This Strike Pierced the Stars

"Trust him! Maintain the Defensive Array!"

A trickle of blood escaped Cassandra's lips as she forcefully maintained the channeling and reinforcing of the magic.

Even though she was already struggling to keep going, she chose to persevere.

She could feel Harry's magic fluctuating violently; the vast primal power of the Philosopher's Stone was fiercely battling and transforming within him against the surging, violent energy.

This is an extremely dangerous process, like walking a tightrope.

If Harry's will is overwhelmed by the raging energy, or if the power of the Philosopher's Stone cannot fully control it, he may be completely devoured and assimilated, or even detonated, causing consequences far more terrible than the direct explosion of the Holy Grail.

The cave's collapse was intensifying, but the surge of energy flowing into Harry's body also carried away most of the destructive power, slowing the speed and extent of the collapse.

Time passed second by second, each second feeling like an eternity.

Finally, the initial surge of energy from the Holy Grail explosion began to weaken.

The dark gold on Harry's body and the dark red in his eyes gradually faded, and were once again suppressed by the white-gold light.

Although the energy fluctuations around him were still intense, they were no longer so chaotic and malicious. Instead, they began to tend towards a more restrained state, as if containing a strange balance between the two extremes of birth and destruction.

Just like Tai Chi, it represents the balance of Yin and Yang.

As the last ounce of violent energy was absorbed into his body, Harry abruptly knelt on one knee, bracing himself with his hands on the ground, panting heavily, sweat pouring down his forehead.

He held on! He forcefully absorbed the energy and used the power of the Philosopher's Stone to initially suppress most of the out-of-control ritual energy!

The cave collapse has not stopped, but it has slowed down considerably and is no longer on the verge of a cataclysmic event.

"Hurry! We can't hold out much longer here!" Tonks shouted, as the entrance to the passage was already being blocked by falling rocks.

Cassandra and Ron immediately rushed forward to help Harry was somewhat exhausted but conscious.

The group sprinted back along the passage they had come from, constantly dodging the falling rubble and the occasional bursts of residual energy from the cracks.

As they finally burst out of the cave and returned to the relatively open ice field, a dull thud came from behind them.

The entire Black Rock Peak trembled violently, and then the cave entrance collapsed completely with a roar.

The core of the Magic Array inside the cave was destroyed, most of its energy was absorbed by Harry, and the ritual was completely ruined.

They were so close to not being able to escape.

However, before they could even catch their breath, Kingsley's anxious voice came through the communicator. "Potter! How are you doing? A large number of Dark Wizard have appeared on the perimeter! They're closing in on us! They seem to have suddenly appeared out of nowhere! There are a lot of them, and the leader is acting very strangely!"

Harry forced himself to sit up and looked up into the canyon. On the ridges and along the boardwalk on both sides, he saw countless figures in black robes, numbering well over a hundred! They moved silently, like a black tide, pressing towards the defensive circle established by Kingsley and the others.

Further up in the sky, several figures riding flying mounts hovered. The leader of them wore a magnificent deep purple robe, Silver Mask covering the upper half of his face, and held a Snake-Head Staff in his hand.

It wasn't Voldemort himself, but judging from his aura and Magic Fluctuation, he was definitely one of Voldemort's generals, and very likely one of the core leaders in charge of South America affairs.

"Voldemort isn't here—he used Horcrux as bait and a controller; he never came to this central altar himself! He sent his minions to either eliminate us or capture me."

Harry instantly understood Voldemort's evil intentions.

The Horcrux Altar is both bait and a test. If they can use this opportunity to kill or capture Harry, all the better. If not, it will greatly deplete their power and may even cause Harry to be devoured by the out-of-control energy.

His main force, however, is hidden elsewhere, perhaps in other parts of the ritual, or preparing his real killing move.

"Prepare to meet the enemy!" Harry took a deep breath and forcefully mobilized the enormous energy he had just suppressed within his body.

Platinum light rose from his body once more, though less solid than before, it possessed an unfathomable sense of chaos, as if it could devour and create everything.

Kingsley and his seven Auror had hastily constructed an arc-shaped defensive position at the edge of the ice field, relying on several huge black ice rocks and the ruins of the remaining walkway entrance.

The wands' light illuminated various points, reinforcing the rocks and setting up simple magical tripwires and warning charms. But faced with such a stark contrast in numbers, this defensive line appeared exceptionally flimsy.

