducing each one of them to her substantial chest and basically smothering the both of them in pristine, super-soft boobflesh.  “I don’t wanna hear anymore of this ‘woe is me’ kinda talk, got that?  Whatever concerns you two are havin’ over what happened back there and then, you just cry it out into Big Sis Roxanne’s chest, okay?”

“Roxanne, I think you might be coming off a little bit strong in the way you’re trying to help,” added Chiffon with a semi-embarrassed look on her face.

“I think she just likes to put her oversized fun-bags to use whenever she sees an opportunity,” grumbled Charles in a somewhat sarcastic tone of voice.

After a good ten seconds of comically smothering the junior pandoras of the group in her bosom, Roxanne loosened her grip and let the two of them come up for air.

“There now, feel better?” said Roxanne to the pair, still keeping an arm around each of their shoulders.

“Miss Roxanne, that’s rather forward, don’t you think?” said a blushing Kaho.

“None of that ‘Miss,’ stuff there, got it?  I’m not that much older than you guys,” snorted Roxanne with a grin.

“It’s a matter of respect is all,” countered a flustered Ganessa.  “But that aside, why are you trying to stop us?”

“Because I think you two are acting kinda stupid right now,” replied Roxanne.  “You guys have one little fight with a bunch of stuck-up sore losers and afterwards you wanna start beating up on yourselves?  All because Kazuya got a boo-boo?  Don’t get me wrong, I’m certainly glad that he’s okay, just like everyone is else glad as well, but I think that you two are going a bit overboard in putting this on yourselves.  Way I see it, you need to toughen up your ovaries a bit and move on from this whole thing.”

“That’s a rather crass way of wording things,” said Elizabeth.

“Okay, so maybe I don’t have the finesse for wording things gently,” replied Roxanne.  “You get the overall point I’m making here, right?”  At this moment, Roxanne was speaking to the entire group of sixteen student pandoras plus Kazuya, with the older members away tending to their faculty-related business (figuring it would be best to leave Kazuya with the younger members of the harem for the time being).

“But, I don’t understand,” countered Kaho.  “We failed in our duties as pandora to keep Kazuya safe from harm.  If anything, you should want us to leave on that alone…not to mention that it would mean less competition, of course.”

“Oh come now,” replied Roxanne.  “Stop being such a ‘Debbie Downer’ and a ‘Negative Nancy’ about this stuff already.  And while you may have a somewhat valid point on that last part, as tempting as it may sound, I’ve weighed the whole ‘cost-benefit’ analysis on that part.”

“You’re saying that you wouldn’t like fewer rivals for Kazuya?” asked a skeptical Ganessa.

“While the idea of knocking out some potential competition is tempting, in the end, we’d be losing two important members of our family.”  The tone in Roxanne’s voice was more serious at this point.

“Family?” asked both Kaho and Ganessa simultaneously.

“You heard me,” replied Roxanne with a grin.  “While it’s true that we are all rivals in a way when it comes to Kazuya, I like to think that we are all also sisters to one another.  After all, none of us hold any real animosity towards one another as far as I can tell, aside from some playful banter here and there of course.”  Roxanne gave Charles and Julia a playful sideways glance, which got an eyerolle from the former and a comical snort from the latter.

“Exactly,” added Elizabeth.  “While the idea of having less competition out of the way for Kazuya is a tempting prospect, we would lose our little sisters in the group, which I’m fairly certain would be at least a little disheartening in the big picture.  I don’t mean to sound too overly prophetic or as if I’m speaking with religious undertones in terms of fate or destiny, but I like to think that all of us were brought together here for a reason…not just to be paired up with Kazuya, but to be as a family to one another…all twenty-three of us, I should note, not just those of us currently here.”

“I concur with that analysis,” added Chiffon with her own grin.  “I like to think that sort of sentiment is shared among the vast majority of us here, if not literally all of us.  While some might not be as vocal about the idea as others, in the end, I feel that the two of you leaving us would be a sad outcome, and I strongly wish that neither of you leave our family.”

“But we failed to keep Kazuya safe,” replied Kaho.

