10 Clad in Silver Armor

The moment Professor Quirrell stammered out the word 'troll,' fear swept through the Great Hall like a malevolent, living thing. The lofty ceiling echoed with terrified screams as the students began a frantic scramble for the exits. Zee grabbed my arm, her eyes wide but displaying an uncanny absence of fear. She gave me a persuasive look before joining the surge of students towards the safety of the Ravenclaw common room.

Despite the hysteria swirling around us, I felt an uncharacteristic thrill bubble up within me. I had faced many adversaries before in my previous life, but a troll was a new, tantalizing challenge. With this strange cocktail of dread and excitement in my veins, I found myself being drawn into the thick of the chaos.

"Zee," I finally managed to utter, pausing in the middle of the corridor as a stream of terror-stricken students rushed past us. The perplexity was clear on her face, but before she could utter a protest, I asserted, "I think I can handle this."

"Tim, are you completely bonkers?" Zee hollered over the pandemonium. Her eyes were wide, almost comically so. I could almost hear the gears turning in her head, trying to compute my sudden declaration of bravado.

Gently, I extricated myself from her grip and pushed her back into the throng of students heading for safety. "Trust me, Zee," I reassured, hoping that my words held more conviction than I actually felt. "I've got this."

Relying on my <Magic Sense>, I moved against the tide, a homing pigeon bound for danger. The troll's scent was a vile concoction of sweat and something so foul, I had to force my stomach into submission. As I ventured deeper into the labyrinth of Hogwarts, the creature's magical signature seemed to strengthen.

Rounding a dimly lit corner, I was met with the grotesque visage of my adversary. A behemoth of grey skin and ragged scars, the troll had beady eyes that glowed with unadulterated malice. It stood there, an embodiment of raw power and brutal strength.

Barely sparing a second, I hurled a 'Petrificus Totalus' at it. It was a direct hit, but the troll grunted and brushed off the spell like it was nothing but an annoying fly. A cold realization washed over me—I needed a different strategy.

My "Great Sage" ability clicked into gear, scanning the troll like an efficient machine and revealing its high magical resistance but also its limited mental capabilities.

I quickly conjured an illusion of myself darting off in the opposite direction. The troll, duped by my ruse, staggered after the apparition, buying me precious time.

Leveraging this brief reprieve, I cast 'Diffindo' at the back of the creature's knees. The spell managed to halt its progress momentarily, but the troll quickly regained its footing, seemingly impervious to my attack.

I felt my pulse racing, a cold sweat trickling down my spine. I had to resort to my unique Majin abilities, my hidden trump card. Activating 'Demon's Haki,' my aura roared into existence, a formidable wave of black energy that even the troll seemed to fear.

I seized the opportunity, hurling a full-strength 'Stupefy' at the beast. The troll was thrown back, crashing into a wall with an echoing thud. It was stunned, temporarily incapacitated, but I knew it wasn't down for the count.

Drawing upon my 'Material Creation' skill, I materialized a sharp blade and drove it into the troll's skull. I quickly cast 'Shrink,' hovering my hand over the fallen beast. The troll's colossal body began to diminish, its massive frame shrinking down to the size of a small doll, my conjured sword still lodged in its head.

The battle had taken its toll on me, fatigue gnawing at the edges of my consciousness. But there was no time to rest; the professors would soon arrive to investigate, and I needed to stake my claim over the shrunken troll. With the evidence of my victory in my grasp, I couldn't suppress a smirk, 'What a Halloween this was turning out to be. And who would have thought battling a Troll would be this thrilling~'

But the universe, it seemed, had a cruel sense of humor. No sooner had I reveled in my triumph, a force with the might of a freight train collided with my side. The world blurred, my body thrown across the hallway like a ragdoll. Breathless, disoriented, I crashed into a stone wall.

Through the fog of pain, I saw the source of my sudden plight—a second troll. Larger, more menacing than the first, it boasted unique silver armor that glinted menacingly in the dim light.

The troll's raw power made my stomach knot with dread. As I struggled to pull myself up, my body screamed in protest. I was battered, bruised, and severely unprepared for this unexpected adversary.

My <Magic Sense> rang alarm bells in my head, alerting me to the titanic magical signature of the creature towering over me. It was stronger, deadlier, and had blindsided me.

{Timothy,} the Great Sage warned me telepathically, {this troll is not natural. It's artificially enhanced, its strength and magic resistance significantly amplified.}

Cold dread coiled around my heart. I was up against a behemoth, and my arsenal of magic felt woefully inadequate.

The troll lunged at me with shocking speed. I rolled away, narrowly avoiding its crushing blow. Its fists slammed into the stone floor, sending a cloud of dust and debris into the air and causing the corridor to shake with the impact.

I struggled to rise, to retaliate, but my body was slow to respond. Each spell I managed to conjure bounced off the troll's hardened skin, causing barely a ripple of discomfort. Enraged, the troll roared and charged, its thunderous footsteps echoing ominously.

Fear wrapped its icy fingers around my heart. I was spent, drained, and cornered with no escape. As the troll prepared to descend upon me, I braced myself for the crushing blow, resigning myself to my fate.

But fate had other plans. A commanding voice echoed through the corridor, resonating with the power of a storm, "Ignis et caelum descendit!"

"Zee?" I barely managed to whisper. It was her, rushing in to save me in the nick of time. The corridor was bathed in golden light as words materialized out of thin air—a unique form of magic that Great Sage identified as {Logomancy}.

A streak of fire descended from the ceiling, slamming into the troll's chest with a tremendous force that stopped it in its tracks. The troll staggered, pain and confusion flashing in its beady eyes.

My gaze locked onto Zee, who stood tall and resolute amidst the chaos. Her eyes, usually filled with laughter and mischief, now glowed with fierce determination. The image of her conjuring fire in the air was breathtaking, awe-inspiring, and alarmingly familiar. A memory stirred within me, something from a book I had read in my previous life.

"Zee," I murmured, the pieces of the puzzle starting to come together.

But my revelation had to be shelved. The troll was regaining its bearings. Its body began to radiate an ominous red energy, signifying a looming onslaught. I was battered, drained, and barely standing.

However, the odds seemed to tilt in our favor with Zee on my side. A flicker of hope ignited within me, though uncertainty lingered. The troll was formidable. Would we stand a chance?

The red energy around the troll grew more intense, and I locked eyes with Zee. She gave me a nod, a silent promise, before turning her full attention back to the monstrous adversary. I couldn't help but wonder: were we about to overcome the impossible? Or was this the end of the road for us?