bacchusnovels Chapter 576, page 585: Deep Space Echoes March 5
Chapter 576, page 585: Deep Space Echoes March 5
Chapter 576, page 585: Deep Space Echoes March 5
Two veteran actors deliver a powerful performance.
Only a world wounded by bureaucracy has achieved this.
Dumbledore's expression also turned serious. His body stiffened slightly, and the Elder Wand slid into his palm. He gripped the wand tightly, his eyes fixed on Grindelwald, a hint of wariness on his face. He knew that Grindelwald was about to begin his act, and this act would be far more exaggerated and insane than they had agreed upon.
"Bang!"
The door to the reception room was suddenly pushed open, and several Aurors who had heard the commotion rushed in!
"What happened?!"
"He! Grindelwald has lost control!"
The Aurors' wands were all pointed at Grindelwald, their faces filled with terror and tension, their bodies trembling slightly, yet they still held firm, daring not to relax for a moment. They were all elite Aurors from Azkaban, who had seen countless vicious dark wizards in their daily lives, but facing Grindelwald...
They still couldn't suppress their fear—this man was the Dark Lord who had once made all of Europe tremble, an existence they simply couldn't contend with.
"Hehehe."
Grindelwald shook his newly freed wrist, flexed his fingers, and a satisfied smile spread across his face. His gaze swept over the Aurors, his eyes filled with disdain and mockery, as if he were looking at a bunch of clowns. Finally, his gaze settled once more on Dumbledore's face.
The Dark Lord's lips curled into a complex, somewhat crazed smile: "Albus, you want to lock me up? Then try it."
Before he finished speaking, his figure suddenly vanished from the spot!
The speed was astonishing, so fast that it left only a black afterimage, so fast that the Aurors didn't even have time to react, or even to wave their wands.
The next second, he was already in the middle of the group of Aurors at the door! His movements were lightning fast; he reached out a hand and effortlessly snatched a wand from a young Auror's hand. The movement was so relaxed, so casual, as if he were merely taking something insignificant.
"Damn it!"
The young Auror felt a sudden lightness in his hand, and looking down, he saw that his wand was gone. He abruptly raised his head and met Grindelwald's heterochromatic eyes, which gleamed with a black light like the depths of hell, filled with intense killing intent and mockery.
This made the Auror freeze, as if he had been frozen in place, and even his breathing stopped.
"Let me borrow it," Grindelwald said, his voice as calm as if he were merely borrowing a pen, without the slightest ripple, yet carrying an undeniable authority.
Then, he raised the wand he had just stolen and waved it lightly—
A black flame erupted from the tip of the staff, instantly transforming into a ferocious fire serpent. The fire serpent opened its blood-red maw, flicked its forked tongue, and burned with raging black flames, radiating a chilling aura and destructive power as it pounced towards the Aurors!
"what!"
Several Aurors let out a terrified scream and scrambled backward.
Someone crashed into the wall with a dull thud, blood trickling from the corner of their mouth; someone slipped and fell to the ground, frantically trying to get up, but too weak with fear; someone else tried to swing their wand in retaliation, but was too nervous to hold it properly.
It is impossible to cast magic.
Black flames burned around them, scorching their robes and emitting a pungent, acrid smell, plunging them into endless panic.
of course.
Grindelwald would never kill someone.
But these Aurors were unaware of this.
They fled frantically.
Grindelwald did not pursue, but stood silently in place, letting the Fiendfyre surround him. The black flames reflected on his face, making his deep-set features appear even colder and more crazed. He looked at Dumbledore, his heterochromatic eyes filled with mockery, his voice cold and hoarse.
"Albus, these are the helpers you found? This is the prison you used to hold me? You think you can confine me with these useless pieces of trash and this run-down place? You underestimate me."
Grindelwald smiled smugly. Dumbledore's face was ashen. He gripped the Elder Wand tightly, but didn't make a move, only staring intently at Grindelwald.
Grindelwald smiled again.
That smile contained smugness, madness, and a complex emotion that only Dumbledore could decipher.
It was disappointment, resentment, and a barely perceptible lingering affection. He and Dumbledore had once been the closest of friends, shared a common dream, and fought side by side. But now, they could only stand on opposing sides, deceiving and testing each other in this way.
