An ink-blue starry night swept across the entire sky!
Like a flowing tide, the thick, visible brushstrokes of paint made the scene look utterly surreal and absurd, as if everyone had plunged into a nightmare from which they could not wake.
"Merlin's beard! Is Ethan finally going to destroy the world?!"
"The Dark Lord has arrived! The Dark Lord is coming, ahhh!"
"Long live the Enlightenment Society! Long live Mr. Lamp! Hehehe!"
Owls blanketed the sky, weaving through blood-red droplets of tears, their feathers bathed in the golden radiance shed by the stars. Their frantic hooting carried the shock and panic of the masses to every corner of the world. The Floo Network crashed, and telephone lines were jammed.
"DO NOT LOOK UP AT THE SKY!!!" official warnings beeped loudly on everyone's mobile phones.
Yet, it was all in vain. Everyone's eyes reflected this magnificent and terrifying sight, completely entranced by this supreme piece of art at that very moment.
In Hogsmeade, inside the Three Broomsticks.
Madam Rosmerta, the landlady whose beautiful face was now lined with a bit more age, stood frozen in shock alongside her patrons. No one cared that butterbeer was spilling over onto the floor.
"Merlin's silk stockings..." Madam Rosmerta muttered blankly. "He really did it... He really forced the entire world to witness his 'perfect' art!!"
"Ethan Vincent!!!"
——[Name: "The Starry Night"]
[Rank: Tier 5 · Endless]
[Description: "Starry vortices devour the night, as brilliant gold sheds tears."]
[Effect: Transforms any area covered by the flowing starry night into one's own domain. Any other power will be suppressed, trapping targets within a cage of stars from which they cannot break free.]
[Evaluation: Let out a melodious cry of despair for this magnificent scene, world! For this is the birth of a new god.]
[Tier 5 Paintings Used: 2/3]
Meanwhile.
[Roar—!!!]
A furious roar echoed from the starry night. Like a trapped beast, it slammed desperately against the canvas of the sky, releasing a heart-stopping aura!
In the former Realm of Death.
The originally pitch-black sky had been completely replaced by the ink-blue and golden starry night. Eyes opening one after another from within the stars replaced Death, gazing down at everything on the ground.
The moonlight swirling around Luna weakened. Deprived of Death's power supply, her face grew visibly pale. Her lips were completely bloodless, and her face took on a translucent, glass-like texture. Only her blue eyes remained like a lake under the moonlight—clear, serene, and shimmering.
The rest of their companions, slumped on the ground, looked up in shock at this incredible sight. They muttered things like "Merlin's beard," "Galloping Gorgons," and "Lascivious Gorgons."
"Ethan really changed the entire space... He turned it into his home ground!"
Hermione's eyes widened, filled with immense admiration and reverence. Only by truly standing within this canvas of "art" could she grasp the undeniable truth—she really couldn't compare to Ethan.
This wasn't even magic anymore. It was a "miracle"!
"I really want to follow him for the rest of my life..." Hermione whispered, a joyful smile gracing her lips.
On the other side, Ethan stood suspended in mid-air, a galaxy above his head and darkness beneath his feet. His robes fluttered fiercely, his black hair whipped about, and his cobalt-blue eyes locked directly onto Death's massive, humiliated, and infuriated face!
[Kill him!!!] Death on the moon roared, His features twisting into the hideous visage of a demon!
Luna slowly turned around. Her blonde hair flowed behind her like a golden river, and her entire being radiated a soft, white glow—ethereal and serene, like a moonlight elf standing under the night sky. Without a word, she leaned forward slightly, pushed off the ground, and shot forward light and fast like an arrow off a bowstring!
Twisting her body mid-air, she elegantly flicked her wand. A brilliant white moonlight coalesced above, ultimately forming a colossal crescent moon! It resembled an incredibly sharp, giant scythe, slashing straight toward Ethan!
"Ethan—!!"
Whoosh!
A powerful gust of wind rushed past, blowing Ethan's hair back and exposing his broad forehead. Facing this magnificent strike, Ethan didn't move an inch. He simply used his cobalt-blue eyes to watch Luna as she drew closer through the night. It felt as though he were watching a bright moon falling toward him.
In the next second, right before the crescent scythe could cleave him apart, Ethan's fingers twitched slightly.
Pfft!
Countless blood-red threads erupted from the eyes within the stars! From all directions, they pierced right through Luna's body!
Whoosh!
Luna's forward momentum ground to a sudden halt, her body shuddering violently in mid-air! Then, she hung suspended like a puppet on strings, her arms spread out to her sides and her head hanging low, looking like a silvery-white holy brand!
No blood flowed from where the threads pierced her, nor was there any pain. However, her magic was completely bound, rendering her unable to channel even a shred of it.
