Hell Valley (2)

Elsewhere, Harry's scar began to throb violently again under Voldemort's gaze.

He was tied up with ropes by Voldemort, crouching on the ground with one hand over his forehead, his face as white as paper. Voldemort stood before him, red eyes fixed on him as he began to chant a spell in a low, hoarse voice, like a snake hissing.

Harry's pain grew worse. His whole body curled into a ball, and it felt as though someone were driving a red-hot wire into the scar on his forehead.

The door leading to the Outer World began to destabilize. First, the black flames around its edges flickered a few times, then the entire wall of fire swayed like a candle about to go out.

Finally, with a puff, the black flames went out. Seeing this, a huge mass of hell creatures began rushing toward the door. Skeleton soldiers, imps, and several minotaurs crowded together as they charged through it.

Hermione was checking Ron's injuries. Ron was still lying beside the chessboard, the blood at the corner of his mouth already dry. His breathing was steady, but he would not wake up. Hermione crouched beside him with her wand clenched in hand, occasionally looking toward the entrance. Then she felt it—the ground was shaking. The tremors came from the direction of the next level and grew stronger and stronger. She stood up, glanced that way, and froze.

Hordes of hell creatures poured out of the door. The skeleton soldiers' bones creaked, imps flew overhead, and several minotaurs pushed through from behind. Hermione's hand began to shake. What were these things? Where had they come from? What was happening to Su Yu inside? She had far too many questions.

Yet she still took two steps forward, standing in front of Ron. She raised her wand and cast, "Protego." A transparent barrier spread out before her. The monsters drew closer and closer. She could clearly see the twin green flames in their eye sockets. Her legs trembled, but she did not retreat.

Just as the monsters reached her, a swath of purple light suddenly flared behind her. One Repel Three Feet after another flew over her head and struck the monsters, forcing them back several meters. Those at the front shattered in droves, while those behind still shoved forward.

Hermione turned around.

Sister Ka stood at the front of the group, her wand raised as the purple glow withdrew from its tip. Behind her stood every Slytherin student, lined up neatly in the corridor. Black coats, green ties, and badges glowing on every chest. Sister Ka glanced at Hermione and gave her a gentle smile, then immediately turned back to direct the others. "Don't stop! Keep pushing!"

Theodore Nott stepped out of the group and walked up to Hermione. He first lowered his gaze to Ron lying on the floor, then turned to Hermione and bent slightly at the waist. His voice was gentle, carrying that unhurried elegance. "Miss Granger, may I ask if you know where Chief Su Yu is?"

Hermione's lips trembled, and so did her voice. "Su Yu is inside! I don't know what happened. These creatures just suddenly came out of the door... Go report this to the professors, then hurry and save Su Yu... Please..." She began to cry as she spoke, large tears falling one after another. Her fingers clenched so tightly around her wand that her knuckles turned white. "Please save Su Yu..."

Theodore looked at her, then took a handkerchief from his pocket and offered it to her. It was green, with the Nott family crest embroidered in one corner.

Hermione accepted it and held it tightly without wiping her tears. Theodore straightened, drew two circles in the air with his wand, placed one hand over his chest and the other behind his back, then gave Hermione a slight bow. His bearing was as solemn as that of a proper knight.

"Slytherin is willing to lend you its strength, Miss Hermione-Jane Granger."

Behind him, every Slytherin bowed.

Sister Fa, standing in the middle of the group, straightened and spoke in a crisp, bright voice. "Activate your badges!"

Everyone tapped the badges on their chests twice. Golden chakra surged from the badges, flowing across the surface of their bodies like water and glowing faintly beneath their coats. The Nine-Tails Cloak.

Sister Ka stood at the very front, her green eyes sweeping over the hell creatures still pouring out. Her voice was cold and sharp. "All fifth-, sixth-, and seventh-years, listen up! Alternate five rounds of Repel Three Feet!"

