Tom advanced one step at a time.
Rowena Ravenclaw retreated one step at a time.
The distance between them never changed. Their movements matched almost perfectly, as though they were partners in a slow, silent dance.
"What are you avoiding, Rowena?" A teasing smile played across Tom's face as he finally stopped. Like a cat toying with a mouse, he seemed content to watch and see what desperate trick his prey would come up with next.
The odd comparison suddenly surfaced in Rowena's mind.
She immediately shook her head, trying to banish it.
She was Rowena Ravenclaw, the Blue Witch renowned for her wisdom. How could she possibly be some helpless mouse being toyed with?
"I'm not avoiding you," she said, forcing herself to sound calm. "I've simply been busy lately. There are too many problems I haven't solved yet, so I've been devoting all my time to magical research."
"And besides, why would I avoid you? I'm your teacher. I have absolutely no reason to!"
By the time she'd finished speaking, she'd practically convinced herself. She straightened her back and lifted her chin with renewed confidence.
Tom looked at her with open disbelief. "Rowena, being tsundere went out of style ages ago. Besides, that's something teenage girls do. You're well past that age. Can't you just be honest for once?"
Age was a forbidden subject for almost any grown woman.
Rowena didn't entirely understand what tsundere meant, but she exploded anyway.
Literally. Her hair floated upward as magical power crackled around her.
"Tom! Who are you calling old? And what do you mean I'm not being honest?"
"..."
Tom stayed silent, then walked toward her again. "Rowena, you're afraid of losing. You could accept losing to someone else. But losing to me—your own student, and one who's not even an adult yet—that's something you can't accept. Not yet."
"And more importantly... you know exactly what happens if you lose."
A vast blue barrier slowly rose around them.
"Remember our agreement? I wanted to challenge you over a year ago. But watching you hide in your shell was entertaining enough, so I let it go."
"But you can't keep avoiding it forever, Rowena. You know I need you."
Powerful magic surged from Tom's body, the overflowing energy whipping up fierce gusts of wind.
Feeling the determination radiating from him, Rowena realized there was no escaping today.
Her expression changed instantly.
The warmth vanished from her beautiful face, replaced by the razor-sharp focus of a battle-hardened witch. Her eyes gleamed with fierce determination.
At the same time, her hair transformed from the roots outward, turning a brilliant blue. Every strand became like an extension of her wand, capable of casting countless spells.
Outside the barrier, Morgan's figure emerged from thin air.
But her beautiful face was filled with disappointment.
She'd been happily watching the drama unfold, only for the show to be cut off halfway through.
The moment Tom had deliberately asked Rowena to stay behind, she'd known something explosive was about to happen.
Truthfully, she understood Rowena's awkward feelings.
Being surpassed by your own student might be every teacher's goal, but when it actually happens, it still stings their pride, especially when that student is someone like Tom.
It wasn't surprising that someone as emotionally awkward as Rowena had chosen to run away instead of facing it.
Morgan rubbed her chin thoughtfully, "So Rowena couldn't escape... Does that mean I'm next?"
"I wouldn't be nearly as awkward as she is. Besides, Tom's practically cheating. He can acquire talents and bloodlines without any restrictions. He's the only person in this world who can truly stand as my equal, and he even carries my fairy bloodline. Which means... our child would surely be born with unparalleled talent..."
But then she frowned, "...Although... What if he thinks I'm just as stubborn as Rowena? Does that mean he'll wait until I'm as strong as he is before everything naturally falls into place? Before I get a body... and finally bear a child who inherits his bloodlines?"
"It looks like I'll have to be a little more proactive."
---
Meanwhile... Inside the barrier, Rowena abandoned any thought of retreat. She had nowhere left to run.
Instead, she threw everything she had into testing the limits of Tom's strength.
Unfortunately... Had this happened six months earlier, she might have done something.
Now, it was impossible.
Over the course of six months, the countless bloodline powers within him coalesced into a single whole before fusing with divine energy, forging a power of such an exalted rank that even legendary-level magic buckled beneath its overwhelming pressure.
Rowena exhausted every spell and every ounce of knowledge she possessed.
Tom answered them all with the simplest possible gestures.
His overwhelming magical power crushed every display of her wisdom and learning through sheer brute force.
It was like a professor trying to reason with a general.
Logic meant nothing in the face of absolute power.
And so.... the first battle ended without the slightest suspense.
Then came the second.
The battlefield shifted to Rowena's bedroom.
...
Previously, Rowena and Tom had made a wager. It all started as a joke after she kicked him for letting his hands stray a little too high while massaging her legs.
Feeling wronged, Tom had mischievously proposed a bet: if she lost, she would have to grant him one request. At the time, she never imagined he'd actually win.
Months had passed, and Jeanne was no longer constantly at his side. And after growing accustomed to sleeping with her night after night, Tom found himself painfully aware that he was, in the end, only a great man with great desires.
So, he decided to cash in on that long-forgotten wager.
And to his surprise, Rowena didn't reject him.
Encouraged by her silence, he grew bolder, taking each step only after seeing she still offered no resistance. And before either of them realized it, the distance between them had quietly disappeared.
...
Thanks to the study space's endless restorative properties, the night seemed to stretch on without end.
By the time dawn approached, exhaustion had finally overtaken Rowena, and only then did everything come to a close.
She lay on the bed, too exhausted to move, save for the occasional involuntary twitch.
"That was nice..."
In his adult form, Tom wrapped an arm around her, enjoying the smooth warmth of her skin as he declared his victory.
If he had been the smoking type, he would have lit a cigarette to celebrate.
He'd had his eyes on Rowena for a long time. And today, he'd finally gotten what he'd wanted.
The next time he saw their daughter, Helena, he'd have to treat her a little better.
"..."
Rowena shot him an exasperated glare but couldn't summon the energy to argue. She'd already had more than enough.
After resting for a while, Tom gave her butt a light pat before giving it a gentle squeeze.
Almost automatically, she rolled over to face him, only to meet his amused smile.
"That's enough for today. It still doesn't feel completely real. Once you're revived... We'll have plenty of time to continue."
"Give me a few days. I'll prepare everything needed to bring you back."
"It is time for Hogwarts to welcome Rowena Ravenclaw home."
.
.
.