Preparation

“Oh, so this is Shido’s house?”

Yisha raised an eyebrow, gazing at the unremarkable residence before her with a touch of surprise.

“I apologize for its ordinariness,” the girl at the door said, biting into her Chupa Chups before turning to enter.

“As the commander of Ratatoskr, are you telling me there’s no allowance for your family, or do your parents simply forbid it?” Yisha inquired, observing her surroundings as she changed her shoes.

From what she could discern, this was merely the home of an ordinary family. There were no black-clad bodyguards, no dense arrays of Realizers, and certainly no magicians guarding against rampaging Spirits.

A sense of warmth pervaded everything she perceived.

“You’re overthinking it,” Kotori stated. “The restroom is at the end of the hall, water is over there, and if you’re hungry, there’s fruit and snacks. I’m watching TV, so just relax until dinner.”

After pointing out a few key locations, Kotori promptly settled onto the sofa, contentedly watching her favorite entertainment program.

Yisha explored the house, careful not to disturb Kotori, before returning to the coffee table to rejoin Yina.

“Sister, I told you your suspicions are too strong,” Yina remarked. Noticing Yisha’s contemplative expression, Yina spread her hands in a gesture of helplessness.

“It feels very abnormal. Are they really this trusting? Unless…”

Yina swiftly popped a freshly peeled apple slice into Yisha’s mouth, cutting off her next words.

“Alright, it’s better to relax first. There’s nothing wrong here.”

Handing the plate to Yisha, Yina lowered her head and resumed peeling apples, passing the time while practicing her knife skills. After all, Yisha could be quite particular about her food.

‘No problem is the problem. Being this trusting isn’t normal,’ Yisha mused.

Picking up a rabbit-shaped apple slice from the plate, Yisha ate and pondered.

Thus, the three spent an hour in a peaceful atmosphere, until…

“I’m home.”

Shido’s face was etched with exhaustion, looking like a salted fish that had been dried for three days and three nights, finally getting a moment of coolness from the rain, only to have more salt sprinkled on it and moved to a new spot to continue drying.

The journey to take Origami home had been fraught with complications.

They had encountered the trio of Ai, Mai, and Yui, who mistakenly believed Origami was frail after a death, and Origami had only added to the confusion during the explanation.

Their high-speed train was halted due to track issues, and their taxi had a flat tire halfway. After finally walking to Origami’s apartment, they couldn’t get in because she’d left her keys in her work uniform at her part-time job.

Eventually, Shido had to get her consent for the property management to come and make a new key.

Shido felt as if the entire ordeal had been deliberately orchestrated against him, though he had no proof.

Rubbing his aching shoulders, Shido let out a sigh of contentment, much like an old man.

“What’s wrong, Shido? Giving up already? You’re weaker than a paramecium.”

Kotori, as usual, mocked his behavior. Yisha, meanwhile, was completely lost in her own thoughts, ignoring him. As for Yina—

“Paramecia might feel offended,” she quipped at Kotori.

“Yisha, Yina, welcome to our home.”

Having grown somewhat accustomed to his sister’s venomous tongue in her commander mode, Shido chose to ignore it.

“Hm? Oh, hello.”

“Hello.”

Unlike Yisha’s dazed, as-if-waking-from-a-dream expression, Yina offered a standard smile and rose to bow.

“Ignoring me, Shido? You’ve gotten much bolder,” Kotori said, her eyes narrowing slightly as a murderous aura emanated from her.

“Dinner is beef patties. Just let me rest for a bit.”

Shido offered Kotori’s favorite dish as a bargaining chip for his survival. As for the ingredients, he had Yina and Yisha to thank; they had brought a substantial amount of meat when they arrived.

Chicken, beef, lamb—and if his eyes weren’t deceiving him, that lively creature still wriggling in a bag was likely a mackerel.

“So, I can just use them?”

With Yina’s permission, the young man took out the beef and began preparing dinner.

The wait felt long. The three in the living room gradually became more animated, their conversation drifting from initial business to increasingly peculiar topics.

“My usual nutrition comes mainly from three meals a day. As for fruit, three apples or peaches are usually enough; there’s no need to eat too much,” Yina stated earnestly, describing her diet.

“Oh, ‘mainly from three meals,’ you say? Who was it that ate at least four bowls of rice and three plates of dishes per meal?” Yisha added with a mischievous grin.

Yina’s mouth twitched slightly, and she promptly seized Yisha by the waist, enacting her retribution.

