"ETHAN VINCENT!!!"
A roar saturated with endless resentment and fury echoed through the dark, damp cavern. It vibrated so violently that ripples spread across the lake's surface, as if the water itself were trembling in fear.
[Heh... haa... heh...]
Dolores Umbridge collapsed to her knees. Bits of mangled flesh dripped from her body in a grisly drizzle, merging into a small stream that flowed into the lake. The water was gradually stained a murky, dark red, and as the blood seeped toward the lakebed, blurry shadows began to churn and surge beneath the surface.
At this moment, even a colleague who had worked alongside Umbridge for years would fail to recognize her. Her body was bloated like a massive tumor, and her pink suit—now soaked in filth—clung to her in tattered, strained strips. Half of her body was completely gone, severed cleanly as if by a giant blade, with foul blood continuously oozing from the wound.
[Damn it... damn it... DAMN IT...! He got the better of me again...!]
Umbridge's eyes looked ready to burst. Her toad-like face was a mass of writhing, twitching eyeballs—revolting and utterly hideous. At the thought of her recent defeat, a shudder ran through her.
She had clearly obtained supreme power; she had even devoured the soul of Lord Voldemort... She was an existence that could call itself a "God"!
So why did she still lose?!
In fact, if the Death God hadn't forcibly extended her life at the final second... she would have been cleaved in two by that damned brat's sword!
Feeling the crushing weight of the divine pressure descending upon her, a flicker of genuine terror flashed in Umbridge's eyes.
[...I... I am the chosen one... I am His avatar in the mortal realm! I will not fail a second time...!!]
A temporary setback meant nothing! The ultimate winner would undoubtedly be her—and her supreme Master, the Death God!!
She would have her revenge... she would destroy Ethan Vincent, the boy who had stripped her of everything!!!
Her pupils turned blood-red. She whipped her head toward the darkness of the cave, her lips trembling as she spat out a series of sibilant, serpentine sounds.
[Come here... Nagini... Voldemort's most loyal servant...]
Having merged with Voldemort's soul, she was now capable of Parseltongue.
Accompanied by a hiss that would make anyone's skin crawl, a rustling sound emerged from the shadows.
Shhh-shhh... shhh-shhh...
The sound of scales rubbing against stone grew louder. Out of the darkness, a dark green viper, as thick as a grown man's arm, slowly slithered out. It flicked its tongue, its crimson eyes reflecting Umbridge's twisted, evil face.
[Nagini, while I go to gather our allies, I have a special mission for you...]
Umbridge pulled her mouth into a cavernous, bloody grin and slowly reached a hand toward Nagini.
[Go. Sink your fangs into that young, pulsing neck. End his destiny... my loyal Nagini, I look forward to your good news...]
Nagini: Hiss? (Me? I'm supposed to go assassinate Ethan? For real??)
The snake tilted its head in confusion. Its expression seemed to say: Have you lost your mind?
Umbridge: [But before that, I must grant you a few small... modifications...]
The power of a curse was pumped into the serpent. Accompanied by the sickening crack-pop of shifting bones, the shadow cast against the stone wall began to elongate and stretch.
Finally, it stood upright.
Umbridge looked at her masterpiece with satisfaction, failing to notice the change in the dark. Those eyes, which should have been bloodthirsty and mindless, flickered with an imperceptible ripple. It was as if the shackles on its soul had been weakened, allowing a sliver of its own consciousness to burst through.
On the other side of the world, within the Veil of the Department of Mysteries.
"Look! The exit is just ahead!"
A researcher pointed at the light in the distance and shouted, nearly moved to tears of joy. "I can finally go home... waaaah..."
"I'll never forget this expedition for as long as I live... it was too damn intense."
"Regardless, we've achieved great results! we finished exploring the Chamber of the Veil before that Dark Lord Ethan Vincent could get his hands on it."
"Sigh, what if the Minister of Magic gives me a huge villa as a reward? The annual management fee for a villa is..."
With the exit in sight, the mood among the group relaxed significantly. Ethan listened to their rambling discussions with a faint smile, offering no comment.
At this moment, Saul Croaker, the Head of the Department of Mysteries, stepped forward. He gave a few performative coughs and said with feigned nonchalance, "So, uh, I have a daughter. She's currently studying in France, a bit younger than you. What do you think...?"
"France?" Ethan replied, flashing a bright, harmless smile. "I have a friend over there. She sends me a stack of letters every once in a while. When we said goodbye last time, she even told me she'd 'give me what for' the next time we met."
"Haha, what a passionate person."
Director Croaker: "?"
...Wait, was that a threat? Like an enemy?
He choked for a moment, but seeing the exit so close, he didn't press the issue. Regardless, this fellow was currently in the Department of Mysteries; there would be plenty of time to get to know him later.
