137: Blurred Illusions and Hidden Souls

John was sent flying!

Just as he was about to touch Nagini, his heart skipped a beat.

Suddenly, a force hit him, sending him flying. After rolling a few times on the ground, John adjusted himself and stopped.

Looking up, he saw a figure appear in the blurry dreamlike realm.

The moment John saw that face, his pupils constricted.

His pale and aged features had only made him more handsome, and his eyes occasionally flashed red.

Dressed in a simple suit, his face carried a cold smile.

John was all too familiar with that face.

Clenching his teeth, he spat out those three words: "Voldemort..."

Voldemort—this version of him looked older than his student days, and much more handsome as well.

John stood up. Voldemort wasn't holding a wand; he just looked at John with indifference.

"So, it was you who intruded into my world."

When he spoke, Voldemort's tone was filled with a faint disdain.

John let out a cold laugh, saying, "Yours? Voldemort, it seems you've turned Nagini into a Horcrux."

What was entwined around Nagini wasn't just the blood curse—it was also Voldemort's soul.

John should have figured it out earlier.

In the original storyline, Nagini was indeed one of Voldemort's Horcruxes.

Voldemort was ruthless toward others, but even more so toward himself, splitting his soul and embedding it into Nagini.

Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, John could feel that his own body had been injured.

The soul is the most vital part of a person. If the soul is wounded or destroyed, the body suffers the same fate.

Nagini wanted to help, but Voldemort raised his hand.

"Don't hurt him—UGH!"

An invisible force gripped Nagini's neck, lifting her into the air.

With domineering authority, Voldemort declared his ownership, "Nagini, you are mine."

"Joh...n," Nagini struggled to speak.

John made his move.

With a swift gesture, Voldemort was flung into the air, and the force that had gripped Nagini vanished. She fell to the ground.

John coldly stated, "You're not the only one who knows these kinds of spells."

Voldemort looked surprised but quickly steadied himself in midair, slowly descending.

"Oh?"

Voldemort laughed, his bloodthirsty gaze locked onto John, and said in a chilling voice, "A weak soul dares to make a move in this realm of illusions."

John frowned, looking down at his left hand, where the silver-white glow on his fingers had faded.

"Fuck.."

His heart sank. Using magic here seemed to consume his soul.

He murmured, "No wonder, you need to use a soul to cut through a soul."

At this moment, he found himself in a difficult position. Without magical support, defeating Voldemort in this place was almost impossible.

He glanced at Nagini. John knew that if he left, Nagini would be doomed.

With Voldemort eyeing him like a tiger ready to pounce, retreat was not an option for John.

In that case...

Let's fight!

Striking first, John waved his hand, and flames ignited in the empty realm of illusions.

At the same time, his soul's depletion accelerated.

A small flame flickered in his right hand, quickly growing into a massive fireball.

Voldemort's expression darkened. Perhaps he hadn't expected John to be capable of such ancient magic.

A water serpent appeared in front of Voldemort. As the fire and water clashed, thick mist filled the illusionary realm.

John seized the moment and blew out a breath, causing the mist to envelop Voldemort.

The fog, created from the clash of souls, was impenetrable. John took advantage and slipped into the mist.

His left hand brushed over his right hand, and a dagger formed from his very soul appeared in his grasp.

The cost was that his right hand became ghostly, nearly transparent.

A cold, ruthless smile curled on his lips.

Magic?

Don't forget, I'm a Level 7 short weapon master!

Within the mist, John was like a relentless, ever-present shadow.

Voldemort, though shrouded in mist, remained calm. A terrifying aura radiated from him.

Suddenly, a green light pierced through the fog, striking the spot where John had stood moments before.

Confident in his strike, Voldemort frowned when he didn't see John.

"???"

Then, a sudden sense of danger crept over him, his brow twitching wildly. In a split second, Voldemort spun around just in time.

But it was too late.

Seven bloody punctures appeared on his back.

Voldemort's expression changed drastically as John materialized like a ghost, his movements swift and deadly.

"Crucio!"

A red lightning bolt hit John.

He grunted in pain as the dagger he held to his chest burned a large hole through it.

Without hesitation, he threw the dagger and immediately cast a Summoning Charm to control it.

The dagger flew as fast as lightning, but before it could strike, a shield resembling the Protego Charm formed in front of Voldemort.

The moment the dagger touched the shield, it shattered into countless bubbles.

Voldemort hesitated, and John seized the opportunity to rush forward.

John's eyes turned into vertical slits, and he tore off his right hand, transforming it into a sword shimmering with silver light.

