[Duobao Daoist's avatar has whipped the demonic flames into a new frenzy. This inferno now not only burns Dao-hearts, but possesses the power to reduce divine bodies to ash.]
[Even with an invincible Dao-heart, if you fight with all you have, your odds of survival are vanishingly small.]
[And you still intend to rescue the Jade Void Palace's gate-keeping boy besides. If you shoulder him as well, there will be no hope of escape.]
[The system advises abandoning the gate boy and safeguarding your own Dao as top priority.]
Theodore frowned as he watched the surging wall of fire.
He had to admit—Voldemort's mastery of Dark magic was terrifying.
After so many experiments in twisted Transfiguration, his soul and body were warped beyond what any ordinary dark wizard could imagine.
On top of that, he had shattered his soul into seven Horcruxes. The fragmentation and distortion were beyond words.
Anything requiring positive emotion was forever lost to him; he had nothing left to draw on.
But for pure Dark magic…
Grindelwald, Dumbledore—both still harbored love in their hearts. That alone meant there were heights they could never reach, while Voldemort could.
The Fiendfyre he now commanded seethed with negative emotion and twisted despair. Even with Free Control of Fire, Theodore could no longer suppress it as effortlessly as before.
He could only carve out a small "clean" pocket of space.
And that pocket was shrinking.
If it kept going, even that last foothold would be gone.
Theodore himself wasn't afraid.
But Filch and Mrs Norris…
On the broom, the old caretaker—wizard or not—understood that this was not a curse just any dark practitioner could cast.
His voice was hoarse as he tried to shove Mrs Norris toward Theodore.
"Theodore, take her and go."
"Don't worry about me."
"I'm just a caretaker everyone hates. I'm a Squib—I can't use magic. I've shamed my family. My blood's low and worthless…"
"You're gifted. You'll be someone in the wizarding world. If my life can buy yours, Argus Filch can die content…"
He gritted his teeth and jumped from the broom.
"I'll buy you time!"
He even roared hoarsely at the blazing serpent:
"No snakes in the castle! No setting fires!"
"Whoever you are—get out of my school!"
Mrs Norris let out a piercing yowl, trying to leap after him.
But both of them were yanked back up by an invisible force.
Theodore's voice was firm.
"Mr Filch, Mrs Norris. Sit tight. Don't move."
Filch looked at the shrinking circle of safety, panic edging into his voice.
"Let us go, Theodore. You'll die if you stay like this!"
"I told you, I'm a Squib. It doesn't matter if I die. I should've died long ago. People like me don't belong in the wizarding world—"
"But you—you'll be a great wizard. If my life can trade for yours, it's worth it…"
Theodore turned, meeting his eyes.
"Mr Filch, you're wrong."
"A castle caretaker is an irreplaceable part of Hogwarts."
"Some of the things you do are annoying, sure. But no one can erase what you've done for this place. No one. Not You-Know-Who. Not even Dumbledore."
"The castle needs its caretaker. I need you and Mrs Norris alive."
"So don't talk to me about trading lives."
"Before I rushed in here, I promised my friend: no one would die in this fire."
"I, Theodore Ashbourne, don't break my word."
"So—just follow behind me."
His gaze lifted to the Fiendfyre serpent ahead.
Fiendfyre, huh?
Who doesn't know Fiendfyre?
In the next instant, he activated his Reversed Demonic Source gift.
"Fiendfyre."
The curse left his lips—but what burst forth was not black fire.
Golden-red Gubraithian Fire roared to life instead.
Then—
"Expecto Patronum!"
The thirty-six-petalled lotus reappeared, drifting in the blaze, casting cool silver light. Everywhere it passed, the Fiendfyre froze.
Theodore drew a long breath and slammed his wand down.
His own flame magic erupted.
[With life and death hanging by a thread, inspiration struck you. You remembered the supreme divine art you obtained in the Demon Cavern—when you meet demons, you slay demons; when you meet devils, you subdue devils. With this technique, you might seize a sliver of hope from this inferno!]
[Cause and effect align—could this be Heaven's will?]
[At a single cry of "Heaven's Will," you stamped your foot, the lotus path of Heaven opened, and flame surged like an angry sea, crashing against the heavens. This was—]
Theodore shouted:
"Lotus Saint's Road, Cleave the Heavens!"
The thirty-six-petalled lotus blossomed in full.
Sacred radiance burst forth.
Gubraithian Fire blazed brightly.
The lotus path rolled forward, opening the way.
The Fiendfyre serpent coiled and struck, jaws yawning wide.
The instant it collided with the lotus road, it shattered like rotten timber beneath a hammer blow.
Theodore's Nimbus Two Thousand howled forward, carrying Filch and Mrs Norris out of the sea of fire and into the open sky.
He pulled the broom into an arc, circling high above. Golden-red flames scattered behind him like a meteor shower—like a grand display of fireworks.
Theodore, however, had no time to enjoy it.
His eyes swept toward the neighboring tower—
Only to find Voldemort's presence already gone, melted back into the darkness.
A shard of killing cold flashed through his gaze, then he dropped his eyes to the system light-screen.
In the [Enemies] list, Duobao Daoist's not-dead-not-ending entry was so red it was nearly black.
It wasn't only that Voldemort wanted Theodore dead.
Theodore's own enmity toward Voldemort had likewise reached not-dead-not-ending.
Right then, a dense tide of merit poured down over him again.
Part of it came from Voldemort once more burning through his own strength with Fiendfyre.
Part of it came from Theodore saving so many owls—and Filch and Mrs Norris—from the blaze.
At the same time, a new line appeared on the screen:
[You and the Jade Void Palace's gate-keeping boy narrowly escaped death in the demonic flames. You risked your life to shield him; he is moved to tears with gratitude.]
[Your relationship with the Jade Void gate boy has reached Life-and-Death Confidant.]
[You have received the gift — Gathering Vital Breath. With this gift, your efficiency in drawing in spiritual energy during cultivation is greatly increased.]
Theodore's heart stirred; the killing intent in his eyes eased.
Another spiritual-energy talent.
By now, he had basically collected every type of qi gift he had ever seen.
If he fused them all, the resulting ability would definitely rival Proved Diamond Body Never Fails.
At the same time, something unexpected happened—
A thick surge of fortune descended upon him.
[The Jade Void Palace gate-keeping boy has guarded the gate for many years. Over time, he has soaked in the luck of the Jade Void and the Chan Sect; his accumulated fortune is no less than that of the Twelve Golden Immortals.]
[Because you risked your life to save him, a portion of that luck has now chosen to rest on you.]
Theodore's eyes lit up.
Merit above, fortune below—both gathered on him at once.
For fusing talents, this was more than enough.
It was time.
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