Irritation flared within Tom Riddle (Past/Diary).
What sorcery is this? Why am I still unable to Apparate?
The bald, noseless figure remained silent, watching Cassandra Volle's approach.
Blast it all!
Flight. That was his only option now.
He cast the Flight Charm once more, transforming into a swirling cloud of black smoke and soaring towards the horizon.
But barely a hundred yards later, he slammed into an invisible barrier of shimmering golden light. The smoke billowed, his form solidifying as he was violently hurled back.
"Enough games," Hermione Granger's voice rang out. Cassandra Volle's mocking smile widened.
"I was merely waiting for Granger to finish her preparations. What were you waiting for?"
Cassandra Volle had already used the enchanted item Tom Riddle had provided to strip the remnant soul's Apparition abilities. Still, that hadn't been enough.
All the wasted time spent in taunting banter had been to set up the current trap, using Tom Riddle's artifacts and the spells he had taught her in order to…
"No! NO–!"
The remnant soul's body reformed, his features contorted in rage as the golden light solidified further, revealing itself as an immense hemispherical net of interwoven golden chains. Spanning kilometers, it completely imprisoned him.
This wasn't Tom Riddle's direct intervention; completely trapping Tom Riddle (Past/Diary) was impossible. However, escape wouldn't be easy either; breaking through this barrier would consume precious time.
And those damned brats… they had him surrounded!
Two figures, one a blur of blue and the other a streak of pink, scaled the surrounding buildings with impossible leaps, bounding across rooftops until they were directly above him!
"Die–!"
"Take this!"
Malfoy swung his baseball bat, aiming for the monster's gleaming bald head.
Harry Potter, activating his "dual-wielding" mode, wielded the Pink Meow-Meow Hammer in his left hand and the Sword of Gryffindor in his right. He brought both blades down in a fearsome cross-cut.
"Protect me!" The remnant soul's voice dripped with fury. A flick of his wand sent Malfoy flying backwards with a resounding crash.
To the remnant soul's surprise, Harry Potter's Silver Sword managed to pierce his shield, drawing a shallow cut.
Although the blade was clearly powerful, Tom Riddle (Past/Diary) dismissed it. The swordsman wielding it was simply too weak.
"The Sword of Gryffindor?" recognizing the weapon at once, the remnant soul stared incredulously at Harry Potter's infuriating face. "He actually gave you this sword?"
Another flick of his wand sent Harry Potter hurtling through the air to join Malfoy.
"He truly values you."
"Hmm?"
Raising his left hand, Tom Riddle (Past/Diary) deflected an incoming spell. It was Hermione Granger again, the one who had trapped him.
Still so weak.
… Four brats in total? It seems I'll have to teach you all a lesson before I smash this damned prison.
"Especially you!" Tom Riddle (Past/Diary) roared, pointing at Harry Potter. "Harry Potter! Do you truly believe Tom Riddle will mourn you?!"
Harry Potter, who had been a whirlwind of righteous fury, faltered at the remnant soul's seemingly deranged words.
"Huh?"
...
Meanwhile, within a lavish mansion in Birmingham, Tom Riddle sat casually on a sofa, Nagini coiled silently beside him.
Dozens of gangsters, guns trained on them, surrounded the pair. Seated opposite him was a young man with a smug expression.
"Wizard, I must admit, I admire how you managed to sneak in here, past the guards and security cameras, without so much as a peep."
This was Jasper Hunter, nephew of Derek Hunter, the current head of the Hunter family.
He had been understandably terrified upon entering the living room and discovering two complete strangers.
The mansion was teeming with armed guards and state-of-the-art surveillance!
Yet these two had materialized without warning! They were simply there when he arrived!
It was obvious they were wizards.
Terrified, Jasper hastily summoned reinforcements. Only with dozens of guns pointed at the two figures could he regain his composure and finally begin his gloating taunts.
"But that's where your little game ends."
Jasper leaned back in his armchair, legs crossed, a picture of confidence. "I know you wizards need your wands and fancy words to do magic."
"Do you even have time to draw your wands?"
"To chant your little incantations?"
"Impossible! Utterly impossible, I say!"
"One wrong twitch, and my men will riddle you both with bullets! Can you still use your magic now? You can't even protect yourselves!"
Tom Riddle and Nagini remained silent, passively observing his outburst, occasionally exchanging quiet whispers between themselves.
At last, Jasper ran out of steam and "calmed down," his smugness replaced with naked greed.
He intended to capture these two wizards.
Whether through torture, dissection, or any means necessary, he would master their incredible magic.
Then, he could eliminate his doddering old uncle and seize control of the Hunter family completely.
And before that… he had just noticed how breathtakingly beautiful the female wizard was!
That dark-haired beauty... he had bedded countless women, of every imaginable type, but he had never seen such stunning beauty.
As for the male wizard… he wasn't particularly interested in men, but someone as handsome as him might be worth a change of pace.
Jasper opened his mouth to order his subordinates to restrain the wizards, but before he could speak…
The next second…
"Why did you mistakenly believe you were immune?"
Huh?
In Jasper's bewildered gaze, everything around him fractured like a shattered mirror!
Countless shards, each reflecting images from his imagination, dissolved into motes of light, vanishing without a trace.
When Jasper regained his senses, he was kneeling helplessly on the floor amidst a scene of utter devastation. The mansion was in ruins. Dozens of gang members lay lifeless, their pale skin ashen and horrifying.
Jasper seemed to be witnessing an unspeakable horror; his eyes bulged as he screamed, "Ah–!"
Had anyone been able to stand, they would have witnessed something truly terrifying: Jasper's skin was peeling away, and within this "blood man," every bone was crushing itself… all while he remained fully conscious.
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