Hell Valley (2)

On the other side, because Voldemort was watching Harry, the scar on his forehead began to throb violently again.

He was tied up with ropes by Voldemort, squatting on the ground with one hand covering his forehead, his complexion as pale as paper. Voldemort stood in front of him, his red eyes staring at him, and began to chant a spell, his voice low and hoarse, like a snake hissing.

Harry's pain worsened, his whole body curling into a ball, his scar feeling as though someone were shoving a red-hot wire into it.

The door leading to the surface world began to grow unstable; first the black flames at the edges flickered, and then the entire wall of fire swayed like a candle about to go out at any moment.

Finally, with a soft pop, the black flames extinguished, and seeing this, a large swarm of creatures from hell began to charge toward that door. Countless hellish entities crowded together—skeleton soldiers, little devils, and a few minotaurs, jostling one another as they rushed inward.

Hermione was checking on Ron's condition. Ron was still lying next to the chessboard, the blood at the corner of his mouth already dry, and though his breathing was steady, he simply would not wake up. Hermione squatted beside him, clutching her wand, glancing up at the entrance every now and then. Then she felt it—the ground was shaking, coming from the direction of the next level, growing more and more intense. She stood up, cast a glance toward that direction, and then froze entirely.

Hordes of hellish creatures surged outward from that door. The skeletal frames of the skeleton soldiers rattled creakily, little devils flew in the air, and several minotaurs squeezed through behind them. Hermione's hands began to tremble. What on earth were these?! Where had these things come from? What on earth was happening to Su Yu inside? She had far too many doubts.

Yet she still took two steps forward, standing in front of Ron, raised her wand, and cast a Protego. A transparent barrier unfolded before her. The pack of monsters drew closer and closer to her, and she could clearly see those two balls of green fire in their eye sockets; her legs were shaking, but she did not retreat.

Just as the horde of monsters rushed right up to her, a burst of purple light suddenly flared behind her. Bolt after bolt of Repel Three Feet flew over her head, striking those monsters and forcing them back several meters; the ones in front shattered into pieces, while the ones in the back continued to push forward.

Hermione turned her head to look back.

Ka-jie stood at the very front of the formation, holding her wand, the purple light-flame just receding from her wand tip. Behind her stood all of Slytherin, neatly lined up in the corridor, wearing black trench coats and green ties, the badges on every person's chest glowing. Ka-jie glanced at Hermione, offered her a gentle smile, and then immediately turned back to command those behind her, "Don't stop! Keep pushing!"

Theodore Nott walked out from the formation and came up to Hermione. He first lowered his head to glance at the unconscious Ron lying on the ground, then turned to Hermione, bowing slightly, his voice gentle and carrying that unhurried elegance, "Miss Granger, may I ask if you know where Chief Su Yu is?"

Hermione's lips trembled, and her voice shook as she spoke, "Su Yu is right inside! I don't know what happened, and this group of creatures just suddenly appeared from the door... Please go report to the professors, and then go save Su Yu... I'm begging you..." As she spoke, she began to cry, large tears rolling down her cheeks, her knuckles gripping her wand turning white, "Go save Su Yu, please..."

Theodore looked at her and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, handing it over. The handkerchief was green, embroidered with the Nott family crest on the corner.

Hermione took it, clenching it in her hand without wiping her tears. Theodore straightened up, traced two circles in the air with his wand, pressed one hand to his chest and placed the other behind his back, and bowed slightly to Hermione with a posture as solemn as that of any orthodox knight.

"Slytherin is willing to become your aid, Miss Hermione-Jane Granger."

Behind him, all of Slytherin bowed.

Fa-jie stood in the middle of the formation, straightening up, her voice crisp and bright, "Open your badges!"

Everyone tapped the badges on their chests twice. Golden chakra poured out from the badges like flowing water, covering the surface of everyone's body and glowing faintly beneath their trench coats. Kurama Cloak.

Ka-jie stood at the forefront, her green eyes sweeping across those hellish creatures still surging outward, her voice cold and sharp, "All students in the fifth, sixth, and seventh years, listen up—use Repel Three Feet five times in rotation!"

The upper-year students in the front row raised their wands simultaneously, waves of purple light-flame pushing forward one after another, striking those monsters and driving them back before the ones in the rear could even charge up. The things inside the door could not rush out for the moment.

Avada Lightning Chain!

Green light exploded in the corridor. Not just one bolt, but chain after chain, leaping from the tip of the first person's wand to the target struck by the second, and then jumping from that target to the next, darting about like lightning within clouds. Wherever the green light passed, monsters fell in droves, little devils plummeted from the sky, and minotaurs were beaten back before they could even cross the threshold. The entire corridor was illuminated in an eerie green, and the air was filled with a charred stench.

Hermione stood nearby, her mouth agape, a hand pressed over her lips, her eyes wide. She could not believe what she was seeing. Were these people Slytherins? Was that how Unforgivable Curses were used? Slytherin? Are you sure they aren't Death Eaters?

Malfoy walked out from the formation and stood beside Hermione, his chin still tilted upward, but his tone was much softer than usual, "Miss Granger, what's going to shock you is still ahead." He glanced toward the direction of that door, "We're going in immediately. Are you coming with us, or staying here to keep playing nursemaid to this blockhead?" He gently tapped the sole of Ron's shoe with the tip of his shoe, but Ron showed no response.

Right at that moment, Dumbledore and several professors hurried over.

