Pansy glared angrily at Ethan and the group of Gryffindors.
It was as if she'd just discovered that a dog by the roadside had dared to bite someone. A surge of indignation welled up inside her.
She turned around, wanting to call on her companions to yell back at them.
She'd show these poor, lowly Mudbloods whether they could afford to mess with her!
However...
What met her eyes was a sparse group of fewer than ten Slytherins.
Some were even shrinking back, trying to slip away.
"..."
Pansy's eyes widened as she stared at them in disbelief.
W-what was going on?
Where was everyone?!
Only Goyle and Crabbe still stood trembling on the front line.
Though it was hard to say whether they were holding their ground or had simply forgotten to run.
Only then did Pansy belatedly realize what she was up against.
Her face turned deathly pale. She slowly turned around and found herself facing a group of little lions glaring at her.
The restless atmosphere surged, as if they might rush over the next second and tear them to shreds.
The only thing holding them back was that "that person" hadn't given the order yet—
Ethan Vincent!
When she met those cobalt-blue eyes, cold and utterly devoid of warmth, Pansy fell to the ground with a thump. All her earlier arrogance vanished.
Her eyes widened. She trembled as fear crept across her face.
She turned her head and looked again at the large group of Gryffindors, cracking their knuckles and glaring at her.
At last, she recognized the reality of the situation.
Belated fear rose in her eyes.
Ethan looked down at the trembling girl on the ground.
He narrowed his eyes and drew a deep breath.
Savoring the restless air and fear all around him, Ethan wore an intoxicated expression.
This felt amazing.
Slytherin?
Get on your knees before you talk to me.
[Your painting has had a tremendous impact on everyone!]
[Soul Fusion Degree increased by 3%!]
[You have learned a new skill: Fusion]
[When flesh merges, new life is born. The same can happen when a painting merges with its paint]
[When two extraordinary paintings are fused, they produce a new effect]
[Note: Fused paintings can also be separated, unless one has a specific devouring property]
A full 3% increase!
Even when Broom Rash caused quite a stir back then, it had only increased by 1%.
This time, he'd even broken through the 30% mark in one go.
And he'd gained a new skill—
the noble art of Fusion!
Combining two paintings brought their techniques together, creating a new effect.
Just hearing that description sent all sorts of ideas racing through Ethan's mind.
Once he had more extraordinary paintings, his combinations of magic would surely become even more varied, leaving his enemies unable to react in time.
As the system appeared,
it was like a bucket of refreshing spring water being poured over him on a blazing summer day.
Magic surged out of Ethan's body without end, like bamboo shoots after the rain.
Just then,
Ethan suddenly felt the wand in his hand begin to tremble!
It was resonating with the magic inside him.
A scent of nuts mixed with minerals wafted through the air.
Ethan knew that smell well.
It was the smell of paint.
—Was it going to transform?!
Ethan's heart jolted.
He hurriedly went along with the sensation, pouring his magic into it.
The surface of the wand began to flow, as if it had turned to liquid. Even the space around it seemed to warp slightly.
However, no matter how hard Ethan tried to picture the Perfect Brush in his mind,
something was still missing.
A decisive, crucial element.
A few seconds later,
the hazy light faded, and the wand's shape stabilized once more.
Only the scent of nuts and minerals lingered in the air.
Ethan opened his eyes again and looked down at the wand in his hand.
Its light-brown surface was incredibly smooth.
Fine horizontal ridges resembled some kind of sacred symbols.
It was a wand perfectly suited to a good wizard like him.
It was as if it had been made for him from the very beginning.
"Damn, it got interrupted right before the finish line..."
Ethan murmured.
Still, Ethan wasn't in a hurry.
Often, patient waiting brought the best results.
This time, he'd gained quite a lot.
Another 3% Soul Fusion Degree, a wand on the verge of transforming, and a new skill.
And he'd even delivered an impassioned speech in front of everyone.
Malfoy, you really did a good thing!
Ethan gazed kindly at Malfoy, who was almost being strangled by Pansy.
Just then,
Ethan's eyes shifted, catching sight of someone hurrying toward them in the distance.
He raised his wand and pointed it toward Malfoy and Pansy.
"Ah!"
Pansy screamed and abruptly clutched her head, squeezing Malfoy so tightly she was about to strangle him.
She thought Ethan was about to cast a spell on her.
At that moment, she regretted it more than anything.
Why had she picked a fight with anyone at all—let alone a lunatic like Ethan Vincent!
It wasn't the dangerous madman you had to fear. It was the educated madman!
Pansy had no idea what sort of sinister magic Ethan might use.
The threat of death had never felt so clear.
"Episkey."
At the sound of a gentle voice,
a white light enveloped Malfoy on the ground.
The swelling on his cheek went down, and the blood streaming from his nose stopped.
"Help... someone, help me... Hm?"
Malfoy, who had been calling for help in a voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz, belatedly realized that his face didn't seem to hurt anymore.
Had a professor arrived?
Malfoy opened his eyes in delight. For the first time in his life, he'd been so eager to see a professor.
The next second, he met Ethan's smiling eyes.
Malfoy: "..."
Maybe I should just faint after all!
Ethan's actions shocked everyone once more.
"..."
Pansy sat sprawled where she was, dazed, her hair a mess and her clothes covered in mud. Her legs were so weak she couldn't even straighten them.
In the end, her mouth puckered, and she couldn't help bursting into tears.
The "Mudblood" she looked down on most had left her emotionally and physically shattered.
Ron paused, then asked anxiously, "Ethan! Why did you heal him? Shouldn't you press your advantage?"
Ethan turned his head and said solemnly,
"What are you talking about? Do I look like a violent person to you?"
"Friendship first, competition second."
Ethan looked at Malfoy and put on an innocent smile.
"We were just having a friendly spar to improve our understanding and study of spells, right?"
"..."
Malfoy looked at the pool of blood on the ground.
Was Ethan's understanding of the word "friendly" completely messed up or what?
But everyone soon learned why Ethan had done it.
"What are you doing?!"
A sharp voice rang out as Professor McGonagall hurried over.
The remaining Slytherins rushed toward her as if they'd seen their savior, then hid behind the professor.
This rare reception made Professor McGonagall narrow her eyes.
Then she spotted the blood on Malfoy's face.
Professor McGonagall's heart lurched. She hurriedly examined Malfoy and only relaxed a little after confirming he wasn't seriously hurt.
Then, her anger flared, and she demanded,
"Someone explain to me what's going on here!"
Harry said quietly, "It was Malfoy, Professor. Malfoy came over to provoke Ethan!"
"That's enough, Mr. Potter!"
Professor McGonagall glared at him sternly.
"We'll discuss your issue in a moment. You dived down from that height. Did you even consider that you might break your neck?!"
Only then did Harry remember that he'd broken the rules by riding a Flying Broomstick earlier.
Compared to what Ethan had done, that didn't seem like much.
Just then, a voice spoke up:
"Professor McGonagall, please don't be angry. This was all my fault."
Ethan lifted his head. His expression was rueful yet resolute, as if he'd made up his mind to take responsibility.
"Malfoy challenged me to a duel. It was my first time dueling, so I may have hit him a little too hard... Though I healed Malfoy's wounds right afterward, I'm truly sorry, Professor McGonagall."
Malfoy stared at Ethan, dumbfounded.
Every word he'd said was true.
But why did he sound so innocent?!
He'd hit him a little too hard?
You were beating him half to death!!
Before you continue