"Ha...ha...ha...hahaha," Anna began laughing quietly as Ichika only tightened the grip around Yuki's hand. Though it wasn't hurting him, he was a little bothered seeing her knuckles go white.

"I see, Yuki-sama didn't want me near him because he already had a lover....hahaha," Anna's dead eyes were frightening for the hero, currently racking his brain for a solution to this problem. "Maybe, maybe he'll come to me when she isn't around any longer!"

Anna began chanting a spell, her killing intent flaring up. Even Ichika could feel it, though she wasn't attuned to the mana, she could still sense when someone was really about to blow their fuse. Seeing the murderous glint in Anna's eyes, she grew a little frightened at the sheer pressure she felt. Nonetheless, she stood her ground after swallowing, not willing to give in either.

"This is too soon!" Yuki shouted. He had just told Ichika that Anna was merely someone he had been tasked to help out! And his lie was already being unraveled? Was this fate's cruel way of getting back at him for daring to possess his overpowered abilities?

He really didn't want to do this, but it seemed he had no choice. He only prayed that the effects of mind magic would be strong enough to remove this memory from Ichika's mind. Anna was clearly in a state where words couldn't get to her, and so he'd take the next step. Directly beating her back into her regular self.

"Sorry about this, Ichika," Yuki said solemnly.

"Yuki?" Ichika said, feeling his other hand gently release her grip. She stretched an arm out to him, suddenly feeling heavy in her heart seeing his back turn on her. Yuki felt the hand on his back and looked Ichika straight in the eye.

"You're one of my best friends but it's too complicated to explains things. Just, don't be too mad okay?" He let out a faint smile that chilled Ichika as she began to anticipate what he'd do.

"No..." she called out softly, "NO!" she furiously lunged for him, trying to wrap her slender arms around his waist. But as she was doing so, her cry fell on deaf ears, a blinding flash and two simultaneous explosions temporarily blinding and deafening her.

Two magic circles instantly appeared, though the dust prevented Ichika from seeing clearly, she could clearly see something glowing amidst the cloud. The next thing she knew, she was suddenly flying.

Ichika was thrown backward from the concussive force of the blast, directly towards the now gaping window, leading to the floor two meters below them. "Ichika!" Yuki yelled. He could see the confusion in her eyes and he cursed himself for not resolving this in an easier way.

Anna was also lying slumped against the wall, mirroring the earlier interaction, though this time she had bruises and lacerations all over her beautiful skin. Her body was shaking however, indicating her still being conscious. Seeing Yuki leaping for Ichika, she began to cry even harder, the tears pouring from her face as she watched the man she yearned for jump to save a different girl.

Yuki, fully aware of Anna's obsessive thinking, didn't like the idea of leaving her alone, but he had to save Ichika before something even worse happened! He could have used flight magic and levitated her, but his brain wasn't thinking straight. She had already been falling from the window by the time he had recovered from the minor effects of Anna's spell.

Ichika still had no idea what had happened, trying to comprehend about what had lead to her falling from the second-story window. She was still trying to understand when she suddenly felt a pair of big and strong hands cradling her falling body, looking up as the wind rushed in her ears, at the face of Yuki who was clearly agitated. She didn't even ask him about how he could simply jump out a window, the only thing in her mind being that she had been in danger and Yuki had come to save her! 

Her eyes were filled with even more gratitude and love than originally, leading to Yuki sighing after dropping her on the ass on the walkway. Without a word, he leapt into the air again, and Ichika who suddenly felt a breeze under her legs, collapsed to the ground with a cry. The force of his jump had blown her skirt upwards and she was holding the edge of her skirt, looking up at the figure of Yuki disappearing into the window with a mixture of both indignation and confusion.

The brief exposure to the wind had made her mind clear and she suddenly realized the ridiculousness of the situation. Yuki had just jumped out of a two-story window and had jumped right back into it! Forget athleticism, this was plainly supernatural! She wasn't stupid but she couldn't help but wonder if he had superpowers or something. 