The older students in the front row raised their wands together. Waves of purple light pushed forward one after another, striking the monsters. Before those in the back could charge out, they were forced back, and the creatures within the door could not break through for the time being.

"Avada Lightning Chain!"

Green light exploded through the corridor. It was not one beam, but one after another, leaping from the first person's wand tip to the target struck by the second, then from that target to the next, like lightning racing through clouds. Wherever the green light passed, monsters fell in droves. Imps dropped from the sky, and minotaurs were blasted back before they could even step through the door. The entire corridor glowed green, and the air was thick with the smell of scorched flesh.

Hermione stood to the side, mouth agape, one hand covering it, her eyes wide. She could not believe what she was seeing. These people were Slytherins? This was how Unforgivable Curses were used? Slytherins? Were they sure they were not Death Eaters?

Malfoy stepped out of the group and stopped beside Hermione. His chin remained raised, but his tone was much gentler than usual. "Miss Granger, there is much more to surprise you." He looked toward the door. "We are about to go in. Will you come with us? Or will you stay here and keep this dimwit company?" He lightly tapped Ron's shoe with the tip of his foot. Ron did not react.

Just then, Dumbledore and several professors arrived.

Dumbledore stood at the other end of the corridor. He looked at the Slytherins' formation, then at the door still spewing out hell creatures, but did not say a word to stop them. He even raised an eyebrow slightly, as if watching something interesting.

Professor McGonagall was practically losing her mind. Her students—Slytherin students—how could they be in such a dangerous place?!

And these students using Unforgivable Curses to kill hell creatures—were they really her students? Her face went pale, then red, her lips trembling as she nearly roared, "All Slytherin students! Return to your dormitories immediately! Immediately! This place is far too dangerous!"

No one moved.

Professor Snape stood beside Professor McGonagall. His black eyes swept over the Slytherin students, pausing on the golden glow of the Nine-Tails Cloaks, then on Sister Ka's calm expression as she commanded the group, and finally on Sister Fa. His face still held no expression, but a closer look would reveal the surprise in his eyes.

Sister Fa stepped out of the group and bowed to Professor McGonagall. Her movements were unhurried, her posture proper, yet she made it look completely natural.

"Professor McGonagall," Sister Fa said, "our chief is still inside. We cannot abandon him. Slytherin has never abandoned its chief, leaving him to face an entire hell legion alone." She paused. "This is the pride of every Slytherin. I am sorry, Professor McGonagall, but I cannot obey your order."

After saying that, she lowered her head in another bow. Behind her, every Slytherin bowed at the same time, their movements so synchronized that it seemed they had rehearsed them countless times.

Then they turned around and entered the door to the Inner World one after another.

Professor McGonagall stood where she was, mouth open for a long time. She had taught for so many years, but she had never seen Slytherins like this. What happened to putting benefits first? What happened to protecting themselves? Those little snakes who would calculate the cost before doing anything even if the Dark Lord himself arrived were now charging into hell for one person?

An absurd thought flashed through her mind—did Voldemort know his followers acted like this?

Snape had already followed them. He said nothing, merely flicked his robes and strode after the group, wand already in hand.

Hermione wanted to follow too, but Dumbledore stopped her. The old man's hand rested lightly on her shoulder, not using much strength.

"What you should do now is protect your classmates," Dumbledore said in his usual unhurried tone. "You would not be able to do much if you went in. Moving the other students out is the important thing."

Hermione bit her lip, crouched down, and helped Ron up, draping his arm over her shoulder.

Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall entered the door as well.

The world beyond it was completely different from what they had imagined.

The sky was gray. Distant volcanoes still smoked, and the land was covered in scorched earth and shattered bones. Then they saw Su Yu—standing atop the Thousand-Armed Buddha's head, trading blow after blow with that purple monster.

The scene was just a little absurd.

Two of the Buddha's hands gripped Belial's neck, while several others slapped Belial's face wildly.

