A white silhouette emerged atop the highest point of Hogwarts, the Astronomy Tower.
Wearing his God of Shinobi cloak, Kyle gazed down at the battlefield below, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
It seemed the talents of the "Artistic Duo" truly shone best in a setting like this. From the look of things, Kyle's guidance of the two had not gone to waste. Thanks to the massive outpouring of firepower from the twin brothers, the vast majority of the Forbidden Forest creatures attempting to storm Hogwarts Castle were being intercepted outside the defensive line.
Even the occasional stragglers that managed to slip through the cracks were quickly dealt with by the professors guarding the rear.
The Forest creatures soon began to lose heart, but with a massive threat looming behind them, they didn't dare flee for their lives. They could only come to a standstill, hesitating before the defensive line the twins had constructed.
George piloted his battle suit down to the ground, followed closely by Fred, who descended on his giant clay bird.
"Is that all you've got?"
(Bring on the Brazilian girls!)
Just then, Lockhart's figure appeared behind the horde of Forest creatures.
He unhurriedly wove through the ranks of werewolves and Acromantulas until he stood before the twins. He raised a single hand. "This is what I've got."
As Lockhart's voice fell, a gargantuan shadow appeared on the distant horizon.
The eighteen eyes of the Hydra flashed with a tyrannical red light. It steadily approached Hogwarts Castle, its massive weight causing every step to kick up plumes of dust that reached the sky. Wherever it passed, trees were snapped like twigs and the earth was left a mangled ruin.
Fred looked helplessly at his brother. "Did you really have to say that?"
"Stop talking! Run!"
Without a second thought, George ignited the thrusters on the back of his armor and rocketed back toward the professors. Fred followed immediately on his clay bird.
Atop the Astronomy Tower, Kyle watched the menacing, giant monster approach, a look of grim determination crossing his face.
Bearing the name of Dumbledore and guarding the safety of Hogwarts—this was his duty. He could no longer allow Tom Riddle to act as he pleased.
Once the Hydra closed to a certain distance, its gaze immediately locked onto the white-robed figure standing on the Astronomy Tower.
"So, you've noticed me?" Kyle said calmly.
The night wind drifted by, causing the white God of Shinobi cloak to flutter gently in the breeze.
The Hydra's nine hideous heads snapped their maws open simultaneously. Magical power surged from their throats, gradually coalescing into a single, violet-black sphere of energy.
Gazing at the energy orb radiating an aura of pure destruction in the distance, the professors' expressions tightened in unison.
Professor McGonagall and the others raised their wands toward the sky. "Protego Maxima!"
Countless bolts of light erupted from their wand tips, converging in the air to form a massive, hemispherical defensive shield. However, the shield required time to fully manifest, and the Hydra was condensing its energy orb far faster than the barrier could form.
The violet-black energy orb shot forward from the Hydra in an instant, screaming toward Hogwarts Castle with unstoppable momentum. The mere shockwave from the displaced air caused immense destruction to the surroundings, carving a trench a thousand meters long into the earth.
"Don't even think about destroying this place!"
Kyle rapidly performed several hand seals and held a Flying Thunder God kunai horizontally in front of him.
Just as the energy orb was about to slam into the incomplete defensive barrier, its forward momentum suddenly screeched to a halt. Eight black runes manifested in the air, crossing into an asterisk shape that slowly swallowed the energy orb whole.
Flying Thunder God: Guiding Thunder!
Far away, in the Acromantula colony within the Forbidden Forest, a massive explosion suddenly erupted. The resulting energy storm sent sand and rocks flying everywhere. When the dust finally settled, nothing remained but a gigantic crater where the explosion had occurred.
"A space-time barrier to divert energy... it's a specialized application of Apparition!"
Professor McGonagall instantly realized that Kyle had intervened. Within the grounds of Hogwarts, where Apparition is forbidden, only the two of them—granted special permissions by Dumbledore—could move freely in such a way.
"Excellent! Let's strike together!" McGonagall shouted. With a wave of her hand, she Transfigured the soil into a giant earthen golem as tall as the Hydra.
