Battle

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"What should we do?" Ethan asked Dumbledore, aware of how challenging it would be to locate a single corpse among the horde.

"I believe I have a way," Dumbledore replied.

"But finding Regulus with magic will take time. While I search, you both will need to manage the Inferi."

"No problem," Ethan and Sirius said in unison.

Dumbledore then crouched at the edge of the rock, gently tapping the surface of the black lake with the tip of his Elder Wand.

Muttering an indistinct spell, he soon caused several white, tentacle-like light beams across most of the lake.

The lake began to change. A sticky, white hand suddenly emerged from the water, grasping the shore.

The hand's owner followed—a ghastly figure with skin as white and slimy as an aquatic creature, its eyes sunken into empty sockets that made its face even more terrifying.

"Expulso!" Sirius shouted without hesitation, casting a blasting curse at the Inferius.

The curse struck Inferius's head precisely, causing it to explode like a shattered watermelon. The creature's body collapsed and slid back into the lake.

Before the two could catch their breath, the lake began to bubble like boiling water, and countless Inferi emerged, surging toward the island in the center.

"Oh my God," Sirius gasped at the sight.

Ethan was already in action, launching a bomb that traced a fiery arc through the dark cave before landing in the densest cluster of Inferi.

"Boom!"

A massive explosion lit up the cave, flames consuming a large portion of the horde. The blast sent sticky debris and organs flying everywhere.

"Ugh, gross!" Sirius choked, spitting in disgust.

It wasn't a lack of nerve—Sirius had inadvertently swallowed a piece of flying corpse.

"Couldn't you give me a warning?" Sirius snapped at Ethan, still retching.

"Hahaha!" Ethan chuckled, drawing the Lady of the Lake's sword. The blade gleamed with a cold, mirror-like light.

"If you want an apology, take care of these Inferi first!" he shouted.

Men, women, children—the horde of Inferi surged towards the island like a relentless wave.

Their empty, gray eyes fixed on Ethan. Their clothes, long rotted and soaked from the lake, clung to their withered bodies as they reached out with skeletal hands, desperate to harm the trio.

Ethan frowned at the sight. Voldemort's dark magic had reanimated these Inferi, a grotesque mockery of life.

Taking a deep breath, Ethan knew what needed to be done.

"Igni!" he shouted, unleashing the Igni sign. A blazing column of fire erupted from his hand, crashing into the advancing Inferi.

Soaked from the lake, the waterlogged bodies resisted the flames. The Inferi caught in the fire burned like candles, disintegrating under the intense heat.

The Inferi recoiled from the flames, clumsily backing away as the burning bodies of their fellows spread fear among them. Many undead who had already reached the shore were forced back into the lake.

Yet the sheer number of corpses advancing was overwhelming. The masses behind them relentlessly pushed forward those in the front. They trampled over the burning Inferi without hesitation, crushing them underfoot as they continued their relentless march.

"Aard!" Ethan shouted, unleashing the full force of the Aard Sign for the first time. The powerful shockwave slammed into the advancing horde like a battering ram, pulverizing the leading Inferi into mangled flesh and scattered limbs.

Those a bit further back were caught by the shockwave and hurled into the air, only to splash back into the lake.

But despite his efforts, there were too many Inferi. Ethan's attack had barely reduced their numbers by half.

"Confringo! Confringo!" Sirius's voice rang out behind Ethan, accompanied by thunderous explosions.

Sirius was also fighting desperately to hold back the tide of Inferi.

"Fiendfyre!" Kreacher's voice came from the other side. The house-elf was exploiting the Inferi's fear of fire, fiercely helping Sirius to fend off the surrounding corpses.

Ethan glanced at Dumbledore, crouching by the lake, chanting his spell. Strangely, the Inferi seemed unable to perceive him, focusing solely on Ethan and Sirius.

With a determined grimace, Ethan charged into the thick of the horde. His silver sword gleamed as it carved through the Inferi with deadly precision, slicing them in half as effortlessly as a hot knife through butter.

The witcher swordsmanship produced a flurry of silver arcs in the darkness, his blade transforming into a relentless meat grinder that efficiently reaped the lives of the undead.

The Inferi, armed with nothing but their hands and teeth, were powerless against the basilisk-hide armor Ethan wore. Their attacks left no mark, turning the battle into a one-sided massacre.

The magic in the Sword of the Lady of the Lake has a particular potency against the undead. The Inferi struck by the blade fell and did not rise again.

If Ethan had faced human opponents, they would have fled in terror from the sheer brutality of the scene. But these Inferi, animated by dark magic, knew nothing of fear.

They continued to attack Ethan with single-minded determination. When they realized their hands and teeth were useless, they attempted to drag him into the lake—their home turf.

But their efforts were futile. Ethan responded with a sweeping blast of flames, incinerating a large swath of the undead.

The stench of burning flesh filled the cave, but Ethan remained unfazed—he was used to it.

Sirius, however, was not faring as well.

"Mr. Ethan! Help us!" Kreacher's desperate cry rang out from behind. The urgency in his voice was unmistakable.