"Ahhhhhh——————!!"
"Holy shit! Why am I flying into the sky?!"
"Hogwarts has stood up! Hogwarts has literally stood up!"
Students and professors tumbled over one another, tossed around like spilling beans, crashing into chaotic piles.
They were utterly astounded, watching in sheer shock as the ancient runes across the castle flared to life, bursting with a dazzling brilliance!
The light flowed and drifted, as if suddenly endowed with life, transforming into the very blood vessels of the fortress.
From the four corners of the foundation, bizarre, colossal legs sprouted—a grotesque, mythical amalgamation of giants, tentacles, branches, and rooster feet.
Shaking off avalanches of earth and stone like cascading waterfalls, the castle slowly hoisted its massive "body" upward.
Outside the castle grounds.
The Aurors watched this scene in absolute horror. Their jaws dropped, and they muttered blankly:
"Merlin's beard... am I hallucinating? Why is Hogwarts Castle moving?!"
Grindelwald's pupils dilated in profound shock.
Sparks of eerie blue fire sputtered fitfully from the tip of his wand, looking like a gas stove failing to ignite.
————So, Ethan spent his entire year as Headmaster tinkering with this bloody thing?!
Grindelwald suddenly felt that the modern wizarding world was getting a bit too radical.
[Damn it, what on earth is going on here?!]
The Avatar of Death roared in a mixture of shock and fury.
If he hadn't already taken on the flawless vision of serpent eyes, he would have thought he had fallen into another one of Ethan's traps, trapped in some wicked hallucination!
Didn't Nagini already kill Ethan? Could this be Ethan's counterattack... No, impossible! Ethan is dead! Nagini! Bring that brat's corpse to me! Nagini?
The Avatar of Death screamed inwardly in his mind.
However, seconds ticked by in absolute silence. There wasn't the slightest response.
The Avatar of Death froze, his pupils instantly shrinking to pinpricks!
An utterly impossible deduction surfaced in his mind.
————Has Nagini broken free from His control?
No, that's impossible!
Even if Ethan cured Nagini's Blood Maledictus curse, those two things have absolutely nothing to do with each other!
The power bestowed by Death was supreme. As a mere savage beast, how could Nagini possibly tear herself away from His shackles?!
He refused—and didn't dare—to acknowledge this "possibility."
He immediately dived into his consciousness space, tracing the faint, residual link, and quickly located Nagini's position————
Deep beneath Hogwarts, at the very center of the newly raised foundation.
He saw a highly bizarre apparatus, resembling a massive forge.
Its dark, weathered brass surface bore witness to its ancient age, while the intricate ancient runes engraved upon it heralded its extraordinary nature.
With just one glance, the Avatar of Death recognized it as an artifact from a thousand years ago.
And now, this relic, which should have lain dormant in the dust of history, was brimming with an unprecedented vitality!
Within it, scorching golden-red flames rose and rolled!
And Nagini was standing right in the center of those flames.
[What do you think you are doing?!] Death's eyes nearly tore open as he roared in fury, desperately attempting to reassert control over Nagini. [You foolish beast, did you actually kill Ethan or not?!]
Hearing this, Nagini raised her head as Death's thunderous roars echoed through her mind.
However, they could no longer bind her.
"...One minute," Nagini spoke.
Death paused, only to hear her continue: "I estimate that in another two or three minutes, Ethan will wake up."
[W-What did you say?!]
Nagini looked up at the dancing firelight reflecting on the wall. A mocking smile broke across her usually gloomy face.
"After the curse on my body was eradicated, I found that my power became even stronger————speaking of which, I really have to thank you for that."
"I suppose the magic you bestowed upon me left a residue in my body. In short, I discovered I could manipulate toxins, blending them to achieve any effect I desired."
Nagini pointed to her own sharp fangs.
"So, after receiving your order, I feigned obedience and injected a 'suspended animation' venom into Ethan's body————"
"Which means Ethan, and Dumbledore as well, are not dead."
[You... you're lying!] The basilisk avatar flew into a towering rage, beads of cold sweat breaking out beneath his scales. [How could you possibly defy My command?! My power is absolute and supreme!!]
"Perhaps it was before," Nagini nodded, her expression remarkably serene. "But ever since a certain moment during the summer holidays, a crack appeared in your shackles... I believe it happened right around the time you transformed me into a human form."
[What?! I don't recall ever————]
The Avatar of Death's voice abruptly cut off, his pupils snapping tight!
...He remembered.
When he turned Nagini into a human and commanded her to assassinate Ethan, it was precisely the exact moment his other remnant was destroyed by Ethan.
Did the destruction of that piece of Death's remnant weaken His control?!
And the tiny seed planted back then had sprouted at this critical, monumental moment tonight.
In an instant, a massive wave of absurdity washed over Him.
