Within the consciousness space of Death.
[What do you think you are doing?]
Death looked down at the golden radiance emerging from beneath the earth like a constellation of rising stars, sneering coldly:
[This is nothing more than a desperate, dying struggle!]
[This place shall undoubtedly be your burial ground! Use your blood to steer destiny back onto its proper course!]
As the booming voice fell, the pitch-black scythe swung down once more!
Like a falling guillotine, it slammed heavily into the earth.
Accompanied by the ground turning shattered and ash-grey—as if completely wiped away by an eraser—countless arms, surging and writhing like sea anemones, wailed in unison as they plunged into the unfolding abyss.
Ethan launched himself into the air, but beneath his feet lay nothing but the endless void.
There was nowhere left to stand.
He was right on the verge of plummeting into the depths.
Yet, at that exact moment, a beam of golden light condensed beneath his boots, forming a solid, radiant platform!
[What?!]
Death cried out in utter astonishment. The smug yet tense smirk froze instantly on His face, replaced by an involuntary grimace of agony.
—What is it this time? What cheap little tricks is this damned human playing now?
It felt exactly like the frustration of never being able to reach the reality of actually defeating Ethan. This endless, repeating loop was simply too agonizing, too torturous!
The soaring golden light continued to expand within the pitch-black space, condensing into platform after platform. They surged continuously upward, weaving into the high skies until they reached a height capable of touching Death's true form!
This was a path forged from the collective wills and beliefs of countless souls—the [Path of Godslaying]!
"Go for it, big brother who loves to draw!"
"Get him, Ethan! Don't let that disgusting monster beat you!"
"Sigh, I just hope the world doesn't end. I literally just finished paying off my mortgage..."
"Our merciful Master, please lead us toward the brilliant and glorious new future you promised...!"
Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, Albus Dumbledore, Gellert Grindelwald, the Weasley twins, Cedric Diggory...
There were former werewolves who had lived as outcasts, devout believers of the Enlightenment Society, and countless students and citizens who had been granted protection.
Hand after hand, wand after wand was raised high, pointing straight toward the surging, tapestry-like canvas of the starry night sky!
Using the starry night as a conduit, they channeled every drop of their magic, transforming it into the very staircase Ethan was using to ascend!
Tap!
Ethan stepped firmly onto the golden stairs. Beneath him lay the ash-grey abyss and a sweeping tide of grasping arms.
A sudden flash of light erupted from his palm as he gripped a pitch-black blade that curved like twisted thorns.
Like a legendary dragon-slaying warrior, he directly faced the colossal visage of Death looming against the pitch-black backdrop!
[Damned mortal!!] Death roared, a mixture of rage and terror bleeding across His features. [Endless and persistent like insects... you cannot kill Me! I am a God!!!]
"A god who abandoned his past?"
Ethan bellowed, his voice echoing with immense power. His words lashed out like a whip, striking Death's form with physical force.
"An existence like you is nothing more than a hollow puppet of destiny!"
[You court death!!!]
Whoosh!
A frigid, deathly aura billowed wildly from Death's gaping maw. It caused the brilliance of the golden staircase to dim significantly, creeping up Ethan's robes and skin to freeze the very flow of his magic.
But right at that moment, the moon mark on Ethan's neck suddenly flared to life!
It emitted a brilliant, silvery-white radiance, banishing the deathly aura in an instant and shielding Ethan entirely within its protective glow.
It was the purest power of protection. Luna Lovegood's mark.
"Don't you dare underestimate the bond between us," Ethan murmured, the corners of his mouth curling into a sharp smirk as he leaped forward!
His figure was exceptionally light and swift, bounding up the rising steps of the golden staircase. Brandishing the "Godslaying Black Blade," he swung straight at Death's massive skull!
Slash! Slash!
The blade carved deep, agonizing gashes across that colossal face! Like tearing open a sack stuffed with ash, jets of a pitch-black substance sprayed violently from the wounds.
—This was true, unmitigated, and absolute damage!
[Aaagh! Stay back! Stay back!!]
Death shrieked, His facial features contorting as tangible rage and panic took hold. He desperately tried to flee upward, pulling the silvery-white chains that bound Him until they groaned and creaked under the immense strain.
