"Get out—!!"
Hagrid's furious roar shook the heavens and the earth.
He swung his club-like arms.
Spiders were flung off him like raindrops.
So strong.
Ethan lay safely on the ground, watching Hagrid's berserk state, and couldn't help but feel secretly astonished.
...He's truly like a bulldozer; when enraged, earth and stone crack beneath him.
Moreover, as a half-giant, Hagrid also possessed magic resistance.
Spells hitting him were like striking a rock.
No wonder in the original story, a whole circle of Aurors had to be sent to take him down.
Giants... the wizarding world still has so many places left to explore.
However.
Despite Hagrid's desperate efforts to fight off the spiders and protect the students.
Under the relentless onslaught of bites, crashing over him like a tide.
Hagrid still succumbed to the spiders' venom, collapsed, and was bound with spider silk.
"Eat me! Let those students go!"
Hagrid's eyes were bloodshot as he roared at Aragog, the spider king.
"No, Hagrid, I won't eat friends... Block Hagrid's mouth."
"Dumbledore won't let you off, mmmph—!!"
A large ball of spider silk plugged Hagrid's mouth.
At this moment, Hagrid's fierce appearance really resembled the drawing Ethan had made of him.
Soon.
Harry and the others were tied up one by one.
Thrown onto the ground.
Waiting for the feast to begin.
"E-Ethan!"
Ron spoke tremblingly.
His face was pale, his tongue tied in knots, and he asked hopefully:
"You still have a way out of this, right?"
Ethan replied truthfully: "I'm waiting for a sacred and noble knight to descend from the sky."
A knight? Descend from the sky?
He's gone mad!!
Ethan must be poisoned and unable to use his cards.
He's starting to babble!!
Ron's eyes instantly dimmed, and he tilted his head, muttering:
"It's over, it's over, we're dead...."
Hagrid, you will accomplish a feat even You-Know-Who couldn't.
The Acromantulas approached, clicking and clacking.
In their black eight eyes, the reflections showed faces with delicate skin.
"Heh heh... naive and foolish human larvae..."
"Don't worry, you will soon become nourishment for my kin..."
"Help my kin defeat that damned strange Death Bird—"
"The strange Death Bird you're talking about, is it this one?"
A voice completely devoid of panic rang out.
Ethan met the Acromantulas' chilling gaze and curled his lips into a smirk.
The next second.
"Hoo—!!"
A sharp whistle.
Like the dead silence of a graveyard pierced at midnight, it suddenly resounded through the sky!
Only a shadow, obscuring the moonlight, was seen diving down rapidly from above!
Ron's eyes lit up.
Could it be the sacred knight Ethan spoke of?!
Ethan! I misunderstood you!
Ron looked up in surprise, and met a skull emitting a ghostly blue fire.
Ron: ".....Misunderstood my foot!!!"
W-What kind of hellish thing is that?!
Bloody hell!
Are they doomed to die tonight?!
Amidst the ear-piercing shriek like scraping glass.
That three-meter-tall skeletal Death Bird, like an arrow shot forth!
Its sharp beak struck the spider swarm with a "thud"!
Only a squelch was heard.
Juices flew everywhere!
"N-No way!"
Aragog, the spider king's eight eyes widened, and he scrambled backward in shock.
"This strange Death Bird only ever hunted on the outskirts... How could it come into the nest?!"
"Hoo!"
The strange Death Bird let out a long cry toward the sky.
It didn't get entangled with the spiders.
Instead, it used its long, thin, withered arms to grab the spider cocoons.
And tore them open fiercely!
"Rip!"
White spider silks shattered.
Ethan stood up from the ground and twisted his stiff wrist.
He looked up, meeting the faint blue flames in the hollow eye sockets.
"Run! That strange Death Bird is a carnivore!!"
Hagrid shouted.
He finally spat out the ball of spider silk from his mouth, staring at Ethan with extreme urgency.
Now.
Hagrid finally understood.
Dangerous animals are truly dangerous.
Everyone else also stared at Ethan in terror.
As if the next second.
Ethan would have his head pecked through by that chisel-like beak.
Only Luna, with her blue eyes, gazed mesmerized at the strange Death Bird's slender and fluid body.
She murmured:
"So beautiful...."
