Two golden rays of light shone like searing hot irons.
They pierced straight into Arthur's eyes, straight into his brain!
"Ahhh!"
Arthur couldn't help but scream, shouting in terror and rage:
"Wh-What is this?!"
He instinctively covered his eyes with both hands, but the golden light still managed to penetrate his flesh.
Even the darkness came alive.
Constantly shifting and writhing before his eyes.
In a daze,
Arthur seemed to see Ethan's figure, also twisting and deforming.
Turning into a monstrous form, his face completely black.
Only those cobalt-blue eyes emitted an inhuman, inorganic coldness, gazing down at him with indifference.
Becoming the only cool tone in this radiance that almost melted one's bones and flesh.
No, no, how could he be defeated in a single encounter?
Arthur clawed at his cheeks, golden, shimmering tears flowing from his eyes.
"How can I be defeated by a mere second-year... how can I stop here...."
"Clatter."
His wand fell to the ground, rolling lonely to the side.
Ethan looked down at Arthur, who was kneeling on the ground, and said:
"It seems you still don't understand. Magic is the power of the soul, not age."
Lockhart, who was an idiot despite his age, and Harry, who defeated Lord Voldemort at just 17, were two clear examples.
"What's more,"
Ethan raised his hand, his fingers resting on his chest as if introducing himself, his back straight.
He curled his lips and said:
"I'm also a genius."
Clutching his left chest, his back straight, full of heroic spirit, "No—!!"
Arthur threw his head back like a beast, roaring unwillingly, his eyes bloodshot with fury.
The next second.
"Bang!"
The sealed wardrobe suddenly burst open from within, and dark magic surged out!
It coiled around Arthur, as if hatching!
Ethan's eyes lit up, and he excitedly shouted:
"That's more like it! Little Tom!"
Ending too quickly wouldn't do; the experience would be too poor.
Struggle, struggle with all your might.
Until you're exhausted and realize you've long been firmly bound in a spider's web.
Only then will a more delicious fruit of despair be borne.
Ethan waved his wand and shouted:
"Avis!"
Suddenly.
Golden light streaked across the sky like arrows, leaving golden lines throughout the Chamber of Secrets.
"Boom!"
The arrows pierced through the dark magic, pinning it heavily against the wall!
Immediately,
The wall cracked, stones fell, raising large clouds of dust.
Inside the Chamber of Secrets, silence fell.
Ethan narrowed his eyes, staring at the dust.
He saw that the dark magic at the core had not been extinguished.
It surged upwards, mixing with Arthur's original magic.
Completely distorting his form.
Oh, he's entering his second phase.
Ethan licked his lips.
His eyes were bright like torches, his heart pounding like a drum, thumping against his eardrums!
Extremely excited!
"...I originally wanted to let you live a little longer."
From within the dust, a hoarse voice, sounding both like Arthur and someone else, emerged.
"To let you live until you opened the true Chamber of Secrets, then I would usurp your body... What a pity, I can only say you're unlucky."
"Thump, thump."
Heavy footsteps sounded.
A figure even taller than Hagrid emerged from the dust.
Gradually approaching.
When he finally appeared before Ethan,
Ethan couldn't help but let out an "Oh," his eyes wide, a look of appreciation on his face.
Arthur's body had expanded, his muscles unnaturally bulging.
His wizard robe was torn, and his raw, pulsating flesh was exposed. One of his arms was disproportionately huge, like Hagrid's pumpkin, with every tendon clearly visible.
It seemed to be pushing Arthur's body to one side, as if vying for control of his body.
And indeed, it seemed to be the case.
With a squelch, a massive eyeball opened on that shoulder.
It stared intently at Ethan with its snake-like, murky vertical pupil, filled with bone-deep hatred and malice.
Perhaps, it was precisely because Tom was no longer human.
That he wasn't afraid of the basilisk's gaze.
Ethan thought, feeling a pang of regret.
Look!
This human body, it's holding me back!
.....
If he could make an even greater breakthrough, Headmaster Dumbledore would surely collapse to the ground in surprise.
Seeing Ethan remain silent,
Arthur—
Or rather, "Tom," who had merged into Arthur's body, said smugly: "Are you scared senseless?"
"So-called magic isn't just about shooting 'fireworks' at each other!"
Ethan blinked and said sincerely:
"I really envy you."
"Only an orphan can be so reckless."
"If I turned into this, someone would be heartbroken for me~"
Tom:
"Go to hell—!!!"
"Roar!"
"Arthur," controlled by Tom, let out an enraged roar!
With a single step, he appeared before Ethan in the blink of an eye!
He loomed over him like a mountain, raising his massive, hammer-like arm and slamming it down heavily!
"Portus."
Ethan murmured, and a doorway instantly opened beneath his feet, plunging him into the darkness.
"Boom!"
A tremendous force slammed into the ground, hitting the doorway that hadn't fully closed.
The stone slabs immediately rippled outwards!
"Ugh."
Corrupt magic invaded, causing Ethan to grunt.
He frowned, a taste of rust rising in his throat.
"Arthur" looked up and laughed: "To run into mid-air where you can't move, how foolish!"
He suddenly kicked off, flying into the air like a cannonball, charging towards Ethan!
"Hmph, who said I can't move in mid-air?"
Ethan said, raising a vortex-shaped card and shouting:
""Fusion Nest"! Fuse me with Death Bird!!"
Super Fusion, even card players can fuse!
Unfortunately, it wasn't a permanent fusion on a life level, but only a temporary change.
In an instant,
An invisible shriek sounded!
"Ugh!"
Ethan cried out in pain.
