...Probably not.
Phaga imagined Ellen trying to curse someone and realized she'd probably just frown reluctantly and mumble something half-heartedly resistant—completely harmless.
Better handle this myself. Can't let Ellen make people laugh.
Phaga floated back, narrowing his eyes to study the Black-and-White Doll.
It was seething with rage, stomping the ground furiously. Shattered teapots lay scattered around it, and streams of water gathered at its feet, ready to surge at the slightest provocation.
But what the doll didn't notice was that the black on the left side of its body had quietly spread past the dividing line, slowly creeping toward the right.
Phaga's mind stirred—his earlier actions were working.
According to Rina's intel, this creature's abilities were directly linked to its emotions, with its body color reflecting its state.
White signified enhancement. Black meant destruction.
Half white, half black meant it possessed both—its most powerful state.
Now, Phaga just needed to push it into either complete black or complete white as fast as possible, sealing off one power entirely.
[Unforgivable… absolutely unforgivable!]
The doll roared in fury, stomping hard as the gathered water around it exploded outward, turning into a thick mist that spread across the entire room.
Phaga's wings faltered, nearly causing him to drop from the air. Luckily, he recovered quickly, flapping harder to steady himself.
A glance behind told him what he needed to know. The humidity was rising fast—his wings wouldn't hold for long.
Though not feathered, a vampire's wings were still affected by moisture. Continuing to fight in the air while dragging down his movements would be wasteful.
So Phaga slowly descended to the ground and retracted his wings.
[Hmph! Don't want to stay in the gutter? Then I'll flush you down the toilet!]
The doll spat venomously, then suddenly turned toward the still-stunned Ellen with an oddly sweet tone.
[This Miss shark is much more polite. Not like that vampire—so rude.]
[Come, let me grant you a buff!]
With a wave of its hand, blue light gathered and floated before Ellen, poised to merge into her body.
Sensing danger, Ellen immediately activated [Roaming Hunt] and retreated.
But the buff was hidden within the mist—there was no escaping it so easily. As she pulled back, she ran straight into the blue light behind her.
Not good!
Her pupils contracted in alarm. She braced for pain… but—huh?
Ellen blinked, touching her body. No pain. Just a pleasant warmth.
Her energy even felt replenished—no sign of hunger or fatigue.
What the…?
She stared at her hands in confusion.
"Stop staring, silly girl."
Phaga's voice came from nearby. He was walking toward her, tugging casually at his coat—every bit the spoiled second-generation heir, missing only a blade of grass to chew on.
Still, as he passed her, he adjusted his monocle out of habit, a faint trace of his usual gentlemanly air returning.
"The buff this sewer rat gave you won't hurt you—at least not yet. But stay out of the fight for now. Until I force it into full black, you're not allowed to move."
"Oh, and one more thing. If I'm right, it's about to make you attack me. Don't hesitate—just do it."
"Because…"
Phaga turned his head and, for the first time since entering the room, smiled softly. He even reached out and pinched Ellen's cheek.
"If I get hurt, I can bite you."
Boom!
With that, Phaga vanished from where he stood.
When Ellen looked again, he was already several dozen meters away. Kunmutu's blade came down in a flash, bursting with purple and dark crimson light!
Clang!
Ssshhh!
The sharp hum of the blade echoed through the air.
But soon, a hiss followed—the sound of something moving fast.
The Black-and-White Doll had escaped atop the black-furred water snake, while the white-furred one blocked Phaga's strike. Kunmutu plunged into it, and the Nether Flame quickly cooled, its Ether activity suppressed.
But…
"That's not enough, rat!"
Phaga's crimson pupils widened, gleaming with killing intent.
The white-furred water snake let out a shriek as countless Ether crystals erupted from within its body. Like spikes on a hedgehog, they pierced outward, tearing the creature apart from the inside.
The snake exploded, raining fine droplets across the room.
