From Dumbledore's wand, countless flashes flew.
Edith boldly attacked using various spells.
Mad-Eye, Sirius, Lupin, Kingsley, and Tonks.
They used every spell they could think of to attack Mirabelle.
But nothing worked. Nothing reached her.
Half-hearted magic was blocked by Shield Charms appearing without motion, unable to even touch her, and even successful hits had no effect whatsoever.
Overwhelming offensive power and overwhelming defensive power. Breaking through her stronghold possessing both was difficult.
Neville leaped from a blind spot, struggling desperately to slash Mirabelle with his sword.
But against someone of Neville's level, she didn't even need to summon her Patronus.
With pure physical ability alone she avoided the sword, and with a light wave of her arm sent his entire body flying.
Meanwhile, Mirabelle's attacks were truly the height of unreasonableness.
Magic fired continuously without motion, each shot shattering and penetrating Shield Charms.
Protego couldn't keep up. Insane power where only Protego Totalum-level defense could barely block it.
Yet even that superior defense creaked from one hit and broke through easily after two or three.
And she fired such things in succession—dozens per single attack.
One wanted to cry out about the unreasonableness.
Wanted to lament the unfairness.
But this was Mirabelle. This tyranny was Mirabelle Beresford.
The reason she was a tyrant plotting to dominate everything through violence.
And merely ten minutes after battle commenced—
The heroes were already covered in wounds.
"Hmph... it seems the match is decided."
Mirabelle walked, a triumphant smile on her face.
She bore no small number of wounds.
But with each step, wounds healed, instantly repaired.
Meanwhile, Dumbledore's entire body was wounded, already down on one knee.
She kicked that old man, slamming him to the ground before trampling his head.
"Well, considering you don't have the Elder Wand, you entertained me more than I thought. But the result couldn't be overturned after all. A merely declining old man couldn't defeat me who continues evolving."
Dumbledore had already passed his prime, only declining.
But Mirabelle was different.
Having stopped growth at fifteen, she remained perpetually in her growth period. Would never decline.
She possessed only limitless growth and evolution.
Today's self over yesterday's. Tomorrow's self over today's.
Two years ago at that time—when even using the Elder Wand at the Ministry battle couldn't defeat Mirabelle—Dumbledore's chance of victory had already vanished.
"All that remains is massacring all of you. What an anticlimactic finale."
Mirabelle created lightning in her hand, looking down at Dumbledore.
First, kill this symbol of the wizarding world.
Then kill his pet Order members, and finally erase even Neville and Edith.
Then all that remained would be a horde of small fry.
"Die—Albus Dumbledore."
She raised her arm to release magic to kill the wizarding world's sage.
Simultaneously, Edith moved.
Originally, she shouldn't have carelessly played her trump card.
She should have struck at Mirabelle's opening, betting everything on one certain chance.
But when Dumbledore was about to be killed before her eyes, Edith couldn't possibly endure it.
She withdrew the Arch from her pocket—the only thing that could defeat Mirabelle—and... her arm was grabbed.
"Ow!"
"You... I see, I thought you emitted a strange presence—so you carried such a thing."
Even Mirabelle was wary of only the Arch.
Bringing it out before her was Edith's mistake.
Without giving her time to return the Arch to its original size, Mirabelle caught Edith.
Then she confiscated the Arch and shoved Edith away.
"Ah... n-no way...!"
"Careless fool. Your trump card is wasted like this."
A complete blunder.
That trump card—the only thing that could kill Mirabelle—had been taken into Mirabelle's hands.
The only natural enemy to herself existing in this world.
But if she destroyed even this, nothing remained to threaten her.
Thinking so, she noticed the error.
—No—this wasn't the Arch! Just a model disguised with Transfiguration!
"Right... I figured you'd think I was careless."
Saying so, Edith clung to Mirabelle.
Moreover, putting her hand in her pocket, she withdrew the Arch.
This time the genuine Arch, not a fake.
She threw it sideways and canceled the shrinking charm, manifesting the Arch.
Then using Carpe Retractum (magic connecting herself to the target and pulling), she connected herself to the Arch and began forcibly pulling even Mirabelle.
Naturally Mirabelle resisted with vampire strength, but was still dragged bit by bit.
At this rate, both Mirabelle and Edith would pass through the Arch.
"You...!"
Normally, clinging to a vampire was nothing but suicide.
