In a daze, Nagini felt as if she had been transported back decades—to the exact moment the iron cage that imprisoned her had finally shattered.
"Thank you... Thank you for saving me... My great, most respected Master! Thank you for everything you've done, for liberating me from that hideous curse!"
"Heavens... I never thought I would actually have hands and feet again..."
Nagini's gratitude was a torrential flood she couldn't stem. Her new, unfamiliar arms trembled as she reached out, resting her hands in Ethan's palms. Her eyes, rimmed with red, were fixed solely on him. Her face was a mess of tears and grime, yet she wore a smile of absolute, piercing sincerity.
"You have performed a miracle, Master," she whispered. "A miracle no one else has ever achieved. You have cast hope upon those of us who dwell in the darkest, lowest depths of existence."
"You are a God... a merciful God."
In that instant, a blinding, magnificent radiance erupted within Ethan's mind!
[You have performed an act of mercy and a miracle! You have spread the Great Power of the "Lamp"!]
[Lamp Brightness Increased!]
[From this moment forward, you shall be immune to the erosion of all cursed forces. Even if you step into the Veil with your bare hands, you shall remain unharmed!]
A warm, profoundly positive energy surged from his head down through his entire body. The vintage kerosene lamp suspended in the depths of his mind burst forth with unprecedented brilliance, tinting Ethan's cobalt-blue eyes with flecks of shimmering gold.
Ethan roared inwardly with triumph, his fist clenching in excitement.
Immunity to all curses and the ability to enter the Veil—the land of the dead—unprotected? This was the ultimate weapon against the dark forces of Death. It was his greatest leverage for when he finally decided to challenge the gods themselves.
After all, he had no intention of ending up like Voldemort or the current Avatar of Death—corroded into some monstrous, unrecognizable ghoul.
"Now, I can finally cut loose and do as I please," Ethan murmured. The corners of his mouth curled into a high, sharp smirk, his face illuminated by a glow of pure, unadulterated pleasure.
Ah... Master looks so happy, Nagini thought, her heart swelling. I must never fail him. I will repay his kindness with everything I am.
She smiled, her spirit so light it felt as if a phantom snake tail were wagging behind her.
"Master, let us go outside. I believe that now, I can control my body with my own will—"
Before she could finish, a needle-like sting, sharp as an electric lash, whipped through Nagini's mind.
"Urgh! Aah!"
She let out a strangled scream, her spine arching back violently, her chin thrust toward the ceiling. Inside her head, a voice boomed like a funerary bell:
[Kill... Kill him... Fulfill your mission... You are forever my most loyal subordinate...]
[NAGINI...!!!]
"Are you alright?" Ethan leaned down, concern flickering in his eyes as he saw her go rigid, her face turning a deathly pallor.
The edges of her dark irises were stained with a sudden, bloody red. Her pupils, which had just returned to a human circle, began to constrict, thinning into needle-like slits.
"Guh... Aggh...!"
Agony twisted Nagini's features. A flicker of internal struggle flashed in her eyes, followed quickly by a look of grim, absolute resolve.
Ethan needed her. And she knew exactly how she had to repay his kindness.
In the next heartbeat—Snap!
Nagini's eyes rolled, her blood-red vertical slits locking onto Ethan. Baring two snow-white fangs, she lunged at Ethan's throat with the ferocity of a predator!
Squelch!
BOOM!
Bricks and stones disintegrated into dust. Under the onslaught of the Avatar of Death, Hogwarts Castle looked like a balding man who had just had his toupee ripped off. The entire upper half had collapsed, leaving behind a jagged, naked stump of stone.
Albus Dumbledore stood alone amidst the ruins at the summit. Because staying in a large group made them an easy target for total annihilation, the wizards had scattered into small teams of two or three.
"Whew... ha... ha..."
Dumbledore panted heavily. Looking at the Basilisk—which had suffered only minor flesh wounds—he gave a self-deprecating chuckle.
"As far as retirement activities go, this is a bit too much excitement for an old man."
At this moment, he felt an even deeper appreciation for Ethan's power. If not for the ancient magical barriers Ethan had painstakingly laid down, Hogwarts would have been leveled to the ground long ago. Even now, with most of the runes destroyed, the barriers were still stubbornly holding firm.
"If this were a time of peace, Ethan could have easily become a figure like Merlin in the wizarding world... wait, weren't we in a time of peace when this started?"
Dumbledore fell silent for a moment, deciding not to dwell on that particular thought. He had already boarded the "Ship of Hope"—there was no getting off now.
"But Ethan, my boy... these old bones of ours are reaching their limit," the Headmaster whispered with a weary, helpless smile. The last time he had been pushed this hard was during his legendary duel with Grindelwald.
Dumbledore glanced toward the distant plains where ghost-blue flames were roaring toward the sky.