With the help of Cassandra and Ron, Harry quickly reunited with Kingsley.

"They didn't attack immediately; they're adjusting their formation, trying to completely trap us here," Kingsley said quickly, his voice steady, but the veins on the back of his hand, gripping his wand tightly, stood out. "Those in the air are the biggest threat; we must find a way to limit their mobility and line of sight. Tonks has already tried to interfere with them using Weather Charm, but with limited effect."

Harry looked up at the Purple-Robed Wizard leading the group in the air. The wizard seemed to be observing him as well; his gaze behind the Silver Mask was cold and assessing, as if he were examining a valuable trophy. The Snake-Head Staff twirled slightly in his hand, the gem at the top of the staff shimmering with a dark purple light.

"What is he waiting for?" Ron nervously licked his chapped lips. "For us to be even weaker?"

"Perhaps it's waiting for orders, or waiting for the energy within me to completely spiral out of control," Harry murmured. He could feel dark golden lines surging beneath his skin—the restless ritual energy that hadn't been fully converted. "We can't wait any longer. We must break through this encirclement, at least create an opening, and retreat towards the top of the canyon. Staying here will only lead to death."

"How can we fight them? There are too many of them! And Harry, you're in a bad situation right now—" Hermione's voice came through the earpiece, full of anxiety.

She, Bill, and Lupin, who were behind them, had obviously also noticed the perilous situation through some kind of detection magic.

"Use that," Cassandra suddenly spoke, looking at Harry, her blonde hair fluttering in the turbulent air currents of the canyon, but her eyes unusually calm. "The energy you absorbed is unstable, but the total amount is staggering. Rather than letting it conflict within your body, guide it and release it. Just like we did in the cave before, but this time, it's a targeted, controlled release."

Harry instantly understood her meaning. Releasing the uncontrollable mixed energy within his body as a powerful AOE attack would both relieve his own pressure and inflict devastating damage on the enemy, achieving two goals at once.

However, this is extremely risky; if not controlled properly, it could injure teammates or cause one's own Magic Circuit to collapse.

"We need very precise guidance and protection." Harry looked at Kingsley and the Auror around him. "I need a powerful focusing and guiding array to control the main direction of the energy impact within a fan-shaped area directly in front of us. At the same time, all of our defenses must be raised to the highest level."

"Understood!" Kingsley replied without hesitation, immediately turning to several Auror skilled in Magic Array and Protective Charm. "Dyg, you're in charge of maintaining everyone's Protego Maxima at maximum power, preparing to deal with recoil and stray bullets!"

The Auror acted swiftly; despite the critical situation, their long-term training and combat skills enabled them to begin coordinated operations in a very short time.

Dedalow Dyg pulled a handful of shimmering magical powder from his pocket and began rapidly sketching intricate geometric shapes and Runic script on the ice. Kingsley and the others surrounded Harry and the core of the soon-to-be-formed magic circle, chanting layered Protective Charm that enveloped them in layers of translucent light.

The Purple-Robed Leader in the air seemed to sense the unusual gathering of magic below. He raised his Snake-Head Staff and swung it forward.

"Attack! The master wants Potter alive; kill the rest without mercy!"

The chilling voice, amplified by magic, echoed throughout the canyon.

"Kill!!!"

The silent black tide instantly boiled! Hundreds of wands were raised simultaneously, and colorful, yet malevolent, spells rained down like a storm!

The green light of the Killing Curse, the red glow of the Cruciatus Curse, the fireball of the Exploding Charm, and the corrosive black mist—all intertwined to form a devastating web of death, enveloping the small defensive position!

Almost simultaneously, five Flying Riders swooped down from the sky, their wands unleashing precise and vicious curses aimed directly at Dyg and Kingsley, who were setting up their formation!

"Hold on!" Tonks screamed, waving her wand like a windmill, the light of the Protego flashing as she desperately tried to intercept the spells aimed at the position.

The other Auror also fought back and defended desperately. The light of the Reductor Curse and Stunning Spell clashed and annihilated with the enemy's spells in front of the position, and the sound of explosions continued.

The ice field was blasted into charred craters, with ice shards mixed with rock fragments flying everywhere.

