At that moment, Professor McGonagall was coordinating the situation, calming the students and the other spectators.
"Minerva," Dumbledore called out loudly, "make preparations. Activate all of Hogwarts' defenses, and tell Filius to get the defensive charms ready."
Among the professors, Filius Flitwick was the strongest aside from Dumbledore himself, and his mastery of magic surpassed that of most wizards. He could even combine the magic of other wizards into powerful composite spells.
"What's happened, Albus?" Professor McGonagall asked worriedly.
Dumbledore took a deep breath. "He's here."
Professor McGonagall's face turned grim.
"He... he's finally come? But why... doesn't he fear you? Why now...?" McGonagall still did not know the truth about Voldemort.
Dumbledore gave a bitter smile. "Fear me? No. He no longer has any reason to fear me."
Everything had been reversed now. If Grindelwald did not exist, Voldemort would not even need any elaborate arrangements to kill him outright.
"How can that be..." Professor McGonagall's expression changed. "Even you..."
If even Dumbledore, the man known as the greatest wizard, could not defeat Voldemort, then was there any hope left for the world?
"Don't worry, Minerva." Dumbledore shook his head. "I'm not as powerful as you imagine. There are many powerful wizards in this world."
The existence of an Eternal Wizard was like a bug. It was not something mere study could achieve. It was more like a form of authority, one place for one being.
"Stop asking, Minerva. Go make preparations. Our enemies are about to arrive."
Dumbledore drew his spare wand. "Tell Filius to prepare quickly. I'll do my best to hold those enemies back."
...
Outside the castle, the heavy rain gradually subsided, while dense dark clouds spread across the sky, carrying darkness and ill omen with them.
An endless tide of ghosts, mixed with a small number of still-living Death Eaters, charged excitedly toward Hogwarts Castle. Death God's aura had seeped into their souls, making them fearless of death while also granting them terrifying magical power.
High on a mountain, Voldemort stood at the summit, looking at the tidal wave of ghosts crashing toward Hogwarts, a crazed smile spreading across his face.
"Kill. Destroy. Drown Hogwarts and let this world witness my power!"
Suddenly, Voldemort's expression shifted, and he turned to look behind him.
"So you've finally come." Looking at Grindelwald, who had appeared out of nowhere, wrapped in magic and looking somewhat bedraggled, Voldemort smiled smugly.
"It was a bit troublesome, but all those decoys I set up really were useful."
Grindelwald's expression darkened. He raised a hand, and the magic around Voldemort suddenly collapsed inward.
A pitch-black portal opened, and countless faceless ghosts poured out of it, surging toward the collapsing magic all around.
A violent clash erupted between the two. Countless ghosts were crushed and torn apart, only to turn back into Death God magic, rewind, and re-form into mindless ghosts that lunged once more at the collapsing magic.
The two different kinds of magic fell into a tug-of-war, devouring one another without yielding.
"As expected. I could already sense it when you fought Kapatosia. Your power is slightly lacking when it comes to offense."
Voldemort spoke almost conversationally. "Perhaps you are especially difficult to deal with in some respects, but in a battle of defense like this, you have no advantage."
He raised a hand, and even more ghosts surged out toward Grindelwald.
Grindelwald flicked his hand, and all the ghosts instantly transformed into animals, lions, spiders, pythons, and the like. They turned around and charged at Voldemort instead.
"Hmph." Voldemort let out a cold snort. Death God magic spread outward, and the charging animals instantly turned gray and lifeless. Their phantom souls slipped out and once again became part of Voldemort's power.
These pitiful false souls, created by making use of an Eternal Wizard's power, became another battlefield for the two Eternal Wizards. Their powers tangled together once more, and the terrifying aftershocks caused the surrounding earth and vegetation to mutate into strange unknown substances.
On one side was Grindelwald, who had only recently become an Eternal Wizard, still in the exploratory stage of using his power, yet already able to wield every bit of it with practiced skill.
On the other was Voldemort, the new Death God, who had directly inherited Death God's power and experience, yet lacked true control over it.
The two fought to a standstill, the clash immense and awe-inspiring.
Then suddenly, Voldemort smiled.
"From the beginning, I found it strange how much importance you placed on Dumbledore," he said, as though making idle conversation. "Now I can confirm it. There's a connection between you and Dumbledore, and it seems tied to the very foundation of your power."
Grindelwald's face remained expressionless. He was a little rattled, but he was no amateur. At a time like this, there was no way he would lose composure and expose himself.
"Not admitting it? Fine. I don't care. Because before long, I'll be able to verify it myself."
As he spoke, Voldemort looked toward Hogwarts in the distance.
A gray-white fog had already surrounded the castle, and a vast number of ghosts, mixed with a small number of living people, were about to launch their assault on Hogwarts.
At that critical moment, firelight flashed, and Dumbledore appeared, riding on the phoenix Fawkes.
Under Dumbledore's control, the sweeping phoenix fire transformed into bird after bird of flame, each one burning with phoenix fire. The firebirds plunged into the gray fog and exploded, briefly blowing it apart.
This flame carried the aura of life. The instant it touched the deathly gray mist, the clash ignited at once. Violent explosions rang out through the fog, and ghost after ghost was torn apart by the shockwaves.
"Heh. This is what you're relying on? Those pieces of trash probably aren't enough to deal with Albus," Grindelwald said mockingly.
"Don't be so sure," Voldemort said with an unconcerned shake of the head. "The war has only just begun."
The firebirds wreathed in phoenix fire darted back and forth among the ghosts, blowing apart great swaths of fog. But the fog simply could not be burned away completely. No matter how many gaps the firebirds blasted open, more mist immediately surged in to fill them.
