"A maid?" Izuku Midoriya from behind me muttered. The strange feeling that I got wasn't from some beast or monster. It was from these two maids. Not only that, they're strangely beautiful.
"I thought that woman from that swimming pool realm chased us here." Kakeru Ryuen added, hiding behind a grocery rack.
These maids, they're human enough. However, I don't like those looks on their faces, it's like a predator chancing upon a prey. Big mistake, these 'prey' can bite back.
"A collection of humans? How delightful."
The maid wore a long black skirt with a slit, revealing her long socked thighs. A brown-skinned beauty and her brownish-red hair are split and braided. She wore a maid cap with small, distinct dog ears. A long silver scepter was slung across her back.
"Stop it, our job is to patrol and assess."
The maid wore a skimpy, short uniform, made to maximize her sex appeal, and it shows. Her cleavage and inner thighs were revealed. What an uncomfortable outfit. She had blue eyes and golden blonde hair; the most striking aspect, however, was her beauty.
Hundreds of armored undead skeletons appeared behind them, properly filed. They obviously came from that ripple portal.
She mentioned scouting, do they belong to some army?
They're carelessly stating their objectives; they're confident. That's good, they don't see us as threats yet. We need to play our cards right. I'm not worried about that undead legion they have behind them. With that in mind, I'm not sure whether they're hostile or friendly, and I'm concerned about who they report to.
"Do you two by chance know the exit?" Reinhard van Astrea spoke up, halting the two maids in their tracks as their expressions shifted to wary alertness.
They're cautious of Reinhard but still confident.
They're also glaring at me.
The legion of armored undead skeletons behind them remained quiet, waiting for something. I don't like the look of this. We've barely communicated, and we're now in some standoff.
"Please, we mean you no harm," Reinhard announced, beaming a courteous smile as he slowly approached the two wary maids.
"I am Reinhard van Astrea." He stopped. "The Sword Saint and knight from the Kingdom of Lugunica." He then gestured towards us.
"As you can tell, these are my friends, and we've been stuck here for some time. Are you two stuck, too? Maybe we should all introduce ourselves."
"Ah, a knight. This should be easy. We can introduce ourselves after you follow us to our camp, you'll be detained, but you will be treated fairly." The brown-haired maid said with playful politeness.
Reinhard shook his head. "We're not common criminals nor petty bandits. What's the reason for our detention if we decide to cooperate?"
"We're not stepping on your honor, sir knight. If you and your friends submit to us, we will treat you with respect and care." Somehow, I don't trust that blonde maid and her hollow smile.
"May I ask who you're working for?" Reinhard changed the topic.
"If you come with us, we'll explain as soon as we arrive at our camp."
Reinhard kept his polite expression. "Please, put yourselves in our positions. We're lost, hungry, and desperate. What would you do if someone appears out of nowhere and asks for cooperation without introducing themselves while also commanding a legion of hundreds of undead?"
The brown-haired maid smiled. "We're not in that position, but you are, and we require your silent cooperation."
"This communication is leading us nowhere. Perhaps you can introduce your friends to us? It's the polite thing to do." The blonde maid added, pressing her arms to her chest to accentuate her bust. Anyone who falls into a honey trap like that deserves their fate.
"Do you promise to introduce yourselves after?"
"We promise to consider it seriously." The red-haired maid added with a chuckle. I hate her already.
"They're buying time." Kiyotaka Ayanokoji spoke up. I forgot that this guy can speak. "They're prying us for information as much as possible while giving nothing in return."
The two maids remained impassive. Their faces are plastered with self-confidence, while the number of the armored undead skeleton army behind them grows by the second. Then the ground quaked as four more giant undead joined the ranks.
These four undead figures stood nearly four meters tall, wielding massive swords and shields. Their decaying forms were cloaked in a deep, rotting black — they're far stronger than the others.
"Please, come with us. These guys will play nice if you will." That brown-haired maid scoffed, making me lose my patience, walking around with an army like that, like they own the place.
It's time to level the playing field.
"Arise."
The ground instantly morphed to black as my shadow soldiers appeared one by one. In an instant, I dwarfed the numbers of these two maids' undead army. A generous estimate, ten shadow soldiers per one undead skeleton soldier, and I haven't even summoned all my army yet.
Reinhard sighed and dropped both of his hands. "Please understand, you're slowly amassing your undead army. He's merely showing his army, too, to provide an even ground."
"Maybe this time, we can have a proper discussion?"
"Ray of Frost!" A spinning icicle shot forward with great power.
"Hellburn!" A flamethrower-like flame spewed out from the brown-haired maid's palms.
The two maids then retreated to the farthest row of the undead army.
I knew it, these two are used to always being in control. When power shifts to the other side, they react like cornered animals and then pre-emptively attack. I hate paranoids. They make for poor diplomats.
All I did was show my army, and they started fighting. I've seen this so many times in books, media, and history — people who are used to crushing, but not to being crushed.
Anyways, that Reinhard is really something. Those two maids just cast some spells at him, and he just stood there and swatted them away while still pleading for peace.
The undead legion charged forward and attacked my shadow army. The undead army is barely noticeable. Well, don't mind if I do, more shadow warriors for me.
Reinhard just picked up a cereal box and flung it at them. It flew like a boomerang and sliced several rows of undead skeletons before being intercepted by that huge undead giant.
Beru just decimated a dozen of them in one strike; their undead forms collapsed. The two maids then attempted to escape via the ripple, but Tank and Iron intercepted them.
The two maids made short work of both of them. Whistle.
Igris and Beru were engaged in a race to kill the most undead skeletons. I don't know who has the highest score, but they've made short work of the undead army.
Those four giant undead knights were durable, but they still died.
"Arise."
The fallen skeleton army, now a pile of bones and motes, was swallowed by the shadows, and out comes the undead army, but it's now mine.
The two maids were shocked beyond disbelief. Their overconfident masks were shattered.
"Slime Shield!" "Bane!" "Bless!" "Guiding Light!" The blonde maid cast at the red-haired maid. Support spells.
"Heavy Recovery!" "Greater Physical Boost!" The brown-haired maid roared, either a fighter or tank type. They're on the defensive since their escape routes were blocked.
They're not particularly strong, but their spells are making up for it.
"You'll all pay for this."
I walked forward, approaching them. "You attacked first, and besides, all I did was show my army while you were amassing yours. This is no one's territory. We're both free to unleash our armies." I scoffed.
Reinhard stepped in between us. "Now, please, let's all put down our weapons and have a proper dialogue. Miscommunication kills, and it will be the death of all of us."
"You've had your chance to surrender." The maid transformed into a half-wolf figure and charged at Reinhard. She swung her scythe, but it missed, not even landing a single hit.
"Fenrir's Rage." She shouted as Reinhard parried all her scythe attacks, slowly increasing in speed and lethality. Frustrated by the unnatural misses, she crouched low and attempted a sweeping kick — only to be met with Reinhard's swift counter kick to her face. She flew and hit the wall.
Tank and Iron then jumped her, punching her repeatedly. She was already unconscious, so I told the two of them to stop.
The blonde-haired maid charged forward and delivered a swift flurry of unarmed blows, but they all missed. Reinhard kneed her in the stomach, and she instantly collapsed. Her form rippled, revealing that she was a slime creature.
"Y-you dare hurt my sisters!?" A shrilling voice from behind me shouted. It was another maid, creepier than the two lying on the floor. It had a face, but it looked more like a mask. Her hair was made of spider legs.
"I will kill all of you!"