The Aurors stared at the scene in shock, the wands gripped tightly in their hands trembling ever so slightly.
Faint light filtered down through the massive pit that had been gouged through the floors above, illuminating the wreckage scattered across the ground. Charred, blackened marks—like ugly scars—covered the surroundings.
A giant, several times larger than anything in recorded history, crouched to one side. A long, jagged chasm had split its back open, and most of its body had already withered into bleached bone.
And then, there was the black-haired boy standing in the center of that falling light.
He was turned away from them, appearing entirely motionless as if he hadn't heard their commands at all.
The Aurors opened their mouths, wanting to shout the name that everyone knew. But in the moment before the words could escape, they caught in their throats. It felt as if merely uttering his name would cause them to be targeted—to be cursed!
Wrapped in a mixture of awe and terror, at this moment, the name Ethan Vincent had reached a status equal to that of Voldemort himself! The only thing he lacked was the formal title of "Dark Lord."
"Merlin's beard," an Auror murmured. "If that boy wasn't standing right there, I would have thought he was the legendary [Mr. Lamp]!"
The Ministry of Magic—the indestructible symbol of authority in the wizarding world—had been cleaved in two!
What was next? Was he going to take over Hogwarts?!
In the midst of the standoff, Ethan suddenly moved.
He stepped slowly onto the collapsed ruins, ascending to the upper level. There, he reached down and hauled up a shriveled, mangled figure from the ground!
[Ah... ahhh...]
The figure let out a raspy groan. Only her upper body remained; her lower half had been incinerated. She looked like a gnarled tree stump. Even the Aurors were horrified that she was somehow still alive.
It was a survivor!
"Drop that person immediately! Mr... Mr. Vincent!" an Auror raised his wand and shouted sternly.
Seeing that Ethan remained deaf to their cries, they gritted their teeth, incantations ready on the tips of their tongues.
"Impedimen—"
"Wait!"
A voice rang out, interrupting the Aurors' spellcasting.
Neville Longbottom stepped forward, panting heavily. His face was covered in grime and sweat, but his eyes shone with a light of steadfast bravery. He stared at the Aurors, took a deep breath, and said clearly:
"The person Ethan is holding is the Death Eater who kidnapped Sirius and attacked us after the prison break—Bellatrix Lestrange!"
"It was Ethan who protected us from the Death Eater attack! He has every right to deal with the criminal!"
"You're—" An Auror's eyes widened in surprise. "Ah, I recognize you. You're the Longbottoms' son..."
The son of the heroes who had been driven to madness by the Death Eaters' cruel torture.
Hearing this, the Aurors looked at one another and unconsciously lowered their wands.
...It was true. Bellatrix had escaped from prison, and her whereabouts had been unknown until now. For her to still be alive in such a state was likely due to how deeply she had been corrupted by the Dark Arts.
As for whether Ethan—who had just moments ago ascended to the "Top Three" of the Ministry's most-wanted list—was qualified to handle a criminal...
Please. By the time we arrived, Ethan had already finished handling her, alright?
We tried our best.jpg
And so, the Aurors very "heartily" lowered their wands and watched Ethan with curiosity, whispering among themselves.
"I wonder how that boy will deal with the criminal. Use the Cruciatus Curse? Hmm, but looking at that Dark Witch, she probably wouldn't survive a single round..."
"Maybe he'll just finish her off quickly and cleanly?"
"If you ask me, there is no punishment more terrifying than the Dementor's Kiss."
On the other side.
Bellatrix opened her eyes weakly, gazing at the boy before her. Her lips curled into a mocking sneer, and she croaked hoarsely:
[Kill me... what does it matter? You only repelled my Master once, but my great Master will return eventually!]
[Ahhh... kill me! Let me be a martyr for my Master!]
Her body trembled. She looked up toward the sky, her frame shaking as if she were trying to embrace something invisible. She radiated an air of absolute piety and fanaticism.
Ethan looked down at Bellatrix's frenzied state, his cobalt-blue eyes icy cold. Suddenly, his lips curled into a gentle smile as he spoke softly.
"What a loyal believer. It's perfect; you can serve as the sacrifice for my promotion."
[Torture me all you like...] Bellatrix smiled disdainfully, staring directly at Ethan's approaching palm. [You will never... hear me scream...!!]
"Is that so? Then I can rest easy." Ethan smiled slightly. "I personally despise loud noises."
With those words, Ethan's palm pressed down onto Bellatrix's charred, collapsed forehead.
The next second...
A golden light rippled out like a tidal wave. A soaring, melodic voice erupted into the air!
[Ahhhhh—]
Like a siren's song, the eyes of everyone present instantly became vacant. They stared up at the golden light, a glimmer of gold gradually igniting in their pupils. They looked like sailors who had been enticed to walk willingly into the sea.
—Brainwashing: Mermaid's Song!
[Ugh... AAAAHHHH!!]