“You’re being a little too hard on yourself,” countered Ticy.  “In your case, it was three against two, with Kaho being a freshman pandora up against a 2nd-year.  In that sort of scenario, things could have gone a lot worse, especially if those three intended to target Kazuya from the get-go.  In my opinion, you both did rather well under the circumstances, and once Kazuya was injured, you both gave it your all and then some to make sure he was okay.”

“I can’t help but think that you’re just saying that to make us feel better,” replied Ganessa, still feeling a bit downtrodden.

In a surprising turn of events, Satellizer ended up crossing the threshold and beelining straight towards both Ganessa and Kaho.  At that moment, Ganessa felt that the ‘Untouchable Queen’ may very well slap her across the face, either as a way of getting her out of her funk or to punish her for failing to keep Kazuya safe.  Frankly, she wouldn’t hold it against Satellizer if that’s what she intended to do.  Closing her eyes, Ganessa braced herself for the incoming slap.

Only to open her eyes as Satellizer wrapped an arm around both her and Kaho and hugged the two of them fiercely against her just like Roxanne was doing a moment ago.  It was certainly not what Ganessa was expecting from the big-boobed blonde.

“No more of this now,” said Satellizer at little more than a whisper.  “You two did the best you could under the circumstances, so I don’t wanna hear anymore of this down-putting that you’re putting yourselves through, got that?  You’re staying with us, and that’s final.”  Upon looking directly at Satellizer’s face, Ganessa and Kaho were surprised to find that there were actually tears in the corner of her piercing blue eyes.  The Untouchable Queen was actually not far from the verge of crying at that moment…crying of all things!

“I don’t get it,” said Ganessa at little more than a whisper.  “You should want this outcome.  Two less pandoras to have to compete with.  If anything, you should be pushing for us to leave.”

“For all the competition we might have between us,” replied Satellizer, “I’d be losing two sisters in the process…and even though I may have sisters aplenty at this point, I…I don’t want to lose any of them, understand?  And that includes the two of you.  While I might grumble at having to share and compete over being with Kazuya now and then, the thought of losing a single member of my family out of sheer convenience…I simply won’t accept such a thing.  You’re staying with us and that’s final, got that?”  Satellizer finished on that note by hugging the two of them fiercely, pressing her generous bosom against the two of them (though mercifully not burying their faces into each of her tits like Roxanne did a moment ago).

For a moment both Kaho and Ganessa were simply at a loss for words.  They ended up being even more at a loss when one-by-one the remaining twelve other pandoras came up to give them both a collective hug one after another (since Roxanne and Satellizer had already gotten their hugs in).  It certainly seemed rather out of character for the likes of Attia, Julia, Charles, Creo, or Ingrid to be engaging in a group hug with the sole 2nd-year and 1st-year pandoras within Kazuya’s harem.  Yet even so, one after another, each 3rd-year pandora gave a rather endearing squeeze to both Kaho and Ganessa one after another, letting the hug do all of the talking insofar as to say “please don’t leave us” to the pair.

“Tell you what, what say we wash our worries away with a nice long group soak in the baths?” asked Arnett.  “I figured that sort of thing is what’s called for at the moment.”

“Does that include Kazuya?” asked Rana.

“That pretty much goes without saying at this point,” Arnett replied with a grin and a sensual licking of her lips as she turned her gaze to Kazuya.  It was a look that several of the pandoras gave as they looked down at the collective “little brother” of the group.

“Might I make a small suggestion?” asked Chiffon.

“What would that be?” asked Elizabeth.

“I’m going to inquire if the older pandoras would like to join us,” replied the student council president.

“Hey, the more the merrier, right?” replied Roxanne with a grin.  There were no objections raised among the others in the group.

After getting in touch with Sister Margaret, Chiffon was ecstatic to find that the seven older pandoras would accompany the original sixteen to the baths, which fortunately enough were quite large to accompany everyone with still plenty of room to spare.  Kazuya was quite surprised to find that the older pandoras had no reservations about the idea of bathing alongside him (aside from Kazuha for rather obvious reasons).  He figured that at the very least Su-Na Lee would politely bow out from the offer, given her overall disposition.  Apparently, Yu-Mi and Elize did a little figurative arm-twisting to get the Korean beauty to join in on the group bathing session.

