Levi stared at her, breathing heavily, his usual stoicism utterly shattered. The sheer impossibility of her resilience, the casual dismissal of his most potent attacks, the effortless theft of his gear… it was a level of power he couldn't even comprehend. But, above everything... How does she know him?
Riku's face, pale and strained with fear, mirrored his own shock.
Riku's mind, despite the terror seizing him, was still racing. 'how does she know about Levi Ackerman?'
He had given Igris an order when the Flugel first appeared: Wait for her to come to ground level, then finish her in a single move. He knew Igris's absolute loyalty meant he would hold that order, even if it seemed counter-intuitive. A single, fully charged strike from Igris, unleashed without the need to cover distance or account for complex movement, was their best, perhaps only, chance. He had also mentally prepared "different approaches if things went south," a grim catalogue of desperate measures.
The Flugel's attention was primarily on Levi, a smile playing on her lips. "I actually wanted to talk to you, Levi darling. You were always my favorite… husbando, you know? But," her gaze flicked towards Igris, then back at Levi, "this big, scary silent type is making me nervous. Can you please send him away? Just a kilometer or so? Promise I won't hurt you if it's just us."
A cold calculation flashed in Riku's eyes. Send Igris away? Their most powerful asset? Against a being that shrugged off Levi's attacks? It was an insane request. But… if she was willing to talk, if sending Igris away removed her reason for immediate, overwhelming force… and if it protected the rest of the villagers who were kilometers away…
Protect the village. The core principle, hammered into his soul by years of loss. Igris was their best chance against anything that might break through Levi, Erina, and Honami's defense if the Flugel bypassed them. Sending Igris back was a calculated risk, potentially sacrificing their immediate advantage here to ensure the safety of the main body.
"Igris," Riku's voice was shaky but firm, cutting through the tense air. "Return to the others. Protect the main column. Go."
Igris hesitated for the barest fraction of a second, his crimson gaze meeting Riku's, a silent question passing between them. But the command was absolute. With a slight, almost imperceptible nod towards Riku, the crimson knight shimmered and vanished, not with the blurring speed of combat, but the controlled dispersion of unsummoning, his presence instantly rematerializing near the rear of the marching column kilometers away.
As Riku gave the order, the Flugel's head snapped towards him, her large, golden eyes widening slightly in surprise and then fixing on him with intense interest. She hadn't expected the human to command the powerful shadow being. Her smile broadened, a purely delighted, almost predatory expression.
"Oh?" she chirped, her voice gaining another layer of that unsettling cheerfulness, "You can command him? How intriguing!" She lost all interest in Levi, her ethereal form drifting down from the branch, landing softly before Riku.
Levi, however, wasn't done. His ODM gear was gone, but his protective instincts, honed in a world of desperate defense, were roaring. He moved to step between Riku and the descending Flugel, his remaining blade held ready, his voice sharp with urgency.
"Hey! Your enemy is me, you iridescent brat! Pay attention to me!" He didn't understand what the Flugel wanted with Riku, but the look in her eyes, that predatory delight, screamed danger.
The Flugel barely spared him a glance, waving a dismissive hand. "Oh, Levi darling, you'll always be my favorite husbando," she said, her voice dripping with exaggerated sweetness, "but right now, Master's got someone much more interesting to talk to!"
She stood directly in front of Riku, hovering a few inches above the ground, her glowing halo casting an ethereal light on his scared, dirt-smudged face. Her golden eyes, ancient and sparkling with a terrifying intelligence and something that looked unsettlingly like fangirling, bore into his.
"So," she asked, her voice dropping slightly, a hint of hushed excitement replacing the casual cheer, "are you a… 'gambler' too?"