The Sekirei’s Covenant

"Waaah…"

Crying with immense sadness and grievance, Yuri felt utterly miserable inside. Without any direction or purpose, she just wanted to find a place where no one was around to cry her heart out.

Why did her mother have to say such excessive things to Sora? All along, Yuri had felt that she had caused Sora too much trouble and owed him too much. Her mother's words not only didn't make her feel superior in the slightest but instead filled her heart with endless shame, making her feel utterly miserable.

Coming out of the house, passing through the shrine, she was met with a long stone staircase descending. Without any direction, Yuri simply ran down the stairs, wiping away tears and sobbing as she ran.

Although outwardly frail, Yuri had always been a young girl with an extremely strong inner spirit. For her to cry in pain and show such a sorrowful expression, it was clear how great this blow was to her!

"Ah!!!"

Only focused on running forward, completely disregarding the path below, Yuri missed a step and her entire body tilted forward.

Her body fell straight down towards the stone steps below. Suddenly snapping back to reality, looking at the hard, sharp edges of the stone stairs, a flicker of horror and despair flashed in Yuri's eyes.

She knew her own body well. If she were to hit it like this…

Fear, despair, regret… a series of instinctive reactions constantly swirled in the young girl's heart. Just as Yuri thought she truly couldn't escape this time and couldn't help but close her eyes, she suddenly felt herself fall into a warm embrace.

"You clumsy girl, you can't even walk carefully! Do you know how dangerous that was just now!" Sora's incredibly familiar voice, although using a scolding tone, stirred up endless emotion in the young girl's heart.

"Waaah… I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry…" Holding onto Sora tightly, burying her head in his chest, the young girl no longer knew how to express her inner feelings, only knowing to keep murmuring.

Having just chased out from the doorway, he saw the scene of Yuri falling towards the stone stairs, which truly gave Sora a big scare. He quickly used the divine speed of [Phoenix] to catch the young girl. Even now, thinking about it, Sora still felt a lingering fear. If he had been even a step late just now, the consequences could have been unimaginable!

This girl Yuri's body is too weak, just like a certain White Princess. Sora hadn't paid much attention before, but now he made up his mind that afterwards, he definitely had to find a way to strengthen her physique!

He didn't need her to become a warrior like Erica, but she at least needed some ability to protect herself. Lest the situation just now happen again someday when he wasn't by her side, he wouldn't even have a place to cry.

He had originally wanted to scold Yuri a bit, but looking at the young girl's pitiful appearance, Sora's heart instantly softened. He gently stroked the young girl's back, constantly comforting her, and said nothing more.

"Alright, have you cried enough? If you keep crying, you'll turn into a little calico cat!" After a while, seeing that Yuri had finally calmed down slowly, Sora wiped the tear stains from the young girl's face with his hand and said playfully.

"Thank you, Sora…" A faint blush appeared on her face. The miko seemed to realize that her current appearance was a bit embarrassing, but she still said to Sora with immense sincerity.

"You clumsy girl, what are you saying thank you for between us!" Gently tapping the young girl's little head, Sora said exasperatedly.

"But, Mother earlier…" A hint of urgency flashed in her eyes. Yuri still wanted to say something, but she was interrupted by Sora:

"Alright, Yuri, don't bring up those things anymore. Your mother is your mother, and you are you. All I care about is you, Mariya Yuri. Get that straight!"

"I'm not some broad-minded good person. I'm a Demon King, I'm very petty. Your mother's attitude made me very angry and furious! So don't apologize for your mother anymore. Even if you apologize, I won't forgive her!"

"Of course, your mother is just like a random passerby to me. Even if I'm angry and furious right now, I'll completely forget about it before long."

"And also, Yuri, don't worry. Although I don't like your mother, for your sake, I won't take revenge on her!"

Pressing his hands on the miko's shoulders, Sora spoke nonchalantly, looking like he would get upset if she apologized for her mother again. His tone, completely proclaiming his pettiness as a virtue, made people want to punch him.