The crescent moon shattered, and the cold, bright light dissipated.
In a single split second, the battle was decided!
"...Impressive," Viktor Krum said in a deep voice. Aside from that word, he couldn't think of any other way to describe it.
Ethan raised his hand, cupping Luna's downward-tilted face, and looked into her misty, deep blue eyes.
[Damn it!] Death hissed hoarsely, contorted with rage. [Every single one of you is a useless piece of trash!!]
He felt utterly suffocated with frustration. No matter how hard He tried, this brat always managed to stay one step ahead of Him! What kind of ridiculous "growing stronger when facing a stronger foe" logic was this?! Was he an unkillable cockroach or something?!
But despite His immense frustration, Death did not panic. Because He always had a way to escape.
[I'll let you off the hook this time... until we meet again.] Death curled his lips high, his hollow, eyeless sockets brimming with pure malice. [Who will be corrupted next time? Which companion by your side will it be? That incessantly yapping brown-haired girl? Or that exquisite, proud flower of France?]
Hermione's face darkened.
...What did He mean by an "incessantly yapping brown-haired girl"? And since when was Fleur an "exquisite flower"?!
At the same time, a wave of anxiety washed over Hermione. Could she truly resist Death's corruption? Under a power that transcended humanity, could she really maintain her sanity? Even Luna had succumbed... It was like a time bomb, planting seeds of doubt and mistrust in everyone's hearts.
"Damn it! How can the great Death be so cunning and insidious?! Is there really no way to finish Him off once and for all?!"
[Hehehe...] Death laughed with wicked smugness, His face gradually fading from the moon. [Foolish human who rejected ascending to godhood, I thought too highly of you before...]
[My domain is far superior to yours, and I can go anywhere! You will never, ever catch up to Me... until you wither away and exhaust your own lifespan—!]
[Huh?]
Death's grin suddenly froze. A look of confusion washed over Him, His facial features twisting in panic. However, no matter how hard He tried, His face attached to the moon could no longer fade away. It was as if He had been sealed in place!
[W-What is happening? Why can't I leave...?!]
Right then, Luna, who had been completely still and silent, suddenly'? shuddered! She lifted her head, her gaze shifting. In those deep blue eyes, there wasn't a single trace of haze or confusion left! She glared at Death with absolute, piercing clarity!
[It's you?!] Death's eyes widened in horror, the threads stitching His eyelids straining and creaking!
[The moon is blocking My departure... Could it be that you weren't corrupted by Me at all?! You've been faking it this entire time?! Impossible! This is impossible!!!]
Death roared frantically, struggling with all His might. Yet, He couldn't budge an inch! Like a mouse stuck to a glue trap, He was firmly pinned to the full moon!
This sudden twist left everyone else utterly shocked!
"Luna?!" Hermione cried out, a burst of pleasant surprise lighting up her eyes!
...She knew it! As the person closest to Ethan, how could she possibly be so easily corrupted!
"W-What's going on?" Ron asked, looking utterly bewildered.
"I dunno, Death just suddenly threw a tantrum," Harry replied, equally clueless.
Hermione rolled her eyes hard and explained to the clueless duo, "Luna was never corrupted by Death from the start. She knowingly walked into the trap, pretending to be controlled. In reality, she was counter-controlling Death from the shadows! She bound Him to her own body so He couldn't escape as He pleased!"
"N-No way!" Ron's mouth fell open into a perfect 'O'. Looking up at Luna in mid-air, he said admiringly, "That's bloody insane... That's Death she's dealing with! She actually dared to trick Death!"
"And she pulled it off!" Hermione added.
Even if anyone else could have thought of such a gamble, they wouldn't have dared to attempt it. What if they actually got corrupted? It took a lunatic on the exact same wavelength as Ethan to actually put it into practice!
"—Ethan!" Luna shouted.
Amidst Death's panicked roars, she looked straight at Ethan in front of her. Puffing out her slender chest, she said firmly and excitedly, "Use the god-killing weapon on me, Ethan! I have bound Death inside my soul! As long as you pierce me, you can kill Death!"
Ethan's eyes flickered slightly, but he didn't move. He just stood there, staring intently at the blonde girl before him.
That pure, trusting face was almost exactly the same as when they first met, completely unchanged. She was the quirky little girl who had promised to sponsor him before she even knew anything about his artistic skills. And at this very moment, she was an unwavering ancient magic witch—the one who had successfully deceived Death!
"——Do it, Ethan."
In the next second!
Pfft!
Accompanied by the sound of a sharp blade piercing a chest, two pairs of lips pressed together.
"Oh!" Hermione practically shrieked, burying her face into her "best pal" Harry's shoulder, sobbing in shuddering gasps, refusing to look any longer.