He muttered in Dragon Tongue: "Edu Sum Draco."

Flames ignited along the blade. Despite the pain, John let out a fierce roar and thrust the sword with all his strength, piercing through Voldemort's body.

The flames exploded into a sea of fire, and Voldemort could no longer maintain his previous calm expression.

Grabbing the sword with his hands, his eyes burned with fury, and he snarled, "You think you can escape? Avada…"

It was classic Voldemort—trading injury for the chance to kill.

The green light was aimed directly at John's face. Just as it was about to hit, John's mind went blank.

John had miscalculated. He thought he could deliver a fatal blow but had still underestimated Voldemort.

Just as the green light was about to hit him, a woman leaped out, her nearly shattered body crashing into Voldemort.

The green light veered off course, grazing John's cheek as it passed.

Voldemort, enraged, grabbed Nagini by the throat and hurled her away.

"Avada Kedavra!"

The green light rushed toward Nagini.

Nagini closed her eyes in resignation. She felt that saving John was enough.

Time seemed to stop.

The green light slowed down to a crawl before her eyes, as did Nagini's resolute expression and Voldemort's savage face, all so vividly clear.

John let go of the sword in his hand and slowly reached out toward Nagini, his lips moving.

"Anima, revertere ad me."

The green light illuminated the entire space.

...

Nagini opened her eyes once more, confused, gazing around the dim dungeon.

Before her stood two people—one was an old bald man frozen in shock, and the other was...

"John!"

John's eyes were tightly shut, and his body gradually became ashen.

Nagini felt as if her heart had been mercilessly wrenched. She wanted to go to him but passed right through John's body.

Looking at her own now silver-white, translucent form, she glanced back to see her fully restored human body lying quietly on the ground.

"No, no! Don't!" Images of another person she had failed to save flooded her mind.

Nagini had never panicked in the face of death, but now, she felt like a helpless young girl.

Damocles finally snapped back to reality and, with great difficulty, spoke. "Is this...success?"

Without even pausing to feel joy, Damocles Alex Belby rushed over. John had just used the Soul Extraction Charm to pull Nagini's soul out.

"Where's John? What happened?" Damocles, losing his usual composure, roared furiously at Nagini.

John's body complexion grew grayer. Dharma Alex took out a potion, forcefully pried John's mouth open, and poured it in.

...

In the illusory realm.

Voldemort's expression froze, as Nagini vanished into thin air.

For a brief moment, he was bewildered, and John laughed.

"Looks like even you don't fully understand all of this."

John chuckled softly, and Voldemort's fury grew even more intense.

"Where did you take my PET?!"

Voldemort shouted furiously, striking John with a wave of his hand. John's phantom-like body flickered, as if a candle in the wind.

Voldemort turned into black smoke and appeared in front of John, grabbing him by the throat and lifting him up.

The silver sword embedded in John's chest shattered, and his eyes dimmed. Yet, a faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Want to know? Why don't you go ask her?"

John glanced behind Voldemort. Voldemort paused, turning his head to look.

Was there...nothing?

Realizing he had been tricked, Voldemort quickly spun around.

"Avada Kedavra!"

This was John's first time using the Killing Curse, and he did so without a wand.

Boom!

The green light struck Voldemort squarely in the face, and cracks appeared on his once-handsome visage.

He screamed in terror, momentarily forgetting about John.

Clutching his face, he shrieked in madness, but unfortunately for him, this was the Killing Curse.

One of the Unforgivable Curses.

Amidst the agonizing screams, Voldemort's face shattered, his body breaking apart inch by inch, emitting green light from the inside out.

The fragment of Voldemort's Horcrux had died.

"Haah.. Haah.. Huff.."

John sat on the ground, looking in the direction where Voldemort had glanced before.

He wasn't lying.

In that direction stood a figure in a black cloak, their face obscured, but John could feel it—this figure was quietly watching him.

John's soul was growing more transparent, as if it was about to dissipate.

"Can you at least let me die knowing who you are..?"

John spread his hands and stared at the black-cloaked figure. "Are you another soul, or... the Grim Reaper?"

The illusionary realm was silent, and John felt as if the black cloak was smiling.

"Interesting. You are the most amusing person I've ever encountered."

The black-cloaked figure moved closer to John.

John, now unable to do anything, just watched as the figure approached.

Even just standing there, the black-cloaked figure radiated an overwhelming sense of deathly stillness.

And then, they spoke, revealing their identity.

"You people call me…"

"Death."

__________

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