How About a Draw? (2)
After a fierce brawl, Raban and Inian agreed to a truce, both panting heavily. Watching the other pick at a triangle kimbap, the demon and the black mage thought to themselves.
'Wow, they look pathetic.'
'How can someone look so utterly repulsive?'
Chewing on her kimbap, the demon asked, "So, what's your plan now, sawayo?"
"Huh?"
"You tried to use me to get rid of that crocodile beast, sawayo. Once I return home, it won't be your world anymore, sawayo? A creep like you must have some next scheme lined up, sawayo."
"...You really thought of me like that? Me, your ace subordinate?"
Raban felt deeply wounded. Sure, he'd infiltrated her private chambers countless times with both hands, swapped bodies to pull off scams, fought her to the death and gotten diced into sixteen pieces, and even self-destructed while in pieces to blow half her body away. But after the truce, he'd been pretty obedient, hadn't he? How could she underrate him like this!
"Bullshit, sawayo."
Inian cut off Raban's nonsense in one stroke. In her current state, where self-return was impossible, entrusting herself to the most wicked black mage around was only natural. If she listened to his "I'm so wronged" appeals, she'd get scammed again.
Raban clicked his tongue. Cold-blooded demon lord of the demon world, as expected. She probably secretly badmouthed and stewed the former president of Ramasut Holdings too.
"No real plans?"
"Quit the nonsense, sawayo."
"No, hear me out. There was this kid around here with some serious negative emotions, and I was planning to sweet-talk her into handing them over."
"...? If it was such a peaceful plan, why did the beast pop out, sawayo?"
"Seemed like her uncle was gonna sacrifice her as an offering. I interfered, and... yeah."
"Average black mage, sawayo."
Raban slammed the desk—carefully controlling his strength so his second triangle kimbap wouldn't fall—and jumped up, pointing accusingly at Inian.
"Apologize, demon! The average black mage isn't some sleazy Charles—it's this law-abiding Raban!"
"The average black mage just dropped even lower, sawayo."
Raban slumped back down. This stubborn demon lord was infamous for ignoring the sage advice of a peaceful, model black mage.
"Anyway. She's a student at my workplace. She'll probably come in for counseling soon."
"A student coming to a hazard like you for counseling, sawayo?"
"Ended up as the interim counselor somehow."
"You must've caught a fairy and brainwashed it, sawayo."
"If I had that much mana, I'd save it to open a dimensional gate, wouldn't I?"
It took nearly an hour for Raban to finish explaining the situation. Every word devolved into mutual sniping, keeping constructive conversation at bay.
"So, the only plan is this cute little scheme to steal students' negative emotions while dodging the magical girls and their mascot fairies, sawayo?"
"Yeah. If it weren't for those surveillance mascots, I'd raid some plague-ridden ranch, steal a herd of livestock, and sacrifice 'em."
Inian tapped her lips with her right index finger. In this situation, how could she recover mana faster and more conveniently? If the kid really had that much negative emotion, as Raban claimed, it'd be a huge help. But civilians with a black mage in the family didn't have bright futures. This was a rational inference backed by statistics.
"You think a black mage would give up an offering that easily, sawayo?"
"If it were me, I wouldn't show my face around here for a while."
Inian nodded slightly. Using family like that put him at black mage average—human-wise, scraping the bottom of the barrel ethically. Would someone like that scrap plans over one ruined base?
"The Mother Fairy unleashed that terrifying magic herself, so if he's got any brains, he'll lie low for a bit."
"Ah."
Inian massaged her brow with her right hand. Her head was starting to ache for no reason.
Seeing the thoroughly deflated demon lord, Raban shouted with all sincerity.
"Thanks! For becoming a magical girl!"
Inian's full-force uppercut smashed into the wicked black mage's jaw.
