Three words, clear and firm, without a hint of hesitation.
The "appreciation" on Lord Voldemort's face slowly faded, and that waxy-white snake-like face twitched slightly from extreme rage.
That fragment of his soul deep within her had actually been forcibly suppressed by this tiny vessel's will, even under the summon of the original body!
This was the ultimate insult to his existence!
"Is that so..." Lord Voldemort sighed affectedly, his raspy voice filled with irrepressible killing intent.
"You have made... the most foolish choice."
He suddenly let out a shrill scream.
"Then turn to ash along with your mudblood master!"
"Avada Kedavra—!"
A sickly green beam of light, thicker and more solid than any before, tore through the air toward Lia!
The moment Lord Voldemort raised his wand, Lia moved as well.
She had no wand.
She had long since etched this curse, representing ultimate death, into her own soul from death itself!
She thrust her right hand forward, and from her palm, a matching sickly green beam of light shot out to meet it head-on!
Boom—!!!
Two Killing Curses collided violently in the center of the circular hall!
Golden-green magical sparks exploded wildly at the point of impact, making a tooth-gritting crackling sound.
The stone floor of the entire hall cracked inch by inch, centered on the magical convergence, as countless bottomless fissures spread wildly in all directions like a spiderweb!
It actually reached a stalemate!
The Death Eaters who hadn't fled yet peeked out from the corners, wearing expressions of sheer disbelief, as if they had seen a ghost.
This monster that appeared out of nowhere could actually hold a stalemate against the great Dark Lord in a duel of Killing Curses?!
Harry, Ron, and the others were even more dumbfounded.
Only Hermione—her world lost all sound at this moment, leaving only those two colliding green lights.
Fear, like a cold hand, gripped her heart tightly, making it impossible to breathe.
She instinctively wanted to rush forward but was held back firmly by Lupin; her mind went blank as she could only watch helplessly as Lia's face turned pale at a visible rate.
Lia's body was trembling slightly.
She felt her magic being drained away like a flood through an open gate.
She wasn't the real Tom Riddle, after all.
Her understanding of the Dark Arts stemmed from plundering and imitation, not decades of intensive study.
She only knew how to use it, not master it.
In contrast, Lord Voldemort had a cruel sneer on his face, and his crimson eyes were full of mockery.
He was like an adult playing with a child who held a real gun but didn't know how to use it.
"It's over."
He hissed.
He applied a little more force with his wrist.
His beam of the Killing Curse suddenly doubled in thickness!
Crack!
The beam Lia had pushed out made a sound of shattering under the strain, then collapsed and dissipated!
The torrent of death surged uncontrollably toward Lia's chest!
There was no avoiding it!
There was no fear in Lia's eyes.
She was even prepared to take it head-on with her own body.
She believed in her traits; even if Lord Voldemort's magic exceeded her resistance limit, it would only mean welcoming her seventh death.
She still had two lives left.
However, at the very moment the green light was about to consume her.
An old, calm voice, yet one carrying supreme authority, echoed through the entire hall.
"Tom."
A brilliant and warm pure white glow appeared out of thin air in front of Lia, like the sturdiest Wall of Sighs.
The moment the Killing Curse, capable of annihilating all life, struck this white light, it dissolved silently like snow melting under a fierce sun.
Albus Dumbledore had arrived.
He hadn't even drawn his wand, just standing there quietly, his bright blue eyes behind half-moon spectacles filled with reassuring calm. His mere presence caused the air of the entire battlefield to freeze.
Lord Voldemort's crimson snake-like eyes were fixed intently on Dumbledore, his lipless mouth curling into an expression of extreme loathing.
"Dumbledore," he spat the name through gritted teeth.
"Tonight, you are always alone." Lord Voldemort looked around, seeing the Death Eaters being suppressed by members of the Order of the Phoenix, and said with a hint of mockery, "As always, you love playing the hero."
"On the contrary, Tom," Dumbledore replied calmly, "Heroes are never alone."
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