Although Allen had only accidentally chosen the Scarecrow back then, its immense destructive power and Valor's presence had saved him more than once. Without the right gear and mana to back him up, Crowstorm remained the most devastating skill among all the abilities Allen had inherited.
With such a track record, Allen had grown confident in its destructive power, especially when combined with the energy from Valor's source. This combo should have given him an overwhelming advantage.
Unfortunately, tonight, for the first time, his ever-reliable Crowstorm failed him.
It did deal significant damage to the soul fragment of Voldemort lying wounded on the ground, but the spell hadn't even been completed halfway.
Amid the chaotic screeches of the summoned crows, Voldemort slipped away from Allen's attack, leaving behind nothing but a pile of golden sand. Valor, who had already prepared for a follow-up strike, ended up wasting a massive amount of mana.
"Avada Kedavra!"
Interrupted during his recovery, Voldemort didn't bother wasting words, Allen wasn't Dumbledore. In his eyes, a mere ordinary young wizard didn't even deserve conversation.
With the curse spoken, a beam of green light shot straight at Allen. But Allen dodged it with ease, he wasn't like Cedric, who had been disoriented by the effects of using a portkey.
With a flick of his wand, Allen summoned a purple crow from its tip, it shot forward like an arrow toward Voldemort. Harbinger of Doom: Darkwind!
A flash of silver lit up on Voldemort's body, clearly, he had no intention of taking the hit head-on. The Crowstorm earlier had already shown him this young wizard was not to be underestimated.
But the spell didn't have the effect Allen had hoped. Just like before, Voldemort's soul was immune to silence-type magic. And without other enemies nearby, the spell's splash effect was rendered meaningless.
A twisted, horrifying smile appeared on Voldemort's sand-like face, one that could stop a crying child in fear.
"Is that all? Young wizard? You really think this is enough for you to challenge the living embodiment of fear, the great me, the future ruler of the wizarding world, Voldemort?"
He raised his wand again. A bolt of bluish-green magic shot at Allen, who quickly leapt backward.
Thankfully, Allen's passive abilities granted him far more agility and endurance than he had expected. Combined with Warwick's Blood Hunt, which enhanced his movements against wounded foes, Allen easily evaded the terrifying spell, just in time.
Where the spell landed, a large chunk of earth was dissolved into sludge, as if metal had been drenched in acid.
"Oh? A nimble little rat?" Voldemort mocked as he stepped forward, if the motion of that sand-formed body could even be called a step. He raised his wand again and launched another spell.
Allen dodged once more and retaliated with an Impediment Curse.
But it had no effect. That shimmering shield, which had once looked like it would shatter at any moment under Dumbledore's assault, now seemed indestructible.
"Out of tricks already? Or is fleeing all you've got left?"
A violet spell streaked past Allen's shoulder, and then came the explosion.
Caught off guard by the sudden shockwave, Allen was momentarily stunned.
Damn it, it was an area-of-effect spell!
Of course. Even Wormtail had cast spells capable of blowing up entire streets, how could Voldemort, his master, not know the same?
Though his damage output might have been lower, the wide blast radius countered Allen's greatest strength, his agility. If Allen could dodge most spells, then Voldemort would just sacrifice raw power for unavoidable range.
The effectiveness of this tactic clearly delighted Voldemort. A gaping, pitch-black hole formed on his sandy face, his version of a grin.
Another explosion followed. Allen hit the ground and rolled out of the way just in time, but even then, he wasn't completely unscathed. Splinters from shattered wood ripped across his face, leaving deep cuts.
"Giving up already, little rat? No? Not enough? Then, Crucio!"
Unfortunately for him, the curse didn't hit its mark. Allen dodged it with ease.
"Still squirming, are we? Good, I do hope you keep struggling!"
Another explosion went off near Allen, shaking the ground.
But to Voldemort's surprise, this time the young wizard didn't just flee, he ran, at a speed far beyond what he had shown earlier. It was as if even the explosion itself couldn't catch up to him.
Allen had activated his life-saving skill, Phantom Dash!
Voldemort wasn't about to let this pesky little rat get away. He turned into a cloud of golden sand and shot after Allen in hot pursuit.
Then, above the sand, a piercing caw echoed in the air. Voldemort was forced out of his sand form by the sudden attack.
"Damn crow!" The ambush had made him develop a deep hatred for the creature. But just as he prepared to strike the bird down, that same cowardly young wizard who had been fleeing suddenly doubled back, rushing toward him like a madman!
"Dumbledore's foolish idea of love? How pathetic." Voldemort sneered and redirected his wand toward the oncoming fool. At this range, no matter how nimble he was, he wouldn't escape.
"Avada Kedavra!"
A green light burst from his wand. Only one person had ever survived this spell, and no one would sacrifice their life to protect this little mouse.
It was over.
But then, to his shock, a translucent shield appeared around the young wizard's body. The proud Killing Curse met the shield, and melted away like snow under summer sunlight.
The boy surged forward, faster than ever, wielding a short sword glowing with golden light, Garen: Decisive Strike!
The blade came down on Voldemort's hastily conjured shield, his final line of defense.
Just as he was about to mock the little rat's foolish charge, a shrill crow's cry cut through the air again. That damned bird unleashed two spells in rapid succession.
And in that instant, a spell-sealing enchantment glowed over Voldemort, Ryze's power had landed.
At the same time, Allen cast a soul-targeting spell, layered with multiple buffs.
Finally, Voldemort was paralyzed, if only for a moment.
But even that only earned a mocking smirk from him.
Such a short control window... there's no way that brat could break through my shield in time.
He had already envisioned how he'd torture the boy for his insolence.
And yet, what came next was not what he expected.
A chilling fear rose from the depths of his very soul.
==========
You can find much more on my Patreon: Patreon.com/Veltoria
There are currently 5 active fanfictions on Patreon, with over 654+ advanced chapters available across them!
From Naruto Onwards, I Control Time — Up to Chapter 337
Haikyuu!!: Rise of Sengoku — Up to Chapter 279
Danmachi: Is It Wrong To Aspire to Be An Adventurer? — Up to Chapter 97
Legend of Hogwarts (Harry Potter x League of Legends) — Up to Chapter 218
I Am Luffy: Partner System Online (One Piece) — Up to Chapter 200
Playing Genshin Impact in Danmachi (Danmachi x Genshin Impact) — Up to Chapter 130
Kuroko no Basket: The Phantom Ace — Up to Chapter 59
Yukigaoka: Project Ace — Up to Chapter 53
Naruto: Starting from the Duel — Up to Chapter 43