The Sekirei’s Covenant

Finally escaping the entanglement of that formidable little sister-in-law, Sora let out a long sigh of relief. Those questions were too sharp, so sharp he didn't dare look directly at them!

Seeing Sora's disheveled appearance, Yuri wore a knowing smile, clearly aware of her sister's personality.

Taking the initiative to offer help to Yuri wasn't easy for a lazy glutton like Sora, but today was a special day, and Sora wanted to show off a bit. Yuri knew that Sora's cooking skills were even better than her own, so she didn't refuse and readily agreed.

With Sora's help, one delicious dish after another was quickly prepared. The bored little miko, sister Hikari, also smelled the enticing aroma and ran into the kitchen, but she wasn't there to help; she was purely there to cause trouble and sneak food, and she was often scolded by her older sister Yuri.

But the little girl looked completely unconcerned. Whenever Yuri couldn't help but want to scold her, she would hide behind Sora and make mischievous faces, which didn't fail to annoy Yuri.

Amidst the playful banter of the three, a table full of sumptuous dishes was quickly prepared. It was almost noon, and Yuri's parents returned.

Just as he had learned from the two sisters, Yuri's father was an approachable and gentle middle-aged man, always wearing a friendly smile. Upon seeing Sora, he seemed a bit excited. His daughter, who was slow, simple, and extremely serious in personality, had finally brought a boyfriend home. As a father, he appeared unusually happy and excited, warmly patting Sora's shoulder to welcome him.

As for Yuri's mother, she was much colder. In her thirties, her appearance was about 70% similar to Yuri's. As the head of the household, she exuded a strong aura. Upon seeing Sora, she maintained a scrutinizing gaze and didn't seem inclined to talk much. After a brief, indifferent introduction, she returned to her room to change clothes.

"This mother-in-law is not easy to deal with!"

Touching his nose, Sora had already formed an opinion of this mother-in-law. However, seeing Yuri's apologetic expression and Hikari's giggling beside him, Sora shrugged and showed a relaxed smile, indicating he was fine.

If she's hard to deal with, then she's hard to deal with. Whether that mother-in-law is strong-willed or cold, what matters to him is only Yuri. Sora didn't care about anyone else.

After exchanging some polite and warm words, Yuri's father also went into the room to change clothes. Although they had only just met, Yuri's father was quite satisfied with his daughter's boyfriend, judging by his words, actions, demeanor, and temperament.

Although the father-in-law's enthusiasm made Sora a little happy, Sora could also tell that under the suppression of the strong-willed mother-in-law, the father-in-law probably didn't have much say in the household.

"Sora, I'm sorry. Mother has always been like that. She didn't mean anything by it. Please don't mind."

"Hehehe, Onii-sama, it's not that easy to get Mother's approval! Don't worry, although Little Hikari can't help Onii-sama, I'll definitely cheer for Onii-sama in my heart!"

Seeing that both their father and mother had gone into their rooms, the two sisters walked up to Sora. Yuri had an apologetic expression, while the little miko Hikari wore a mischievous smile.

"Don't worry, Yuri, I'm fine. If I can't even handle my own mother-in-law, I'd be too useless."

Patting Yuri's shoulder, Sora smiled indifferently and comforted her. He could feel the girl's anxiety and apology, fearing that he wouldn't get along with her strict mother.

"You mischievous little girl, I don't expect you to help with anything. Just don't cause trouble later!"

Shifting his gaze, Sora tapped the little miko Hikari's head, wearing a speechless expression.

Sora could tell that this little girl was much more troublesome than her older sister Yuri!

"Hehehe… Don't worry, Onii-sama, I definitely won't cause trouble!"

Nodding vigorously, the little miko promised solemnly.

Just kidding, besides her sister, she had long wanted a brother who cared for and doted on her. And this brother wasn't just any brother. Although he was a Demon King, he didn't have any of the annoying temper or arrogance of the legendary Demon Kings. On the contrary, he was exceptionally generous and gentle, and very good to both her sister and her. Smart little sister Hikari wouldn't do such foolish things as causing trouble!

Nodding with satisfaction, Sora felt much more relieved now that the mischievous little girl wouldn't cause trouble. Yuri on the side also looked relieved, having been worried that Sora would be angry because of her mother's attitude.

Feeling increasingly touched, having known Sora for so long, Yuri naturally understood him extremely well. Although he usually appeared casual and somewhat carefree, deep down he was extremely proud and definitely not the type to smile and fawn when wronged.

The reason Sora was acting this way now was all because of her…

As if by telepathy, both of them looked up at each other at the same time and exchanged a smile.

Without further delay, since Yuri's parents were home, they could start eating. The two of them walked to the kitchen together and brought out the prepared dishes. The little miko Hikari also skipped along behind, helping out.

…

At the Mariya family's dining table, Yuri's mother sat in the main seat, eating the dishes with a calm expression. She watched Sora and Yuri's father, who were constantly clinking glasses on either side of her, and occasionally frowned.

Yuri's father usually didn't drink, but today his daughter's boyfriend was at home, and the uncle seemed particularly happy. When he was in high spirits, he wanted to have a couple of drinks. Although Sora didn't usually drink much either, at a time like this, he naturally couldn't refuse and had to risk his life to accompany his father-in-law.

