Andre was quite satisfied with Connie's submissive response.
He let out a sharp huff through his nose, casting a contemptuous glance at the British Aurors. Taking the lead, he stepped forward and flicked his wand, expertly casting a Disillusionment Charm. Like a veil of transparent white gauze draped over him, his figure rapidly vanished, leaving only a faint ripple in the air that could only be detected at point-blank range.
Laura, his fellow German Auror, also vanished into the darkness with cold, practiced efficiency.
...If the British Ministry hadn't provided those special weapons, they would never have brought these "anchors" along, Laura thought bitterly.
Leather boots padded across the stone floor, making only the slightest scuffing sounds.
"Damn it! What's he so smug about?" one of the British Aurors muttered under his breath, his face flushing with indignation.
He looked toward his own captain—Miss Connie Rosier, who had participated in numerous operations to capture Ethan Vincent and was one of the few who hadn't taken an early medical retirement. She simply stepped forward and followed them in silence.
She didn't show even a hint of a grievance.
The British Aurors exchanged looks, pursed their lips, and finally suppressed their tempers, prioritizing the mission.
...That's the problem. Even though Captain Rosier is skilled, she's still too green. She lets herself be led by the nose so easily—she has no dignity at all!
Fortunately, they still had the new weapons developed by the Department of Mysteries. They wouldn't be looked down upon forever.
"I hope the new weapon actually works."
"Of course it will! Look on the bright side. Even if it's Ethan Vincent or that eerie [Mr. Lamp], if they're hit by the power of the Veil, they won't be walking away unscathed!"
Moreover, considering the massive gap in direct combat prowess, this magical artifact focused heavily on "suppression."
"We only need one opening—then he's ours!"
"Come on! Let's end this fight tonight!"
The Aurors whispered words of encouragement to one another, carrying a heavy burden of hope as they navigated the silent, empty corridors.
The journey so far had been unnervingly smooth.
Though they encountered the usual hazards—portraits trying to lead them astray, doors connected to strange spatial anomalies, and the ever-shifting moving staircases—everything had been anticipated and dealt with efficiently.
However, the Aurors' hearts grew heavier rather than lighter, and their nerves felt increasingly frayed.
"It's too smooth..." one British Auror murmured, swallowing hard. "It feels like we're being invited to invade."
He couldn't help but recall the various "feats" Ethan had performed. It felt as though a dark Pandora's Box was being pried open, and his breathing became rapid and shallow.
When the Dark Lord is quiet, he's definitely plotting something terrible.
The terrifying part was that they were now forced to walk right into the web. Was it possible that everything—including this very raid—was exactly what Ethan had expected?
"Your breathing is annoying me," Laura said icily, a sneer playing on her lips. "This is simply the result of a successful infiltration. Are all British Aurors this weak? No wonder such a reckless Dark Lord was born here."
"You!"
The Auror's face turned bright red as he glared at the arrogant Laura. He was about to snap back when Captain Connie hissed at them.
"Shh. Quiet."
Ignoring her subordinate's annoyed look, Connie's expression didn't change as she tilted her head, listening intently. "Something is approaching."
She was right. Two seconds later, a rustling, slithering sound echoed from behind a distant corner. It grew louder and louder! It sounded like something massive and hard was scraping rapidly across the floor!
"Phew~" Andre let out a low whistle, turning his head. "Sharp senses."
He stared intensely at the corner, mentally ticking off possibilities. It was likely a gargoyle—those stone monsters that patrolled the halls at night in place of prefects. But their movements weren't usually this fast.
Could it be that terrifying three-headed dog? Andre knew the Dark Lord kept such a "pet." During its appearance as a "guest" for a Care of Magical Creatures class, it had supposedly caused two-thirds of the freshmen to faint. As for the other third... well, they had been "gone" for a while.
Regardless of what it was, Andre had absolute confidence that he could handle it. After all, he had spent a long time simulating countless scenarios for this very moment.
An elite hunter must know the prey better than the prey knows themselves!
"Come on then!"
Andre raised his wand with excitement, completely tossing the concept of "stealth" to the wind.
The next second, under the watchful eyes of the group, a gargantuan snake—large enough to occupy nearly the entire width of the corridor—burst from around the corner!
The group: "???"
Andre: "?"
Why the hell is there a snake in Hogwarts?!
Andre stared in shock at the thick, muscular body, the dagger-sharp fangs, and those wide, vertical pupils. For some reason, he thought he saw... panic in its eyes?
It looked as if it, too, was being hunted by something.
Before he could react, a sharp command rang out:
"Run!"
Connie Rosier didn't care about her Disillusionment Charm anymore; she suddenly broke into a full sprint! Spurred by her movement, the other Aurors instinctively started running as well.
"If that were a Basilisk—one look and you're dead," Connie glanced back, her lips curling into a strange smile. "By now, we'd just be waiting for someone to collect our corpses."
Hearing this, Laura's brow furrowed. That sounded... a bit off. It almost sounded like she was praising the Dark Lord's mercy.
"Are we fighting it?" Laura asked calmly.
"...No!" Andre gritted his teeth, turning to run. "First, we kill the Dark Lord!"
Rumble!
The giant snake pursued them like a massive worm filling a tunnel, the vibrations shaking the floor behind them. Its body was saturated with the power of a curse; without a doubt, it was another dark magical construct!
"This must be a pursuit force sent by Ethan—a monster we've never seen before! Ha, interesting!" Andre bared his teeth in a savage grin. "The Dark Lord is making it clear: he knows we're here! He specifically sent a monster to ambush us!"
"Hmph, he's got some skill. Even I didn't realize where we slipped up."
It had been a long time since he had encountered such an evenly matched opponent! Andre's eyes shifted, glancing at the British Aurors running alongside him. A flash of cruelty crossed his gaze.
He needed to gauge the strength of this new monster...
Therefore, for the Greater Good, a small sacrifice was inevitable.
Immediately following that thought...
"Ah!"
A sharp cry rang out! One of the British Aurors suddenly seemed to trip over something and slammed face-first into the ground! The momentum sent him skidding and rolling across the stone floor.
"Jack?!"
The fallen Auror, Butcher Jack, looked up in shock, staring at Andre in utter disbelief. He then broke into a scream of rage: "You—you attacked me?! Are you out of your goddamn mind—?!"
"Heh."
Meeting the shocked and furious glares of the others, Andre wore a twisted, fanatical smirk. "Everything is for the Greater Good."
"Besides, you should probably worry more about yourself."
As he spoke, Jack's face went deathly pale. He whipped his head around to see a gaping, bloody maw inches away from him. At this distance, there wasn't even time to react.
Damn it... am I really going to die here? Because of some leftover Grindelwald acolyte? Damn it! I'd rather be killed by Ethan!!
Jack closed his eyes in despair.
Rumble!
A terrifying vibration approached.
The terrifying vibration receded.
Jack: "?"
He opened his eyes, staring blankly and stupidly at the receding back of the giant snake. A literal question mark seemed to hover over his head.
No, wait... why did you just run past me?
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