To each them own
The boy chuckled "Oh no, I have no intention of killing you. That is not my task. But I must admit the thought did cross my mind."
Ron gritted his teeth, his body tensing with rage as he struggled to keep his emotions in check. "What do you want from me then? What sick game are you playing?"
His slow drawl pissed Ron off to no end. This guy sounded like he was holier than thou. "Oh I'm not here for you boy, I'm here for your friend". He points at Harry's limp body on the floor while he struggles to get up.
Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. This man, this monster, wanted him? Why? How? Was he going to kill him too? Questions raced through his mind as he tried to make sense of the situation.
He glanced at Ron, hoping to see some sort of reassurance or comfort in his eyes. Instead, all he saw was pain and confusion. They locked gazes for a moment, silently conveying their uncertainty and fear to one another. Then, without warning, Ron lunged at the man, his fist clenched tightly as he swung wildly at him.
The boy casually stepped to the side, easily dodging Ron's clumsy attack. With a swipe of his hands he sent Ron out through a wall. Lazily moving his finger back towards him Ron came flying back.
With a grin he said "Now let us get to business shall we." In a flash he was in front of Harry in an instant reaching out his spindly fingers to grasp Harry's neck.
A barrier appeared in front of Harry's neck when Riddle's hand nearly wrapped around his neck. The brown haired teen paused for a moment before chuckling.
"So you learned some tricks? Well then perhaps you would like to show them to me. Show me what makes you so special Harry potter"
The words sent a chill down Harry's spine. He knew he had to fight back but how? His magic was currently unruly and uncontrollable. It was like a wild animal that could turn on him at any moment. If he wasn't careful it would consume him.
He grabbed his wand and sent straight magic into it with no intent, no incantation , nothing. It felt like pure fire running through his veins, burning hot and fierce.
The magic landed true and hitted Riddle in the chest, sending him backwards. But to his surprise the teen didn't go far. In fact he just stood there smiling. "Was that supposed to hurt?"
The boy chuckled. "Do you really think you can beat me? You who can barely control your own powers? I've seen your struggle, your pain and suffering. I know your weakness." Riddle was bluffing out of his ass he only knew Harry for at least a few months. But the intimidation still worked.
Harry took a step back, unsure of what to do next. His opponent seemed invulnerable, impossible to defeat. Maybe if he ran away he could escape and regroup later? No, he couldn't leave Ron behind, not like this. He had to stay and fight, no matter what the cost.
Gathering his courage Harry lunged forward, his wand raised high above his head as he charged at the boy with reckless abandon. A smile crept onto Riddle's lips as he watched Harry's advance. With a flick of his wrist, he conjured a bolt of black energy.
It flew towards Harry, striking him directly in the chest, sending him crashing into the wall behind him. Harry gasped in pain as his body collided with the hard stone surface, his lungs burning from the impact.
"Now let me show you my final technique!" Tom did a bow with a flourish and snapped his fingers. A phoenix appeared out of a miasma of magic. It was as if a black hole started to absorb all of the life and magic out of the area. Pointing forward he sent the phoenix at Harry. But nothing happened Riddle looked confused at Harry.
"What's happening? Why isn't it working?!"
The boy couldn't understand why his spell wasn't working. Was it because of the barrier? No, it clearly wasn't activated. What was going on? He watched in frustration as Harry slowly got up, seemingly unaffected by his magic. Then he got a notification from his system.
WARNING WARNING TEMPORARY IMMORTAL OBJECT
"Explain!" Riddle snapped out taking a step back from harry.
WHEN A SYSTEM IS ACTIVATED THE USER IS TEMPORARILY GIFTED WITH THE ABILITY TO NOT DIE FOR 1 HOUR
"That explains that," Riddle muttered to himself. He was getting very frustrated with Harry and his antics. This is not what he signed up for when he agreed to come here. "I'm done playing games with you, Harry Potter."
He pulled out an obsidian slab with runic marks on it. It was about one foot long, two feet wide and three inches thick. Riddle then pressed the center of the slab with his thumb and it lit up.
With a wave of his hand he made a large ring of purple fire around them. Each rune lit alight with an unholy light.
Riddle then took out a silver dagger and sliced open his palm. Thick dark red blood spilled onto the runes, causing them to glow even brighter. "Now witness true power."
"Incarcerous!" Harry shouted, ropes shooting from his wand towards Riddle.
The ropes hit Riddle but quickly turned to dust before they could wrap around him.
"What did you actually think would happen"?
It felt like an earthquake had ripped through the mall, shaking the ground violently. The sound of glass shattering and people screaming echoed throughout the building. The magic was visible and going out on waves Harry could feel it getting hotter and hotter almost like a pot about to boil over.
The smell of smoke filled the air, heavy and acrid, making it difficult to breathe. There were shouts and cries all around as people scrambled to get out of the way. Harry looked down at Ron's limp body, his eyes welling with tears as he struggled to process what had just happened.
Ron's face was bruised and bloodied, his breathing shallow and labored. He looked so vulnerable, so broken. Harry knelt next to him, gently placing his hands on Ron's chest as if he could bring him back to consciousness.
Seeing the black magic turn a crimson red he covered Ron's body with his own. He knew it was futile, but he couldn't help but try to protect him. It was all he could do. He couldn't save his family, but maybe he could save his best friend.
The world seemed to stop for a moment as the energy reached its apex. Then, in a deafening explosion, the magical released itself, sending shockwaves of destruction in every direction.
Harry closed his eyes, bracing himself for impact as the force of the blast hit him like a sledgehammer. He felt a searing pain in his back, then nothing.