Progress

Not long after Kiara walked outside, other students walked out as well. They had already started forming small groups and gathered together. She didn't see anyone she knew and didn't bother to get to know them.

Soon, Lily and Severus walked out and came to Kiara. "40 Galleons."

He held a handful of gold coins and looked into Kiara's eyes with a serious look. "That was the deal."

Kiara opened her bag and raised her brows. "Of course, I wanted to show those Goblins some color, not run a charity."

Severus dropped the money in the bag then Lily walked over with a smile. "30 Galleons from me."

Kiara collected the money and patted her pouch with a smile.

Professor Mcgonagall came out and looked at all the kids. "Now you can go in groups to buy the supplies on the list. When you are finished we will meet where we came in."

She wasn't going to take the kids from store to store. Not only was it inefficient, but it would also rob them of this experience.

Kiara turned towards the two close at hand and smiled. "We're already on speaking terms, let's group together."

Before Severus could complain, Lily stepped forward and agreed. "Most excellent, I'm Lily Evans and this is Severus Snape."

Severus didn't speak and just scowled. His face was practically dripping water from having his time with Lily robbed.

"I'm Kiara Budha. I overheard you on the way here, do you know where to go?" Kiara didn't mind and continued to smile.

"Severus knows a lot about the magical world, he must know where to go." Before Severus could speak, Lily answered for him again. She seemed so proud and beamed with joy.

"Severus, where should we go first? Should we get books, potion supplies, or buy our wand?" Lily turned toward Severus and grabbed his hand with excitement.

This time, Severus' face improved visibly to the naked eye. "If you want to plan things properly, we should do things that take the most time. Madam Malkin's opened not too long ago, I remember reading it in the paper."

Severus looked around and soon found the shop. Originally, he had to go to the Second-Hand Robe shop but now he had more money. "Follow me."

Kiara wasn't in a rush to speak and just observed. She was interested in Lily, the mother of the savior, and wanted to see if anything about her was special.

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While Kiara was shopping, Virgil stood on the practice field across from Hassan for his daily training.

"Even if you plan on abandoning this body, my Master. Your fighting instincts will carry over." Hassan pulled out her dagger and pointed it toward Virgil.

"Hassan, why are you so active when it comes to beating me? You're so quiet at other times." Virgil looked at Hassan's perfectly toned body and could already feel his body ache.

Virgil flipped the dagger in his hand and took a breath. "Reinforcement."

His circuits lit up and felt the power in his body. "Let's go!"

Virgil stomped his left foot and a magic circle spread on the ground. The earth started fissuring in a straight line toward Hassan and cut off her direct path toward him.

Hassan wasn't worried and rushed to the side to come in from an angle. Just when the crack reached her side the ground quickly swelled before exploding.

The force tossed her into the air and the dirt and rocks pushed her back. Virgil pointed towards the dust cloud and clenched his fist.

All the dust and rocks were already infused with his magic and quickly pulled together, forming a stone ball that floated in the air. His arm shook and he could feel Hassan struggling inside.

Each of her movements would shatter stone and Virgil had to supply more magic to pull it back together.

"Just stay in there!" Virgil sheathed his knife and grabbed forward with his other hand. More dirt was pulled up from the ground and added to the ball to make it more solid.

The ball started to rise surrounded by a cloud of dirt.

Just when everything was going well, Virgil felt two breaches in the protective cover surrounding the field.

Two bald men with charcoal gray skin wearing a skull mask and a flayed black cloak charged toward him. The two seemed to be flying above the ground. Their cloaks fluttered in the wind and a knife pointed toward Virgil.

Virgil's eyes widened in surprise and he felt his scalp tingle. His mind seemed to blank and his body moved on its own.

His arms fell to his side like flowing water and the two knives stabbed an invisible shield that formed between them.

The shields blocked their advance for a moment and started to splinter. At the same time, the boulder in the air exploded to reveal Hassan's figure covered in black circuit-like patterns on her body.

Virgil opened his hands and formed two runic circles. He pushed his hands towards his sides and the air seemed to oscillate as the runes spun like a hurricane. When his arms straightened, two sonic booms sounded and tornadoes blasted the clones spinning away.

At that moment, Hassan landed on the ground as gracefully as a cat. Virgil's eyes widened and he yelled at the top of his lungs.

"PROTEGO MAXIMA!!" 

Before he even finished speaking, Hassan launched forward. Her body blurred and afterimages formed behind her, but her real body had already arrived in front of Virgil. The shield he erected at full power was crumbling around him like shattered glass.

Her palm had slammed onto Virgil's chest and time seemed to pause. He watched as her afterimages moved forward, breaking his barrier, and slapped him in the chest over and over again until the last afterimage merged into her body.

Time seemed to be infinitely expanded but only a moment had passed. His barrier was destroyed instantly, it was only now that his brain was processing everything it saw.

Blood shot from his mouth like an arrow as his body flew backward. He didn't scream in pain, he didn't complain, and he hasn't lost yet.

Hassan stood where he stood, the place he set up the magic circle at the beginning. He knew he couldn't beat Hassan after these few days, he learned his lesson, and he knew she would cheat if pushed too far.

From the beginning he was ready to take this blow, how can you kill if you're not prepared to die?

A runic circle erupted at Hassan's feet, she was surrounded by all twenty-four runes and a bounded field formed around her.

Virgil crashed into the barrier surrounding the training field and slid down. His eyes never left Hassan for a moment. He watched as she hunched over, unable to move, struggling to break free from the oppression.

Hassan felt like the weight of the world was pressing against her, like the very air was her enemy.

Blood trickled from Virgil's mouth, he could tell his sternum was shattered. Even so, he knew he wasn't done, not yet. The runes were carved on the ground and were not stable. He could already see the ground cracking beneath her feet. 

"Uhhhhh!!"

He sucked in as much air as possible to clear his head from the pain. "Ahhhhhhhhh!!!"

Virgil yelled as he slapped his palms on the ground and pumped his magic into the earth without reservations.

Four silver chains shot from the ground and clasped Hassan's wrists and ankles. Virgil continued to yell, pushing himself to the limit as runes were burned on every link of the chain.

The chains pulled Hassan's arms apart and pulled her toward the ground. She knelt on the ground on one knee with gritted teeth and could feel the magic being sucked from her body.

She struggled to look up and could see Virgil giving everything he had. Her body shook and she could feel her magic slowing down, she knew the restrictions were set in.

Hassan understood Virgil didn't want to lose, she could see his effort these days. Every time he pushed her further, constantly improving, everything led to this moment.

But she couldn't lose! What was the meaning of her existence if she lost here?! She was not an escort girl! She was his sharpest blade! If she lost, she would be nothing! Who can leave their back to a loser!!

Her teeth were clenched so hard blood oozed from her gums. "Not yet! Not now!"

Hassan's body exploded into black mist and the chains clanked to the ground. The black mist flew across the ground and gathered before Virgil and formed into Hassan.

The skin on her body was cracked and red muscle could be seen underneath. Even so, it didn't stop her hand knife from falling on Virgil's neck.

Virgil's neck cracked and his eyes went black. Before he lost consciousness, he could see the faint smile on Hassan's face.

Hassan looked at the spellbook that flew from Virgil's waist and started healing him. "You broke your own limits again today, responding calmly to my violation of the rules once again."

Blood seeped from her wounds but she didn't care. "How I envy Kiara and her ability to improve." A rare trace of emotion appeared on her face. Her tone was a little low and she clenched her fist. " All I can do now is perfect my spells before I fight you again."

She glanced at her clones and saw their bodies were mangled and their limbs twisted. Two more clones came to take them away while she faded from view.