The fog showed no sign of receding. If anything, it was slowly spreading toward Hogwarts.
Even more despairing was the fact that the number of ghosts within the fog never decreased. No matter how many ghosts the firebirds tore apart, before long they were restored intact and rejoined the army, baring claws and fangs.
Very soon, the firebirds ran out of strength, and Fawkes, as their source, also began to weaken.
In the end, he was only a phoenix. A phoenix that would have to go through rebirth even after taking a Killing Curse. His reserves of power could not compare to the World Tree, which was vast enough to serve as an Eternal Wizard's power reserve.
Dumbledore watched expressionlessly as the fog, no longer blocked by the firebirds, began pressing in. Then he let out a sigh.
The barrier was not ready yet. Flitwick still needed more time.
"I'm counting on you, old friend." He patted Fawkes on the head. "Go."
With a single cry, Fawkes used what little strength he had left to send Dumbledore away, then plunged headfirst into the gray fog without looking back.
The fog churned, but for a moment, nothing seemed to happen.
Then suddenly, a light like the rising sun pierced through the fog. A round fireball, like a miniature sun, appeared inside it.
At its center, a phoenix danced freely, displaying the most wondrous dance in the world.
The fireball tore open the encirclement of fog. Massive amounts of mist rushed toward the opening, trying to smother the flames, but under that august light they could only be ripped apart.
That was the phoenix's fire of rebirth, symbolizing the cycle of life and the birth of new life. Even Death God's power could not lay a finger on it.
The blazing fire of rebirth even affected Voldemort, who was locked in battle with Grindelwald. He let out a disgusted cry. Black smoke rose from his ghostly body, and he looked to be in terrible pain.
At that very moment, the Death God magic protecting him briefly scattered.
Naturally, Grindelwald would never let such an opportunity go. Magic surged in his eyes, and a terrifying power descended, condensing this entire stretch of time and space.
Voldemort's body became abnormally slow. This time-freezing magic was still too much of a stretch when used against an Eternal Wizard.
But that slight delay was all Grindelwald wanted.
He suddenly appeared behind Voldemort. Magic gathered around his foot, transforming it into the foot of a giant, one with bulging veins and overwhelming muscle.
The giant seized Voldemort and hurled him high into the air. The immense force did not break through the frozen time, but it did impose a force, a force so abrupt that Voldemort could not react.
At the same time, spell after deadly, vicious spell appeared out of nowhere, all aimed at empty air.
That empty point was exactly where Voldemort would arrive the moment the time freeze ended.
The next instant, frozen time ceased. Voldemort's body shot out like a skyrocketing firework, and countless spells slammed toward him, their brilliant flashes blooming like a dazzling firework display.
But those spells were not Grindelwald's true killing move.
Hidden beneath that dazzling magic was a terrifying force, like the sharpest blade, silently cutting through the brilliant spells and striking Voldemort.
The time-freezing spell could not completely freeze an Eternal Wizard. That was its weakness, but that did not mean it was useless.
Between the region of frozen time and the region of normal time and space, there existed the force of intersecting space-time.
Death God's indestructible body was instantly split in two. Even an Eternal Wizard could not resist the power of time and space.
Yet in the very next second, Death God's body restored itself at once. Voldemort reappeared in the distance at full strength, his face full of terror.
"Damn it! What kind of magic was that?" Voldemort cursed furiously.
For one instant just now, he had genuinely felt as though he were facing death.
He was Death God. How could Death God possibly feel something like that?
"Heh. You guess." Grindelwald smiled, but inwardly a sense of powerlessness rose up.
That had been his strongest attack. It could instantly destroy an Eternal Wizard. It could be called the most powerful attack possible against Eternal Wizards.
But the conditions required to use it were too demanding. Without someone holding the enemy in place, he could not even drag an Eternal Wizard into the range of the time-freezing field.
Why did it have to be Death God? Damn it, that was the hardest of all the Eternal Wizards to kill.
Grindelwald fumed inwardly, but Voldemort did not know any of that. All he saw was Grindelwald's half-smiling expression, and his heart gave a jolt. He was suddenly on the verge of retreating.
"Hmph. I'll let you live a little longer. Once Dumbledore dies, we'll see what you do." Voldemort had already noticed that the fire of rebirth in the distance was beginning to fade. The power of a single phoenix could not last very long in the end.
Once the fire of rebirth disappeared and Dumbledore died, the Eternal Wizard before him would inevitably be affected.
With that thought, Voldemort plunged straight into the portal leading to the world of death, leaving only vast amounts of fog and ghosts behind to continue besieging Hogwarts.
Grindelwald let out a sigh of relief when he saw that, and was just about to go back to help Dumbledore when a portal suddenly opened right in front of him, and a hand filled with the aura of death reached for his face.
Grindelwald hastily retreated. He wanted to shift away directly, only to discover that the area had already been sealed off.
"Don't even think about saving Dumbledore. Stay right here and wait obediently, and watch Hogwarts be destroyed."
Voldemort's manic laughter rang out from within the portal. Before Grindelwald could counterattack, the portal snapped shut.
"Damn it." Grindelwald ground his teeth so hard his molars nearly shattered. He understood that Voldemort had pinned him down here, but there was nothing he could do about it.
Under the gaze of an Eternal Wizard, trying to shift away in this situation would be tantamount to courting death.
Unless he killed Voldemort or trapped him, there was simply no way he could leave.
"Albus, you have to hold on." Grindelwald looked toward Hogwarts, his face full of worry.