The other professors joined in, lending their aid to arm and armor the massive Transfigured giant.
Kyle rapidly assessed the situation. Against a monster of this scale, he lacked effective offensive measures; he needed to report the current status to Dumbledore as soon as possible.
Just as Kyle reached for his Two-Way Mirror to contact Dumbledore, a figure appeared silently behind him. A dark hand reached for his neck.
Alarms blared in Kyle's mind. Following his intuition, he didn't have time to think—he simply swung his Flying Thunder God kunai backward in a horizontal strike.
To Kyle's shock, the kunai and his entire arm passed eerily through Tom Riddle's head. There was no physical feedback, as if he had struck thin air.
Tom Riddle grabbed Kyle's arm in return. "It ends here."
A strange suction force emanated from Tom's arm. Kyle felt his life force being drained away, flowing steadily into Tom.
Flying Thunder God Technique!
Kyle's figure vanished instantly, breaking free from Tom Riddle's life drain.
"Jumped away... quick hands and feet," Riddle said composedly. "It seems I should use the Killing Curse next time. Kill you the moment I touch you!"
Kyle tumbled heavily onto the barbecue clearing near the Forbidden Forest—the spot the "Father's Sorrow" group frequently used. Due to the life drain he had just endured, his body felt weak and unresponsive.
"My attack passed through him, yet he can materialize... Is it because he's still in a soul state and hasn't fully resurrected yet?" Kyle muttered to himself.
If that was the case, he would have to use that method to deal with a phased Riddle.
A swirling spatial vortex appeared in the clearing before him, and Tom Riddle's form emerged from within.
They were clearly still within the range of the Anti-Apparition charms, yet Tom was able to use the technique freely. Was that also due to his soul state?
It made sense. The principle of the Anti-Apparition ward wasn't to lock down space entirely, but to disrupt the existing order of that space. This didn't make Apparition impossible; it just made it significantly more difficult, increasing the probability of Splinching.
Since Tom was in a soul state, he didn't fear Splinching. Thus, he could Apparate within Hogwarts without restraint. However, Tom's current state meant he couldn't stray too far from his Horcrux. If he wanted to move freely, he had to carry the Horcrux with him.
Kyle pulled his Flying Thunder God kunai from the ground and slowly stood up. He sized up Tom Riddle, and Tom did the same to him. Neither spoke; they simply watched one another in silence.
Kyle's gaze locked onto Tom's chest. It seemed he had hidden the diary Horcrux there. But could the diary enter a phased state along with him while he was a soul?
There was only one way to find out.
Having just lost a portion of his life force, Kyle's limbs were still a bit sluggish. He hadn't fully recovered yet, so he decided to use some "trash talk" to buy time.
"I still don't understand. What is your intention behind orchestrating so many attacks at Hogwarts?"
Hearing Kyle's question, Tom Riddle let out a soft chuckle. "Isn't it obvious? To complete the noble work of Salazar Slytherin..."
"It's not that simple, is it?" Kyle interrupted. "Let me guess... you're after Harry?"
Seeing his true intentions exposed, Tom Riddle stopped playing coy. "Yes. The greatest Dark Lord in the world defeated by a newborn baby... it's quite unbelievable, isn't it?"
"You? The greatest Dark Lord?" Kyle curled his lip in disdain. "Compared to the first Dark Lord, Gellert Grindelwald, you're nothing."
Based on the "prestige" of the future Lord Voldemort, he could, at most, be called a village-level terrorist. It was no wonder Kyle, the son of the leader of the wizarding world, looked down on him.
The calm smile on Tom Riddle's face vanished instantly, replaced by a twisted mask of rage. "What did you say?!"
"Don't you know what you'll look like in the future? You won't even have a nose. Neither human nor ghost. Even the Dementors guarding Azkaban will look better than you."
Tom's eyes flooded with a crimson light. Having never experienced a trash-talk assault before, he was clearly incensed. He wanted nothing more than to kill this brat right now.
