Chapter 62 - Ai Embraces Her Motherhood

The Group Sex Cultivation session ended early that evening, because of a commotion brewing at the monastery gates. Vash and Kanna quickly put their clothes on to go investigate, where they came across Akira and Kiki being talked over by a crowd of monks.

Kanna burst through the crowd as soon as she laid eyes on Akira, covered in cuts and scratches, meeting her in a long embrace.

"Akira! What the Hell happened to you…?" she asked. Then, glanced over to see Kiki standing next to her, completely unscathed. "Ara ara, were the two of you out cultivating in the wild after dark, like a couple of savages?"

From seeing Kiki was growing uncomfortable, gazing into herself, Akira smiled.

"We were just settling some differences," she said, abruptly seizing Kiki by the waist. "I was about to ask Kiki here if she'd like to join the party, but those guys attacked..."

"'Those guys?'" Vash interjected. "Do you mean—"

"Rakshasa," Kiki boldly blurted, at once growing timid again when all eyes were upon her. "Th-th-they attacked us, right when we were about to—"

Akira suppressed a laugh, charmed by this unexpected return of Kiki's stutter. "Their leader said some interesting things," she mentioned with a then-serious face, while guiding one of her hands to begin discreetly squeezing Kiki from behind. "It has to do with the Ivory Quarter, and how this whole war with the Rakshasa first got started."

Vash gave a nod. "Alright. We'll talk later, Akira," she tersely replied; panting heavily, her face gleaming with moisture in the light of the Dragon Monk mob's torches.

Kanna silently bore a frown, glaring at Kiki with slowed breaths. 

Then, at Akira, unveiling a toothy snarl.

"Come, Vash—" she glowered. "And Akira. Let's go get Ai," she commanded acidly, pulling along the foxy fire mage along before they could stage any protest. "We still have to speak with the Elder."

Akira watched them go, with Kiki standing beside her looking confused. "That girl...looked really annoyed, Akira-kun."

To which Akira chuckled.

"Oh, it's just a bit of family drama..."

"Nothing too serious."

…

Within a week of Akira and Co. becoming accepted as Dragon Monk acolytes, a huge dividing rift had formed in the party. Starting with Kanna and Vash officially coming out as lovers, and now deliberately secluding themselves from the others save for Ai, who had found herself caught uncomfortably in the middle.

Beyond that, Ai still had a huge problem of a talking demonic fetus to deal with. 

She'd been secretly perusing the monastery's huge collection of ancient tomes for several days, with nothing to show for it, when she started to undergo a second bizarre change…

It started with a series of subtle, small quirks at first. Like, generally being in higher spirits: Singing and humming when no one else was around. Calling people "dear" and "sweetie." Shunning her combat training more and more, in preference of practicing her cooking and sewing. Often being seen engaged in lively, one-sided conversations with her belly…

She was also becoming more and more dependent on Akira; more clingy, and constantly needy of his affections. Saying "Akira, sweetie!" always in a tender voice. "Could you lay with me for a while longer? I feel like I only exist when I'm with you..."

"Could you walk me to the stove room?"

"My back is huuurting again. Could you rub it for me?"

But then sometimes, being as two faced as ever, she'd lash out in mood swings. Usually to scream out demands for food, like: "I need two whole pizzas, right the fuck now!" Whilst not caring at all about the fact that she'd gained fifty-some pounds in such a short timeframe.

Though, Akira Maximilian obviously didn't mind "a little extra meat on the bones," and the gradual process of her transition had been undeniably...fascinating.

This onslaught of strange behavior would reach a peak one day, when Akira was returning to the dormitory complex later one evening and saw a great number of her fellow acolytes running out, coughing bloody murder.

Upon rushing inside, she found the small kitchen completely brimming with smoke, and an overwhelming stench of horribly burnt bread and cheese. 

Ai was standing at the stove, dressed in only a [Precious Pink Apron]. She couldn't hear Akira's pleas over her own humming, and the loud sizzling of the already well past overcooked [Grilled Cheese Sandwich] in the pan she was repeatedly poking at with a fork.

"Ai, cut it off!" Akira coughed. "You're gonna burn the place down!"

She braved the choking hot smoke furnace of mediocre meal preparation, approaching a counter next to the stove where a number of other black-charred [Grilled Cheese Sandwiches] were stacked on top of a plate.

"Whatever you're doing, it's obviously not working!" Akira exclaimed.

Ai's ears could be seen to perk--preceding her turning slowly with her head and tail hung in shame with a sheepish frown, speaking in a voice that was serenely calm and sweet; not like her usual vivacious and bouncy, kawaii self:

"Sorry, Akira-kun," she said with an apologetic bow. "I'm just a foolish housewife who can only try her hardest. But I'll be sure to clean all this up right away."

