Since the moment they had climbed out of the train, Darcie and Daphne had been having a hard time controlling their emotions.
Nothing made sense to them.
First, it was the giant serpent, who already made them helpless. Among the two of them, only Darcie had some hands-on experience fighting with a magical creature. However, surviving against a young Nundu was one thing. Defeating undead monsters was an entirely different thing altogether.
Yes, years had passed since Darcie had gone to Avalon. Now, her command of magic was unmatched, even if compared to the third-year Hogwarts Students. Still, she couldn't be at three places at once.
Second, it was the blinding flashes descended from the sky.
Just who was up there, fighting such a heart-palpating battle? The only thing that the girls could pick up first was a nightmarish huge dragon, who kept breathing out giant pillars of purple fire.
As if that wasn't enough, third, the Dark Mark appeared in the sky.
Darcie and Daphne had shared a horrified look, knowing what kind of abhorrent meaning it hid in its appearance. Sure enough, in the very next moment, they saw someone coming out of the skull like a black, foggy pillar.
If not before, then at that moment Darcie knew things had become worse than ever… for the entire wizarding world.
She looked at Daphne before looking left and right.
Many students were still on the train. But what to do? How to help? How to survive?
It was then they heard the word echo across the air like a cry for help.
"DUMBLEDORE!"
The students had finally taken a breath of relief, knowing that one of the greatest wizards of all time was here to help them, when the nightmare left the sky and landed on the railway tracks like a bony mountain.
ROARRRRRRRRRR....
"Dar... cie…" Daphne let out the word, shaking.
Standing next to her, Darcie felt like the giant dragon just needed to lean forward to gulp both of them down. As she saw purple liquid bubbling at the back of the dragon's throat, time seemed to pause.
Darcie could feel everything simultaneously, the hair on the back of her neck standing up.
She could feel a black-haired boy running toward the dragon on her left. She could feel Harry jumping off the train, leaving a terrified Ron, who had no choice but to follow. Then there was Hermione, still on her knees, the 60-foot-long Basilisk now towering over her like a rotten tower.
Darcie could hear the shouts coming from her right, too.
But nothing mattered anymore.
As the purple fire oozed out of the dragon's mouth, the entire world disappeared in Darcie's eyes. Even Daphne's scream failed to reach her ears. The only thing she could feel now was the sweet, burning sensation through her robes.
It felt like… death.
Thump!
As if this wasn't a disaster already, with Fawkes gone, the Basilisk lunged at the train, opening its terrifying maw. Venom dripped off its dagger-like fangs, sizzling the very air.
Fortunately, it couldn't see. With the dragon's roar deafening it, it couldn't pinpoint someone's direction, either. Unfortunately, it couldn't see. With the dragon's roar deafening it, it couldn't pinpoint someone's direction, either.
So, the Basilisk attacked wildly like a mad, horrifying beast it was.
And, at the receiving end of this horror lay Hermione Granger, tears rolling down her cheeks.
Thump!!
Behind the train, the skeleton magical creatures had finally got the order to kill. The undead Graphorn dashed toward the students, its golden horn ready to maul through the children like insects. The undead Zouwu growled, lifting its right paw over the dozens of students who had fallen in fear in front of it.
Thump!!!
Red veins slithered in Darcie's eyes like molten lava descended into a pool of poisonous, green sea. Her eyes hurt so much that she had to close them. Her heart was pounding against her tiny chest like the strikes of a hammer against steel.
Greatness…
The more she felt, saw, and heard… the more she realized what the word truly meant.
… is… not about having knowledge and power.
It's about how, when, and why you use them. It's not only about making an impact but about whether there's a meaning in it or not.
Greatness Is About Not Holding Back When Your Friends'Lives Are At Stake!
THUMPPPPPP!!!!
CRACKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!
…
High in the sky, Ekrizdis was about to cast another curse on the old wizard when he suddenly paused, his terrifying, dark gaze landing on the ground.
Grindelwald was preparing himself to counter the incoming curse, his breath going awry. Suddenly, he too sensed a familiar feeling… a feeling he had almost forgotten. This feeling brought back some of the darkest memories in his mind and his face paled, his old eyes descending towards the ground as well.
…
Voldemort hissed madly, lifting his wand, green sparks bursting off its tip with a sinister intention. Then he went silent, his vile grin becoming a thin line.
Dumbledore's heart was going out as he helplessly sensed the plight of his students. Yet, he couldn't shake off the full power of the Dark Lord. Not unless he gave up on defending at all… It seemed to be his only choice. But just as he prepared to go all out, the crack rang out, jolting his old bones.
This… can't be happening…
…
Kai had already used his Identity Period.
So Black knew he wouldn't, and couldn't, be showing up in this battle anymore.
Moreover, after the successful creation of Ad Infinitum, Kai stopped actively controlling Darcie anymore. He had instead broken off a Sub-AI, imparting with it Darcie's memories, personalities, and ambitions, leaving her actions and thoughts for it to direct.
This also gave Kai, and the main AI, ample amounts of time to dissect and reverse engineer the Ancient Magical Script. It was one of his main goals when he had reincarnated in this Random World.
So when the notification appeared in front of Black's eyes, he couldn't help but think if something had happened with the main body while contemplating the Yellow Sign.
…
[
WARNING!
WARNING!!
WARNING!!!
…
Supreme Protector Kai Stormborn, you are WARNED.
The Anomaly is unleashed.
You are hereby given free rein to prevent Anomaly from causing incorrigible divergences in Timeline.
]
…
What's going on?!
Not only Black wasn't getting any feedback from Kai's Ad Infinitum, but he also failed to get any response from Darcie's AI. So, as the loud crack echoed behind him, Black looked over his shoulder, and his pupils shook.
His shoulders felt heavy. His breath rattled. His knees wobbled.
For a moment, Black regretted them obtaining the Elementary Mana Sense, for the Mana in the air… was just too overwhelming.
…
For a moment, the entire world lit up as a green bolt of lightning slithered up from the ground toward the sky.
Then came the noise.
BOOM!!!
Daphne, being the closest, got knocked off the train, rolled down on the ground, and lost consciousness instantly.
The entire train shook, with even the older students falling to their knees or sliding off the train.
The incoming pillar of purple fire had paused midair as if it had struck some oval-shaped shield. No matter how much the dragon spat out, no matter how much force the fire carried with it, the shield persisted, tongues of flames shooting off like splashes of water.
Behind this shield was a figure, surrounded by bolts of green lightning.
Her figure kept blurring between something ethereal and that of a golden-white-haired girl. In her hand was a wand, giving off majestic cries as if some emperor had sent its voice to the present from the past.
Then the Anomaly opened her eyes… briefly…
… before bursting into a mass of thickest blackness.
*******************
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