The fact that Lockhart was sleeping soundly as usual, despite the lively atmosphere on the third floor tonight, is itself highly suspicious.
But after witnessing his narcissism and his habit of burning aromatherapy to help him sleep, Vincent didn't find anything suspicious.
If he were Tom, would he choose a good-for-nothing professor?
To understand people's hearts and minds, and to act unexpectedly.
I've been fooled for the third time.
"Stand up, Harry Potter." Tom's confident and charming smile reappeared. "I was serious just now. We can conquer the world together."
Believe it or not!
At this point, they were still behaving in a friendly manner. Anyone with a brain would know that they were taking hostages and planning to leave Hogwarts safely.
Wait— Harry Potter?
Vincent stood up and met Snape's angry gaze.
The person has been successfully lured out, so why still treat him like Harry?
Unless...
"Tom, have you already forgotten what happened last year?"
"Vincent Wayne?" A look of horror flashed across Tom's face. "I never expected it to be you, you Mudblood."
His gaze turned contemptuous. "You were lucky to escape before, now it's time for you to face your fate."
The Cherry Wand glowed red.
"Finally, I also want to thank you for bringing me what I've always wanted."
Vincent reacted swiftly, raising the Sword of Gryffindor and slicing the Disarming Spell to pieces.
"You're not Tom, at least not the Tom I know." He held his sword horizontally and shattered several spells in succession.
"Impossible!" Tom's face was filled with surprise.
This medieval-style combat method is something that Muggle-born individuals could never master.
"Anything is possible." Vincent gripped the Sword of Gryffindor with one hand, and reached for the Gunblade in his multi-purpose belt with his left.
"You successfully flew over death, but unfortunately you couldn't fly over me."
His equally confident and charming smile made the principals find him particularly pleasing to the eye.
On the contrary, it was particularly glaring to Tom.
Phineas laughed heartily, "Hahahaha—"
I don't know exactly what method you used, but if you're just like Tom Riddle from your school days, I advise you to run away as soon as possible!
Tom glared at him, unable to hide his anger.
"Very good, that's a good mood," Phineas mocked. "If you don't run away soon, you'll be chopped into pieces like last year!"
"Shut up!" The wand that was originally pointing at Snape was raised, shattering a picture frame into pieces.
Phineas disappeared, going to another frame in the Black Ancestral Home.
"Bang—" The orichalcum shot from the gun flew towards Tom's right shoulder, piercing through a particularly large hole.
His neck and chin were also affected.
Vincent stepped forward and used the Sword of Gryffindor to cut off the spells from Snape's wand one by one.
With each step forward, Tom's face grew increasingly grim.
"Go to hell! You Mudblood!"
It seems he didn't learn the Unforgivable Curses during his student days.
Those spells confined to the classroom, or even the Restricted Section, were all powerless against the Sword of Gryffindor.
After a brief moment of anger, Snape calmed down and looked for a suitable opportunity with a cold smile.
He wasn't targeting Vincent, but rather Tom, who had his back to him.
Ten feet, five feet.
Within reach, he decisively twisted off the arm from which black mist was emanating.
"Watch out from the front." Vincent swung his sword down the instant Tom turned around.
The wound, stretching from his left shoulder to his right lower abdomen, caused Tom's handsome face to contort in pain.
"Impossible! This sword couldn't possibly hurt me!" Before his trembling left hand could even finish aiming, another wound appeared on his body.
"This one—" Vincent swung his sword horizontally again.
"Ever since it absorbed another Killing Curse you cast, it seems to be able to harm your soul."
Tom knelt down on one knee in immense pain.
The burning sensation from his very soul made him tremble uncontrollably.
"Wayne, Vincent Wayne." He tried to maintain a polite smile. "You're excellent, I have to sincerely commend you—"
"Thanks for the invitation." Vincent pressed the Sword of Gryffindor against his neck. "You keep talking about Mudblood, it's really hard for me to believe your sincerity."
Snape, barely suppressing his anger, twitched his eye.
Just as rumored, the derogatory term had absolutely no effect on Vincent.
"Of course I'm sincere." Tom didn't resist, letting the sword slit a gash in his neck.
Don't you want to know how I achieved immortality?
When Vincent showed an interested expression, he further enticed him with a smile:
Even if your physical body has died, you can continue to live as a soul, just like me.
Think about it, Vincent Wayne—
If you possessed eternal life, conquering the world would only be a matter of time!
A hundred-year or thousand-year plan can indeed yield anything desired.
Vincent was very patient, but as he told Phineas, he would not compromise with Tom either.
Immortality is a tempting trap.
The way the two Tom treated him perfectly illustrates the difference between them.
Tom during his student days was really just Tom during his student days.
If Snape weren't here, he might have pretended to agree somewhere out of the headmasters' sight, and then completely exploited him.
The headmasters and Snape were all extremely nervous.
The only one who held the initiative here was Vincent, who seemed quite interested.
Any change to the half of their face beneath the bat helmet would affect their future fate.
Tom's smile grew brighter and brighter as he realized he was about to succeed. "It's not a complicated method."
For you right now, it's something you can do with just a click of your finger.
He stood up despite the excruciating pain that seemed to pierce his very soul. "Think about that wonderful future, where the world will revolve according to your wishes!"
A future where Muggle and wizards coexist peacefully?
A future where hiding magic is no longer necessary?
A future with no darkness but only light?
"I'm sorry, this is too wonderful." Vincent pressed his right hand down forcefully. "It's too wonderful for me to even imagine."
Tom bowed his head in excruciating pain.
His upper body was slowly sliding down, the slanted cut starting from his neck and extending all the way to his thigh.
"Do you think this is the end of it?"
Vincent Wayne!
A large amount of black mist gushed from his wound. "I have transcended death, you can never kill me!"
His handsome face seemed to melt away, becoming hideously ugly.
"What doesn't kill me makes me stronger!"
Tom vanished without a trace, including his body, as if he had never been there at all.