With a little force, human bodies would break, and she could bite at close range to suck blood.
But Edith alone was an exception.
Because she possessed Mary's protective magic, she was nearly invincible against Mirabelle.
But that didn't mean she could defeat Mirabelle so easily.
Hence the surprise attack.
The moment Mirabelle seized the fake Arch—the brief carelessness arising only then. Edith bet on that.
"Tch...!"
At this rate, truly bad...
Judging so, Mirabelle reluctantly stopped time.
But—Edith didn't stop.
Just as touching a Time-Turner allowed taking other humans to the past, this magic created by referencing that had gained the same property.
That was this magic's only and greatest weakness.
"Lainagull... are you prepared to die with me?"
To Edith, shocked that surroundings suddenly stopped, Mirabelle asked.
True, at this rate killing her might not be impossible.
But was that satisfactory? Weren't you afraid of dying together?
To that, Edith even showed a slight smile.
"That might not be so bad."
Edith's youth was simultaneously her youth with Mirabelle.
They'd been together constantly since entering school, and even after separating, her presence constantly occupied Edith's heart.
Ultimately, Edith still liked Mirabelle.
Even if called "playing," she couldn't discard the feeling that she was still an important friend.
She couldn't bring herself to kill that friend and then live on brazenly afterward.
Thinking that, dying together seemed slightly appealing.
"Mirabelle... can you really not stop?"
"You're persistent, Lainagull. Will you ask the same as Dumbledore?"
"Because... you could change the world without doing this, couldn't you? Without doing something that makes so many people resent you, you could have become the Ministry's top through proper methods and changed things that way!"
She had no intention of criticizing what Mirabelle aimed for at this point.
Edith didn't possess firm personal justice like Dumbledore or Mirabelle, and even had thoughts that ultimately, the word justice was like forcing one's views on others.
So she wouldn't criticize the future Mirabelle tried to advance toward itself.
But she absolutely couldn't accept those "methods."
Without doing this...
Without going out of her way to take a roundabout path killing people, she should have been able to reach the Ministry's pinnacle!
Though she might hate it, Mirabelle had the advantage of being from a pure-blood noble family.
She could have used connections to reach the Ministry's upper echelons, or taken the Minister's seat through ability.
Yet what she chose was war—an extremely roundabout method making far too many enemies.
Why take such a method? The old Edith wouldn't have understood.
But now she knew.
Having seen those memories, she felt she could understand.
"Isn't that enough? There's no one left you hate! There's no one left to direct your hatred at!"
Revenge.
Using noble causes and ambitions as shields, ultimately what Mirabelle had been doing was revenge against the wizarding world.
Endless hatred toward this world that stole Lettice from her—that was her driving force.
But she'd killed all those targets.
Then what meaning remained in making more enemies?
The revenge was already finished.
No one she truly wanted to kill remained in today's wizarding world.
"You... I see. You learned that."
"...Yeah."
"Then you should understand all the more. Unless we change today's wizarding world, the same thing will repeat. Tragedies like your sister's will continue forever!"
They must change the wizarding world. No—someone had to change it.
That was Mirabelle's non-negotiable position.
True, through Edith's suggested methods, she could have taken the wizarding world.
No—rather, not making enemies of Dumbledore and others, it might have been even easier than now.
Though a distasteful method, using connections was also effective.
But Mirabelle hadn't chosen those methods.
Because those methods couldn't completely eradicate the cancer cells infesting the wizarding world's roots.
"But... but then, what happens to you?! Changing the wizarding world that way, becoming the pinnacle... what remains for you?! This way, you... you yourself will never be saved!"
At those words, Mirabelle narrowed her eyes slightly.
This person... this do-gooder still worried about her even now?
Thinking so, she glimpsed the girl who'd once been with her.
I see—though their faces looked nothing alike, they were still sisters after all.
Throwing her off stride to the very end.
"...You're not suited for battle, Lainagull."
Mirabelle smiled bitterly at her former friend's softness, glancing sideways at Dumbledore's group.
Then immediately selecting one, she spoke the magic to break through this situation.
"Accio. Neville Longbottom."
"!?"
What Mirabelle summoned—
It was Neville.
Of course, that wasn't a move helping her escape restraints.
Just pointlessly dragging Neville in.
But Edith's face twisted in despair seeing Neville flying toward them.
Bad... at this rate, even Neville would reach them. Would dive into the Arch together!
