Maid homunculus (2)

"Tch. Misha! Show this maid what's what!"

"You got it, nya!"

Misha charged at the maid without a moment's hesitation. But the maid gently placed her palm against Misha's incoming fist, and Misha went spinning vertically through the air.

"Bunyaaaa!?"

She slammed face-first into the bed with a thwump.

"She knows aikido!?"

"No. My style is Chaos Style — I merely also incorporate aikido, customer."

The maid homunculus offered a prim curtsy even as she said this.

… Actually, I've been opening pitfalls beneath her feet this whole time. But she's not falling!

She's floating!? What the hell!?

"A maid must be able to work even on unstable footing. Therefore, these shoes are specially made. They are the Divine Artifact 'Kuujoudan.' An artifact of footwork that lets one run through the sky as if it were a joke."

"A Divine Artifact…! Well, thanks for the kind explanation… Take this!"

This time I cast a net-like Spatial Magic from above. But she moved in an instant, practically teleporting, and dodged it. The only things that ended up in my Storage were the bed and Misha.

"That's from the shoes too!?"

"No, this is the effect of this maid outfit — the Divine Artifact 'Shimora.' An artifact crafted so one may always arrive first to the neighborhood gossip. It grants supreme speed."

Saying that, the maid homunculus moved behind me. I ejected Misha from Storage and hurled her at the maid… who dodged. Misha splattered face-first onto the floor.

"Unyaa, that's so mean, Karina!"

"She's packing multiple Divine Artifacts. Stay sharp, Misha!"

"Divine Artifacts!? For real… we gotta fight fire with fire then, got anything!?"

Coming from a maid who makes someone else go by the name Chaos God, I can't be certain these are genuine Divine Artifacts. But there's no doubt they have performance on par with the real thing.

"Activate — freeze."

"Guh!?"

My body seized up as if the air itself had solidified around me. I broke free by short-range teleporting with Spatial Magic.

"My, my. To think the Divine Artifact 'Shuryouki Houtei,' this maid headband that can stop and ground any mosquito or vampire, would not work on you. It seems the customer is the real deal. Well then, next up are these cufflinks, Divine Artifact 'Handoumaru.' Here we go!"

Small stones burst from the cufflinks at her wrists with a bang! bang! Just like bullets, if you let your guard down for even a moment, they'd blast right through you.

"Guh, you…! What a ridiculously armed maid! What the hell is going on!?"

"Adorning my body are 108 Divine Artifacts. Now then, which Divine Artifact will defeat you, I wonder?"

"108!? Don't go spouting bald-faced lies!"

"If it comforts you to believe so, you are welcome to avert your eyes from reality."

But when I tried to strip the maid outfit or headband off her with Spatial Magic, I was repelled. The exact same resistance I get from actual Divine Artifacts.

Don't tell me she's actually telling the truth. Every single piece of her equipment is a Divine Artifact?

"… Rena, over here!"

"Yes, Master… Oh my."

Kaoru drew the maid's attention. In her hand was a brown potion, lid already popped open.