Fleur, who had just regained consciousness, witnessed this scene, rolled her eyes, and promptly fainted again.
Warmth and coldness intertwined, softness clinging together as a numbing sensation shot like an electric current straight to the heart, sending shivers deep into the soul. They parted after a brief touch.
Ethan pulled back slightly, a flush of red creeping over his pale face. Luna was the same, her blue eyes trembling like a startled fawn, a rosy tint coloring her cheeks. Even her previously bloodless lips had turned a delicate pink.
"Not a bad plan," Ethan said, a smirk playing on his lips as he smiled warmly. "However, it's missing just one thing!"
In his hand, he wasn't holding the black blade capable of slaying gods. Instead, it was the [Silvery-White Rapier] that could pull someone into a soul! It was the very sword that had previously brought Ethan into the souls and conscious spaces of Neville's parents and the Maledictus, Nagini.
Now, Ethan was going to use it to reach Death's true form, which was currently bound by Luna! He would duel Death's true form directly, rather than by hurting Luna!
Want to run? No way!
Ethan: "Let's face this together, Luna."
Luna's eyes widened slightly. Then, a radiant smile bloomed on her face. She smacked her lips as if savoring the moment, and said earnestly, "As I thought, I still like you best, Ethan!"
As soon as the words left her mouth...
[NO—!!]
Along with Death's furious roar, a blinding light erupted from Luna's chest! It engulfed Ethan, pulling his consciousness right inside!
Ethan narrowed his eyes as the piercing white light filled his vision. A biting cold washed over him, making him feel as though he were plunging naked into an icy pool. His consciousness dove deeper at rapid speed.
As the white light swept past, a pitch-black expanse opened up before Ethan's eyes. Absolute, dead silence filled the surroundings, reminding Ethan of the space behind the Veil.
Then, a series of sharp crack, crack sounds echoed—the sound of threads snapping.
The darkness opened its eyes!
The threads that originally stitched Death's eyelids shut snapped and vanished, and two black-hole-like eye sockets slowly opened above Ethan.
Then...
[AAAAHHHH—!!!]
A piercing, agonizing shriek rang out as countless decaying, ash-gray arms jostled and crawled out of the eye sockets!
At the same time, Ethan's gaze sharpened, and he swung the rapier in his hand all around him! Like mowing down grass, he severed the ghastly gray arms sprouting from the ground! The severed arms melted into sludge, yet they kept emerging continuously like a rising tide! They thrashed and flailed in agony, letting out waves of horrifying screeches, as if countless devoured and imprisoned souls were desperately trying to drag the living down into the mire of hell!
"Torture is a grace; it seems you lot are doing quite well," Ethan noted with a nod. He looked up, his gaze fixing on Death's face manifest in mid-air.
Silvery-white chains bound His face tightly, locking away any possibility of escape. However, the chains were slender and flimsy, unlikely to hold out for long.
A massive scythe materialized in front of Death's face. Unlike Luna's silvery-white crescent moon, this scythe was forged purely from dark energy! It hung high above Ethan's head like a guillotine!
[Die, you arrogant fool!!!]
Whoosh!
The scythe swung downward! Ethan immediately dodged to the side. What should have been an effortless movement was suddenly hindered as hands clamped firmly onto his ankles, delaying him for a crucial second!
[Come... sink... with us!]
Boom!
The razor-sharp blade grazed past Ethan's body, carving a ghastly, ash-white trench into the ground!
Crack!
Following the trench, the ground shattered violently! Like a snapped waffle, it split into a bottomless abyss from which waves of agonizing wails echoed. The attack could actually inflict direct damage on the conscious space itself!
"There's nowhere left to step," Ethan muttered, his pupils shrinking as his expression turned grim. "And the ground will only keep shrinking."
Unless he could find another way!
[You are all alone here, utterly helpless.] Death spoke slowly, the silvery-white chains creaking. [You trapped yourself inside this cage of death. You are out of options.]
Hearing this, Ethan raised an eyebrow. Instead of panicking, his lips curled into a smirk, and a flash of pride flared in his eyes. He spoke, enunciating every single word:
"Who said I'm all alone?"
With that, Ethan raised his arm high and extended his index finger, pointing straight up as if questioning the heavens themselves! He shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Members of the Enlightenment Society, ignite your light!"
The moment the words left his mouth, Ethan's fingertip suddenly flared with radiance! Like a faint lamp lit in the pitch black, the light continued to expand rapidly!
—At the exact same time.
Hogwarts.
"It's time," Dumbledore said in a deep voice, feeling a sudden warmth rising within his body.
Yielding to the sensation, he raised his right arm and extended his index finger! His magic transformed into a brilliant golden radiance, shooting from his fingertip high into the sky and merging into the swirling starry night. It was like a bridge connecting heaven and earth!
Light, unite!
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