In the dead of night, as the demon and black mage bickered, those who had witnessed the incident grappled with their own concerns. The guardian fairies were in a marathon meeting called by their senior, the Ivory Tower's Four Heavenly Kings debated if the shadow mage was dead from this, and Charles, who had seen the crocodile beast and demon descent...
'What a shame.'
He offered condolences for the fate of the magic world's junior truth-seeker. The junior had clearly underestimated the Mother Fairy or misunderstood her power. Thinking a demon world summon could upend the world, he'd put the idea into action.
The beast seed he'd hidden contained massive negative emotions. Someone must have found it somewhere and used it as payment to summon the demon.
The moment Charles confirmed the demon's arrival, he'd put maximum distance between himself and Hikarius City. The Mother Fairy would handle it.
He considered returning to replant the beast seed but soon shook his head. With the fairies on even higher alert, it was time to pause activities.
"Training the pet will have to wait."
He raised his glass, thinking of the four livestock he'd pastured in Hikarius. They'd forgotten their owner after some freedom. He couldn't discipline them now, but he'd give them proper education when the time came. First, some preparations—like establishing his "foundation's" Hikarius branch. He needed a pretext to visit more often as "Charles" without suspicion. This time, he'd dispatch a more suitable overseer. Someone loyal, who wouldn't forget their master like Hikarius's livestock.
Raban rubbed his bruised jaw, pondering the possibilities Inian had raised.
"Charles's counterattack, huh."
A mage of that caliber would have ways to interfere remotely from outside Hikarius. Even he could do it with vascular familiars. The Mother Fairy's gaze was scary, but familiars minimized risk—they were meant to die first anyway.
Officially, he was just a memory-lost young man, so he couldn't approach Nai Hyun under the pretense of protection without raising flags. The mascots aside, the police might nab him as a suspect.
Stealthy protection via vascular familiars...
"Ha, if I hadn't used my familiars to keep the magical girls and Ivory Tower from clashing, it could've been a solid plan."
Right now, Raban's familiars were top wanted criminals in Hikarius. Attaching them to "protect" Nai Hyun would get them purged if spotted.
Raban stared hard at Inian.
"Watch where you're looking, sawayo."
"Whoa, picking a fight out of nowhere? Hey, Inian."
With a huff, Inian whipped her head away, looking mostly like a human girl now.
'Her face is usually covered in snakes, so expressions are hard to read, but this is better.'
Satisfied with her human-like form, Raban nodded and dropped a highly core, crucial question.
"Did you finish middle school?"
Inian blanked out, not grasping the question at first. Raban rubbed his jaw and rephrased.
"Wait, no. Not sure if demon world basic education even works right. My bad. Can you do basic arithmetic?"
"...Is this mutt mocking a grand duke, sawayo?"
"Calm down, Inian! This isn't mockery, teasing, satire, or jeering! I swear, it's a totally rational and justified question!"
Inian stared at her clenched fist, took several deep breaths, and finally looked at Raban.
Confirming her rage was suppressed, Raban slowly spoke.
"I thought it over, and you're right."
"About what, sawayo?"
"Charles might target Nai Hyun with familiars or something. So, here's the thing."
A perfect plan's preliminary step flashed in Raban's mind. Head to city hall at dawn, grab papers from the third-floor Mana Disaster Support Office...
'Yeah, still perfect.'
"You—enroll in Lux Tierra High School."
"Have you lost your mind, sawayo?"
It was regrettable for Inian, but Raban wasn't crazy. Quite rational, in fact.
"I can't hang around students without getting reported! But you can!"
Secret bodyguard duty. Observe Nai Hyun's side, preemptively strike and eliminate threats she didn't know about. Just don't become friends.
"If she has fun and a bright school life, her negative emotions will drop, right?"
"Truly a rationally trash reason, sawayo."
"Your prickliness is from childhood environment issues. Rule a dark, barren demon world during your turbulent teens? This lets you relive that youth!"
Inian stomped Raban's shin hard. Despite the successful retaliation, she sighed. The mad black mage's proposal was persuasively sound.