He snapped a chain onto his wrist. Even in his extreme rage, Tom maintained the tactical logic necessary for battle. Kyle's reflexes were incredibly fast; a direct Killing Curse would almost certainly be dodged. He needed to restrict Kyle's movements before a spell would be effective.
Furthermore, his soul form hadn't recovered much magic. Every drop of mana was precious. He couldn't afford to use large-scale magic to pin Kyle down; he had to be precise.
Kyle held his kunai in a reverse grip and watched Riddle's every move intently.
"The Hydra egg left by Slytherin has been hatched by me. It is attacking Hogwarts as we speak. You have no hope!"
In that heartbeat, both Kyle and Tom moved.
They lunged toward each other at top speed. In less than a second, Kyle crossed the twenty-meter gap and appeared directly in front of Tom Riddle. He thrust his Flying Thunder God kunai toward Tom's chest.
The result was exactly as he expected. The attack failed to connect, passing straight through Tom's body.
Clearly, in his soul state, Tom Riddle only materialized the moment he attacked. While phased, even the Horcrux on his person remained untargetable.
Tom's condition was exactly as Kyle had theorized! To destroy Tom, he had to destroy the diary hidden at his chest. And to destroy the diary, he first had to force Tom Riddle out of his phased state.
After passing through Tom's illusory form, the thick chain fastened to Tom's wrist blocked Kyle's path, halting his forward momentum.
Having anticipated this, Kyle instantly jumped to a previously placed mark. Next, he would have to hit Tom at the exact moment their attacks collided. Whoever had the faster attack speed would decide everything.
Kyle, half-crouched on the ground, stood up in a flash and charged at Tom once more. Just as they were about to collide head-on, Kyle threw the Flying Thunder God kunai.
Time seemed to slow down.
As expected, the thrown kunai passed through Tom's head. The sickly green glow of the Killing Curse lit up the tip of the wand in Tom's hand.
Simultaneously, a Rasengan the size of a basketball materialized in Kyle's palm. Kyle raised his hand, thrusting the Rasengan toward Tom Riddle's head.
The Rasengan radiated a faint blue light, illuminating both their faces and reflecting the look of excitement in Tom's eyes. The jet of the Killing Curse was about to fire.
I've won... Tom Riddle thought to himself.
Just as the Killing Curse was about to strike Kyle, Tom's vision blurred. Kyle had vanished.
Tom Riddle's pupils shrank.
A miscalculation! Did he jump to the kunai from before?!
Sure enough, Kyle's figure appeared above him, catching the thrown Flying Thunder God kunai. Suspended in the air behind Voldemort, Kyle twisted his body violently and slammed the Rasengan into the now-materialized Tom Riddle.
The process seemed long, but it happened in a heartbeat. Tom Riddle didn't even have time to react and phase back out.
"This is Flying Thunder God: Level 2!"
Tom Riddle slammed into the ground with a thunderous crash. The exploding Rasengan shattered the earth, kicking up a massive cloud of dust. When the smoke finally cleared, the figures of Kyle and Tom reappeared.
"You outmaneuvered me," Tom Riddle said, clutching his arm. His voice had lost its initial composure. "So this is what they call 'elusive.' I really can't afford to be careless..."
Before he could finish, Kyle's figure vanished again. Without even a lingering afterimage to track, Kyle's kunai buried itself in Tom's abdomen.
Apparition... No, I see. Kyle left a spatial marker on me just now...
Kyle flicked the kunai upward, instantly slicing through Tom's robes. An old, black-covered diary fell into his hand. A glob of searing, pale-blue flame appeared in Kyle's palm.
"I assume you're familiar with this?" Kyle smiled, playing with the Fiendfyre in his hand.
Tom Riddle's pupils constricted, but before he could move, the Fiendfyre swallowed the diary Horcrux.
Riddle instantly let out a horrific, agonized wail. His body twisted and contorted as he flailed his arms wildly. Soon, his form looked as though it were being consumed by the flames themselves, turning to ash within the pale-blue fire.
With a clack, Ginny's wand fell to the ground.
The surroundings suddenly went silent, leaving only the distant sounds of Hogwarts—where the guns and cannons continued to play their symphony of war.
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