59 Two Jinkis

With Chiho's arrival, Izumo Inn was filled with new laughter.

This gentle and lovable girl, who seemed like a delicate younger sister, made everyone feel a sense of affection for her. Even Tsukiumi, who was usually the most jealous, couldn't get angry when she saw Sora's intimate gestures with Chiho.

At the same time, these past few days were the happiest days of Chiho's life.

Although she had Sora and Uzume before, who could understand the loneliness in her heart after being isolated from the world due to her illness since childhood? Now, with so many new friends who cared about her, how could she not be happy?

However, the happiest of all was Miya.

In the past, almost all the household chores at Izumo Inn were handled by her alone. Although Musubi and Tsukiumi occasionally helped, most of the time they were busy with their own training.

But now it was different. Chiho, who had nothing to do, volunteered to share the household chores with Miya after joining Izumo Inn. Although she had never done these things before, for the intelligent and patient Chiho, these tasks were not a problem. As a result, Miya's workload was suddenly halved.

Surpassing Musubi, Tsukiumi, and even Kusano, who had joined Izumo Inn much earlier, Chiho quickly became Miya's top priority for care.

With Miya watching over her, no one at Izumo Inn dared to make Chiho angry—not even Sora!

Even when Sora occasionally tried to sneak some intimacy with Chiho, Miya would see it as bullying Chiho, leaving Sora speechless…

…

"Bath time! Bath time! Hehe, big brother, let's take a bath together!" The little loli Kusano, held in Sora's arms, cheerfully shouted.

Although her abilities were powerful, Kusano was still too young to fully utilize them. So, for the past few days, Sora had been giving her special training.

To be honest, the little loli's talent was truly remarkable. In just a few days of training, she had achieved impressive results and was now barely able to use her abilities on humans.

Sora couldn't help but sigh. Back then, it had taken him at least twice as long to achieve the same. Although he could share abilities, he couldn't share physical attributes. Once Kusano fully matured, the power of life energy in her hands would be even stronger than his!

But Sora wasn't jealous. Instead, he was happy for the little girl. Everything she had belonged to him, so why should he be jealous?

Moreover, the stronger his Sekirei became, the more they could help him, and the greater the chance of victory in the upcoming battle.

Holding the little loli, Sora prepared to wash off her sweat.

Uh, of course, this wasn't the first time he'd done this, but he always made sure to do it behind Miya's back.

"Huh? Homura! Big brother, look, it's Homura!" As if she had discovered something extraordinary, the little loli in Sora's arms exclaimed in surprise.

Looking up, Sora also noticed. Although it was just the back, it was indeed Homura!

Homura had clearly heard Kusano's voice, but for some reason, she seemed afraid to meet everyone. She hurriedly ran into her room and quickly closed the door.

"Big brother, what's wrong with Homura? Does she not like Kusano anymore?" Tears welled up in her eyes. Even the little loli could tell that Homura was deliberately avoiding them.

Frowning, Sora was also puzzled.

Recently, Homura had been appearing less and less in front of everyone. This wasn't the first time she had avoided them, and it was hard to believe there wasn't something wrong.

Having some suspicions, Sora patted Kusano's head and comforted her:

"Kusano, don't worry. How could Homura not like you? You're everyone's little treasure. Everyone loves you the most!"

"Today, Kusano can take a bath by herself. Big brother will go check on Homura, okay?"

Although she had been influenced by Tsukiumi and had learned to be jealous and spoiled at a young age, the little loli was still very sensible. She nodded and said:

"Okay! Big brother, go quickly. Kusano is really worried about Homura!"

After sending the adorable little loli to the bathroom, Sora looked at Homura's room not far away, a mysterious smile appearing on his face.

…

"I'm sorry, Kusano, everyone…"

Closing the door, Kusano's voice seemed to echo in her mind. Homura leaned against the wall, muttering dejectedly.

"Sigh…" Taking a deep breath to calm her emotions, Homura knew her situation. She didn't want to trouble everyone.

Taking off her male-style black robe and unwrapping the cloth chest, a pair of snow-white breasts popped out.

Looking at her chest, which had been flat just a month ago but was now almost as big as Musubi and Tsukiumi's, Homura didn't feel any joy. Instead, a bitter smile appeared on her face.

What exactly was this strange body of hers?

"Ah!" A muffled groan.

Due to her unstable emotions, her already erratic abilities became even more chaotic. Wisps of fire began to emanate from her skin, and her face showed extreme pain.

But, to avoid being discovered by the others at Izumo Inn, she bit her lip hard to keep from crying out.

"Sigh…" A helpless sigh suddenly made Homura startle!

However, before she could react, a stream of water appeared and poured over her. The restless fire energy gradually stabilized under the opposing water energy.

Click! The sound of the door opening, and Sora walked in.

Blushing, Homura quickly covered herself with her robe and said nervously:

"Sora-sama, why… why are you here…"

As if she realized she was stating the obvious, her voice trailed off to almost a whisper.

"Heh, if I hadn't come, you might have burned yourself to death!" Sora's tone was low and unyielding.

"Homura, I told you last time that if you couldn't control yourself, I would forcibly wing you. But if you really don't want it, I won't force you!"

"But why? We're all companions. Why do you have to bear your difficulties alone and not give us a chance to help you? Do none of us at Izumo Inn qualify as your companions or friends?"

This time, Sora was truly angry, so his words were harsh and direct.

"Sora-sama, I… I…"

A hint of panic flashed in Homura's eyes. She was momentarily stunned by Sora's questions and couldn't respond. She felt extremely wronged. It wasn't that she didn't want to confide in everyone or seek their help, but…

Lowering her head, Homura remained silent, but her tear-filled eyes revealed the complex emotions in her heart.

"Alright, Homura, I'm sorry. I was too angry earlier. Don't take it to heart."

After calming down a bit, Sora realized that his words might have hurt her, and he felt a little guilty.

He took two objects out of his pocket and tossed them over.

Although she was still looking down, with Homura's abilities, she could sense even the slightest movement around her. She reached out with a delicate hand and caught them.

"Sora-sama, these are… Jinkis!" Homura looked at the two crystal-like objects in her hand, her face filled with surprise.

"Yes, indeed, they are Jinkis," Sora nodded, not denying it.

Seeing the confusion on Homura's face, he continued:

"I know you have a wish—to stop this game that forces Sekirei to kill each other. Now, I'm giving you a chance. If you destroy these two Jinkis—even just one of them—this game will end immediately!"

Since Sora had previously told Homura part of the truth, she didn't hate Minaka Hiroto as much as she did in the original story. However, she still opposed the Sekirei Plan and wanted to save her fellow Sekirei from this so-called "game" with her own hands.

Homura's face was filled with shock, as if she couldn't process what was happening.

She knew how much manpower and resources MBI had invested in the Sekirei Plan, planning it for decades…

Yet now, Sora was telling her that she could end this "game" at any time, just by destroying the two Jinkis in her hands!

Sora knew that Homura's mind was still in turmoil and needed time to make a decision, so he turned and walked out.

However, when he reached the door, he paused:

"Homura, I know you've been denying yourself, thinking that a 'freak' like you wouldn't be chosen by any Ashikabi, nor would you choose any Ashikabi."

"But in my eyes, you are you, no different from Musubi or the others! You are my Sekirei, and one day, I will wing you!"

With that, Sora left the room, closing the door behind him.

Leaving behind a stunned Homura…