The thin-skinned sister Yuri had her head lowered with a red face from the start, sitting properly beside her father. Seeing how well her father and Sora were getting along, the girl was very happy inside, but looking at her mother's consistently cold expression in the main seat, the girl felt incredibly anxious.

As for \ Hikari, the mischievous little miko didn't care about all that. She boldly sat beside Sora and occasionally rubbed against him affectionately, asking Sora to pick up her favorite dishes for her, thoroughly enjoying the treatment of a little princess.

"Kusanagi Sora, is it? First, explain your relationship with Yuri."

Finally, the mother-in-law in the main seat spoke. Her expression was calm, with a hint of command in her tone.

Smiling awkwardly, Yuri's father put down his wine glass, knowing that his strong-willed wife was already a bit displeased.

Although he was a bit unhappy with the mother-in-law's attitude, it was still within Sora's tolerance limit for the time being, so he didn't show any dissatisfaction. With a calm smile, he explained his relationship with Yuri.

Of course, since Yuri didn't want her parents to know about Sora's identity as a Demon King, Sora naturally couldn't talk about their true bond. It was all nonsense; he recounted a passage from a campus romance novel he had read out of boredom not long ago.

Heh heh, you have to admit, this guy's acting talent was pretty good. He spoke with such emotion and vividness. Sora didn't know if others believed him, but the father-in-law probably did. He nodded along from time to time, wearing a look of satisfaction.

Yuri on the side had a bright red face. Sora had a thick skin and could talk nonsense without changing his expression, but the simple-minded her couldn't do that. Her head was lowered so much it was almost touching her chest. However, neither the father-in-law nor the mother-in-law thought much of it, only assuming that Yuri was being shy again.

As for the little miko Hikari, she also had her head lowered, her little shoulders occasionally twitching. If you could see her expression, you would find that she was strongly trying to hold back something. However, this girl was always mischievous, and no one paid much attention to her.

"Since you are classmates with Yuri, how are your performance and grades at school?"

Relying on a woman's intuition, Mrs. Mariya always felt that this kid named Sora was trying to fool her, but for the moment, she couldn't find anything wrong. She frowned and asked again.

"Mother, Sora's grades are very good. He's always first in the whole school!"

Yuri naturally wanted to help Sora. Although extremely shy, she quickly chimed in.

The girl was very smart. She only said that Sora's grades were first, but didn't mention anything about Sora's performance at school. This way, she wasn't lying.

"Just so-so. Who is in your family, and what are your family's circumstances?"

She paused slightly, but then Yuri's mother maintained her indifferent expression and continued to ask.

His mouth twitched. This person's way of speaking was really direct enough. Sora really didn't know if she was his mother-in-law or someone checking the water meter. But in a sense, a mother-in-law is equivalent to someone checking the water meter, sweat…

He also understood the other party. As Yuri's mother, she had the obligation and right to examine him, so Sora also explained the situation of the Kusanagi family.

Of course, Sora naturally omitted the matters concerning Erica and Athena.

After hearing Sora's answer, Yuri's mother frowned tightly, clearly still somewhat dissatisfied with the Kusanagi family's circumstances.

Seeing the other party's reaction, Sora shrugged helplessly. To be honest, the Kusanagi family was indeed as ordinary as could be. Perhaps in her eyes, he wasn't worthy of her daughter. As a high-ranking Hime-Miko, there were many prominent families who wanted to marry into their family. An ordinary young man like Sora, with no money, no power, and who couldn't even use spiritual power, was indeed not impressive enough.

"Mother, this is the dish Sora made. Please try it."

Seeing that her mother hadn't spoken for a while, Yuri started to get anxious. Knowing that her mother was definitely somewhat dissatisfied with Sora, she quickly pushed a dish Sora had prepared in front of her mother, wanting to change the subject and break the awkward atmosphere.

"The cooking skills are quite good. You could help out at the shop."

After taking a bite, a strange look flashed in Yuri's mother's eyes, and she finally showed a hint of satisfaction.

Yuri felt a small sigh of relief. Just when she thought everything had passed like this, suddenly, her mother spoke again—

"Since you and Yuri are already in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship, I presume Yuri has told you about her own matters, right?"

Sora's heart skipped a beat; he knew the crucial moment had arrived!

"Yes, I already know that Yuri is a Miko. Although it feels a bit unbelievable, whether she is a Miko or just an ordinary girl, I will always love her."

Nodding, Sora replied with a sincere tone.

Hearing Sora's answer, Yuri's father wore a relieved smile, little sister Hikari's eyes flashed with a strange brilliance, while the simple-hearted Yuri was deeply moved to tears.

As for Yuri's mother—

"Since you already know, that makes things easier. The women of our Miko clan do not marry out. Putting other things aside, if you truly love Yuri, you must marry into our Mariya family, just like Yuri's father and grandfather did. Can you do that?"

Yuri's mother's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a peculiar implication, echoing continuously within the room.

A hint of sadness flashed across Yuri's father's expression, the little Miko Hikari lowered her head and quietly ate her food, while Yuri's face turned completely pale, her lips tightly bitten, her whole body trembling slightly…

The entire room fell silent. Sora's smile had disappeared at some point, and his gaze met Yuri's mother's two scrutinizing eyes…