Ethan glanced at them.
In their shocked gaze, he raised his hand and touched the Death Bird's rugged skull.
He smiled:
"You've grown so big, that's great."
The Death Bird chirped and gently rubbed against Ethan's palm.
Everyone: (Mouth O)?!!
W-What exactly is going on here?!
Hagrid was stunned, then tears of excitement flowed from his eyes.
A kindred spirit...
At this moment.
"Gulp!"
The strange Death Bird let out a cry of pain.
Dozens of spiders pounced on it, biting frantically.
Aragog, the spider king's angry hiss, came from behind Ethan:
"This strange Death Bird is actually related to you... None of you will get out of this Forbidden Forest today!!"
"Kill them! My offspring!"
"Oh no!" Ron shouted, extremely anxious, "Even if this strange Death Bird listens to Ethan's commands, it can't possibly deal with so many spiders!"
Hermione had a flash of inspiration and shouted: "Ethan! Quickly have this Death Bird grab you and fly to Hogwarts! Go find Headmaster Dumbledore!"
However.
Watching.
The dense swarm of spiders completely enveloped the strange Death Bird.
Ethan remained motionless.
As if he was scared silly.
Aragog couldn't help but laugh, slowly saying:
"Walking into a trap... How foolish."
"Human, why do you think a mere Death Bird can defeat my hundreds of thousands of offspring?"
"Why?"
Ethan raised his hand, and a rectangular card appeared in his palm.
"Because I have a cheat, idiot."
I'm waiting for the right moment, what are you waiting for?
Waiting to die?
As soon as his words fell.
Only a silver-white stream of light was seen, soaring from the card!
Like a meteor, it passed through the spider's encirclement and landed within the strange Death Bird.
The next second.
"Boom—!!!"
A silver-white crescent moon appeared in mid-air.
Countless spiders were instantly sliced into several pieces!
Dismembered limbs scattered like celestial maidens strewing flowers, falling from mid-air.
Only the strange Death Bird stood on the ground, holding a shimmering silver prismatic long staff like a human.
From that long staff, a chilling flame ignited, enveloping its entire body!
A warm drop of liquid fell onto Ethan's lips.
He licked it, tasting a familiar metallic flavor.
In the trickling blood rain.
Ethan narrowed his eyes in enjoyment, tilted his head back, spread his arms, and a slight smile played on his lips.
Allowing the warm liquid to fall onto his face, hair, and body.
Staining his fair skin red.
Ron stared blankly at this scene: "Bloody hell...."
A chilling shriek echoed in everyone's ears.
Ghostly blue flames, like ribbons, drifted and flowed through the dim dense forest.
Possessing a strange beauty.
Corroding everything they touched into black.
With the silver long staff.
The strange Death Bird was like a tiger with wings, swinging and stabbing with superhuman strength!
Every movement took down large swaths of spiders!
Sweeping through thousands of enemies!
The spider king's eyes were about to burst: "W-What exactly is going on?! What did you do, human?!!"
Ethan turned his head.
Looking at the Acromantula's contorted appearance, he said gently and patiently:
"The biggest difference between humans and animals is that humans create and use tools..."
"Inferior creatures."
"You!!!"
The Acromantula's eyes turned blood red with rage.
It watched its offspring being harvested like a wheat field with no power to resist, and large swathes of blood splattering.
It knew in its heart that defeat was certain.
The predator, in an instant, became someone else's prey.
"I'll kill you—!!"
Its huge chelicerae were raised high, like a dark scythe of death, hanging over Ethan's head!
Hagrid roared: "No—"
Immediately after.
"Bang!!!"
A silver long staff, like lightning, struck down!
Carrying thunderous power, it pierced through its back and out its chest and abdomen, fiercely pinning the entire Acromantula to the ground!
Earth and stone cracked, dust flew up.
Aragog's eight eyes widened, and with a gurgle, it spat out a large mouthful of blood!
It stared intently at the small human before it, at those cobalt blue eyes.
From those calm, mirror-like eyes, it saw its own fallen body.
Black hair fluttering.
Ethan looked down at the crashing Acromantula, and chuckled softly:
"Don't worry."
"You will become my nourishment, helping me obtain what I desire."
Just like.
What you originally intended to do to us.