From the falling rain, one Ether crystal suddenly grew wildly, shooting straight toward the Black-and-White Doll!
[Hmph!]
The doll snorted in disdain and swung its claw. Its blackened left hand radiated a destructive aura, smashing the crystal to pieces in one blow.
Then it sneered: [Tch. Just a vampire—one cursed by nature. Did you really think you could—eh?]
Before it could finish, dozens more Ether crystals hurtled its way.
It shattered one, then another, then another—until its strength finally gave out.
The next crystal hit square in the face.
If not for the black-furred snake's quick reaction—leaping forward and swallowing the doll whole—it would have been slammed into the wall and pinned there like an insect.
Phaga ran a hand over his blade's hilt and laughed softly. "Rat, what were you saying just now?"
[Cough, cough! Shut your filthy mouth!]
A few minutes later, the doll was spat out. Perched on the snake's head, it glared furiously at Phaga. But realizing it couldn't beat him, it grudgingly held back.
Meanwhile, the white hue on the right half of its body deepened, spreading faintly toward its arm.
The doll turned its head suddenly, as though grasping its last lifeline.
[Miss Shark, help me! Let's take down that stinking vampire together!]
"Uh, well, he's not exactly stinky—I mean…"
Ellen touched her chest, feeling a strange, quickening pulse. But clinging to a shred of hope, she didn't agree right away.
"I think I'll keep observing for now. Know your enemy and yourself, and you'll win every battle."
She really didn't want to fight Phaga.
[Miss Shark, I'm Doppelgänger—I can see parts of your memories. Who are you trying to fool?]
[You both have each other's blood in your stomachs. You can't pretend you don't know him.]
The doll's tone darkened as it glared at her.
[You're not thinking of taking my buff and then refusing to work, are you?]
Ellen frowned. "That's not what I wanted. Why don't you just take it back?"
Take it back?
Once given, how could it be taken back so easily?
The Black-and-White Doll let out a sinister chuckle, its earlier friendliness gone. The "Miss Shark" of moments ago was now treated as an enemy.
[Take it back? No—I'll give you something else instead!]
A surge of black energy erupted from all directions, engulfing Ellen. With no room to dodge, she grit her teeth and braced herself.
Slowly, the dark aura seeped into her body. She looked down, feeling no pain—just a growing heaviness.
If her guess was right, her stamina would drain faster.
But wait—the doll had already buffed her before! It hadn't taken that away. Wouldn't the positive and negative effects cancel out?
The doll grinned wickedly.
If only it were that simple.
It clapped its hands together and chanted: [Good and Evil Obliteration!]
Boom!
Like a great bell tolling, Ellen felt her heart clench as if crushed in a fist. Sharp pains stabbed through every nerve. She couldn't pass out—each time the buff healed her, it only made her relive the agony anew.
Even with her giant scissors supporting her, she almost dropped to one knee.
"What… what's happening…"
Sweat drenched her face. She forced one eye open, her vision blurring as the doll's outline warped.
The doll stood proudly with one hand on its hip.
[This is what happens when you accept a gift and refuse to fulfill your obligations—]
It didn't finish.
A flash of steel cut through the air.
The doll jerked back just in time to dodge—but the effort broke its hold over Ellen.
The weight lifted from Ellen's body. She could finally breathe again.
But it wouldn't last. The moment the doll recovered, the agony would return.
Watching it, Phaga muttered, "You really are the type that gets killed at first sight. If you hadn't hated me from the start, I might've fallen for your trick."
"According to Rina's intel, the Black-and-White Doll never granted buffs to those it hated—and never inflicted debuffs on those it liked.
When it felt neither love nor hate, only misfortune followed.
Receiving both blessing and curse at once—that was true devastation."
"Ellen, attack me!"
Phaga stepped forward, blade in hand, his voice low and cold.
"A rat that plays tricks to survive will never escape the crumbling ruin it crawled out of."