Her mind, in a turmoil at having been held by Yuki for the first time as well as simultaneously working to solve the mystery, came to the only logical conclusion. She was clearly hallucinating! That's right! There was no way Yuki would hold her if this wasn't a dream! So she lied down on the hard ground and closed her eyes peacefully, awaiting to wake up and realize she had fallen asleep in class, Yuki hopefully prodding her awake.

"What are you smiling for?" she heard a sniffle, and opened her eyes to see Yuki, back on the ground, this time cradling the transfer student in his arms! He had a confused expression on his face, while the transfer student was crying in his chest, something that made Ichika's heart pang. 

Yuki saw this and whacked her on the head. "Ow!" she tearfully said, rubbing the sore spot. "What was that for!"

"I don't like it when my women cry," was his simple answer.

"Women?" Ichika tilted her head. "Is she your woman?"

"Let's try this again. Ichika, this is Anna, one of my friends. I said a half-truth when I told you that I was told by your sister to guide her around. Thing is, she lives with me. As does the other transfer student. And the gym teacher."

Ichika collapsed.

"Hmm. Fainted as I expected." Yuki touched her wrist to feel the pulse and merely sighed. He figured this would be enough to keep her from asking too many questions or remembering the events to clearly. He then set Anna on the floor, who grunted at the feeling of the cold ground instead of Yuki's warm arms. She had been faking her unconsciousness, something Yuki had known. Ignoring her, he took out his phone and texted a quick message to Mari. 

< Ichika's feeling sick. I'm gonna take her to your home, if that's okay? I don't think the nurse will be of much help. >

Glancing at Ichika, he wasn't technically telling a lie. Ichika's face was quickly turning green and she looked like she was actually sick from the news. Even passed out, she was trembling and sweating a little bit. 

And then looking over at Anna, she looked like the definition of healthy. Even though she had been covered in injuries, a little magic easily fixed that and seeing her so-called rival in such a state filled her with happiness and even pride at being 'saved' by Yuki.

"And you!" Yuki wouldn't take her innocent act anymore, "You actually tried to kill a human! And one of my friends nonetheless!"

Anna had fired a lethal spell at Ichika that would have instantly killed her if it hadn't been for Yuki intercepting this in time. Since she was the best mage in Falanir prior to his summoning, it hadn't left him spotless. Before Ichika's eyes were able to focus on him, Yuki was actually bleeding from a wide gash that had hit him directly on the heart. Sure, only the demon lord could actually kill him, but he could still feel pain!

The serious and determined face that Ichika had seen was merely him trying not to cry from having his heart literally roasted alive! He wasn't happy with Anna and she was shying away, clearly nervous. "Yuki...I don't like that girl..."

"And why is that?" He knew the answer. This girl had been very vocal about her feelings, but he hadn't considered her to be so dangerous to the others around him. She had never tried killing Elizabeth or Kuro, after all. Sure, Elizabeth was never really expressive about her feelings but he wasn't dense enough not to see her staring daggers whenever Kuro pulled one of her breast-hug stunts or "drunk" kissy faces.

"B-because I'm the only one you should be with! Or at least one of three! There's no more room for anyone else!" She stood up, her blonde hair waving wildly as she pointed a finger at Yuki. 

"And who decided that? Me or you?"

"Well..." She was at a loss for words, thinking back on the promise she had made with the other two girls. She seemed to regain her fervor, however. "But am I wrong? You might be the hero but surely you can't keep loving everybody equally!"

"Who said I even love you?" Yuki said indifferently. He understood what she was getting across, and he even appreciated her little obsession over him, finding it a little amusing to see her struggling to not jump him or tie him at any opportunity.

Those words were like critical attacks to Anna who stumbled backward. "Y-you don't? B-b-but," countless scenarios raced through Anna's head as she recalled all the time she had spent with Yuki. All the subtle flirting she had thought they done, all the times she had supposedly caught him staring at her, how he'd even perk up whenever she pretended to forget her clothes in the morning...Was it all a lie?

"Idiot, of course I love you too. It's just, I hate it when I see the people I love hurt each other, alright?"

Before Anna could implode, Yuki grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into a bearhug. He pressed his nose against her long hair, smelling the woodsy scent coming from it. His arms, draped over her shoulders, were grabbed by Anna's small hands as she began to unconsciously rub them. 

