[Hehehehe... Another visitor?]
A cheerful female voice echoed through the room.
As Phaga and Ellen approached, the Black-and-White Doll slowly rose from the dining table, revealing the prophecy inscribed upon its chest—
[A little doll... A little doll...]
[Good and evil shift in an instant... Tears and sighs, impossible to look back...]
The doll swayed backward two steps, revealing a teapot and two cups already prepared behind it. Straining to lift the teapot, it tilted it slightly, and steaming tea poured into the cups.
Phaga's eyes narrowed. He immediately raised his arm to shield Ellen.
Ellen turned her head in confusion, only to see Phaga shake his head, a serious expression spreading across his face.
"Wait. Observe first."
At his words, Ellen froze, though both remained tense, ready to react at a moment's notice.
Soon, the Black-and-White Doll set down the teacup. Shaking its clumsy body, it slowly pushed the brimming cup to the edge of the table. Spreading its hands wide, it exclaimed brightly:
[Welcome to the Black-and-White Doll's domain. I am your host, the Black-and-White Doll.]
[My apologies—I imagine my colleagues have caused you quite a bit of trouble.]
[But don't worry, because things are about to get even more troublesome. If you wish to avoid trouble, then trouble yourself to trouble, trouble, trouble—please trouble yourself to raise your noble hand and savor this fragrant brew. I guarantee that from this day forward, your life shall be free of all troubles!]
Phaga stood motionless, his gaze sweeping the surroundings. Seeing no other Ether reactions besides the doll, he quietly exhaled in relief and remarked half-jokingly, "Rich and mellow—isn't that used to describe wine? Can you even say that about tea?"
[Absolutely not!]
The doll had been called out on its mistake, but it didn't seem offended in the least. Its tone remained playful as ever.
Before their eyes, it plucked two black hairs and two white hairs from its own body, placing one of each beneath the teacups.
Then, hands on hips, it exclaimed proudly:
[Now it's ready!]
[This tea lifted by our fur—let's call it "Fur-lifted Tea."]
[There you have it—rich and mellow tea. Please, enjoy.]
Neither Ellen nor Phaga moved. They remained on guard, expressions tight with caution.
Seeing this, the once-cheerful doll suddenly drooped, twisting its body with a dejected air.
[I clearly... invited you both to enjoy my tea with the best of intentions. But whether it was those rude people earlier, or you two...]
[Why won't anyone drink the tea I poured!]
[I even tried so hard to tell you jokes... Why... won't you accept my kindness...]
Finally, the doll turned completely to the side—its white half vanishing into shadow, the black half standing out starkly.
Its voice shifted, sharp and furious, like a bomb's fuse catching flame:
[If you don't like my kindness, then you'll love my malice!]
With a violent sweep of its hands, the doll overturned both teacups.
But instead of falling as gravity dictated, the tea floated upward, twisting into the air and forming two serpentine streams—one crowned with black scales, the other with white.
Both snakes locked onto Phaga and Ellen, flicking their forked tongues menacingly.
Phaga's expression hardened briefly before he smiled lightly. "Sorry, but I'm not fond of malice either. Mind taking it back?"
"Besides, we have important matters to attend to. We'd rather not get tangled up with you."
The Black-and-White Doll's fury spiked. It pointed an accusatory finger at Phaga:
[What do you mean you don't want to bother with me? You barge into my room to take my things, yet you won't even drink a cup of my tea! What do you take me for—a free ride?]
[Forget about the shark girl beside him. Tear that man's mouth to shreds!]
[I never want to see him again!]
Hiss—!
Whoosh!
The two water serpents flicked their tongues and glared coldly at Phaga. Their bodies coiled, then suddenly shot forward like arrows.
Ellen barely caught a blur in front of her eyes before a rushing sound filled her ears. Turning her head, she saw the black and white serpents already lunging. Phaga was gone.
A jolt of panic struck her chest. "Phaga!"
"Hey, calling me? Little Fish Snack, hide for a bit. I'll take care of its first phase."
Suddenly, a breath brushed against Ellen's ear, and her hair was lightly ruffled. Her pupils widened as she turned—but Phaga had already flown off again.
Behind him, the two serpents twisted and coiled in pursuit. Their savage impacts shook the air, strong enough to crumble even the sturdiest walls.
But their speed and flexibility were nothing compared to Phaga's.
As a child of the skies, a vampire's aerial agility was beyond mortal imagination. One sharp brake was all it took for him to hover mid-air, then twist around and shoot backward, slipping past the serpents in a seamless blur.
After several evasive maneuvers, the serpents began to lose track of him completely, unable to even glimpse his shadow.
Finally, Phaga had a moment to think and refine his plan based on Rina's intel.
"Hey," he called out teasingly, "Black-and-White Doll, that's your name, right?"
"What we're after is the Ether battery. Technically, it's part of the Ballet Tower's assets, belonging to the rightful owner who paid for it."
"And we? We're hired by that owner to manage his property."
"But what about you?"
Phaga abruptly folded his wings. The sky's favored child manipulated gravity with perfect control, effortlessly teaching the serpents a lesson mid-air.
Not even the hem of his coat brushed them as he descended gracefully, flipping midair before landing squarely atop the dining table where the doll stood.
A looming shadow fell over the doll, making it instinctively take a step back.
But Phaga advanced, eyes gleaming with amusement, a crooked smile curling his lips. Ignoring the doll's struggles, he lifted it high and sneered:
"Don't blame us for not wanting to bother with you. At best, you're just a tenant in this building…"
"No, that's wrong. How can you call yourself a tenant when you haven't paid rent? You're more like a rat—living in someone else's house, using their tea to entertain your cockroach friends."
"Regrettably, I can't drink your tea. I may dislike the sun, but that doesn't mean I'll crawl into the gutter."
At those words, the doll's rage exploded, a pitch-black emotion flooding its entire being. Phaga could even see the white half of its body being swallowed by darkness.
He smiled faintly. The plan was working perfectly.
[You... you... die!]
The doll's fury erupted like a storm. Its aura flared violently, knocking over the teapot.
A wave of energy burst out—the teapot shattered, releasing a torrent of water that came crashing down.
Phaga immediately hurled the doll aside and drifted backward, soaring out of reach.
When he stopped, he glanced back at the doll, a teasing glint still in his eyes.
But out of its earshot, he muttered under his breath, "Tsk. According to Rina's intel, this thing's a mechanism monster after all."
"It's exhausting pretending to be a beloved gentleman while acting like a reckless punk. When will this be over?"
"Well, it's still better than having Ellen play the bad guy. Though... can she even curse?"