No—more than that, Mirabelle would probably kick Neville to send him into the Arch first.
"...!"
A moment's hesitation.
Edith's gaze wavered, but she acted as her heart commanded.
Releasing one hand from Mirabelle, she grabbed Neville reflexively.
Seeing that, Mirabelle lowered her eyes and pointed her hand at Edith.
"See... you're still unsuited."
—Time began moving.
When time moved, what Dumbledore's group saw was the already-concluded figures of Mirabelle and Edith.
Mirabelle holding the unconscious Edith's form.
They had no means of knowing what happened in that instant, nor reason for Mirabelle to explain.
One thing they knew: Edith's special attack had failed.
Mirabelle lowered Edith and told the already-sleeping girl:
"Well, you tried hard."
Saying so, she first pointed her hand toward the Arch.
Destroying that took priority over finishing Edith.
As long as that remained, however slight, a possibility existed of herself being killed.
So destroy it. To that end, she fired several spells from her hand at the Arch.
---
Voldemort didn't understand what was happening.
He'd certainly hit with Fiendfyre.
Harry Potter should have fallen.
Then what was this situation?
Why did Harry's wand continue spewing magic unchanged?!
Voldemort's victory afterglow after striking Harry down lasted only an instant.
Harry's body certainly fell, yet his wand fired magic.
And not just any spell. Tremendous dark magic making one think another Voldemort existed there.
"What's happening...?"
He couldn't understand what was occurring.
But he knew what to do.
Shatter that wand! Otherwise this wouldn't end!
Voldemort judged so, but cutting magic passed before him, blocking his way.
"Not... finished yet..."
"Snape... you..."
Blood flowing profusely from his abdomen, spitting blood clots from his mouth.
Yet still, Snape stood.
As if burning through all remaining life's flame, he stood powerfully and pointed his wand at the emperor.
He placed his hand on his abdomen and looked at his blood-stained hand.
And the thought that surfaced was "grateful."
Obvious at a glance. A fatal wound.
Therefore grateful.
...No more need to spare himself.
He could abandon all self-preservation and face him with full power.
"My Lord. Voldemort. I've desired this moment since that day. I've dreamed of striking you down with these hands—you who took Lily's life."
He'd kept living in shame.
Continued bearing regret for causing his beloved's death.
But all for this moment.
The stage was set.
If Dumbledore's reading was correct, Harry wasn't dead—only the emperor's soul within him died.
Meaning—now he could drag that emperor to hell.
"The time of oath has come... you'll die with me, Emperor."
"Nonsense... the only one dying is you, Snape!"
Voldemort produced green light from his wand, and simultaneously Snape vanished.
Disapparition performed at unimaginable speed.
While surprised by that speed, Voldemort immediately fired magic behind based on presence, yet Snape disappeared again.
Up, down, left, right, front, back. Appearing at high speed in every location then disappearing—movements Voldemort had never seen.
Reckless continuous Apparition showing no fear of the risk of "splinching."
Continuous Apparition even the emperor couldn't fully track.
Using that technique to circle behind, Snape silently released spells.
His specialty cutting curse. Rapid fire.
Tearing Voldemort's robes, tearing skin, causing bleeding yet still not stopping.
He avoided the emperor's attacks through Apparition, circled to blind spots and fired spells again.
"A-amazing..."
Hermione unconsciously voiced admiration, forgetting even to support.
No—rather, no time to support.
Snape was that fast, and incredibly, overwhelming that Dark Lord alone.
But this was merely the final glow of a candle before burning out.
Snape was cornering Voldemort while shaving his life second by second, but the emperor wasn't soft enough to fall to that.
At this rate, eventually Snape would exhaust first and be defeated.
But fate wouldn't allow that.
The boy chosen by fate wouldn't allow it.
The boy who should have taken the Killing Curse—Harry Potter—sprang up as if bouncing.
And fired Expelliarmus at Voldemort's wand.
***
(#ﾟДﾟ) Love is unnecessary! (greeting)
Good evening everyone, continuing the last battle with Chapter 83.
And next time will be the Snape chapter.
See you again tomorrow!
• Lavos attacks! 9999 damage to Malfoy!
• Romando used Athena's Water! Malfoy stood up!
• Lavos attacks! 9999 damage to Malfoy! ATM: "Stop already! Malfoy's life is zero!"
• Dark Yugi, unable to watch anymore, joined the party!
***
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