Some of the middle hands choked him, others struck him, constantly hammering his stomach and softer spots. The lower hands were even more vicious, specifically targeting Belial's groin again and again, leaving him no chance to dodge.

Belial could not take the beating anymore. He roared, "Enough!" and slapped the Buddha away. He looked utterly miserable now. One of his massive purple horns had been snapped off, his coat was torn to shreds, his body was covered in red marks, and he was missing two teeth. He was clutching his lower half—it really hurt.

Su Yu was not faring much better. He had lost a massive amount of chakra, forcing the Nine-Tailed Fox to split off clones to absorb the power of the earth and replenish him. The Buddha was covered in cracks, with many of its arms broken off and dangling from its body. He was just about to make it stand again when he spotted Dumbledore, several professors, and nearly a hundred Slytherins.

He froze for a moment.

Well, old man, you finally showed up.

Without another word, Su Yu dispelled all his forms. Golden chakra and red armor peeled away layer by layer. He jumped down from the Buddha's head, landed among the Slytherin students, sat down, and began restoring his chakra and magic.

He would leave this mess to Dumbledore. He had fought Belial for half the day, and neither could do anything to the other. If they kept going, it would become a contest of endurance.

Dumbledore's flying skills were far better than they looked. The old man floated through the air, evenly matched with Belial. He even summoned a fire giant nearly as tall as the Buddha, its entire body ablaze, throwing punch after punch at Belial. Dumbledore himself flew beside the fire giant, rapidly waving his wand and controlling both the flames and the giant to continuously damage Belial.

That old man had fooled everyone.

The Slytherins did not waste words either. Sister Ka began directing them again, sending Avada Lightning Chains at the hell creatures one after another. Green light flashed across the battlefield. The moment Professor McGonagall came in and saw this, her blood pressure nearly spiked through the roof, but she still drew her wand and joined the children in clearing out the lesser monsters.

Sitting on the ground, Su Yu said to Sister Fa, "Take a few older students and save Harry. He is over there, and Voldemort is with him. If you cannot beat him, hold him off first. Once I recover a little, I will come over."

Sister Fa nodded, selected several older students, and headed toward Harry.

Voldemort stood before Harry, forcing him to look at a mirror. Harry was tied up, his forehead covered in sweat, his face pained and dazed, as if something had bewitched him. When Sister Fa and the others arrived, they saw Voldemort reaching for the stone in Harry's hand.

Several Avada Kedavras struck at once. A shield rose around Voldemort. The green light slammed into it, and he screamed as he was blasted away, rolling several times before stopping. Harry was terrified out of his wits, sprawled on the ground with the stone still clutched in his hand.

Sister Fa yanked Harry back and pushed him behind her. The others continuously fired Avada Kedavra at Voldemort, one streak of green light after another. Voldemort's shield shook violently under the assault, but would not break. Reducto and Confringo had both been used, but neither worked. Voldemort counterattacked several times. His spells struck them, only to be blocked by the Nine-Tails Cloaks. They were uninjured, though the impacts knocked them back several steps.

Sister Fa lost her temper. With an Apparition, she appeared directly in front of Voldemort and kicked the shield. The rebound sent her flying back. She caught herself with one hand on the ground, crouching with one leg stretched far out to stabilize herself. Then she Apparated again, stepping atop Voldemort's shield and looking down at him.

"You are only a fragment of a soul!" She gripped her wand in both hands and viciously drove its tip into the shield. A crack appeared across it. Gritting her teeth, she forced it deeper. "If we cannot break it from outside, then we will pierce it and attack from within! Avada Kedavra!"

Green light erupted from her wand tip, filling the entire shield. The shield exploded from the inside, and Sister Fa was blasted away, thrown backward—

Su Yu leaped up and caught her. He held her securely in his arms.

"Why are you risking your life like that?" Su Yu looked down at her, reproach in his voice. "It is not like I was not coming."