Her emotions in a flurry, her concentration over her mana was lost, a pair of sharp ears spring out of the air. He held her like this, just embracing her, not realizing her ears had been revealed. At this moment, Ichika opened her eyes, her vision a little blurry as she made out the image of two figures seemingly in a hug. Her vision cleared and she realized it was Yuki and the new transfer student, and wait, what was with those ears?

Noticing the change in breathing, Yuki quickly looked to Ichika whose eyes were open in surprise. At first, he thought this was because she was surprised to see him hugging Anna. "Wait, don't push yourself," he had started saying but Ichika was instead pointing at something behind him, her finger shaking.

"EARS!"

He whipped his head around, his eyes widening in horror as he realized that Anna's illusion had become undone! "Damn it!" he really didn't like the idea of removing his friend's memories, but she couldn't know! 

If he had more time to think, he could have just explained away the ears as some kind of prop, but unfortunately, he moved immediately to erase her memories. He was about to cast the spell when he felt a grip on his shoulder. Anna was standing there, a serious expression on her face, her ears wiggling a little bit.

"Oops..."

He had forgotten about her ability to sense the emotions of the people she was close to. She had most likely guessed what he was planning on doing and it seemed that went beyond her standard of reason. Ichika was confused, seeing Yuki raise his palm towards her. She thought again of how Anna had done the same thing which had lead to her falling from the window, her mind suddenly blanking when she remembered what had just happened!

The shock from seeing the two hug had been enough to make her temporarily forget both the scandal Yuki had released before her faint as well as his supernatural abilities! Normally, seeing Anna's strange ears and eerie similarity to those elves from the games Akira and Yuki would always play, she'd just assume it was a cosplayer. But these ears...they were too realistic! Not only were they twitching, they also seemed so realistic that she couldn't help but comment on their beauty.

She had to grudgingly admit they suited the transfer student very well! Now that she thought about it, if this girl was really an elf, it would explain a lot of things. Like her ridiculous beauty that even made her feel a little self-conscious. Or the ridiculous powers Yuki had displayed. Hanging around the two of those weirdos, Akira and Yuki, she had been forced to watch countless shows and play countless games with them, having learned her own fair share of the "glory" of isekai. 

She wasn't stupid enough to immediately conclude that to be the working theory, but it was awfully seeming more and more realistic as she began to put together the pieces. Not only had Yuki changed physically, he even seemed more mature. He could use superpowers and now there was this girl who looked exactly like a fantasy creature! Damn it, what else could it be! 

Meanwhile, while Ichika was silently thinking, Anna and Yuki were having a furious discussion over what to do. Yuki was all in for just wiping her memories of the whole incident, but Anna was calling it "cruel" and "weird" to go that far. Hadn't she just tried to kill the girl? Hell, it was actually HER fault they were even in this situation in the first place! 

Anna felt a little kindred spirit with that girl, stopping the obsessive gear in her head from overwhelming her. It was when she had been recollecting the time she had spent with Yuki and how frustratingly he seemed to either blatantly ignore or refuse their advances. And it had only happened for three years! From what Anna could gather, this girl had been suffering for over a decade! Strictly speaking, she had been trying to harm her senior!

There was basic etiquette for respecting your seniors, something that was commonplace in Falanir as well. She wouldn't hand Yuki over on a silver platter, but she recognized Ichika's efforts as she was clearly in the same boat as the rest of them. She didn't like it, but unfortunately, Ichika had her beat when it came to relationship longevity. And since she couldn't just wipe out the competition, she begrudgingly increased the number of slots for Yuki's heart to four. But she'd still be the head wife! 

She'd make sure to tell her later.

*

*

"You go first."

"No you."

Ichika and Anna were sitting at opposite sides of a couch in a large room. In front of them were various treats and drinks all untouched. 

Back at school, all three of them made a collective decision to talk the second they had the chance to, but not at school. After Yuki had told Ichika that he had basically called her in sick, she begrudgingly decided to hold the meeting at their home. After arriving at the large apartment, they had immediately kicked Yuki out to discuss some "private" matters between the two of them. Yuki had protested saying that he had to guarantee the safety, but Anna had sworn not to harm her during the meeting. 