It was as if destiny had played a cruel joke on Him.
...How could this be?
He was the ultimate, loyal champion of destiny. How could destiny side with a mere mortal who only knew destruction?!
Yet, despite his internal contempt and disparagement, a completely foreign emotion welled up from the depths of his soul.
————"Fear."
...For the very first time, he felt terrified that the mortal, Ethan Vincent, would truly supplant Him.
In a flash, the Avatar of Death clarified his objective. His aura shifted drastically, and a cold, terrifying pressure cascaded outward!
He would slaughter every single person who stood in his way!!
The air suddenly turned incredibly heavy, as though compressed by an ultimate, supreme force. Nagini's spine buckled uncontrollably under the weight.
Her heart pounded instinctively. Her primal animal instincts screamed frantically inside her head: Run! Flee!
However...
The reason humans are human is because sometimes, human will is powerful enough to triumph over instinct!
Crack! Snap!
Under the crushing weight, Nagini forced her spine straight, inch by inch.
A mocking yet unyielding smile appeared on her pale, somber face.
"You've lost, Death."
"You grossly underestimated the grandeur of mortals. You despise and ignore everything you deem weak and insignificant, but it is precisely these ignored people who have engineered your ultimate downfall."
The one who weakened Death's grip was the researcher playing the flute behind the Veil, twisted by the remnant.
The one who backstabbed Death was a "savage beast," the Maledictus Nagini.
Ethan had ended the former's torment and steadfastly cured the latter.
"...Bit by bit, it all culminated in your failure today, Death!"
[I. HAVE. NOT. FAILED!!!]
Clang!
The pressure multiplied yet again!
However, shielded by the golden light, the oppressive power could not penetrate the forge.
"Then let us wait and see... though, I won't be around to witness it," Nagini murmured softly.
She raised her hands, and the blazing, brilliant flames wrapped around her fair arms like silk, bringing an agonizing, bone-deep pain.
"...At that moment, there was no time to explain, yet you chose to trust me without a single shred of hesitation. Thank you... my wonderful master..."
Watching the rising flames, Nagini's eyes crinkled into a soft, gentle smile.
At this moment, even the harshest critic could not find a single trace of a "beast" left within her.
"My eyes can perceive the most intricate magic. I know you have been planning a ritual all along, and I know exactly what you are missing..."
"A devout and powerful sacrifice, right?"
"Then let me be that sacrifice."
"Let my flesh and blood serve as the firewood to illuminate your path of ascension!"
Nagini cried out loud, raising her trembling arms high, allowing the roaring inferno to entirely consume her body!
As her flesh and magic burned, this thousand-year-old forge burst with an even more radiant, overwhelming vitality!
The energy poured into the round spark of the Death remnant.
Following a complex process of refinement, it ultimately condensed into a golden liquid resembling the primal elixir of life, flowing into every corner of the ancient castle!
[Are you insane?!] Shocked and enraged, Death watched Nagini fade away, completely unable to comprehend or believe his eyes. [Ha! How utterly fatuous!]
[Fleeing from my eternal side just to throw your life away immediately? A beast will always be a beast!]
...That is because you do not understand the most precious emotions of humanity, Nagini thought to herself.
Perhaps because she was at the end of her life, her emotions swelled. At this moment, she suddenly felt that Death was rather pathetic.
Sitting upon a supreme throne, possessing unparalleled might, yet fundamentally no different from a cold machine.
Just then, Nagini's vision began to darken, and a figure suddenly materialized before her, reaching a hand out to her.
She instinctively raised her hand to meet it, only to see her arm crumble into ash the very next second.
"Ethan... thank you..."
Thank you for letting me remember, at the very end of my life, what it felt like to walk on two legs.
Strands of black ash drifted amidst the towering flames. Like autumn leaves swept by the wind, one of the flakes drifted gently into Ethan's palm.
[The Boundary Map Ritual is complete! The Dawn Engine Core is activated!]
['Hogwarts' has become your domain. Regardless of where you are, you can exert your influence upon it at will!]
[——————————Together, let us witness the dawn of life.]
[Soul Synchronization increased by 0.2%]
Whoosh!
A magnificent golden light erupted from the massive forge, rolling out in all directions!
In an instant, Ethan's consciousness soared high.
From a god-like perspective, he looked down upon the entirety of Hogwarts!
He saw Albus Dumbledore being helped to his feet amidst the ruins of the shattered ceiling.
He saw Professor Severus Snape, unconscious in a corner, being dragged away by shadowy tentacles (to be healed).
He saw countless faces filled with amazement and terror, none of them knowing if Hogwarts' sudden frenzy was an enemy assault or a scheme cooked up by their own side.
His perspective shifted effortlessly with his thoughts, finally halting before a pristine, pale figure.
