Black Iron Magician

Chapter 353 The Day When It Rain Spears

――――The 65th day of training.

A comfortable space is a tricky thing, and it makes you forget the passage of time. Sure enough, the strategy meeting against Lilyvia continued until late night, and it finally stopped when Nell came looking for Deris, who hadn’t returned to their room, and at the same time, the air in the room stopped. Perhaps because Nell was left alone for a long time, she was clearly sulking. Looking at her in that state, Chinatsu and Deris shivered. Then, the discussion ended with Deris being pulled by the ear to their bedroom.

Time flies, and today is the day of the promised battle. Touko visited Lily’s room in the morning, much earlier than the usual time, to wake her master up. Of course, she’s dressed as a maid just as Lily ordered.

「Whoa!? Y-You’re already awake? It’s going to rain spears tomorrow….」

Touko was astonished as soon as she entered the room. After all, Lilyvia, who was supposed to sleep soundly in her bed, has woken up already. Moreover, she has already changed into her Great Eight Demons outfit. Ever since they left for this continent, she usually has Touko to change it for her because it’s troublesome. It’s no wonder that Touko was so surprised. After all, it was such a rare occurrence.

「Hey~, that’s rude, you know~? Also, you should have knocked before entering a girl’s room. After all, you don’t have enough respect for me, huh.」

Lilyvia turned around to Touko with the morning sunlight on her back.

(… She’s still in the useless maid mode now. Will she stay like that in the battle? No, there are other Great Eight Demons, so she probably will change completely the moment she appeared there.)

While remembering the contents of the strategy meeting, Touko carefully observes Lily’s situation. Aside from the fact that she was able to wake up on her own in the morning, she looks like the usual Lily at first glance. However, Touko has spent a good amount of time taking care of her, so she feels something is off. She can’t put it into words, but the wild side of her, which has been lying low inside her, is ringing the alarm bell.

「Why are you staring at me that much? That’s so unlike you~」

「…… Well, I just feel that you’re unusually ambitious. Since then, you didn’t wake up even once until now, so does that mean you’re full of energy now?」

「Fufufu, I’m feeling very good. I was sleeping thoroughly for this day that my tiredness from acting has gone now. I’m very different today, so the four of you will end up miserable if you don’t come at me with full power, you know?」

「I’m planning to do that even without you telling me. More importantly, you’re really strange now. Did Deris-danna say something to you?」

「…!? H-Hmm~? I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.」

Touko couldn’t tell whether this reaction was natural or intentional. However, she’s convinced that Deris said something to Lily.

「Seriously!? Since Lily-shishō is so motivated, it must be a reward, right!? Did he promise to give you an amazing reward!?」

「Ugh! T-Touko-chan, didn’t you put down your wild instincts?」

「Spit it out! You bastard!」

「I’m not a bastard!」

After some skirmishes and negotiations on the bed, Lilyvia seems to have decided to tell only Touko. Frankly, it’s obvious that she wants to brag about it.

「It can’t be helped then~. I will tell it only to Touko-chan, okay? This promise will be invalid if Nell finds out about this after all!」

「I won’t tell her. Also, if it’s that kind of promise, you should spit it out now. Judging from the way you were acting, you might expose the promise when you’re fighting.」

「Ah, you have a point. Then, lend me your ear. You see――」

Lily puts her mouth to the ear of Touko and tells the details of the promise in a whisper. The moment Touko heard it, both of her eyes widened.

「W-W-WHA!? A-A-A-A-AT NIGHT!?」

「Your voice is too loud, Touko-chan. Well, I can’t blame you for being surprised, though. If I win against you guys in today’s battle, I will do it to that. Fufu, are you jealous? Come on, be honest, you’re jealous, right?」

「Abababababa…!」

「H-Huh? How strange, I should have made her resistant to it in the dream….」

Lily tilts her head when she sees the blushing Touko.

「Ah, I see. It’s like I’m stealing a march on you, right? Hmm, let’s see…. Should I ask Goshujin-sama to let you do it instead if you win against me? That way, you will be motivated, and we’ll be even, right?」

「W-W-What!? M-M-Me!?」

「Ufufufu.」

Lily smiles bewitchingly while enjoying the reaction of Touko. Perhaps because she’s motivated today, she acts unusually like a succubus.

「D-Don’t joke around! I want to attack Danna in a more decent way!」

「I don’t think you can have a decent relationship with a married man. Well, it’s decent enough for me, though!」

「….H-Haha, fine. I thought that the day where we part ways would come someday, but I never thought that it was today. That challenge, I accept it! I’m going to win and take the seat of Danna’s personal maid from you!」

「Wow, you accepted it, huh? Then, I have no choice but to get serious too~. That’s my reserved seat for eternity. I may be lazy, but it would be unbearable if you take it and flirt with Goshujin-sama!」

「I’ll crush you!」

「I will mess you up!」

The skirmish of the two was heated up. Outside the room where such a thing was happening, Deris and Haruna were waiting for them to come out with their backs behind the door. Haruna was looking for Touko, but Deris came here because he had predicted this development. He put a barrier to cut off the shouts, and he was making sure that Nell doesn’t come to this place.

「I wonder what are Touko-chan and Lily-senpai arguing about?」

「Well, to put it simply, they are fighting for the maid position. However, they are doing their best toward the wrong direction.」

「He~. I don’t understand, but they seem to have it hard!」

「And it’s hard for me too. The way they don’t know how to give up is just like Haru. …… Haru, you definitely have to win today’s battle. I believe in you guys.」

「Roger! I will do my best to live up to Shishō’s trust!」

There are various expectations in the relationship between the masters and disciples. They have different reasons to fight. Setting aside the future of Deris, the battle is about to begin deep underground in the machine country of Al Nova.