The sudden surge of powerful magical fluctuations startled Aries, but she quickly understood the source of it. That silver-haired little girl was actually carrying a Domain with her.
Who would do something so extravagant? Splitting off one's own Domain meant a real loss and weakening of oneself. It was equivalent to sustaining a Domain over a long period using one's own magic. What Domain powerhouse would be willing to make such a losing deal?
Aries asked herself this. Setting aside whether she could even accomplish it, even if she had the ability, she would never be willing to do so, because it would greatly affect her own strength.
If her strength was ten before the split, afterward it would likely drop to seven or eight. That was an immediate decrease of twenty to thirty percent, a very serious impairment.
After realizing this, Aries felt a trace of wariness toward Daphne. Because behind this little girl stood an extremely powerful Domain user. That person was likely nurturing her as a successor, and might have even arranged a guard who possessed a Domain.
Aries recalled the mysterious powerhouse with the Blood Domain who had appeared alongside Daphne, and immediately felt her guess was correct.
She did not consider the possibility that the two were the same person. One was water, the other blood. The difference was quite significant.
At the same time, she felt a bit fortunate that she had not struck to kill just now. If that silver-haired girl had been killed by her, the grudge formed would have been enormous. She would probably never know peace for the rest of her life.
What awaited her would be endless pursuit.
However, shock was just shock. Aries remained completely unpanicked. What could a masterless Domain do to her?
She was a true Domain wielder, someone on the same level as the mysterious powerhouse behind the silver-haired girl.
"Although I don't know where you got this Domain, thinking you can defeat me with just an unclaimed Domain is nothing but wishful thinking," Aries sneered confidently.
She was not wrong. In battles at the Domain level, if one side lacked someone to support and control it, victory would sooner or later belong to the other side.
"Are you sure?" Hermione raised an eyebrow.
Aries: ???
What do you mean?
At that moment, the Domain Daphne had summoned suddenly began to fluctuate, startling Aries.
At the same time, Phantom Rhys slowly emerged from a corner of the library. Aries quickly noticed his presence. She frowned and was about to say something when Phantom Rhys directly controlled the incomplete Domain and charged forward.
"Fine, then let us—" Aries had only spoken halfway when a massive serpent tail formed from clear water slammed into her waist, sending her flying.
Thud.
Aries crashed into the remains of a bookshelf and was unable to speak for a long moment.
She raised her hand, intending to return the attack in kind against Phantom Rhys, but her strike was effortlessly blocked by the Domain under his control.
Only a faint ripple appeared on the clear surface of the water before it returned to normal. Aries did not give up. She launched several more attacks, but all of them were ineffective. Instead, Phantom Rhys used the opportunity to fully grasp her abilities.
Phantom Rhys said, "A Domain related to gases? Not a bad concept. Unfortunately, you are too weak. You cannot bring out even a fraction of its true power."
He was speaking the truth. In his eyes, if Aries's Domain were properly developed, it would not even be inferior to Rowena's. Yet such a high-quality Domain appeared so feeble before him. It could only be attributed to the user.
Aries: "…"
The young boy brought her immense pressure, giving her a suffocating feeling. In front of him, her Domain felt as if it did not exist at all, and she herself was like a lone boat in the vast ocean, completely helpless.
Tides surged in from all directions, and soon the entire library turned into a vast expanse of water.
Taking advantage of the moment, Daphne dug her sister out from beneath the collapsed bookshelf and placed her in a higher area.
Astoria's robes were soaked with blood. Her eyes were tightly shut, and her face was pale, making her look rather terrifying.
Several explosive sounds and a scream came from not far away, but Daphne did not even bother to turn her head. She knew very well that the battle had already ended the moment she shattered the amethyst.
Ever since Aries had been dragged into Hermione's Library Domain, she no longer had any chance of victory. The only difference was what kind of experience she could provide for Daphne and the others.
If Rhys were to learn what Aries had done, he would surely feel very gratified, while also regretting that this girl had not appeared at the end of the term.
At this moment, Aries's Domain power had already been completely dismantled by Phantom Rhys. She collapsed onto the library floor.
"Urrg… can we reconcile?" Aries forced out the words through clenched teeth.
Her words left everyone stunned. It was the first time they had encountered an enemy like this.
"At a time like this? You must be joking!" Although Phantom Rhys said so, his movements actually came to a halt.
Seeing that Phantom Rhys did not continue attacking, Aries immediately felt there was hope and hurriedly said, "I'm willing to surrender. Spare me. I was forced to serve Voldemort!"
"Are you really one of the Constellation Mages of the Secret Society?" Cedric, who was watching from a distance, could not help but ask.
According to his teacher, the members of the Secret Society were a group of lunatics always ready to die as martyrs. This was the first time he had heard of one kneeling to beg for mercy after losing.
"As genuine as it gets." Aries only regretted that the Secret Society had no form of identification like a certificate, fearing she could not demonstrate her value in front of these young people.
Phantom Rhys: "…"
You sound quite proud of that!
Aries, however, had already made up her mind. It was the organization that had abandoned her first. What was wrong with wanting to survive? She began to sob as she accused Voldemort and the Esoteric Society of persecuting her and her family.
"I have nothing left…" she cried out in a sobbing voice.
Aries's behavior gave everyone present, including Phantom Rhys, a slight shock.
"Rhys, spare her. We might be able to get a lot of valuable information from her," Hermione pleaded on Aries's behalf.
Daphne, standing beside Hermione, frowned. The woman before them had injured her sister and should have been severely punished. But if she surrendered, would she be able to escape punishment?
With Hermione speaking up, Phantom Rhys did not hesitate any longer. He quickly sealed Aries's flow of mana, preventing her from using her Domain or casting spells.
"Remember to come find the real me to reinforce the seal after you get out," Phantom Rhys left behind these words before slowly dissipating, leaving Aries sitting on the ground in a daze.
____
12 Chaps ahead at Patreon.com/HornyFBI