The scythe slashed frantically in his defense, while the countless arms below surged upward like a rapidly rising tide, swallowing the golden stairs and wailing as they tried to drag Ethan down into hell with them.
Hum—!
A golden kerosene lamp suddenly illuminated above Ethan's head. It unleashed a dazzling, brilliant radiance that completely exorcised both the scythe and the oncoming tide of arms, shredding them into scattered ash!
Immediately following that, within this supreme radiance that transcended both time and space, translucent phantoms began to manifest one after another.
'Brave child, thank you for everything you have done for our Harry...'
Lily and James Potter, who had perished in the first war, spoke softly yet firmly as they reached out from behind to steady Ethan's arms.
'Nameless boy, you saved us all. I will always await your arrival... even if it is as futile as capturing the moon's reflection in the water...'
Miss Eve Black, a wizarding commander from the era of the Goblin Rebellions and an ancestor of Sirius, gently brushed her hand against Ethan's shoulder.
"Thank you for saving my daughter, for freeing her from the curse of werewolf blood..."
The dark wizard who had once possessed the Necronomicon spoke in a hoarse voice, casting a lingering, affectionate glance at Eve.
'Ethan, my Ravenclaw eagle...' Helena Ravenclaw whispered softly into Ethan's ear, her voice as ethereal and sorrowful as it had always been.
'Thank you...'
'Thank you for everything you've done...'
The overlapping voices of gratitude echoed in harmony. One after another, translucent, ghostly blue hands gripped Ethan's arms, steadying his frame amidst Death's raging storm of magic!
Together, they propelled Ethan directly in front of Death's face!
[No—!!!]
Death roared toward the heavens! The silvery-white chains shattered link by link, allowing Death to completely break free from His restraints.
Yet, before He could rush toward the exit in wild ecstasy, a massive palm extended from the darkness where the lamplight couldn't reach!
Coming straight down from above, it clamped hard onto Death's head, pinning Him in place!
—It was Ethan's avatar, the Grade 5 Painting: Asura!
It slowly opened its blood-red eyes, unleashing a tyrannical, bloodthirsty aura that swept across the space. It was not, in the slightest, inferior to Death!
"Going somewhere, little bro?!" Ethan joked, his terrifyingly calm smile contrasting sharply with the monstrous entity behind him.
Death: [...]
His eyes widened in a paralyzed stare, completely immobilized. As He felt that minuscule human body step onto His jaw and walk up His cheek step by step, His anger evaporated entirely.
Replaced instead by a suffocating, overwhelming dread.
Thud, thud, thud.
The footsteps were light, yet they echoed as if a literal giant were treading upon the earth. Every single step made Death shudder violently.
[No, no...! Let us make a truce, mortal! I will no longer stand in your way!]
Thud, thud, thud.
[...Wait! Do not come any closer! We can actually coexist peacefully, can't we?]
[Please... I beg of you, don't kill me... You arrogant, insignificant mortal!!!]
Ethan looked down at the cornered, desperate deity. The ash-grey skin beneath his boots began to vibrate violently, like a volcano on the absolute verge of eruption! An immensely colossal hurricane blasted directly into his face, weighing thousands of tons, pressing down on Ethan's body to prevent him from raising the black blade in his hand.
And within this raging hurricane, yet another pair of translucent arms reached out, clasped tightly around Ethan's!
"Thank you for bringing me here, Master."
Upon hearing this specific voice, Ethan's pupils constricted slightly. Turning his eyes, they met a beautifully familiar face.
It was none other than the snake woman who had used her own body as kindling to ignite the ritual fires of Hogwarts—Nagini!
The moment she appeared, the oppressive hurricane faltered. Death's eyes went wide, displaying a momentary flash of absolute astonishment.
"Though my physical body has been burned to ashes, my soul remains... or rather, that fleshly shell had died a long time ago anyway." Nagini turned her head, flashing a serene smile at Ethan. "Time truly is a wondrous thing. I was once so intent on saving Credence, yet in the end, I've circled right back to your side, my dearest Master."
"And now."
Nagini looked up, gazing directly at the grotesque, distorted form of Death—at Credence, her "brother" who had once rescued her from her cage. A mixture of profound sorrow and unwavering resolve surfaced in her eyes.
Gripping Ethan's wrist alongside the other spirits, she resisted Death's boundless might, using every ounce of her strength to push the blade upward!
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