Garuda's Sacred Nest. As befitting its name, an avian theme dominated the architecture. Winding pillars intertwined high above, mimicking a bird's nest and shrouding the magnificent temple below.
Inside the vast temple, a half-human, half-bird deity loomed over an empty altar—presumably where the Garuda's Feather once rested. Before the statue, a dark figure sat motionless, radiating an aura of death. Given the temple's forlorn location, one would be forgiven for assuming his end was near, but faint, feeble breaths betrayed his continued existence. A single, dimly glowing golden feather emitted a weak, shimmering light from within his robes.
Ten meters away, a gigantic, six-winged golden bird lay dying in a pool of blood. The Thunderbird was on its last breath; Kavi Sharma could feel himself nearing the abyss.
"..."
He gazed at the Garuda Feather clutched in his hand, the sole reason he remained alive. The divine object's power was overwhelming. Even with the Thunderbird's blood mitigating its effects, he couldn't withstand its immense force outside the confines of the Sanctuary.
This Thunderbird was no ordinary creature; it was a specimen he had sought for nearly twenty years, possessing an exceptional resistance to Garuda's divine power. Yet, a mortal bird remained mortal. No matter how unique, it was ultimately powerless against a god. It had held on longer than he expected.
A rustling sound echoed.
Kavi propped up his withered, weak body. The black robe, fluttering in the breeze, revealed strange skin beneath—covered not only in its original dark brown but also in bizarre, feather-like patterns. He was becoming increasingly inhuman. Thin, almost invisible, cold, hard lips; sharp, vertical, raptor-like eyes; fingernails sharpened to rough points; all that remained unchanged was the silver scar bisecting his left cheek. One might mistake him for a hybrid of magical creature and wizard.
"…"
Kavi slowly turned his head, his sharp gaze drifting beyond the temple. "Again? No… far more presentable than the previous trash." His senses remained acute. Though blurred, he sensed that the newcomer possessed extraordinary power.
The Garuda Feather and the scar on his cheek flared simultaneously. Dark clouds once again filled the sky, echoing with thunder.
"…"
Weakened, Kavi knelt on one knee. His ancient magical runes were illegitimate, forcibly obtained by breaking a seal using the bloodline of an ancient wizard's descendant, and thus incomplete. This imperfection manifested as scars. But even diluted, the damn thing retained its full side effects, inflicting as much damage as the original.
Fortunately, he could amplify the rune's limited range by channeling the Garuda Feather's power through the storm. Though the rune's effect weakened with the storm's expansion, its wide reach proved more effective than direct confrontation. Wielding two such devastating abilities simultaneously left him perpetually half-dead.
...
Rumble~
Splash~
"..."
Snape raised a hand to catch the icy rain, gazing skyward. "It's raining?" He keenly sensed the downpour hindering his magic, reminiscent of his encounter with the Tide Messenger! But this time, the effect was more pronounced, perhaps due to insufficient exposure or the storm's limited scope.
The area under the storm suffered from ancient "anti-magic" runes, with the rain amplifying the effect. Yet, the interference remained negligible for Snape; so long as he could still wield magic, he would manage.
"..."
Snape lingered, letting the cool rain fall on his face, resembling a melancholy old man.
"Severus."
"Hmm?"
The call made Snape turn. Tom and the others were already warding themselves against the rain.
Tom looked at him with a knowing smile. "Do you enjoy getting wet?"
"…"
Snape, momentarily abashed, conjured a Water-Repelling Spell above his head. Tom watched, smiling silently. He knew Snape possessed a chuunibyou streak; otherwise, he wouldn't style himself the "Half-Blood Prince."
The others were oblivious, merely finding this side of Severus Snape novel. Snape wasn't some Muggle Junior High student. His strength and a face etched with untold stories masked too much.
"Heh…"
Tom chuckled, not dwelling on Snape's embarrassment. After all, he is my subordinate; appearances must be maintained.
"Let's go. Since he doesn't welcome me, I'll simply send him packing."
...
Garuda's Sanctuary.
The temple's open design offered no respite from the rain, soaking everything. This suited Kavi, as this was his territory!
Thump, thump, thump...
Slow but rapid footsteps echoed from behind.
"Knowing you're no match, you still come?" Kavi sighed deeply, as if regretting something. "How… foolish."
He turned, revealing his hawk-like face.
"Heh, you guys… wait a minute?"
That familiar green-eyed gaze.
Kavi hadn't recognized Ashok Petil, who had escaped him years ago, but Tom's striking appearance was unmistakable. Reports about Tom Riddle had been plentiful lately. A curious man, Kavi knew a little about strange and unusual figures worldwide.
Well, this comes in handy now, doesn't it?
Wasn't that the Dark Lord?!
"…"
Kavi's already dark brown skin darkened further. He cursed the Indian Ministry of Magic inwardly. If you can't win, you can talk it over! Calling for outside help is no good! He was no overconfident fool. A smart man like him understood certain things perfectly well.
Kavi didn't believe he could defeat Tom Riddle. Regardless of his current state, even in his prime, he doubted he could last two rounds. But… faced with this reality, was he supposed to surrender? He was already dying!
Since I'm going to die soon, what do I care about the Dark Lord?!
"…"
Kavi pursed his lips, unwilling to accept defeat. He desperately tried to activate the ancient magic runes, hoping to cripple Tom's magic.
But the action seemed to enrage Tom Riddle. The moment their eyes met, an indescribable, terrifying wave of magical energy surged forth, almost killing him!
No… I can't win at all!
---