“After all,” whispered Chiffon to Kazuya as they made their way to the baths, “they are also your partners alongside us, remember?”  She finished with that playful chuckle she was known for.  “It’s only natural for a pandora to spend moments of intimacy like this with her limiter.”

“But…this soon?” asked a skeptical Kazuya.  “I figured at least a few days if not a few weeks before taking things this far.”

“When it comes to cementing relationships like this, the sooner the better, Dear,” replied Elizabeth.  The way she said that last word had the same kind of passion one would expect from a lover, fiance…or even wife.

“As they say in Japanese, dear Elizabeth, ‘ara ara,’” said Julia with a minx-like grin.  “You certainly seem to be taking this arrangement in stride.”

“Supposedly, the time of baptism draws near,” replied Elizabeth with her own grin.  “Why prolong the inevitable at this point?  Why not jump head-first and with heart full of drive and determination?  Or am I simply acting ‘out of place’ or not particularly ladylike at the moment?”

“I could care less about decorum or ladylike manners,” countered Julia.  “The point I’m making is simply this:  I am really liking what I’m seeing right now.”  There was a subtle shine in Julia’s eyes as to how forward and direct Elizabeth was acting at the moment, which oddly enough was mirrored by West Genetics’s own “Empress” in turn, as if Elizabeth was becoming kindred spirits with Genetics Panzer’s own “Maverick.”

The sight of such a thing had Kazuya at a loss for words, given how unexpected such interaction was for him to witness…

…as well as pretty hot, if he was being honest with his libido.

Fast-forward to the bathing facilities, in which Kazuya sits in the bathwater…alongside twenty-three nude amazon beauties, each and every single one of them.

No matter how many times he’d look upon the female form, Kazuya couldn’t help but feel both his heart rate pick up as well as his pulse increase in its intensity.  The sight of so much pristine female flesh, so many bosoms, so many thighs, waists, swan-like necks, ass cheeks, and so on…it was like being in Shangri-freaking-La.  And the thing that topped it all off was that none - literally none - of the women took issue with the idea of a man bathing among them, as if such a thing was as natural as blinking or breathing.

During the group bathing session, the question came up among the younger pandoras if the older pandoras would like to partake in bathing Kazuya.  Lo and behold, out of the seven new arrivals to be asked that question, there were seven yeses in response.  While Kazuya figured that Kazuha was a definite “yes” and that perhaps Yu-Mi, Elize, Violet, and Amelia may very well join along as well, he certainly wasn’t expecting Margaret or Su-Na to join in as well.

“You really don’t have to do that if you don’t want to, you know,” said Kazuya to those two very pandoras, trying to gauge if they were simply acting out of peer pressure.

“It’s no trouble on our part, Kazuya,” replied Margaret with a calming grin.  “While we haven’t been baptized yet, we are partners all the same.  And as such, performing such a duty shouldn’t bring displeasure or discomfort to anyone involved in such a thing.”  Margaret turned to Su-Na afterwards.  “Miss Lee, if you have reservations about this, now would be best to speak on them.  In the long run, it would be best to speak now so that there need not be any unpleasantness for anyone involved in this relationship, as that is most certainly not what is the desired outcome for such an arrangement.  So having said all that, do you take issue with this?”

“None whatsoever, Madam Headmistress,” Su-Na replied calmly (if perhaps just a bit too calmly).

“Honestly?” asked Kazuya, feeling that this just had to be a bluff of some kind.

“Kazuya,” said Su-Na as she stared directly down at the young man, “you are my partner, and I am your partner in turn.  We’ve been through this before, and while I had my reservations about pairing up with you initially, I do so in part out of the respect I have for the chairman, and I do not wish to insult or dishonor him by going against his wishes.”