Luna Lovegood seemed to understand everything through her bizarre, unique mind. She stared back silently at him, her serene blue eyes instantly calming Ethan's chaotic thoughts.
Her lips parted, silently mouthing:
"Do it."
Whoosh!
In that split second, Ethan snapped back to reality and clenched his fist tightly!
With a flick of his wrist, he grabbed a gleaming, golden object and slammed it directly into the forge!
The inferno roared furiously, yet it couldn't harm him in the slightest, illuminating a handsome face that struck stark terror into anyone who looked upon it.
Like a frozen ocean, beneath his calm exterior lurked an incredibly boundless and turbulent torrent of emotion!
"...I never expected you to go to such lengths for me, Nagini."
"You are no longer a Horcrux bound by another's whim, nor are you that venomous serpent destined to be decapitated by a sword in the end. Never again."
"You are a human being—a human far more precious than any entity that dares call itself supreme!"
Flash!
Under the intense tempering of the raging fire, the object in Ethan's hand erupted with an even more brilliant radiance!
Ethan withdrew his arm's magical protection, willingly feeling the agonizing bite of the flames.
¼Raising his cobalt-blue eyes, he glared directly at the Avatar of Death, pronouncing each word with absolute finality:
"Welcome your ultimate defeat, Death!!"
[!!!]
The Avatar of Death gasped in horror!
A numbing dread shot up from the depths of his soul, racing through his limbs!
Standing before him did not feel like a mere teenager, but an active volcano on the absolute verge of eruption!
————Tonight is not the night to fight!
Almost instantly, the Avatar of Death yielded to his survival instincts, snapping his wings back, desperate to flee just like he did last time!
But this time, Ethan wouldn't give him the chance.
"Boom!"
The golden light flared violently as countless glowing runes poured out from the castle, binding the hideous, dark-green serpent form layer upon layer like tightly wound chains!
Simultaneously...
Screeech!
A fiery crimson phoenix tore through the black fog. Its wings unfurled in a brilliant display, unleashing a resonant, high-pitched cry that echoed like a morning bell!
It erupted into billowing waves of fire, painting almost the entire sky in a vivid crimson, forming a massive net that completely cut off Death's escape route!
[Guh!]
Death's eyes bulged in fury as he struggled desperately, yet an unmistakable panic flashed within his wide stare.
This level of attack couldn't truly harm Him.
But an ominous premonition gripped his heart, a sinking feeling that something completely outside his control was about to unfold!
"Do you know of the mythical 'Mistletoe Arrow'?"
"The fatal arrow capable of slaying an invincible god."
[...Ha! Don't tell me you actually think you can kill Me?] The serpent head swallowed hard, a mocking sneer pulling at his maw. [Stop overestimating yourself! Even if this is merely My mortal avatar, it is not something a creature like you can destroy!!]
"Is that so?"
"Then let us witness the final moment together!"
The moment his voice fell, Ethan channeled the entirety of his magic, pouring every ounce of it into the object inside the forge!
The golden light exploded. The dense, majestic magic surged through the forge instantly, racing into every corner of Hogwarts!
It infused this ancient ritual with the sheer power of a god!
[Argh!]
The Avatar of Death shrieked in pain, glaring at Ethan in terrified disbelief.
Suddenly realizing something, he blurted out in a frantic scream:
[You... what you hold in your hand is the flesh I discarded!]
————That was precisely the fragment of Death given to him by Nagini, now transformed into the highest grade of extraordinary material: the [Light Fruit]!
"Rumble!"
The earth trembled violently.
In countless dark, hidden corners of Hogwarts, massive eggs as large as hills began to hatch.
Crack... Crack...
From the ruptures, colossal tentacles as thick as ancient trees thrust outward.
Nourished by time and infinite magical power, their surfaces rippled with golden patterns. Like a raging flood, they swept through corridors, burst through solid stone walls, and surged out into the open grounds of Hogwarts.
Driven by their creator's will, one by one, they coiled and twisted together.
Ultimately, they tightly braided themselves into a massive "artillery battery" aimed squarely at the Avatar of Death!
[Item Name: "Mistletoe Cannon"]
[Grade: Tier 4 · Golden Legend]
[Effect: Concentrates all Light Magic, amplified through the forge's power to a magnitude capable of slaying gods.]
[Evaluation: Why should your next mistletoe be just an "arrow"?]
[————Gah... Aaaugh!!!]
The Avatar of Death thrashed frantically, snapping the golden chains one after another.
However, in the very next second, a pristine, silver moonlight swept across the battlefield, freezing his magic and pinning Him rigidly in place.
A stream of fresh blood trickled down from Ethan's nose.
Yet his gaze remained entirely unwavering, locking directly onto the hideous, humanoid basilisk as he roared:
"Take this—a strike from humanity!"
"Hogwarts... FIRE!!"
The moment the command left his lips...
The entire sky lit up!!