A sudden, chilling realization dawned upon the crowd: the enemy hadn't left yet.
They hurriedly looked up. What met their eyes were clusters of eyeballs, vast as the firmament, peering through the gaping hole in the ceiling. Strangely, some of the eyeballs were shaped like tumors, marred by burn-like scars, appearing quite blind.
[Ignorant humans! You dare to save the one destined to die? Time and again, you challenge my authority!!!]
A hoarse, furious roar thundered through the Department of Mysteries. It was unmistakably a female voice.
Squelch.
The giant hand Ethan had previously severed began to writhe, new flesh budding from the stump. It swelled even larger than before, looking bloated and waterlogged. Pustules and lumpy boils erupted across its surface, as revolting as the skin of a giant toad.
[I have changed my mind... Tonight, I shall end the fates of every last one of you! None shall escape!!!]
As the words fell, the surrounding walls and floor turned into a sticky quagmire. Countless bulges emerged, spewing an ominous, dark-green toxic mist. It enveloped them like a cage of pestilence.
Hiss...
One by one, Inferi clad in rotting mud crawled out from all directions. They snarled, seeking to drag everyone present into the horrific depths of death.
"Confringo! Incendio! Damn it, there are too many of them!"
"They're crawling out like maggots! We can't kill them fast enough!"
"It's over, we're really going to die this time... What kind of entity did we even provoke?!"
"Ethan! President! Please, think of something!"
Amidst the desperate cries, Ethan first cast a protective shield around the group to wall off the plague-ridden mist. Then, he looked up at the Death avatar's regenerating palm, his mind racing.
The Flesh and Spinal Cord Sword can wound the Reaper, but it can't strike at the core. To deliver a truly heavy blow, I must exploit its weakness...
Fire.
Ethan suddenly turned his head toward Harry, who was frantically waving his wand. Ethan flashed him a gentle, charming smile.
Harry: "???"
Subconsciously, Harry shuddered. A premonition far more ominous than the Inferi surged from the base of his spine to the top of his skull.
Ethan spoke softly, his voice dripping with mock tenderness. "Savior, let me borrow your brain for a bit."
It was time. The Lord of Frenzied Flame, initiate!
"Wait—Wait, Ethan—!" Harry stammered.
Ignoring the plea, Ethan smiled and reached out, his hand clamping firmly onto Harry's skull. As magic surged, Harry's eyes suddenly erupted with two beams of searing, blinding light!
"ARGHHHHH!!!"
Orange-yellow flames spat forth, coiling around Ethan's arm and searing snake-like scars into his pale skin. The fire spread rapidly, engulfing the Spinal Cord Greatsword in his hand!
Using flesh as fuel, the flames consumed the blade in an instant, igniting a blaze that illuminated the darkness. This was no dragon fire imbued with righteous power; this was the Frenzied Flame—a fire steeped in curses, madness, and pure evil.
"Sh-should we really just let Ethan do that?" Ron watched the screaming Harry in horror, whispering, "Harry looks like he's actually dying."
The Inferi hadn't even reached them yet, and their own leader was already "sacrificing" a teammate. Even a monster would have to call that a "pro-gamer move."
Amidst the harrowing wails, Ethan gritted his teeth and gripped the burning greatsword. Sweat rolled down his forehead; he could barely feel his hands anymore.
Lift it... I have to lift it...!
[Weak mortal, accept your own insignificance...] The eyeballs rolled around, looking down at Ethan with supreme arrogance. [For a mere human, you have done well enough.]
Unfortunately, a mortal was just a mortal. No matter how much they struggled, they were merely ants beneath the wheels of fate.
The pustule-covered giant palm descended slowly, exerting a crushing pressure that seemed intent on suppressing all resistance. The shadow loomed, radiating a soul-shivering dread.
Ethan didn't listen to the Reaper's nonsense. His entire focus was concentrated on the Frenzied Flame Greatsword. Inch by inch, his trembling, sensationless hands gripped the hilt tightly within the fire, slowly raising the blade.
"Just a little higher... just a little more...!"
Ethan's eyes burned like torches, the metallic taste of blood rising in his throat. Just as the giant palm closed in, a pair of rough hands suddenly thrust into the flames, gripping the hilt alongside him.
The weight of the sword lifted significantly.
"You know, the Black family always 'pays its debts.'"
Sirius Black winked at Ethan, pulling his lips back in a rakish grin. But in the next second, his face contorted in agony, teeth bared.
"Ssss! Hot, hot, hot! How are you doing this without making a sound?!" Sirius stared at Ethan in shock before answering his own question. "Forget it, you're probably going to say some crazy rubbish like 'Pain is a gift' again."
Ethan paused, then let out a brilliant, dangerous laugh.