“Please, Miss Lee, if you’d prefer to partner up with him then, you need only tell me and I’ll do my best to convince him to-”

“I respectfully ask that you not besmirch Chairman Aoi’s wisdom and decision-making, even if it comes from a well-meaning place of good intentions.  Chairman Aoi believes that once I’ve partnered up with you, that I’ll hold you in a higher reverence than I do for him, and I intend to follow through with such a recommendation, out of respect to him, and to see if you are in fact the man who will become my “one,” Kazuya.  So please, no more worrying on my behalf over this setup, understand?  I don’t dislike you or find it bothersome to be in such a relationship; I just wish that you’d stop worrying so much on whether you can make such a thing work, that’s all.  It can get a little tedious at times.”

“Thank you!” said an exasperated Roxanne, finding a kindred spirit in the normally “business only” personality which Su-Na was known for.  “I really wish the little guy here would stop fretting so much over the whole “Am I worthy?” or “Do I deserve this?” or “Can this even work?” stuff about this relationship and just go with the flow already.”

“I’m…sorry,” muttered Kazuya as he lowered his head somewhat, feeling like a nuisance or some kind of annoyance.  He was rewarded by being hugged from behind by both Satellizer and Rana, who were sharing him between the two of them, effectively having him on one of their thighs apiece (Satellizer’s left & Rana’s right, specifically) and an arm draped over him securely.

“Now now, Kazuya,” cooed Rana, “none of this feeling down about yourself, alright?  Just let your big sisters take care of you and wash all those cares away, okay?”  Satellizer simply nodded in agreement alongside Rana…followed by leaning in and planting a slow, sensual kiss on Kazuya’s cheek, which of course got Kazuya’s heart pounding right afterwards…as well as a reaction further down south.

“Hey, no fair, Satella!” whined Rana as she followed through with a smooch on Kazuya’s other cheek.

“Alright now, ladies,” said Chiffon, mediating as she normally did, “nothing wrong with showing Kazuya how much we all care, but keep things tame for now, okay?  At the very least, wait until after we’ve had our baptisms, alright?”

“Fine,” moaned both Satellizer and Rana in unison, before proceeding to both kiss Kazuya all over his face while running their fingers over every trace of his body.

After a few minutes of this, there came the suggestion of some one-on-one skinship sessions with the group’s limiter.  After some brief deliberation, it was decided that - for the sake of time - that the pandoras would break into groups of either three or four women per group and engage in a washing session with Kazuya lasting upwards of fifteen minutes per group.  It was pretty obvious - especially to Kazuya - that this had pretty much nothing to do with cleaning Kazuya.  He had been clean after the first ten minutes in the baths.  It was pretty much just a bonding exercise between him and his partners, like the kissing sessions he ended up being a part of whenever the opportunity presented itself.  Only this time, it involved the act of bathing…and with twenty-three women instead of “just” sixteen.

After a few minutes of deliberation, the groups ended up being broken into the following:

Satellizer, Rana, Elizabeth, & Holly

Chiffon, Ticy, Kaho & Cassie

Roxanne, Charles, Ganessa & Julia

Arnett, Creo, Attia, & Ingrid

Yu-Mi, Su-Na, & Elize

Margaret, Kazuha, Violet, & Amelia

So therefore, with the groups set up as such and figuring fifteen minutes per group (guaranteed that the total fifteen would be used up if not gone over each and every time), that meant that Kazuya would be subjected to a washing/massage session with these ladies lasting a solid hour-and-a-half…

…at least it would have been the case before the women decided to bump each session up to twenty minutes apiece, so now a solid two hours of bathing/massaging.

“Would you like me to wash you ladies in turn?” asked Kazuya, figuring it would be only fair since they seemed hellbent on washing him.

“Frankly speaking, I’m pretty sure we’d love it, Kazuya,” replied Chiffon with a grin, “but for the sake of time, you needn’t do that tonight.  We’ll simply wash each other’s backs while we focus on you, so all you need to do is simply sit back, relax, and let your “big sisters” take care of you, okay?”

“You sure, because I really don’t mind,” replied Kazuya sincerely.

