Voldemort had not expected that this contact with the God of Death would bring him an unexpected benefit.
He had no idea how Arthur had offended this deity.
For Thanatos to spend such a price just to kill him—it was rather surprising.
Still, it suited Voldemort perfectly.
After all, he had already planned to take revenge on Arthur.
If his followers grew stronger, it would only make the coming mission easier.
"As you wish," Voldemort said respectfully.
"I will arrange for my men to act immediately."
Thanatos nodded coldly.
"Act quickly. Do not keep me waiting."
With that, the phantom of the Death God slowly faded away.
Voldemort levitated the black glass spheres from the ground using the Levitation Charm.
The moment he grasped one—
He instantly understood their purpose.
The method of use was simple:
Swallow them.
Their effect resembled the modification Thanatos had made to Voldemort's own soul, though much weaker.
Anyone who consumed the sphere could borrow a trace of Thanatos's death power, greatly enhancing the power of their magic.
Of course—
Every power came with a price.
Ordinary human bodies were not meant to wield the power of death.
If they used it forcibly, they would pay with their lifespan.
But neither Thanatos nor Voldemort cared about such a minor side effect.
To them, results were everything.
As for the lives of the Death Eaters—
Those were hardly worth considering.
Voldemort summoned his followers and ordered them to swallow the spheres.
The Death Eaters didn't know what the objects were.
And none of them dared to ask.
So each of them swallowed one silently, while privately hoping it wasn't some sort of poison.
Moments later—
They felt it.
Their magic had grown noticeably stronger.
Some grew excited and began casting spells at nearby objects to test their newfound strength.
Furniture shattered.
Walls cracked.
Until Voldemort cast them a dark, displeased look.
The Death Eaters quickly stopped.
Voldemort snorted but didn't bother pursuing the matter.
"You have all felt your power increase," he said coldly.
"We will soon take action."
"Focus yourselves and fight with everything you have."
"And if anyone drags me down…"
His voice turned icy.
"Do not blame me for what happens next."
All the Death Eaters bowed.
"We await your command."
Bellatrix stepped forward eagerly.
"My Lord, what shall we do next?"
Voldemort's voice lowered.
"We are going to visit an old friend… and settle a score."
"Bellatrix, take a team of elites with me."
This operation was merely a test of Arthur.
There was no need to mobilize his entire force.
"Yes, my Lord," Bellatrix replied with excitement.
At that moment, Malfoy Manor was peaceful.
Draco was in the courtyard, happily playing with his dragon.
That peace was shattered when Voldemort and a group of Death Eaters suddenly appeared.
The unwelcome guests instantly broke the manor's calm atmosphere.
Hearing the commotion outside, Lucius Malfoy stepped out of the house with a serious expression.
He stood beside Draco, wand in hand.
Both father and son stared at Voldemort cautiously.
Lucius spoke first.
"Voldemort… weren't you dead? How are you here?"
He remembered rumors from the Ministry of Magic.
All the prisoners in Azkaban had escaped, and the incident was said to involve Voldemort.
Apparently—
The rumor had been true.
(The Ministry had suppressed the news to avoid causing panic in the wizarding world.)
Seeing Voldemort's hostile expression, Lucius's mind raced as he searched for a way to escape.
Voldemort ignored the question.
Instead, he spoke with mock nostalgia.
"Lucius… my old friend."
"Only a few months apart, and you already dare to speak my name directly."
"Your courage has grown."
Lucius was no fool.
After the Triwizard Tournament incident, he had effectively betrayed Voldemort in person.
Respectful titles no longer mattered.
Even if he called him Dark Lord, Voldemort would not spare him.
So Lucius simply used his name.
"At this point," Lucius said calmly, "does the way I address you really matter?"
"You didn't come here just to argue about that, did you?"
As he spoke, Lucius subtly signaled Draco with his eyes—
telling him to find an opportunity to seek help.
Voldemort noticed immediately.
"Still as cunning as ever, Lucius."
He smiled faintly.
"Since you enjoy calculations so much…"
"Why don't we calculate the old debts between us?"
"Let's see what the price of betrayal should be."
The meaning was unmistakable.
Voldemort had come here for revenge.
"Birds choose the best tree to nest in," Lucius replied coolly.
"I simply ensured my family had a way out."
"I just never expected you to return so soon."
"Yes," Voldemort said softly.
"Neither did I."
Then his voice turned chilling.
"So… have you prepared yourself for death?"
Lucius shrugged.
"I'm not the type to surrender so easily."
"Avada Kedavra!"
The killing curse did not come from Voldemort—
It came from Lucius's ambush.
Green light burst from Lucius's wand and shot directly toward Voldemort.
But Voldemort did not dodge.
He simply stood there—
Allowing the curse to strike him.
The green light hit.
…And did nothing.
His robe merely wrinkled slightly.
Lucius's eyes widened in disbelief.
He could not understand how Voldemort had ignored the Killing Curse.
Voldemort had said earlier that even he had not expected to return so quickly.
Had he gained some kind of power during that time?
Unknowingly—
Lucius had guessed the truth.
Voldemort had received the blessing of the God of Death.
The same was true for the Death Eaters who had swallowed the black spheres.
From this moment on—
Instant-death spells would no longer affect them.
Which meant that Voldemort and his followers were now completely immune to the Killing Curse.
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