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Chapter 136. Humanoid Shadow

"Ah, for now, could you calm down a bit—"

"Haah!"

I tried using words to persuade her, but before I could, Ivy stretched her [Sariel] like a needle, aiming straight at my life.

Michael said, "Sariel will understand if you talk," but it turns out it wasn’t Sariel but Ivy who wouldn’t listen. Her previous cooperation with me was only because her former employer, Lord Floedil of Internal Affairs, had taken an interest in me. Now that that's gone, Ivy seems to judge me solely on whether I’m a threat to the country. As expected from someone raised as an intelligence agent since childhood, she possesses a certain ruthlessness. Though, even that backstory might be a lie.

"Hmm... well, whatever."

"!?!"

"Let’s have a bit of fun!"

[That’s the spirit.]

Come to think of it, I’d never fought Ivy seriously. So, maybe this is a good chance to go all out.

Using [Lucifer], I leap into the air, dodging the approaching shadow needles while accelerating sharply to grab Ivy by the throat.

"Urgh!?"

"Let’s take this outside."

With that momentum, I burst through the window of the indoor training hall, flying outward—then hurled her toward the plains outside the academy.

As Ivy struggled to stabilize herself mid-air, I fell freely beside her and drew my Verethlagna from my waist.

Just before she hit the ground, Ivy sank into a shadow that had formed there, managing to cushion her fall. That shadow-diving ability... is it like falling into water or something?

"[Lucifer]."

If she stays hidden, the fight will just drag on, which isn’t interesting. So, I shine the wings of Lucifer to erase the shadow she had entered, forcing Ivy to crawl out of the ground.

Her gaze... was entirely that of someone facing an enemy. It was the same look I’d seen from Frodil’s other assassins. Ivy must also be a spy and assassin in one. Her past stories probably weren’t entirely truthful. Not that it matters anymore.

When we fought earlier using only physical techniques, it was clear Ivy is the type whose every move is meticulously calculated. She’s like a machine, programmed to act exactly as trained. This rigidity makes her weak against opponents like me, who surpass her in sheer speed, or Ash, who excels in counters.

Moreover, Ivy lacks the last-minute burst of strength that others might show. Honestly, Nina might be stronger if they fought seriously.

Even the shadow needles she’s trying to skewer me with, while seemingly erratic, are always consistent. It’s clear she dislikes unpredictable movements. Maybe it’s because she’s limited by how far the shadows can stretch—or maybe she’s just inherently inflexible. Whether this stems from a childhood of suppression, I can’t say... but either way, attacks of this level aren’t enough to take me down.

[Boring.]

"Don’t say that."

Lucifer, watching from within me, seems to have noticed too. Her enthusiasm from earlier is fading as he observes how I’ve avoided Ivy’s attacks with ease.

[I thought the malice added some intrigue, but she’s just a puppet.]

"I don’t think Ivy’s a simple puppet, though."

[That’s not my concern. Still... watching her tarnish Sariel’s name like this isn’t remotely entertaining.]

Huh... For someone who claims to dislike Sariel, she seems to hold some recognition. Or perhaps it’s precisely because she acknowledges Sariel that she dislikes them. Either way, Lucifer seems irritated by what she sees as an unimpressive display while using Sariel’s power.

Despite all her attacks being dodged, Ivy shows no sign of frustration. Just as Lucifer said, she appears as mechanical as a doll. Yet, she does have a will of her own. Ivy’s role as a government intelligence agent explains why she previously fed me information and played nice. Not everything she said was true... but not everything was a lie either.

I deflect the shadow aimed at my chest with Ursula Gunner and close the distance at once.

The slight surprise in her eyes when I dispelled the Omnipotent Light Lucifer quickly turned into a blank expression as she sped up her shadow manipulation. But by then, the distance was too close for her shadows to keep up.

"Let’s stop. There’s no point in continuing this."

"...What are you talking about?"

At first, I thought this fight might be fun, but Ivy’s fighting style turned out to be duller than I imagined. So, when I suggested stopping, she responded with a punch.

"You...!"

"..."

A right hook to my face, followed by a left knee, and simultaneously a shadow aimed to pierce my abdomen from behind. The pattern of her attacks is always the same—uninspiring.

I catch her fist, deflect her knee with my foot, and block the shadow from behind with Lucifer’s wings.

"Ivy, what are you trying to accomplish?"

"From my perspective, you’re the incomprehensible one."

"Is that so? Well... I just want to talk to Sariel."

"!?"

When Ivy tried to attack again, I grabbed her throat and slammed her to the ground.

"Agh!?"

[Wake her up by force.]

"Will do."

It seems persuading Ivy to help wake Sariel from within her soul won’t work, so I decided to forcibly awaken Sariel. Just as I started, Ivy lost consciousness, but her shadow began moving on its own.

"Oh?"

[Hmm... it doesn’t seem like she’s controlling it unconsciously.]

"Then...?"

[Likely so.]

The shadow moving independently wasn’t attacking me—it was protecting Ivy.

As I watched the writhing shadow, a portion of it separated from Ivy and took on a humanoid shape. It was impossible for [Sariel] to move like that. Yet, the shadow swayed, forming into a person-like figure with large black wings.

"...So, it’s Sariel controlling this, huh?"

[I told you so.]

Figures.

For some reason, Sariel, who should be dormant within Ivy’s soul, had started acting on their own. The humanoid shadow, holding something resembling a dagger, lunged toward me.