“There you go again, being the little sweetie that you are,” sighed Arnett.  “You keep that up and you’re likely to find yourself being ravished well into the morning.”  The look in Arnett’s eyes told Kazuya that the redhead was being more serious than joking at the moment, given the sexual hunger that was written on her face.  It was a look that was shared among several of the women as they gazed down at Kazuya.

For a moment, Kazuya honestly pondered on the off chance that if he asked to have sex with them right here and now…how many of them would say yes to the question?  Hell, how many of them would jump at the chance to jump his bones right there and then on the spot?  At a bare minimum, he figured that Satellizer, Rana, Roxanne, Elizabeth, and Kazuha would be only too eager to do so, though those like Julia, Arnett, Ingrid, Creo, Attia, Ganessa, Chiffon, Ticy, Yu-Mi, Elize, and Violet would probably be right behind the first bunch in terms of eagerness.  Even the more reserved and coquettish types like Cassie, Kaho, Holly, and Amelia may very well say “yes” to the proposition, probably blushing rather adorably in the process as they did so.

‘Best not to push things too far tonight,’ thought Kazuya, deciding not to go down the proverbial rabbit hole and take things into more “adult rated” territory.  As much as his libido salivated at the prospect of something very passionate happening, he felt it best to not have things turn into an overly animalistic romp between himself and as many as twenty-three towering amazons, all of whom had ridiculously killer figures (including Margaret, who despite her age had just as fine and rockin’ of a body as the other women).

Simply nodding in acquiescence, Kazuya proceeded to let the women wash him.

His sense of time appeared to slow dramatically, which is rather ironic, given the old adage that “time flies when you’re having fun.”  What were supposed to be twenty-minute sessions between each group of women felt significantly longer than that, given that Kazuya’s brain felt like it was on Cloud 9 at the moment as the pandoras proceeded to wash every part of his body.  No matter who was washing him at the moment, from one group to another, every single part of Kazuya’s entire body was handled and cleaned over and over and over, with each member of the group touching, rubbing, caressing, and handling every nook and cranny of Kazuya’s entire form.

Whenever Kazuya insisted that it wasn’t necessary to handle the more delicate parts of his body, he was simply overruled and told not to worry.

“Please, I don’t want anybody here to be weirded out if it makes any of you uncomfortable,” Kazuya would say.

“Kazuya, do us a favor and stop being so considerate,” stated Julia somewhat dryly.  “Sweet as it is of you, you really need to just sit back, relax, and let us take care of you.  I mean, other guys would be only too eager for this kind of thing, but you tend to be quite the shrinking violet when it comes to this sort of stuff.”

“Seriously,” added Charles.  “You really should know when to knock off the ‘Mr. Nice Guy” persona and just live in the moment, you know?  After all, we aren’t exactly coy ingenues in this sort of thing.  Just as a reminder, most of us here were already in partnerships in the past, so it’s not like we’re ‘in the dark’ when it comes to this sort of thing.  So please, Kazuya, and I say this with the utmost sincerity, just relax and stop overthinking this whole thing.”  She then proceeded to massage his neck and shoulders while the others in her group picked a different part of Kazuya’s body to wash and massage.

This was pretty much the ebb and flow of the two hours in the baths, with Kazuya passed from one woman to the next between each group of pandoras.  While the bustier ones like Satellizer, Roxanne, Elizabeth, and Yu-Mi made the most of their ‘assets’ when it came to washing Kazuya, pretty much every pandora made use of her chest at one time or another, whether it was as an impromptu loofa or simply placing Kazuya’s hand upon her mounds while handling/cleaning him.  It was certainly surprising to see the likes of Cassie, Kaho, Holly and especially Su-Na take such bold measures, given how reserved they tended to be most of the time.

During the group washing session, Kazuya’s libido was like a teapot set on a lit stove top.  As he moved from one group of women to the next, the pressure within him kept building up and up and up.  It certainly wasn’t helping that each of these women had no reservations about touching ‘Kazuya Jr.’ as they washed him, which was rock hard all throughout the session.  Hell, the one thing they didn’t do was stroke it while they cleaned him, though many of them made a habit of looking at it rather intently…with some of them either smiling or even licking their lips as they gazed at it.