Bellatrix let out a shrill scream. The song felt as if it were exploding inside her brain, forcibly washing away every stray thought!
The only thing being engraved into her mind was the urge to prostrate herself before this golden light—the radiant light of the "Lamp."
[What did you do?! What are you trying to do to me?!]
Bellatrix questioned him agonizingly. For the first time, a look of genuine terror appeared on that arrogant, defiant face.
An impossible thought flooded her mind—this brat wasn't trying to torture her. He wasn't even trying to kill her. He was trying to forcibly subvert her thoughts and turn her into his own believer!
What kind of psychopath could come up with such a horrifying act?!
[No... don't wash away my love for my Master... you can't do this! Please, I beg you—]
[MERCY—!!!]
She struggled with all her might. However, that iron-like hand continued to pour the song and the golden light into her skull, remodeling her very thoughts.
Ethan listened to Bellatrix's screams, his lips curling into a look of pure pleasure. Without pausing his magic, he laughed, his voice as gentle as an angel's.
"Haha, you really do have a sense of humor. Your Master was transformed into a pawn of fate a long time ago."
"From beginning to end, you were simply being led by the nose."
As the words fell, Bellatrix's screaming stopped abruptly. She stared at Ethan in shocked daze, wanting to argue, but she no longer had the strength to speak.
How could I have been tricked... my Master was clearly... clearly...
Eh?
As if a mist had been cleared away, Bellatrix's mind suddenly became lucid!
[...Heehee, so... all this time, I was serving the monster that devoured the Dark Lord...]
She let out a smile that looked more like a sob. A single drop of blood trickled from her eye. A thick sense of despair sank into her gaze—and was then replaced by a more intense, blazing golden light!
Driven by the power of the Lamp, Bellatrix experienced a sudden burst of clarity before death. She raised her mangled arms high and laughed with fanatical piety:
[Oh, merciful "Lamp"! Please let me dwell within your blazing light!!]
The shrill cry echoed throughout the entire Ministry of Magic, sending shivers down everyone's spine.
"This is terrifying... how... how did he do that...?"
The Aurors murmured, trembling. Even after surviving a hundred battles and seeing the world, they couldn't help but feel a surge of primal dread! It was a fear that came from the deepest part of the human soul—the fear of having one's very perception of reality forcibly overturned.
"Forcibly subverting someone's faith is like overwriting their original personality while they're still conscious..."
"Merlin! This is a punishment far more horrific than the Dementor's Kiss!"
At least the Dementor's Kiss stripped away a person's consciousness entirely. What Ethan was doing allowed the victim to perceive everything with total clarity.
[By the way of Mercy, you have successfully made a sinner yield to the light of the "Lamp," turning her into your most loyal believer!]
[Requirements met. The Gate of Promotion—The Spider's Door—will now appear before you!]
Whoosh—
A crimson phantom appeared beside Ethan. When it emerged, the pure golden light was stained with a tinge of blood-red, and a mouth-watering scent of hunger began to spread.
Squish, squish.
Dense clusters of ticks crawled greedily over the door. They were as translucent as teardrops, and trails of blood seeped from the pitch-black, congealed surface.
Clearly, it was craving a sacrifice. Only by offering the most pious sacrifice could its gluttonous appetite be satisfied, allowing the door to open.
The moment the Spider's Door appeared, the Aurors cried out again: "Merlin's beard! What kind of sinister thing is that now?!"
Was Ethan some kind of dark treasure chest? How was it that every item he pulled out and every spell he cast violated every single law in the wizarding world?!
"Bloody hell," Ron muttered, his face pale as he watched the eerie gate. "Is our Enlightenment Society actually legal...?"
Harry glanced at Ron, patted his shoulder, and said somberly, "You've realized that a bit too late."
Ron: Crying sounds QAQ
"It's time for you to contribute your part to the great cause of light..."
Ethan gazed at the Spider's Door, a bright light dancing in his eyes. He looked down at the dazed Bellatrix and smiled.
"Are you happy, Miss Bella?"
Bellatrix: [Ha... happy... heehee...]
—Even for an irredeemable piece of trash like Bellatrix, I can find a way to make her shine and contribute. I really am far too kind.
Ethan sighed inwardly with self-admiration. He raised his hand and, with a squelch, ruthlessly pressed Bellatrix's head onto the tick-infested door!
[AAAAAAAAHHHH!!!]
Bellatrix responded to her own sacrifice with immense enthusiasm. Streaks of blood seeped from her charred face, greedily sucked away by the ticks.
Within a few breaths, under the skin-crawling gaze of the crowd, Bellatrix's entire being melted into the door. She vanished completely, bringing her sinful life to an end.
Crack.
The ticks, now bloated with flesh and blood, swelled until they looked like rubies. The previously sealed door slowly began to creak open before Ethan's eyes!
[Congratulations! You have offered a sweet sacrifice to the Spider's Door.]
[The path of promotion lies right before you!]
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