Hmph, my silly daughter kept saying she liked guys like 'Ethan Vincent.' Look at this—there are plenty of talented, good men in the world! Why would she want to get involved with such a dangerous character?
Croaker gave a disdainful snort. Ignoring his frolicking employees, he maintained his dignity and stepped firmly through the gateway filled with white light.
Suddenly remembering something, he turned back and asked, "Oh? What did you say your name was again? I'm getting old, my memory is—"
Whoosh.
The Veil fluttered.
The fresh, slightly damp air of the underground flooded his nostrils. Bright light suddenly splashed across his face, causing Croaker to squint in discomfort. As his vision adjusted, the first thing he saw was rows upon rows of Aurors.
They had the entire area surrounded, sealed tight. Even Minister Scrimgeour was there.
Croaker blinked in surprise, a wave of emotion welling up in his chest. ...They came to meet us? My goodness, such a grand display. Even the Minister himself came. They must really value this operation by the Department of Mysteries!
Director Croaker beamed. "Minister Scrimgeour! I have great news! Our mission was a total—"
Before he could finish, Scrimgeour's roar, laced with fury, cut him off!
"YOU ARE UNDER ARREST! ETHAN VINCENT!!!"
The shout echoed through the hollow hall. Scrimgeour held his wand high, pointing it directly at the person standing right next to the Director!
Voom— It felt like a heavy hammer had dropped. Every researcher froze on the spot, stunned.
Who? Who did the Minister just name?
In an instant, as if the clouds had parted to reveal the sun, the confusion clouding Director Croaker's mind vanished. He finally realized the truth. His eyes widened, the color drained from his face, and he began to tremble violently.
His neck felt stiff; he didn't even dare turn his head to look at the person beside him.
...He finally knew. No, he should have known all along who this "newcomer" was. He had only let his guard down because the boy came with a recommendation... No, was it because a spell had been cast on them?
Director Croaker closed his eyes, his face ashen.
Forget a promotion and a raise—they had spent the entire time helping a "wanted fugitive" complete a full exploration of the Department of Mysteries!! While they were all patting themselves on the back, they had been played like fiddles!
...Terrifying. This kid was simply too terrifying!!
In the dead silence, Shasha finally snapped out of it. She screamed in shock, "What—what are you saying, Minister?! The newcomer is that world-ending Dark Lord Ethan Vincent? But he's the hero who saved all of us!"
"He's clearly—"
Shasha suddenly stopped. The righteous indignation on her face turned into a blank stare. She turned to look at the young man's unremarkable face and murmured:
"You... what was your name? It's impossible... we spent so much time together, there's no way I wouldn't know your name..."
"Wait? Ha... haha... who... who are you, exactly?!"
Shasha forced a stiff smile, grabbing Ethan's sleeve and shaking it hard.
"Hmph, fool!" Minister Scrimgeour looked down at her with contempt. "Defending a criminal even after being deceived—you are beyond help."
Under the weight of countless gazes, Ethan slowly and firmly pulled his sleeve out of Shasha's grasp. He raised a hand and covered his own face.
In the next second, when he lowered his hand, the face revealed to the crowd was hidden behind a featureless, pure white mask!
"—MR. LAMP!!"
Someone in the crowd screamed.
A spell zipped through the air like a bolt of lightning, but Ethan deflected it with effortless ease. As sparks showered the floor, Ethan scanned the terrified and tense faces around him. His lips curled into a slow smile.
"How rude. I rarely ever lie," he said smoothly. "From beginning to end, I merely withheld a few pieces of information. Besides, didn't I make an outstanding contribution to our journey into the Veil?"
Ethan tilted his head, his gaze sweeping over the shocked, disbelieving expressions of the researchers before finally landing on Shasha.
He spoke gently. "You are a very brave girl. Remember, you and your brother have made a significant contribution to the Light."
Scrimgeour roared, "Enough! Stop this acting—SEIZE HIM!!!"
At the command, it was like a thousand arrows firing at once. Countless spells wove together into a literal net of magic, hurtling toward Ethan from every direction!
At that moment, time seemed to slow down.
Dazzling colors reflected in Ethan's eyes, drawing a sigh of admiration from him.
"Ah... what a marvelous sight. I see infinite possibilities of magic within this, like a perfectly harmonious painting..."
"But, it's still missing a bit of soul."
In an instant, Ethan's grin stretched nearly to his ears! A terrifying, malevolent aura erupted from his body! A gale-force wind swept through the hall, whipping people's hair and clothes about, causing their expressions to shift instantly to pure dread.
"And that missing piece is..."
Ethan smiled, raising his hand to pinch a black jade stone covered in intricate, jagged grooves.
"...The exquisite pleasure of agonizing torture."
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