‘Come on,’ said Kazuya’s id during the bathing sessions, ‘they’re pretty much throwing themselves at you.  By this point, I’m pretty sure that if you propositioned them all - at least the younger ones in the group - they would scream “yes” with tears in their eyes before smooching and French kissing the living hell outta you.  They might even take that final step and tell you to claim them right here and now.’

‘Go away,’ thought Kazuya in response to his baser nature.  ‘Now is really not the time for you to be popping up right now.’

‘As opposed to the raging boner you’ve got popping up right now, just begging for release?’ teased his id.  ‘I’d say that right now is the PERFECT time for me to show up.  Come on…be a man and stake your claim.  These amazonian beauties pretty much want you to stake your claim and conquer them by this point.  So why not put the whole ‘nice guy’ shtick on the shelf for the time being and let your inner urges loose already?  Blue balls are doing you no favors after all.’

‘Please…just let up already, will you?’ replied a frustrated Kazuya, getting tired of the internal struggle with his inner pervert.

‘Alright, but I’m gonna reward these lovely ladies for spoiling us the way they’ve been doing during this little group bathing session.  Figured that it’s the least we could do to show our gratitude.  After all, why should only we get to feel so damn good during bathtime?’  Kazuya could hear the snicker in his id’s tone.

‘Wait, what are you up to?’ asked Kazuya as he widened his eyes.

“Kazuya, are you okay?” asked Kazuha, who currently had him in her lap, since her group was the one currently bathing Kazuya collectively.  “You seem lost in thought.  Is something wrong?”  The concern in her tone was only too apparent, given the protective streak she held for him.

Of course, this made all the other pandoras zero in on the limiter.  Like a large pack of lionesses, they all had heightened sense of concern whenever Kazuya appeared to be anything other than happy, at ease, or at peace in general.  It wasn’t long before literally all eyes were on Kazuya.

“Yeah, sorry to make you worry like that,” said Kazuya, deeply concerned about whatever it was that his id had planned for the group.

As if on cue, Kazuya felt a deep power welling within his system.  For you see, while Kazuya was undergoing the mass washing session from one group of pandoras to the next, his libido was raging like a wildfire on steroids.  It wasn’t just things like his increased heartbeat and pulse, his heightened breathing, or the raging erection he was sporting; it was also the stigmata within his very body reacting subconsciously.  Being in the presence of so many pandoras - with such skin-on-skin contact with all of them - was awakening the stigmata within Kazuya’s being, as if they felt the need to connect with all of the lovely ladies currently bathing with him…

…and to make them feel as good as Kazuya was feeling.

Before Kazuya could get another word in, that power building up within Kazuya had decided to let loose.  For even if Kazuya’s conscious mind wouldn’t intend to act out on such primal drives and desires, his subconscious mind had other plans.

“Oh no,” whispered Kazuya.

“Kazuya, what’s wrong?” asked Kazuha, gently tightening her grip on him.

“You all need to get away from me, right now!” said Kazuya.  The women simply stared somewhat dumbfounded at what he was saying, but before any of them could so much as vocalize a response, a profound Freezing area was let loose, emanating from Kazuya and spreading rapidly out until it had covered every square inch of the bathing area - the baths, the floors, the walls, the ceiling, everywhere.  The entire room was coated in a brilliant, shining, light blue honeycomb pattern of beam-like energy…

…with all of the women in said room suddenly gasping, moaning, and panting with such gusto as they were hit with the most intense orgasm that any of them had experienced in their entire lives.  Even the most stalwart and strong-faced of the bunch like Su-Na Lee and Sister Margaret were struck without warning as a tidal wave of pleasure suddenly barreled over them and paralyzed their whole bodies with god-like euphoria and sexual bliss.

So it was that Kazuya Aoi now found himself in the company of nearly two dozen beautiful women, whom he stood around crotch/waist-high on average in comparison, all of them in their birthday suits, bathing with him…and now under the effects of a very powerful Freezing field along with an Ereinbar Set, with all of the sexually-related effects such a phenomenon induces…

…chief among them being an extremely heightened and very powerful libido.