Rhine's Fire God Paves the Way

As he drew closer and closer to the group of Inferi, Rhine could hear young wizards crying out from the shop surrounded by them.

Yet beams of spell light still burst from the windows, holding back the Inferi's advance.

It seemed that although the chaotic era Voldemort had brought had ended eleven years ago, the wizards who had lived through it still had the courage to fight Dark creatures.

But the adult wizards willing to resist had graduated many years ago. The year they left Hogwarts had been the peak of their magical knowledge; by now, they had returned most of what they had learned to Hogwarts.

Coupled with the terrible quality of Hogwarts' Defense Against the Dark Arts classes over the years, the adult wizards holding back the Inferi had clearly long forgotten how to deal with such Dark Magic constructs.

"Could Voldemort's curse on the Defense Against the Dark Arts position have been part of some grand scheme?"

"Damn, he single-handedly lowered the entire wizarding world's ability to defend against Dark Magic, making himself and his Death Eaters even harder to deal with?"

The thought flashed through Rhine's mind as he prepared to warn the wizards in the shop.

But before he could speak, a familiar, crisp voice came from inside.

"Those spells are useless against Inferi."

"Fire! Fire Spells are the only magic that can destroy Inferi!"

"Engorgio Ignis!"

Along with the incantation, a thin pillar of flame surged out from the shop and swept toward the Inferi, causing the Dark Magic constructs to instinctively retreat.

Immediately afterward, the several adult wizards who had been reminded seemed to snap awake. One Incendio after another shot forth, blocking the Inferi's advance.

Approval appeared on Rhine's face.

He had recognized that crisp voice. It was Hermione.

She possessed Ravenclaw's thirst for knowledge, but what stood out even more was Gryffindor courage and tenacity.

In the original story, no matter how dangerous the moment, Hermione was always the one they could rely on most!

By then, Rhine had reached the rear of the Inferi.

The Inferi closest to him seemed to catch the scent of rich, vibrant life and turned around one after another.

Their pale, clouded eyes revealed their longing for life and blood.

Several Inferi broke into motion and lunged at Rhine at a speed comparable to an ordinary person's jog.

But in the next second, a fierce gale howled past. The Inferi were sent flying back even faster than they had charged, as though they had been run over by a semi-truck, their bodies cracking loudly from head to toe.

Even corpses steeped in Dark Magic could not withstand a blow from Rhine's Bronze Skin and Iron Bones combined with Skilled in Martial Arts. Their bones shattered inch by inch.

Even if they could still move, they could only crawl slowly across the ground!

Rhine immediately swung his wand.

"Engorgio Ignis."

A ball of fire appeared in an instant, but rather than spreading out like an ordinary Incendio, it condensed into three ping-pong-ball-sized fireballs that flew toward the three Inferi lying on the ground.

The blazing white fireballs erupted with intense heat the moment they touched the Inferi, instantly reducing the three Dark Magic constructs to ash.

Wand in hand, Rhine strode over the humanoid ashes scattered across the ground.

More and more Inferi were drawn by the commotion. At least a dozen more rushed toward Rhine.

Yet Rhine's movements remained just as simple.

His wand swept through the air, making the atmosphere tremble. The wind howled strangely, and his defense was impenetrable!

A wand weighing dozens of pounds, combined with the power of Bronze Skin and Iron Bones and his Skilled in Martial Arts, meant that a direct hit was death and even a graze caused injury.

Not a single Inferius could get close to Rhine. Wherever he stepped, Inferi with shattered bones lay sprawled across the ground.

Then Rhine repeated the process, using Control Fire at Will with Incendio to condense fireballs and precisely blast apart the Inferi that had lost their ability to evade!

In the blink of an eye, more than twenty Inferi had died at Rhine's hands!

Incendio spells continued to shoot out from the shop ahead, while Rhine struck from behind like a tiger descending the mountain. The Inferi were clearly thrown into disarray.

Inside the shop, Hermione and the several adult wizards revealed delighted expressions when they saw this.

"Someone else is attacking the Inferi?"

"Reinforcements must have arrived!"

"Hold on a little longer, and we'll be saved."

Even the young wizards who had not yet learned magic and could only wave their wands wildly began to calm down somewhat.

Some young wizards who were Gryffindors at a glance even crowded by the windows and wildly waved their wands, instinctively drawing on their magic to hold back the Inferi.

They had no real destructive power, but they greatly boosted morale.

But just then, Florin Fortescue, the ice cream shop owner, walked out with his wand in hand, his face full of confusion.

Immersed in the joy of arriving reinforcements, no one noticed anything strange about him.

Not until several dazzling red flashes streaked past.

The several adult wizards still resisting the Inferi inside the shop were knocked unconscious without any warning.

As for the young wizards, ropes extending from the shop bound them tightly, wrapping them up like dumplings and even covering their eyes.

The only one spared was Hermione, who had noticed something was wrong.

Her face was filled with terror as she pointed her wand at Florin Fortescue.

Seeing the blank look on his face, Hermione recalled the three Unforgivable Curses Rhine had mentioned to her.

"This is... the Imperius Curse?"

"Mr. Fortescue, wake up!"

But Hermione's voice failed to awaken Florin Fortescue. Instead, it prompted him to launch further attacks.

Spell after spell poured from Fortescue's wand. Hermione ran and dodged continuously, struggling in a sorry state.

Although she was already far stronger than she had been at the same point in the original story, she was still no match for an adult wizard like Florin Fortescue.

What was more, Florin Fortescue was a descendant of former Hogwarts headmaster Dexter Fortescue and possessed considerable magical strength.

If his reactions had not been slowed by the Imperius Curse, Hermione would not have lasted long against him at all.

But now, with no more Incendio spells shooting out from the shop to block them, the Inferi at the front let out bloodthirsty sounds and marched toward the shop.

They had to carry out the task their master had given them: use the blood of young wizards to stall the Auror reinforcements from the Ministry of Magic.

Of course, their master had also instructed them.

Do not waste precious pure-bloods. Mudblood blood did not matter.

As it happened, the little Witch still able to move freely inside the shop carried the scent of a Mudblood.

Within moments, the Inferi had reached the entrance of the shop.

At that moment, Hermione was struck down by a spell, and even her wand flew from her hand.

Looking at the swaying door, despair and tears uncontrollably filled her eyes.

At the same time, Rhine noticed the disturbance inside the shop.

His heart suddenly tightened.

Whatever had happened inside, it was certainly nothing good.

Several dozen Inferi densely packed the path ahead, while more than a dozen were already battering against the shop's door, on the verge of breaking in.

Rhine took a deep breath, coldness surging in his eyes.

Then he raised his wand high.

He pushed his magic to its limit, and Control Fire at Will to its limit.

Incendio surged forth.

Not only the flames Rhine had created, but also the flames left across the battlefield, as well as the pillar of fire Huhu was desperately breathing from inside the leather bag, all converged like rivers flowing into the sea before Rhine's wand.

Then his Wind Riding Talent activated.

He cast Scourgify.

A wild wind howled!

Rhine slammed down his wand and roared.

"Fire God Paves the Way!"