"I've remembered what happened today," he said, his voice as cold as frost, filled with deep hatred and resentment. "Albus Dumbledore, what you owe me, one day I will make you pay double. I will show you what the consequences of betraying me are."
As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly waved his hand!
The black flames surrounding him surged instantly, spreading out like a tidal wave, transforming into a sea of fire that blotted out the sky and engulfed the entire reception room!
Black flames burned, engulfing everything in the room. Tables and chairs were burned to ashes, walls were scorched black, and oil lamps were overturned, their light extinguished completely, leaving only raging black flames leaping in the darkness, like the karmic fire of hell, radiating destructive power.
"No! He's gone mad!" Gleason's scream was drowned out by the roar of the inferno. The Aurors who had fallen to the ground retreated frantically, desperately trying to erect a protective barrier, watching helplessly as the black flames licked at the walls, ceiling, and floor, burning, melting, and turning everything in their path to ashes!
In a sea of fire.
Dumbledore was the real target.
The two worked together very well.
The flames stopped abruptly the moment they touched Dumbledore—as if held firmly by an invisible giant hand. The once unstoppable black fiend, capable of devouring all living beings and magic, strangely solidified into a twisted ball of fire less than an inch from the hem of his robes.
It made a sizzling, burning sound, but could no longer move forward.
"You're making the wrong choice, my old friend."
Dumbledore spoke in a hoarse voice.
The Elder Wand was held steadily in front of him.
A dazzling golden light burst forth from the tip of the staff, a light so pure and intense that it was like the midday sun piercing through thick clouds, instantly dispelling the surrounding cold and darkness.
Then, accompanied by a wave.
Golden light spread rapidly from the Elder Wand, forming a semi-transparent yet indestructible barrier that kept the black Fiendfire completely out.
The point of collision between the two extreme forces even created subtle ripples in space.
The black flames gnawed at the golden barrier with a sharp, piercing screech, while the golden light stubbornly resisted the erosion. Each tremor was accompanied by a violent fluctuation of magic power, eventually erupting into a deafening roar, as if mountains were collapsing and the earth was splitting, echoing throughout the entire reception room of Azkaban.
Dumbledore's robes fluttered wildly in the raging storm of magic, like an eagle about to take flight. His silver hair was whipped about by the air currents, clinging to his wrinkled yet still upright forehead. His usually gentle, lake-like blue eyes now burned with an unprecedented fighting spirit.
of course.
His fighting spirit was tinged with helplessness, regret, and an undeniable determination. His gaze pierced through layers of firelight and magical barriers, fixed on the familiar yet unfamiliar figure in the center of the sea of fire. His voice was deep and powerful, like thunder piercing through the roar, clearly reaching Grindelwald's ears.
"Gellert, do you know what you're doing?"
Faced with this question.
Grindelwald laughed, a wild and unrestrained laugh, with an almost obsessive fervor, as if he had heard the most ridiculous question in the world. His heterochromatic eyes—one as green as jade, the other as deep as a sapphire—reflected the leaping black flames, making them appear even more eerie and ferocious.
He gently shook the stolen magic wand in his hand.
The black flame at the tip of the staff flickered, his tone filled with mockery and anticipation: "Of course I know, Albus. I'm doing what I should have done many years ago—"
He paused, then abruptly raised the wand that wasn't his own, its tip pointing fiercely at Dumbledore. His fingertips turned slightly white from the force, and his eyes blazed with fanaticism: "Let's fight you properly! A battle without reservations, without compromise, a battle fought with all our might!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he swung his hand sharply, the movement swift and decisive, carrying an irresistible magical command! The black fiery flames that filled the sky instantly coalesced like awakened beasts, transforming into countless ferocious and terrifying fire serpents. Each fire serpent was as thick as a grown python, its body engulfed in jet-black flames, its scales clearly visible, and its eyes two flickering ghostly flames, lunging at Dumbledore from all directions!
Each fire serpent opened its enormous jaws, revealing sharp fangs made of pure flame. Scalding hot droplets dripped from the fangs, instantly burning black holes into the hard stone bricks that fell to the ground, enough to devour anything that stood in their way. Even the magical particles in the air were scorched and emitted a burnt smell.