"Haha. What could be crazier than what we're about to do? We're going to slay a god."
Sirius's pupils contracted. Then, he licked his lips like a wolf, his eyes flashing with excitement. "Now that sounds like fun."
With the Enlightenment Society members keeping the Inferi at bay with their spells, Sirius's magic poured into the sword, providing the necessary lift. Under Ethan's lead, they raised the greatsword steadily until the searing tip pointed directly at the rotting palm hanging above.
Ethan took a throwing stance, his eyes blazing. A gargantuan power erupted from deep within him as he roared:
"Take a hit of justice! Reaper!!"
"Go! The Greatsword of Eternal Punishment—Lord of Pain and Judgment!!!"
In that instant, Ethan stepped forward, his waist twisting with explosive force. The flaming sword flew out like an arrow from a bow, a straight line of fire! It carried orange-red flames capable of incinerating even the soul, streaking through the air like a meteor and crashing into the center of the descending palm.
It didn't stop. It tore straight through.
[ARGH!]
The avatar of Death screamed in agony. Countless eyes widened in shock and fury. The traumatic memory of being blinded by fire previously surged back into its mind.
Damn it! You think I'll fall for the same trick twice?!
[ROAR!!]
Fleshy tentacles writhed frantically, weaving together into a solid shield saturated with magic, determined to block the flaming blade. However, its perception was slightly off.
As if mocked by fate itself, the flaming greatsword shot directly through a gap in the unfinished shield. With a sickening squelch, it plunged straight into the avatar's primary eyeball!
[AAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!]
A shrill, piercing shriek erupted as the orange-yellow flames instantly swept across the entire ceiling.
[This is impossible... impossible! I was chosen by fate, the avatar of a god among men! How could I be defeated?!]
[NOOOO!!!]
The roar, filled with intense resentment and unwillingness, echoed through the vast space, forcing everyone to cover their ears.
Whoosh!
Intense fire rose from the walls and floors. Countless Inferi screamed as they were reduced to ash. The students stood there, soot-stained and breathless, bathed in the glow of the raging fire as it dried their sweat-soaked clothes. It felt like a grand curtain call—or perhaps, the budding of a new future.
[You... mortals... can never defeat a god!!]
The avatar gave one last roar of agony. Its countless eyes glared at Ethan before it, and its massive arm, were consumed by the flames and vanished.
Clatter.
A piece of "charcoal" fell, landing right at Ethan's feet.
"Huff... huff... huff..."
Ethan was panting heavily. It had been a long time since his magic felt this depleted. He looked down and used a thread of magic to levitate the "drop" from the Death avatar in front of him.
It was a section of a charred arm. Because it had been carbonized, it was now barely larger than a normal human hand. Clutched within the fingers was a glowing substance, pulsating like a miniature sun.
[Congratulations! You have obtained a drop from the Death Avatar: The Corpse Spark!]
[Description: When the enlightened are burned, they leave behind sarira. When the wicked are burned, they become fuel for the sun.]
[A cluster of light refined from flesh and bone. It emits a soft yet searing glow as it decays—warmer and more full of life than any merciless lamp.]
[Can be placed in a shrine for illumination or converted into a higher existence through a specific ritual.]
"Good stuff," Ethan muttered, his eyes lighting up. He began to play with the charred arm with a smile that made the surrounding Society members take a collective step back.
...Their President was tinkering with weird, creepy things again.
"Warmer than a lamp, useful for illumination. In other words, I can go to places touched by absolute darkness."
Ethan looked thoughtful. He turned his gaze toward the stone archway, his fingers stroking the glowing spark. Perhaps he finally had a way to enter the world beyond the Veil.
Just then...
"L-lower your wands! Don't move!"
A trembling shout rang out, followed by a flurry of disorganized footsteps. Dozens of Aurors swarmed in from various entrances, surrounding them. The way they looked at the group—and Ethan specifically—was a mix of shock, terror, and even a hint of... reverence.
As the flesh covering the ceiling vanished, Ethan realized the scale of his final attack. That one strike had pierced through the entire Ministry of Magic.
A massive hole now ran vertically through the building. Faint morning light filtered down from the very top of the tunnel. As the flames died down, a giant spinal column remained embedded in the structure like some ancient ruin. In the morning light, ancient dust motes danced in the air.
The scene would have been quite poetic if not for the rows of heads poking out from the upper floors, staring down in disbelief.
The unlucky Ministry employees working the night shift: ( 0 ㅁ 0 )
The students: ∑( ° Д ° )!
Crap! We got so caught up in the fight, we forgot we were in the Ministry of Magic!
Ethan just ran a hole through the entire Ministry!!
"Aurors, wait! Let us explain!!"
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