"Housewife?" Akira blinked. "Since when were you a housewife?"

Ai was too busy to answer, as she then immediately began on her cleanup duty; continuing until the whole kitchen was spic and span, while Akira sat on a sofa chair in the lounging area waiting. Then, opening up all the windows to air the place to air out.

"Done," she said when she walked up to Akira after all that, her motherly milk-bloated chest rising and falling with her breaths.

"You look so...different," Akira said in awe.

"As in good different?"

"More mature. Your body, and hair—" she brushed a hand through it: now gone from being so long that it curved against the back of her heels, to being short-cropped into the shape of a thin, straight bob. After which, she ran those same fingers along the length of Ai's body, traveling its splendid hills of womanly fat falling outward from her populated demon-cursed belly with bated force—handling every contact with care.

It was the first time she'd ever stopped to appreciate Ai's changes up close, and she was utterly taken.

"Do you...like it?" Ai asked innocently.

Akira nodded, instantly shied into an uncharacteristic submission by the striking, overwhelmingly feminine presence before her.

"Y-yes. It's the most beautiful I've seen you."

Akira immediately had to take Ai out for a stroll through the monastery grounds.

As they walked, Akira used the moment to confront Ai about her recent changes.

Blushing, she paused to touch her baby bump: no longer with a feeling of disgust, but a demure pride. "I'm a mother now, too, after all. There's a new life growing inside of me, so I have to start taking things seriously."

Akira narrowed her eyes. "So, that leaning tower of grilled cheese a sign of you being 'serious…'"

"My cooking rank is still so low, but as a soon-to-be mother it's important that I improve!" Ai answered, then held onto Akira's hands with a pleading look. "I only want to be prepared for the responsibility of raising a child, and completely devote myself to the task."

"Which is also the reason why…" 

She turned from Akira, smiling sadly with tears shimmering in her eyelids. "I've decided to retire from combat."

Akira's eyes grew wide. "What?"

"I read about a worrying fact recently, in a tome on parenting, that a child with two adventurers for parents has a much higher chance of becoming a villain."

Akira groaned. "Okay, but you're literally carrying the spirit of an evil sorcerer…"

"Not evil," she sulked, in reply. "My baby is just misunderstood." She was starting to cry, so Akira awkwardly reached out to wipe a tear from her eye.

"What'll you do instead of combat, then?"

Ai smiled. "I want to focus on [Life Skills]," she said, only lightly sniffling as she continued: "This way, I can still contribute to the party by making sure everyone is at their best, fighting at their full strength on a fed stomach, with properly mended clothes!"

Akira was 

"Through [Life Skills], I'll be able to serve not only my child but the entire group."

Ai nodded. "I only want to serve you better, Akira."

It wasn't long after that Ai's legs started to hurt from walking so much. So, to help her relax, Akira took them to the monastery's hot spring baths where, after both undressed, Akira proceeded to give her a back massage while they both soaked in the simmering bath.

"It's amazing…" Akira said, as she was diligently kneading Ai's sweat-slicked, soft rolls of fat. "Seeing just how much weight you've gained, in such a short span."

At this, Ai made a pouting face. "Akira-kun! Don't just call a girl fat like that…!"

"I meant it as a compliment, Ai-chan."

Undaunted, the brutally upfront CEO brutally began groping her breasts suddenly, as she gave a string of sweet kisses along her neck.

Akira then mused, "the place where we first met was a sauna, like this."

"I thought you were cute, because of how thin and small you were," Akira said, turning Ai to face her so that their intense, unwavering gazes filled with romantic yearning became locked. "Now, it's like you've fully blossomed, before my eyes: From a flat-chested, cheerful little sister, into a beautifully developed, fully mature and soft-spoken bride, who selflessly embraces her new role as a mother."

Ai was still, her head rolled to the side with eyes closed and a passionate scowl; letting Akira gnaw on her breast, lapping the produced milk with her tongue.

"If I could only mother your children," she whined, "I would, until the day I die!"

Ai's demon fetus was listening to all this.

"Fucking perverts…" he grumbled, sighing, before abruptly laughing with devilish glee. "I have turned their licentious ways against them!" he proudly gloated; albeit, anyone to listen, on account of his "mommy" being far too preoccupied with getting cultivated to pay him any substantial mind.

"It's the reason why I always choose the weakest party member, and not the strongest: because the person whose womb I choose for a host becomes a completely devoted mother!"

"And of course, devout mothers don't fight!"

"Nor, do they even think of stabbing their own unborn children! Hahaha!"