He felt a searing pain, like bones breaking, as they reorganized with a crackling sound inside his body.
However, Ethan grinned, his eyes gleaming with excitement and madness!
In the depths of his dark pupils, a faint blue spiritual flame suddenly flickered.
The next second.
"Splat!"
Along with splattering blood, a pair of gray, withered wings erupted from Ethan's arched back!
"Whoosh!"
With a gentle flap, he instantly circled behind "Arthur."
His wand transformed into a silver-white prismatic long staff, which he thrust out violently!
The tip brutally pierced "Arthur's" back, instantly splattering blood!
"Agh—!!"
A scream rose.
Ethan: "It's not over yet!"
A ball of faint blue spiritual flame engulfed "Arthur."
Like being immersed in aqua regia, his swollen muscles were instantly corroded into a graphite-like substance!
"Ahhhhhh!!!"
A piercing shriek echoed throughout the entire Chamber of Secrets!
In extreme pain, "Arthur" furiously swung his arm backwards.
But Ethan, having landed a blow, had already flapped his wings and flashed far away.
Watching "Arthur" fall helplessly to the ground in impotent rage.
...This "Fusion Nest", while able to temporarily boost one's strength,
Is not very friendly to one's sanity.
Just like now.
Ethan was influenced by the Death Bird's thoughts.
He looked at "Arthur" as if he were a piece of tender, juicy meat.
Slurp.
"Arthur" glared at Ethan in mid-air, twisted with hatred, and roared: "You're courting death!!!"
He raised his arm, and his massive left arm elongated like a worm.
His palm split open, transforming into a huge mouth.
And bit towards Ethan!
Oh my god! The posture of the Nine Dragons!
Ethan's eyes widened, suppressing the saliva forming in his mouth, and lightly commanded:
"Go."
Instantly!
The ink-colored snake head from the giant painting leaped out!
[Hiss—]
Its fangs wide open, carrying a chilling aura, it bit into the left arm in mid-air!
With a shake of its head, it tore downwards!
—
!!!
"Arthur" let out an inhuman shriek of pain.
His eyes were bloodshot, staring fixedly at Ethan, and a question emerged in his chaotic mind:
Damn it, how many dirty tricks does this kid have?
He's like a bottomless pit, constantly pulling out one ingenious little tool after another.
But, it should be reaching its limit.
"Arthur" watched Ethan fall from mid-air, his wings receding, and curled his lips.
With such a huge expenditure,
This brat definitely can't hold on.
It could be seen from the fact that he didn't summon that powerful Cerberus.
As long as he continued his fierce attacks, giving him no chance to breathe,
This damned brat would eventually be exhausted!
Then, he would be at his mercy.....
The situation did seem to be as "Arthur" had expected.
Under his life-force draining output, Ethan's offensive gradually weakened.
Towards the end, he only fought with spells.
Finally, "Bang!"
Ethan failed to dodge in time and was heavily knocked away, crashing into the statue on the opposite side.
He fell to the ground, coughed up a mouthful of blood, and gasped for air.
And at this moment,
"Arthur"—or rather, Tom's condition, was also at its worst.
He was charred all over, blood foam and new tissue oozing from his surface with gurgling sounds.
His body was covered in bloody craters from bites and explosions.
If not for the Dark Arts supporting his body, he would have died long ago.
Arthur's head, having had too much life force extracted,
Was already as withered as a dried-up household item.
But under Tom's control, his mouth still opened and closed, saying:
"Heh, I won."
He knelt and walked step by step towards the fallen Ethan.
"You are still lacking in experience, after all, to have used all your strength at the very beginning."
"That's why you ended up like this."
"However, to be able to fight me, 'Lord Voldemort,' 'one who has flown over death,' to this extent, I must commend you."
"Too bad. In this world, there can only be one [Demon King]. And that—"
"Can only be me!"
"Die!!!"
Ethan gasped, staring fixedly at Tom, who was triumphantly extending his hand towards him.
As if a laser beam would shoot from his palm to blast him away.
Suddenly, he spoke:
"Warm-up, let's stop at this point."
Tom: ?
He abruptly froze, staring in shock at Ethan, who was swaying as he stood up, and laughed loudly:
"Still talking tough!"
"How pathetic, so intelligent, yet unable to recognize reality."
However,
Tom looked at Ethan's calm face and felt a chill rise from the soles of his feet!
No, impossible.....
This brat is just bluffing!
"Roar ahhh!!!"
A river of blood surged out, rushing towards Ethan like a rising tide, threatening to completely engulf him!
In Ethan's cobalt-blue eyes, this blood-red color was reflected.
He murmured:
"The one who can't recognize reality is you, isn't it?"
As his voice fell,
A strikingly vibrant red light, like fire, lit up from Ethan's neck!
Revealing a crystal-clear, bright red pendant shaped like a curled-up spider—
The heart of an Acromantula!!!
[Spider's Heart]
[Type: Carved Artwork]
[Grade: Tier 2 · Blue Precious]
[Description: Thump! Thump! Solidified life is pulsating]
[Effect: Continuously replenishes the wearer's life and magic; blocks one fatal attack for the wearer, but then falls into slumber, unable to be used again for a period of time]
[Evaluation: Long-lasting enhanced version of the Invigoration Potion, a life-saving artifact, imbued with the power of gratitude and love]
The power of love is infinite!!!
Magic flowed from the pendant into Ethan's limbs and bones.
Making the magic in Ethan's blood boil once more!
It flowed through his arm, transforming his wand into a glowing paintbrush!
Under Tom's shocked gaze, he shouted:
"Tom, it's time—to face judgment!"