Chain Traps

Listening to the righteous words of the fake Baker, Avada, currently under the effect of a Disillusionment Charm, couldn't help but feel a sense of melancholy. If he didn't possess Magic Sense and know the truth about Horcruxes, he might have truly felt a pang of reluctance toward this soul fragment before him.

Unfortunately, he understood Horcruxes well; he knew that while a Horcrux like a diary possessed the ability to act and think independently, it was essentially a part of the original entity. Furthermore, with his Magic Sense, he could easily see that the mental energy and magic voids within Professor Baker's body were in an "incomplete" state, sharing the same source as the main body inside the crystal ball.

In other words, the fake Baker was like an artificial intelligence—it would think and interact with the outside world according to established programs (the memories), but it lacked true self-awareness. Moreover, its current behavior represented the real Professor Baker to a certain extent; that is to say, if the real Professor Baker were in this situation, he would likely act and speak in the exact same way.

Therefore, it was better to focus on helping Professor Baker return to his original body.

Thinking this, Avada didn't let his hands falter for a second. He fired off his most proficient spells at the fake Baker, either silently or in low whispers, while utilizing the surrounding cover and movement to ensure he didn't expose his position, completely disregarding his rapidly depleting energy.

On the other side, Baron, who had been slacking off with minor hexes and remained unattacked thanks to the fake Baker's leniency, silently observed every move the fake Baker made.

Is it coming? That moment...

Suddenly, the fake Baker's face turned pale, but a sharp glint flashed in his eyes. He whipped his head toward a spot on the ground and raised his wand with lightning speed!

It's coming!

"Incarcerous!"

Almost at the exact moment the fake Baker aimed his wand, Baron struck, casting a spell of much higher caliber than his previous efforts. However, the fake Baker moved as if he had eyes in the back of his head, tilting his head slightly to let the spell miss.

Then, he glanced at the stunned Baron with a hint of amusement, his wand snapping toward another direction with lightning speed, unleashing a brilliant red light without mercy. Even from over ten meters away, Baron felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him just from being grazed by the light, making him feel drowsy—it was an incredibly powerful Stunning Spell!

Now is the time!

Suddenly, the fake Baker's body shuddered. The suspension ropes that had been firmly stuck to the ceiling detached all at once, causing his body to lose support and fall uncontrollably. The brilliant red light also lost its aim, striking an empty patch of ground and dissipating into a sky full of light particles.

"Impedimenta!"

"Petrificus Totalus!"

The moment the ropes detached, before the fake Baker could even cast a Levitation Charm, two spells hit his body with pinpoint accuracy. The Impediment Jinx shattered his Bubble-Head Charm, and the Full Body-Bind Curse locked his limbs—though, given the fake Baker's immense power, the effect would only last a few seconds, but he was currently in freefall!

Just like that, the fake Baker's body slammed hard onto the ground from over five meters in the air.

[In this situation, I need an invisible opponent to put pressure on me, preventing me from quickly purging the toxins and curses. This will force me to use the "Hyper-Senses Charm."]

[The Hyper-Senses Charm was practically born to counter the Disillusionment Charm. A wizard using it will have their senses become incredibly sharp, allowing them to easily collect all information from the surrounding environment, thereby detecting any movement and quickly pinpointing the invisible person's location. However, this spell has a drawback: the overwhelming amount of information puts immense pressure on the mind, so it cannot be used for long—at most, a few seconds.]

[And the moment the Hyper-Senses Charm is dispelled and the mind suddenly relaxes, it will create a window very favorable for an attack. But of course, I know this will be a flaw, so before ending the Hyper-Senses, I will pretend to have found the enemy and react, baiting the enemy into using the move they intended for the vulnerable window, and only then will I truly end the spell and launch my attack.]

[So, you only need to set a Slippery Charm on the ceiling in advance and activate it when the Hyper-Senses truly ends. This will cause me to fall unprepared, creating an even larger window. Your Mental Link will allow you to seize this timing simultaneously, using binding or petrification spells to trap me, preventing me from slowing my fall, and then have someone else break the Bubble-Head Charm...]

[This way, my body will not only suffer severe fall damage but also lose its protection, becoming eroded by the toxins and curses once again.]

"Professor Baker is truly ruthless to himself..."

Watching the fake Baker slam into the ground with a dull thud, Avada's eye twitched. He immediately dispelled his Disillusionment Charm, revealed his form, and fired a Stunning Spell at the fake Baker, who hadn't yet managed to crawl up.

"K?!"

The fake Baker was, after all, an incredibly experienced combat master. Even while severely injured with several broken bones, he gritted his teeth against the pain, rolled to dodge the spell, and then saw the true face of his enemy, exclaiming in utter astonishment.

While his attention was completely drawn to Avada, Baron behind him had already quietly cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself and lurked off to who knows where.

[At this point, I have sustained quite serious injuries and my state has declined significantly, so I will start trying to leave the Room of Requirement to seek help from other professors. At this time, the real me will manipulate Spatial Magic to hide the location of the door, so the only choice left for me is to get serious and fight with all my might. In this situation, K only has one thing to do after revealing himself: defend with all his might—although I am extremely weak, I am not someone you can defeat in a head-on confrontation right now.]

[However, when I see that the person who dispelled the Disillusionment Charm is my own student, I won't use lethal or overly powerful spells. Coupled with my own weakness, K won't face too much pressure defending. He just needs to keep his Shield Charm up, remain unmoved by whatever tricks I pull, and continue to drain my energy.]

[Next, it will be Mr. Shafiq's turn to turn invisible, and then...]

Just as Professor Baker had predicted, after the fake Baker dealt with his external injuries and fractures while weathering Avada's attacks, he began to retreat while defending, attempting to approach the door of the Room of Requirement. And when he discovered that the door had disappeared at some unknown point, the pressure on Avada increased sharply.

Legions created by Transfiguration, waterfalls appearing out of thin air from above, fire erupting from the ground, curses that could bypass the Shield Charm, and the powerful magic continuously released from the fake Baker's own wand... At this moment, Avada felt as if he wasn't in a one-on-one duel, but being besieged by a group of wizards—the incredibly diverse, almost omnidirectional magical attacks caused his single Shield Charm to show signs of collapsing after only a moment. Moreover, every time he tried to recast the Shield Charm, there would be spell attacks that took effect remotely or originated from the ground, bypassing his defense and making him miserable.

Fortunately, his Magic Sense allowed him to perceive the precursors to every spell, enabling him to dodge or defend with foresight. This greatly reduced the pressure he faced, making him appear almost at ease amidst the fake Baker's frantic onslaught.

There was no language other than spells left in the entire battle. The fake Baker seemed to no longer intend to ask for the reason, thinking only of defeating the student before him and then interrogating him for the cause and effect; while Avada also silently calculated the steps...

The two men's gazes crossed the battlefield where countless spells flew, staring tightly into each other's eyes.