Kotori gazed enviously at the girl’s chest, which jiggled with every movement. After mentally calculating her cup size, Kotori felt nothing but despair.

What chance did an A-cup stand against a D-cup?

‘It’s fine, I’m still young, I can still develop!’ the girl secretly told herself, cheering herself on.

Yisha slumped onto the sofa, rolling back and forth in a futile attempt to escape Yina’s grasp. Yina’s hand, however, unerringly found every ticklish spot not covered, rendering Yisha utterly defenseless.

“Hahahahaha, Yina… stop it, hahahaha… I can’t take it anymore, hahahahaha…”

The girl’s face was flushed, her clothes disheveled, as she continuously let out peals of thunderous laughter under the ‘devil’s hand’s’ judgment.

A moment later, as if finally having vented her frustration, Yina ceased her assault. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and sat composedly on the sofa, her face unflushed and her breathing even.

She even leisurely poured herself a cup of tea, exuding an air of utmost elegance in every gesture, as if nothing untoward had happened.

Had Kotori not witnessed it firsthand, she might have believed Yisha had transformed into her current suggestive state all on her own.

Yisha’s disheveled hair clung to her skin, her cheeks flushed a tempting soft pink, and her breathing was ragged.

“Yi-Yisha?”

Shido, emerging from the kitchen, immediately saw Yisha’s state, and his surprise made him exclaim.

Fortunately, Shido had experienced major events like falling 50,000 meters without a parachute and battling Spirits with mecha girls, so he quickly calmed down. After observing their surroundings and their respective expressions, Shido drew a conclusion.

“Yisha, if you’re not feeling well, you can tell us. We won’t force you to do anything.”

‘Ah, my thoughts came true,’ Kotori lamented inwardly. In truth, she couldn’t blame Shido; Yina’s perfectly calm demeanor was simply too deceptive.

“I don’t need your concern. Hurry up and eat, then let’s get down to business.”

Yisha’s brows furrowed, a wave of displeasure rippling through her.

Noticing Yisha’s sour mood, Shido understood the reason and began bringing the dishes out from the kitchen.

“Alright, give me what I asked for.”

Yisha opened the memo app on her phone, checking the items Kotori had provided against the list.

“One bank card, containing five hundred million. Japanese yen, of course.”

“The rest will follow once you transfer the funds to me.”

“Naturally. These are the miniature Realizers you requested. We could only procure this many for now.”

Kotori gestured to a box beside her feet, almost as tall as herself.

“That’s about one-tenth of the agreed amount. What about the CR-UNITs?” Yisha asked.

After opening the box to confirm the quantity and quality of its contents, Yisha nodded.

“They’re being made, but if you want them delivered quickly, you’ll need to make a trip to the Fraxinus. Some parts significantly impact the production of others if they’re not done.”

“I want to see the first set within three days.”

“Then you’ll have to go tomorrow, and the remaining ones will be completed by the time you leave.”

Yisha tapped her finger lightly on the table, then shook her head moments later.

“Never mind. Take your time with them. I’ll give you some of the blueprints later.”

Kotori waved her hand in resignation.

“That’s everything. I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll be leaving now.”

“Mm.”

Countless bombs detonated in the sky, their bursts of light and flame illuminating the entire night as if it were day.

Suddenly, a tiny figure shot out from amidst the chaos. The small face, still somewhat childish but hinting at future grace, was contorted with terror.

“Yoshino, quickly summon your Angel!”

The puppet in her hand cried out loudly. The girl froze for a moment, and before she could react, a blade sliced past her ear.

“Ah!”

Her wide rabbit hood was torn in two, completely exposing the girl’s head to the torrential rain.

“Hurry, or we’ll both die!” the puppet shrieked again.

This time, the girl didn’t hesitate. She pressed her hand to the ground and called its name.

“Zadkiel!”

A wave of intense cold swept through the entire street. Even the menacing creature that had been lurking moments before silently retreated. Several minutes later, the girl and the colossal creature, along with the frigid blizzard, vanished together.

“Patriarch, the experiment is concluded.”

On the rooftop of a tall building, a man reported the situation to someone on the other end.

“What were the results?”

“Initiation was successful, and the Divine Engine is operating stably. However, it seemed reluctant to strike. There were at least two instances where it could have severely wounded Hermit.”

“Understood. Bring it back and continue its modifications.”

“Yes, sir!”