"Ah, if it isn't Ellen and Karen!"
The village chief smiled warmly at the two girls.
"Good day, Chief!" they replied in unison.
"Mr. Rin Yuki, allow me to introduce them," the chief said, gesturing to each sister. "This is Ellen Mira Mathers, the elder sister, and her younger sibling, Karen Nora Mathers."
He then turned to the girls, his tone turning slightly stern.
"This gentleman is our esteemed guest, Mr. Rin Yuki. I expect you both to be on your best behavior."
"Understood!" they answered flatly, their eyes shifting to Yuki.
Ellen, who had already witnessed Yuki's breathtaking beauty earlier, remained composed—though her gaze lingered just a second too long.
Karen, however, froze the moment she got a proper look at him.
Her breath hitched.
It felt like she was being pulled into him, her heart skipping a beat.
She had thought her sister was joking when she dragged her out, babbling about a god descending from the sky.
But now, standing before him, she realized—Ellen hadn't exaggerated in the slightest.
This man's beauty surpassed even the divine.
Every subtle shift in his expression, every whisper of his presence, sent a quiet tremor through her.
"Nice to meet you," Rin Yuki greeted them with an easy smile.
Both sisters nodded in response.
Then, without warning, Ellen—her golden hair spilling over her shoulders—stepped forward, her eyes shimmering with something dangerously close to worship.
"Tell me… are you a god?"
"Sister!" Karen hissed, mortified, before offering Yuki an apologetic glance.
Yuki chuckled, waving off her concern.
"Why do you think I'm a god?" he asked, amused.
Ellen was many things in the original story—a villain, yes, but also adorably airheaded, with a dash of chuunibyou and tsundere mixed in.
Back when Yuki had watched the anime, he'd never been able to see her as a true antagonist.
If anything, she'd been endearing.
"Because you can fly!" Ellen declared, as if it were the most obvious truth in the world. "No spells, no tools—just you, floating in the air!"
Karen looked like she wanted to interject, but she bit her tongue.
"Flying doesn't necessarily make someone a god," Yuki said, reaching out to ruffle Ellen's hair.
She's still so innocent at this point, he mused. Before Isaac and Elliot corrupt her with their nonsense.
"Really? But none of the sorcerers in our village can do it!" Ellen blurted out.
The chief coughed awkwardly.
"Ahem. Well, I'll leave you to chat," he muttered before hastily retreating.
It was true—after centuries of studying the arcane, their people still hadn't mastered flight. Compared to Yuki, they were… embarrassingly behind.
Once the chief was gone, Yuki smirked.
"Let's talk while we walk."
Yuki led the two sisters into the village, casually explaining along the way that he wasn't a god—or at least, he didn't think so.
Truthfully, even with the power of the Cosmic Heart flowing through him, he still considered himself human at the core.
But by definition?
He existed beyond species, beyond concepts—a being who could embody the universe itself.
As Yuki chatted with Ellen, Karen suddenly interjected.
"Mr. Rin… are you planning to stay here for a while?"
"Mhm. That's the plan," he confirmed.
"Then you'll need a place to live." Karen's voice softened, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks. "If… if you don't mind, you could stay with us."
Yuki blinked.
Now that's unexpected.
"D-Don't misunderstand!" Karen stammered, flustered by his surprised expression. "It's just that we have extra rooms, so—"
"I'd love to," Yuki cut in, grinning.
For a few seconds, aren't just stared. Then, a small, genuine smile flickered across her lips—before she quickly turned away, pretending to fuss with her hair.
"T-This way, then."
She guided him to their home, Ellen bouncing alongside them like an overexcited puppy.
The Sisters' House
The interior was classic Nordic—clean, minimalist, bathed in warm light from hanging lanterns.
While Caren busied herself preparing tea, Ellen latched onto Yuki's arm, bombarding him with questions.
"So if you're not a god, how do you fly? Can you teach me? Do you eat lightning?!"
Yuki sighed.
"For the tenth time, I'm just—"
"Liar! You're totally a god in disguise!"
Giving up, Yuki let her believe what she wanted and turned his attention to Caren.
Over tea, he learned more about the sisters:
Their parents had died years ago, leaving them to rely on each other. Fortunately, as skilled sorcerers—especially Ellen, the village's strongest combatant—they managed just fine.
At the mention of sorcery, Ellen's eyes lit up.
"Wait here!"
She dashed off, returning moments later with a sleek, metallic suit—a fusion of alchemy and cutting-edge technology designed to enhance a sorcerer's combat abilities.
Yuki's eyebrows rose.
So this is an early CR-UNIT?
In Date A Live, these were called Tactical Display Units, but this version was clearly cruder—a prototype.
With a series of mechanical clicks, Ellen strapped the armor on and drew a shimmering broadsword from her hip.
"Sister!" Karen snapped. "We're indoors!"
Ellen ignored her, pointing the blade at Yuki.
"Who cares? Yuki's strong! I wanna fight him!"
Ellen stared at Yuki with fierce determination.
"I'm serious!"
"Ugh… Sister!" Karen sighed, shooting Yuki an apologetic look.
"It's fine," Yuki chuckled. "If Ellen wants to play, I'll humor her."
His interactions with the sisters had already paid off—intimacy points flooded his system notifications.
[Ding! Interaction with Ellen:+50Intimacy Points]
[Ding! Interaction with Ellen: +50 Intimacy Points]
[Ding! Interaction with Ellen: +50 Intimacy Points]
[Ding! Interaction with Caren: +50 Intimacy Points]
[Ding! Interaction with Caren: +50 Intimacy Points]
[Ding! Interaction with Caren: +50 Intimacy Points]
[...]
The constant pings were more satisfying than an energy drink.
Then—snap.
With a flick of Yuki's fingers, the world around them warped.
The cozy interior of the house vanished, replaced by an endless white void. No walls, no sky—just emptiness.
"Wha—Where are we?!" Caren gasped, her lips parting in shock.
"A pocket dimension," Yuki explained casually. "No collateral damage here."
Both sisters froze, then erupted in awe.
"Yuki… you really are insane!" Ellen's eyes sparkled. "How is this not god-tier?!"
Even Karen couldn't deny it now.
"Enough chatter," Yuki said, waving off their amazement. "Ellen—show me what the 'strongest sorcerer' can do."
"Gladly!"
Ellen lunged, her proto-CR-UNIT whirring as she blurred into afterimages. In an instant, she closed the gap, sword slashing downward—
—Only for Yuki to raise a hand, smirking.
But then…
Fzzzt.
Ellen's form dissolved into mist.
"An illusion?!" Karen realized aloud.
The real Ellen materialized behind Yuki, blade already mid-swing—
—And sliced through empty air.
When she whirled around, Yuki stood 50 meters away, hands in his pockets.