The defensive light barrier fluctuated violently under such intense attacks, its light flickering erratically. Two Auror were injured by the aftershocks of the explosions while fending off the crossfire from the air, coughing up blood, and their situation was extremely precarious!

"Hurry up, Dyg!" Kingsley roared, maintaining the defenses while also helping to stabilize the Magic Circuit at the core of the magic array.

"Immediately—the last node—" Dyg was covered in sweat, his fingers trembling from overusing magic, but he did not slow down his inscription of Runes at all.

Harry stood in the center of the magic circle, his eyes closed, focusing all his attention on his inner self, guiding the two intertwined forces within him.

The essence of the Philosopher's Stone is gentle and vast, like the boundless starry sky; the newly absorbed ritual energy is violent and chaotic, filled with resentful rage. He carefully uses the former to envelop and guide the latter, directing them along specific Magic Circuit towards his hands and wand.

His body began to tremble slightly uncontrollably, and the dark gold patterns under his skin became brighter and brighter, as if lava was flowing under his skin. Platinum light and dark red energy flow collided outside his body, emitting a heart-palpitating fluctuation.

The Purple-Robed Leader in the air narrowed his eyes; he clearly recognized this ominous sign. "Stop him! Concentrate firepower on that magic array!"

More concentrated and powerful spells rained down on Harry's location! Several Auror desperately tried to intercept them, and amidst screams, a breach appeared in the defenses!

"It's done!" Dyg shouted, sprinkling the last handful of magic powder onto the Runic script at the edge of the magic circle.

The magic circle on the entire ice surface suddenly lit up with a dazzling Platinum Light. The complex lines and Runes seemed to come alive as they flowed and rotated, eventually converging at Harry's feet to form a huge light pattern.

Now!

Harry snapped his eyes open! At that moment, his left eye burned with pure platinum flames, while his right eye churned with a violent energy of dark red and ghastly green! He gripped his wand tightly with both hands, raised it high above his head, and then, with all his might, swung it down fiercely at the dark mass of enemies before him!

No name of any incantation was uttered.

Only one roar, laced with pain and despair!

"Ha-ah!"

Boom!

Centered on Harry, a terrifying torrent of multicolored energy, indescribable in words, roared forth like a world-destroying dragon breaking free of its shackles, guided by the Directed Energy Focusing Array!

An aura of cataclysmic destruction instantly swept across the entire battlefield, with the thirty or forty Dark Wizard at the forefront bearing the brunt.

The spells they unleashed vanished instantly before this torrent, like snowflakes thrown into Volcanic Crater.

Their Protego, like fragile glass, crumbled at the slightest touch. Their expressions of utter horror froze on their faces, and in the next instant, they were completely swallowed up by the colorful yet death-laden torrent!

There were no screams, no explosions.

This strike pierced through the stars!

The Dark Wizard, swept head-on by the torrent, was like a small life detonated by a little boy, instantly reduced to the finest dust, leaving not a trace.

Their wands, clothes, and even the magical items they carried were all completely annihilated at the same time.

The torrent continued to advance, like a giant energy plow, carving a scorched ravine tens of meters wide into the ice field!

The ice at the edge of the ravine melted and instantly vaporized, sending towering plumes of high-temperature water vapor into the sky.

The Dark Wizard on the sides who were further away were swept by the energy from the edge, as if struck by an invisible giant hammer. Their tendons and bones were broken, and they were sent flying backward with screams, their fate unknown.

Just one strike!

On the frontal front, more than a third of the enemy forces were completely wiped out!

The once tight encirclement was forcibly torn open, leaving a gap that emitted heat and a burning smell!

Harry, having unleashed this attack, seemed to have all his strength drained away, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood, which was mixed with specks of dark golden light.

His body went limp and he fell backward, but Ron and Cassandra caught him with lightning speed.

The strange light surrounding him quickly dimmed, and the lines under his skin gradually disappeared, but his face was as pale as gold paper, and his aura was extremely weak.

Forcibly guiding the release of such terrifying mixed energy placed an enormous burden on his body and soul.

A moment of silence fell over the entire battlefield.

Whether it was the remaining Dark Wizard, the Flying Riders in the air, or even the Auror around Harry, they were all completely stunned by this earth-shattering attack.

The air seemed to freeze, leaving only the hissing sound of melting and evaporating ice after the torrent of energy and the faint groans of the wounded in the distance.