Sister Fa said nothing. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him fiercely.

Over by Harry, the pain in his forehead finally stopped. The door to the Outer World began stabilizing as well.

The Slytherin students were still clearing the battlefield. The remaining stragglers were no longer a threat.

The only ones still fighting on the battlefield were Dumbledore and Belial.

The old man was nearly unable to hold on. The fire giant had shrunk by a full size, Dumbledore's flying had slowed, and his wand movements were no longer as nimble as before. Su Yu could tell that he was forcing himself to keep going, buying time for him.

Su Yu set Sister Fa down and charged back into the battlefield. Fighting as he ran, he shouted, "Old man! How do we kill him?!"

Dumbledore's voice descended from the air, still as calm and unhurried as ever. "Lords of Hell are creatures of rules. The only way to kill them is with conviction—love, hatred, happiness, disappointment, unity, vengeance. Only emotions can kill them."

What a riddle-loving old man. The moment Su Yu heard that, he wanted to turn around and lead everyone away. What conviction, what emotion—was this really the time to give a lecture??

At that moment, Sister Ka stepped forward and shouted, "Su Yu! Do you have an attack that can absorb power?"

Su Yu glanced back at her and thought about it. He really did.

He told Dumbledore to hold on a little longer, then retreated and began transforming. The Ultimate Complete-Body Susanoo formed as layers of red armor stacked over him. The Nine-Tailed Fox's clones vanished instantly, all their power converging into the lightning arrow in Su Yu's hand. The arrow flickered in his palm, its red radiance growing brighter and brighter until the entire valley glowed crimson.

Sister Ka turned and shouted to every Slytherin, "Pour your emotional attacks into it! It does not matter what they are—joy, hatred, gratitude, sorrow, anger, fear—put all of it into it!"

The young Slytherin wizards raised their wands and cast all kinds of spells into the arrow in Su Yu's hand. Some thought of letters from home, some of the trembling in their hands the first time they cast Avada Kedavra, some of the night Su Yu had stood before them and said, "You are Slytherin," some of their hatred for Voldemort, and some of their own loneliness. One spell after another flowed into the arrow.

Harry raised his wand as well and cast a spell toward the arrow. Professor McGonagall froze for a moment, then cast a spell into it too. Snape stood silently in the corner for a long time. In the end, he raised his wand and flicked it toward the arrow. Su Yu seemed to see that Snape's spell was filled with love.

The arrow in Su Yu's hand was now impossibly bright. Then he activated an ability his Mangekyō Sharingan had never used before—Causality Alteration.

He did not really know how to use this ability either. It was far too difficult, and the stronger the target, the harsher its limits became. Sometimes it simply could not be used at all. Like how God could never create a stone too heavy for himself to lift—it was a logical contradiction.

Suddenly, Belial tripped over a volcano beneath his feet.

Only for an instant. A Belial that huge tripped over a volcano, his body swaying as his center of gravity shifted.

Su Yu moved. He did not fire the arrow. Instead, he and the Susanoo Apparated together, teleporting behind Belial. Clutching the arrow, he thrust upward—

"Indra's Arrow—Ten Thousand Years of Pain: Butt Drop!"

A modified A Thousand Years of Death.

Belial exploded instantly. Starting from where he had been stabbed, a streak of red light burst out from inside his body, racing from his waist to his chest, from his chest to the top of his head. Then his entire body burst like a balloon. Red motes filled the sky like fireworks.

The battlefield fell silent.

Every Slytherin stared in stunned silence. Dumbledore floated in midair, wand still raised, having forgotten to lower it. Professor McGonagall's mouth hung open, and she had forgotten to close it. Snape's expression finally changed, carrying the complicated look of someone who had lived for so many years and, for the first time, had no idea what to say.

This skill could be used like that?

Belial's roar still seemed to echo in their ears, faint but lingering, cursing in the most vicious terms...