Just as everyone reached their breaking point—just as the gargoyles and suits of armor lay shattered across the grounds—the Basilisk suddenly stopped. Then, upon its monstrous, hideous face, a triumphant, cruel smirk stretched wide.
In an instant, it was as if a "pause" button had been pressed. An ominous, icy chill crawled up everyone's spine.
The Avatar of Death opened its maw, speaking each word with terrifying clarity:
[Ethan Vincent is dead!]
Deathly silence instantly smothered the entire castle.
"—No! You're lying!!!"
Hermione screamed at the top of her lungs, her voice cracking. She raised her wand, firing a succession of futile spells at the colossal serpent.
[Stupid girl... if Ethan Vincent isn't dead, then why hasn't he appeared?]
The Basilisk looked down at the hysterical Hermione with sadistic pleasure. Its cold, murderous gaze swept across the faces of the crowd, drinking in their disbelief and despair. With a flick of a claw, a massive curtain of water shimmered into existence before them.
Reflected in the water was the unmistakable image of Ethan, lying on the ground.
His eyes were wide and vacant, his face a ghostly white. From two puncture wounds on his neck, blood trickled slowly. Anyone could see at a single glance: there was no life left in him. He was beyond saving.
"No... No...!!!"
Hermione shrieked, collapsing to the ground in a total breakdown. She desperately wanted to believe this was a trick of the Death God to break their will. But if it was a lie, why wasn't Ethan here?
Everyone fell silent, their expressions shifting between grief and denial. They searched for any evidence that this was "all part of Ethan's plan." But trying to follow the logic of a mind as non-human as Ethan's was an impossible task.
[Oh~ look at you all, trying so hard to use those tiny brains.]
The Basilisk curled its lips, its tongue flicking with a hiss. It felt a sense of unprecedented relief, as if a long-simmering frustration had finally been vented.
Ethan was truly dead. Through Nagini's eyes, it had clearly seen her sink those fatal, venomous fangs into his neck.
...Oh, what a touching scene. To be betrayed by the very creature he had just "cured." It was a pity the venom acted so quickly; the Avatar of Death regretted not being able to savor the look of shock and rage on Ethan's face.
[Nagini will always be my most loyal servant... my most obedient puppet! The power of Death is absolute!]
[Now, there is only one last thing to finish...]
The Basilisk's eyes shifted, locking onto Dumbledore in the corner. Dumbledore felt a chill shoot up his spine. Before he could even move, a pair of cold, razor-sharp fangs sank into his neck from behind!
Squelch!
Dumbledore's pupils shrank. His instinct was to swing his wand, but as he felt the strange nature of the venom, his movements froze. His eyebrows shot up in surprise, and a complex look flickered in his eyes.
So that's how it is...
Ethan, my boy... this is a dangerously risky move.
You really should have been sorted into Gryffindor.
Thud!
Dumbledore fell stiffly to the ground. A greyish-white pallor spread across his face. Within seconds, the rising and falling of his chest ceased.
A hunched figure stood behind Dumbledore. Her white dress was splattered with droplets of blood. Her fangs were bared, and her spine was unnaturally curved forward, making her look like a crawling reptile that couldn't quite stand straight.
Seeing her, the Slytherin Prefect, Gemma Farley, stopped breathing for a second before hissing through gritted teeth, "I knew it... I should have ignored Ethan and killed you when I had the chance!"
The attacker was that Slytherin freshman—the "hunchbacked girl."
[HA HA HA HA!!!]
The Avatar of Death could no longer contain itself. It let out a wild, ecstatic roar of laughter that echoed through the silent, dark night.
Skree!
Fawkes the Phoenix let out a mournful cry, its fiery red form becoming shrouded in black mist until it vanished from sight.
[...Ethan Vincent is dead. Destiny has returned to its proper track.]
The Basilisk hissed, looking down at the trembling ants on the ground. It didn't notice that Nagini, who had been standing behind Dumbledore, had vanished.
It didn't care. The mission was complete; who cares about a tool?
At this moment, its heart was filled with joy and pride. A sense of supreme glory flooded its body like a divine blessing.
[I have won... I, the supreme God of Death, have won!!!]
[Heh heh heh—Wait?]
The Basilisk suddenly froze.
It felt it—a colossal, searingly hot aura erupting from the very depths of the castle. It started as a faint tremor, rising, expanding, and intensifying until it became a literal earthquake.
Lines of ancient runes carved into the walls lit up like golden circuitry! In an instant, they pierced through the black mist, bathing the ravaged castle in a radiant, vital light.
Then, accompanied by a world-shaking vibration...
Before the Avatar of Death's wide, horrified eyes, the entire Hogwarts Castle began to move. It surged upward, stone grinding against stone.
RUMBLE!!!
—Hogwarts has stood up!!!
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