Of course Yuki would eavesdrop nonetheless. It was because he was worried for Ichika's safety and definitely not because he was nosy! Enhancing his hearing with a simple spell, he eagerly walked up and pressed his ear to the door, but only to receive a sharp buzz that electrocuted his ears. 

Anna had already prepared for this, casting a silent barrier around the whole room to isolate any noise. Damn it! Yuki relegated himself to sitting beside the door to the apartment and pondering up at the sky, wondering just how this meeting would end up.

Back in the room, Ichika made the first move, taking a drink out of the tea cup and speaking. "Are you an elf?"

Anna wasn't surprised at this question and nodded, removing the illusion she had reused during their walk here and showing off her ears, wiggling them in the process.

Seeing the ears again, Ichika coughed, turning slightly red before asking, "C-could I touch them?" 

"No way!" Anna had replied back in outrage. Ears for the elves were strictly reserved for their loved ones! Only Yuki would be ever allowed to touch her on the ears! 

"O-of course," Ichika was a little disappointed as she wanted to see if they were really as fluffy as the rumors said, "Well moving on, are you and Yuki lovers?"

"I wish..."

"What was that?"

"Nothing. We're just friends at the moment."

"You love him don't you?"

Anna nodded. She never bothered hiding her feelings and she wouldn't start now. "Why, you gonna declare war?"

"Yes and no. I want to show you something first." Ichika stood up, making Anna wary. What was she doing? 

Ichika was walking towards a screen on the wall and pressed a few buttons suddenly showing an image of Yuki with his back against the wall...his head nodding? He was asleep!

"I'm just making sure he doesn't see this."

Ichika was going to show Anna something that she kept a secret, a secret even from her own sister, though she suspected she already knew. But she could sense the same kind of obsession coming from Anna and judging from how much Yuki cared for this girl and the stupid amount of power she had displayed earlier, this would be the best way to possibly get a truce and even solidify her position in the race for Yuki's heart.

She didn't like having to openly acknowledge the existence of other rivals, but she was a logical girl who knew when she was beat. No amount of crazy knife-stabbing would do her good against literal magical beings. No! Her best option would be to placate the other rivals in the race into letting her join!

She lead the wary Anna through the apartment until she came to her room, marked with giant X's and signs to stop Mari from ever entering. Anna clearly noticed this and was about to say something. Just what did she want to keep the other people in this house from seeing?

Ichika fumbled with something in her pocket, revealing it to be a ring of keys. She found the right one and inserted it into the door, the click of a lock being heard as the door swung open, revealing a pristine room. 

There was nothing strange in it and it looked remarkably normal. It was just a bed, a bookshelf full of various figures and books, a desk, makeup kits, and an insane amount of cleaning supplies. Even the room smelled of disinfectant! How was she able to live with this!

"There's nothing here, at least nothing you can visibly see," Ichika had said, taking note of Anna's confusion. She walked to her closet, which had the most amount of locks in it. She unlocked almost a dozen before the closet finally swung open, making Anna gasp in both horror and fascination.

The closet lit up immediately after the last lock had been released, revealing a walk-in room that was covered, COVERED in photos of Yuki, all taken from various time periods. The sheer amount of pictures blew Anna's mind. She had had her own sort of thing resembling this where she'd occasionally steal clothes from Yuki and hoard them in a little storage ring, but this was even more than she could imagine! 

Brushing aside a line of Yuki half-naked photos, something Anna had no idea how they had even be taken, Ichika then revealed the second half of the closet which mirrored Anna's own thoughts.

There was a display case, each full of various boxers while the shirts and pants were all hung up with various spots open to the air. Now with the closet in full view, Ichika stood in front of it, folding her arms proudly. "Well, what do you think about my Yuki collection!"

"A-a-amazing..."

She was disturbingly obsessive, something that made Anna tingle in excitement and familiarity. 

"Now, I'm not showing this to you for no reason," Ichika said, capturing Anna's attention, "I have a proposal..."