The Sekirei’s Covenant

"Ena!!!"

Seeing Ena's sword broken and her kicked to the ground by Sora, Yuri and Kaoru could no longer stand still. They hurried over to check on their friend and helped her sit up.

"Sora, that was really dangerous just now. What if you accidentally hurt Ena?"

Seeing that Ena was not seriously hurt, the two girls finally breathed a sigh of relief. But Yuri couldn't help but scold Sora in a reproachful tone.

"Alright, alright, Yuri, stop blaming him. Didn't you see he was holding back? Otherwise, Ena would have been seriously injured by now."

Pulling Yuri aside, Kaoru spoke—not to defend Sora, but because it was the truth.

"Ahem… Yuri, you've misunderstood me. If I didn't give it my all, Ena would be upset."

Feeling wronged, Sora said this while reaching out a hand to the fallen Ena.

"Hehehe, yes, yes, if Sora didn't try his best, Ena would be very troubled."

"But Ena losing… somehow feels a bit unfair!"

Grasping Sora's hand, Ena stood up with a cheerful smile. Though she said she was dissatisfied, there was no trace of disappointment on her face.

"Ena, Sora, you two… I…"

Seeing their expressions, Yuri instantly realized she had once again played the good Samaritan and blushed.

"Hehehe…"

Though a bit reluctant, the summer break was over, and everyone had to leave eventually. After saying some farewell words to Ena, Sora, Yuri, and Kaoru set off on their way home under Ena's watchful gaze.

Yuri and Kaoru were relaxed; they had brought some gifts when they came, and now only needed to bring themselves back.

Sora, however, was burdened, carrying a beast-skin pack as big as a small mountain on his back. It contained local specialties promised to his grandfather, Ichirou, including some gifts for his younger sister Shizuka.

Though tired, Sora's heart was warm. Forget the old man, he hadn't seen that brat Shizuka for two months and missed her quite a bit.

"Sora…"

Not far down the mountain, Ena's voice suddenly called out from behind. Sora and the two girls stopped and turned around to see Ena standing on a nearby hill, watching them.

"If one day you really become a Campione, Ena will be your knight!!!"

The girl's voice clearly reached all three ears. Not only Sora, but Yuri and Kaoru were also stunned.

"Ah, it's a promise! As long as I become a Campione, Ena will be my knight!!!"

Though he had never seriously thought about killing gods and becoming a Campione, the girl's words stirred a great passion in Sora, who shouted back loudly.

No hesitation anymore, neither Sora nor Ena were the type to be indecisive. Sora turned back and headed down the mountain.

"Ah, ah, my weapon was cut by Sora. Looks like it's time to go find grandpa to get that thing."

Looking at the broken sword in her hand, Ena smiled strangely and muttered to herself. Taking a lingering glance at the slowly departing group, the girl leapt and disappeared from sight…

…

"Those two really dare to dream. Lord Sora, should I also ask for a small position here with you?"

Walking down the mountain, Kaoru said with a teasing tone, looking exasperated.

"Hehehe… as long as you don't wear boys' clothes anymore and dress like a girl, it's not impossible."

Sora, with his naturally thick skin, showed no embarrassment. Instead, he gave a mischievous grin and glanced at Kaoru, who was dressed just as raggedly as himself.

"You jerk… get lost!!!"

Seeing that a single compliment made him cocky, Kaoru twitched her mouth and shouted angrily.

"Hm? Yuri, what's wrong?"

Just as the two were about to continue bickering, they noticed Yuri had stopped behind, looking dazed. Her usual coffee-colored eyes were now overlaid with a green glow.

Exchanging a glance, both Sora and Kaoru were surprised—Yuri's spiritual sight had activated at this moment!

"Yuri, what did you see?"

Seeing Yuri return to normal, Kaoru asked with an excited and expectant tone.

Although physical stamina can be calculated using negative values, when it comes to spiritual vision abilities, Yuri is absolutely world-class. Whether it's foreseeing the future or receiving divine revelations, Yuri's powers are definitely an excellent shortcut to obtaining crucial intelligence!

Although Kaoru and Ena had mentioned quite a bit about it before, Sora was still seeing Yuri use her abilities for the first time, feeling a mix of curiosity and anticipation.

"I saw… ah, no… it's nothing, I didn't see clearly…"

Instinctively, Yuri was about to answer what she had seen, but suddenly seemed to remember something and hurriedly denied it, lowering her head very low.

Exchanging a glance, both Sora and Kaoru's eyes flickered with a strange expression. Yuri was an exceptionally innocent girl; even when lying, she looked so guilty that it was obvious at a glance. Both of them felt a mixture of amusement and frustration.

"Alright, alright, don't worry about it, Yuri. If you didn't see clearly, it's fine. Let's go home."

Patting the girl's shoulder, although Kaoru was usually a bit mischievous and often teased Yuri, at this moment she showed her tolerant and understanding side.

"Ah, ah, it's so rare to see Yuri-san use her ability, and this is how it turns out. Next time, you owe me a proper treat."

Sora also smiled and expressed his concern and indifference, though his way of doing so seemed a bit odd, sweat…

"Mm…"

Yuri nodded lightly. Seeing the two being so understanding, she felt even more guilty. Being pure-hearted, she almost told them the truth.

However, thinking about the serious consequences that might come from telling them, the girl finally held back.

The three then set off on their way home again. Sora and Kaoru acted as if nothing had happened, arguing and laughing as usual. But Yuri was noticeably quieter, quietly following behind them, occasionally glancing at Sora with a look full of endless complexity…

…

"Onii-chan, you're finally back! Uuu… why did it take so long?"

After parting ways with Yuri and Kaoru, as soon as Sora returned home, Shizuka-chan rushed over, grabbing his shoulders with teary eyes.

"Alright, you little brat, I'm so dirty and you come running to me? Let me take a shower and change first."

"By the way, where's Grandpa? I didn't see him."

Gently tapping the girl's head, Sora felt a warm feeling in his heart — this was what home felt like.

"Hmph, that old geezer is always fooling around outside, hardly ever comes home. Let him rot!"

Seeming to remember something, Shizuka-chan reluctantly let go of Sora and said angrily.

"…"

A big drop of sweat appeared on Sora's forehead. Thinking about Grandpa's behavior, he felt embarrassed…

…

"Yuri, can you tell me now? What exactly did you see before?"

Inside a speeding stretch Lincoln car, Kaoru asked Yuri, who was sitting opposite her, with a serious expression.

Yuri's ability was an important strategic intelligence asset, often capable of preventing major disasters. So Kaoru had to be cautious and hoped Yuri would tell her.

"I'm sorry, Ena, I…"

Yuri hesitated but finally shook her head, lowering it and avoiding eye contact.

"Ha… still no, huh? Yuri has been like this since she was little, stubborn in some ways. What you saw must be related to Kusanagi Sora, right?"

Sighing softly, if it were someone else, Kaoru had many ways to get them to talk, but she didn't want to do that to her friend.

Hearing the name "Sora," Yuri's body visibly trembled, but she still kept her head down without answering.

"Is that so? Related to that guy… he wouldn't really…"

Having gotten the answer she wanted, a possibility flashed through her mind. Even the usually calm and composed Kaoru couldn't help but show a look of surprise and disbelief…