Stunned, her cherry-red little mouth wide open, Yuri was completely flabbergasted by Sora's words, unable to recover for a long time…

"Pfft… Sora, you're impossible!" Covering her stomach, even Yuri, who was usually serious and lacked humor, was amused by Sora.

If Sora had said comforting words like telling her not to worry or that he wasn't angry, the miko wouldn't have felt better; she would have felt even more guilty. On the contrary, now that Sora had acted in such a way, like a spoiled child, Yuri herself couldn't help but laugh out loud, feeling much more relaxed.

Although she felt a little less guilty, she felt a bit more touched…

"Feeling better?" Stroking the young girl's forehead, Sora said with a slight smile.

"Mm…" Her voice like a mosquito's hum, the young girl replied with a red face.

She did feel much better inside, and it wasn't as suffocating as before.

"That's right, Yuri. You are you. Don't care about what others think. As I said before, all I care about is you, Mariya Yuri. What others are like doesn't matter to me."

"Perhaps you think I'm willful and overbearing, but who told you to kiss me back then? There's no turning back now. You, Mariya Yuri, can only be mine for your entire life!"

Despite Sora's willful and overbearing words, she didn't feel the slightest aversion. On the contrary, infinite tenderness, like autumn water, shimmered in the young girl's eyes. She didn't say anything, but directly showed her feelings with action, standing on tiptoe and gently kissed Sora.

Such a bold and proactive action was quite rare for Yuri, who had received a traditional education since childhood and had a very introverted and shy personality. The last time, during the fight with Marquis Voban, there was an element of tense necessity, but this time, it was entirely the young girl's voluntary act.

A flicker of surprise flashed in his eyes. Although a bit unexpected, Sora naturally wouldn't refuse such a good thing. Although there was still a little lightbulb not far away, he couldn't care about that anymore. He closed his eyes and fully savored the young girl's sweetness.

"Waaah… Sister is so bold!!!" Looking at the two embracing and kissing, especially her usually slow-witted older sister taking the initiative, a certain little miko hiding behind a big tree's eyes lit up. She tightly covered her mouth.

Novel and exciting, the little miko felt her mind was a complete mess. Looking at her older sister's happy appearance, a strong sense of envy couldn't help but rise in her heart…

Under the witness of the little lightbulb miko, Sora and Yuri didn't let go until they were almost out of breath from kissing.

Well, although Sora, this beast, could have lasted much longer, the weak Yuri couldn't. She was almost suffocated by this scoundrel.

"Alright, let's leave it at that for today. It's getting late, and I need to go back." Gently stroking the young girl's delicate and moving face, Sora continued:

"Yuri, although I can be angry, or even hate your mother, you cannot. You are a smart and virtuous young girl. I believe you know what to do. Don't do anything foolish, okay?"

There was a hint of seriousness in his tone as Sora instructed.

If it were in the past, Sora might not have said these things, but Yuri's actions earlier had truly shocked him. Who could have imagined that such a gentle and lovely girl could erupt with such intensity?!

"I understand, Sora."

Yuri nodded gently and assured him.

She didn't say thank you or anything like that, because she knew that such formalities were no longer necessary between the two of them.

"Goodbye, little miko hiding over there!"

Sora waved helplessly at the small head peeking out from behind the big tree and then headed down the mountain.

"Ugh…"

Only then did the shy Yuri realize that her younger sister, Hikari, had been hiding there and watching all along. Her face instantly turned crimson, and she couldn't help but cover her lips, feeling so embarrassed that she wished she could disappear into the ground.

"Onii-sama, don't forget to come play with me next time, and remember my gift!"

Ignoring her sister, Hikari ran out, waving and shouting at Sora.

"Ah, got it!"

Though she was a bit mischievous and quirky, Sora quite liked his little sister-in-law.

"Tehehe, sister, Onii-sama has left. Now, what should I do with you?"

Watching Sora's gradually disappearing figure, the little miko turned around and looked at the still flustered and extremely embarrassed Yuri, wearing a mischievous and naughty smile…