"You've lost your way."
Dumbledore remained unmoved, his Elder Wand seemingly coming to life, swinging rapidly with fluid, elegant movements, displaying a seasoned composure. Golden light surged from the tip of the wand, transforming into countless sharp blades of light that rained down upon the onrushing fire serpents.
Each blade of light contains a powerful purifying force.
"Hiss hiss hiss"
The sounds of light blades clashing with fire serpents echoed continuously. Those fire serpents charging at the forefront were instantly severed by the light blades, turning into scattered sparks that fell to the ground and extinguished, filling the air with a strong smell of sulfur. But Grindelwald's magic was inexhaustible, and more fire serpents continued to gather from the black sea of fire, surging in like a tide, showing no signs of abating, surrounding Dumbledore in layers, giving him no chance to breathe.
Out of the corner of his eye, Dumbledore caught sight of Gleason and the other Aurors, who were already trembling with fear and pale-faced. They were gripping their wands tightly but had no strength to lift them. Their faces were ashen, their foreheads were covered in cold sweat, and their legs were shaking uncontrollably.
He knew that the power of this battle far exceeded what ordinary people could withstand, and that if he stayed in the reception room, he would only be affected by the magical shockwaves from the collision of the two sides and be shattered to pieces.
Without turning his head, he shouted at them, his voice carrying an undeniable authority: "Everyone, evacuate! Now!"
Gleason and the other Aurors were overjoyed, practically tumbling and crawling out of the reception room as if haunted by a vengeful ghost. They ran wildly down the narrow corridor, staggering, some even falling to the ground, but ignoring the pain, they scrambled to their feet and continued charging forward.
"We're doomed! We're doomed!"
The roar behind them grew louder and more intense, the walls trembled under the impact of the magic, and dust and gravel fell from the ceiling.
The impact hit their shoulders and backs, but no one dared to look back.
Boom! A deafening roar suddenly erupted, shaking the entire city of Azkaban violently as if it were about to collapse. The walls of the reception room were instantly blasted apart by the collision of the two extreme magical forces, sending debris flying and black flames and golden light raging like beasts breaking free of their restraints.
They surged out in a chaotic rush, spreading along the corridor and turning its end into a destructive storm.
The walls were scorched black and melted, the stone bricks shattered into powder, and the concentration of magic in the air was so high that it was suffocating, and even breathing was a burning pain.
Gleeson ran in front, his hair disheveled, his face covered in dust and sweat, shouting frantically as he ran, his voice hoarse and distorted with fear: "Alert! Quick! Sound the highest alarm! Grindelwald and Dumbledore are fighting!"
Quick! Sound the highest alert!
His voice echoed in the empty corridor, a desperate roar as if he were trying to vent all his fear.
Then.
"Waaaaah!!!"
A piercing alarm instantly reverberated throughout Azkaban, its sharp, urgent sound like the wailing of ghosts, shattering the prison's perpetual silence. Alarm lights flashed wildly on the corridor ceilings, their red glow illuminating the pale faces of everyone present, adding to the apocalyptic panic. Inmates in their cells and Aurors on duty alike were all thrown into a state of panic by the sudden alarm and deafening roar.
The prisoners frantically pounded on the iron bars in their cells, roaring and screaming, unaware of what was happening outside, only knowing that a great disaster was about to befall them; the Aurors, on the other hand, quickly grabbed their wands and ran towards the direction where the alarm was sounding, their faces filled with tension and fear, yet also with a trace of duty and determination as Aurors.
"Swish swish~"
Countless Dementors emerged from every corner, floating above the corridor like black phantoms, their chilling aura causing the temperature in Azkaban to plummet.
These monsters, which feed on fear and pleasure, sensed the violent and powerful magical fluctuations on the battlefield. Thinking they had prey to be found, they swarmed towards the area. But as soon as they approached the battle zone, they were instantly torn apart by the raging magical storm, turning into wisps of black smoke.
It dissipated into the air.
Those monsters that once struck fear into the hearts of countless prisoners and posed a formidable challenge to Aurors were like moths drawn to a flame before Dumbledore and Grindelwald, two god-like figures.
Vulnerable.
Just for a moment.
It has already vanished without a trace.
Not even a trace was left.