Dumbledore stood at the other end of the corridor, casting a glance at Slytherin's battle array, then looking at the door still spewing out hellish creatures, without issuing a verbal stop. He even arched an eyebrow slightly, as if watching something quite interesting.

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

And furthermore, this group using Unforgivable Curses to slaughter hellish creatures... were her students? Her complexion shifted between pale and flushed, her lips trembling, and she was on the verge of roaring, "All Slytherin students! Return to your dormitories at once! Immediately! Right now! It is far too dangerous here!"

No one moved.

Professor Snape stood beside Professor McGonagall, his dark eyes sweeping over that group of Slytherin students, pausing briefly on the golden light of the Kurama Cloaks, then on Ka-jie's calm expression as she commanded, and finally landing on Fa-jie. His face still bore that expressionless look, but if one looked closely, the astonishment in his eyes could be seen.

Fa-jie stepped out from the formation and bowed to Professor McGonagall. Her movements were unhurried, her posture upright yet entirely natural.

"Professor McGonagall," Fa-jie began, "our chief is still inside, and we cannot leave him behind. Slytherin never abandons its chief to face the entire hellish legion alone." She paused, "This is the pride of every single one of us in Slytherin. I am very sorry, Professor McGonagall, but I must decline to follow your orders."

When she finished, she lowered her head in another bow. Behind her, all the Slytherins lowered their heads in unison, their movements as synchronized as though rehearsed countless times.

Then they turned around and, one by one, walked into the door leading to the Otherworld.

Professor McGonagall stood in place, mouth open, failing to close it for a long time. She had taught for so many years and had never witnessed Slytherins like these. What about putting interests above all else? What about self-preservation? Those little snakes who would calculate profits first even if the Dark Lord arrived—were they now charging into hell for the sake of a single person?

An absurd thought flashed through her mind—does Voldemort even know you lot operate this way?

Snape had already followed after them. He said nothing at all, merely flicked his robes, strode with long paces toward the rear of the formation, and already held his wand in hand.

Hermione wanted to follow as well, but Dumbledore intercepted her. The old man's hand pressed gently upon her shoulder, exerting little force.

"What you should be doing right now is protecting your classmates," Dumbledore's voice remained unhurried, "You won't accomplish anything by going in. Evacuating the students to safety is the priority."

Hermione bit her lip, squatted down to lift Ron, and draped his arm over her shoulder.

Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall also entered that door.

The world inside the door was entirely different from what they had imagined.

Gray skies, a volcano smoking in the distance, charred earth and shattered bones scattered everywhere. Then they caught sight of Su Yu—standing atop the head of the Thousand-Hand Buddha, trading blows with that purple monster in hand-to-hand combat.

It was just that the art style was somewhat derailed.

The Buddha's two hands were pinching Belial's neck, while its other numerous hands slapped wildly and chaotically at Belial's face.

The central hands alternated between grabbing and striking, continuously landing blows on his stomach and softer flesh. The lower hands were even dirtier, specifically targeting Belial's vulnerable lower regions with strike after strike, leaving Belial with no way to dodge.

Unable to bear the beating any longer, Belial roared, "Enough!" and batted the Buddha flying with a single slap. He looked utterly disheveled at the moment; one of his large purple horns had been snapped off, his trench coat was torn to shreds, his entire body was covered in red welts, and he was missing two teeth. Right now, he was cupping his lower region—it genuinely hurt quite a bit.

Su Yu wasn't faring much better. With his chakra heavily depleted, Kurama had been forced to split off clones to absorb the earth's energy to feed back into him. The Buddha was covered in cracks, and many of its arms had broken off, dangling from its body and swaying back and forth. Just as he intended to manipulate the Buddha into standing back up, he suddenly caught sight of Dumbledore, several professors, and nearly a hundred Slytherins.

He froze for a moment.

Well, old man, you finally showed up.

Without a word, Su Yu released all his forms, the golden chakra and red armor peeling away layer by layer. He leaped down from the head of the Buddha, landed back within the Slytherin ranks, and sat down on the ground to recover his chakra and magic.

Let Dumbledore handle this mess. After fighting for so long, neither he nor Belial could do anything to the other; continuing to fight would simply come down to a battle of stamina.

Dumbledore's flight technique was far more formidable than he appeared. The old man simply hovered in midair, trading blows with Belial evenly. He even summoned a fire giant roughly the same height as the Buddha, blazing with fire all over, striking Belial with punch after punch. Dumbledore himself flew beside the fire giant, waving his wand rapidly to manipulate the flames and the fire giant, continuously dealing damage to Belial.

This old bastard deceived everyone.

The members of Slytherin wasted no time either. Ka-jie resumed commanding everyone, and bolt after bolt of Avada Lightning Chain rained down upon those hellish creatures, the green light flashing across the battlefield in a blur. Professor McGonagall's blood pressure nearly spiked the moment she stepped inside, but she still drew her wand and joined the children in clearing out the foot soldiers.

Su Yu sat on the ground and said to Fa-jie, "Take a few upper-year students and go rescue Harry. Right over there, Voldemort is on that side. If you can't beat him, just stall him; I'll head over once I recover for a bit."

Fa-jie nodded, picked a few upper-year students, and headed in Harry's direction.

Voldemort stood directly before Harry, forcing him to look into a mirror. Harry was bound by ropes, sweat covering his forehead, his facial expression a mix of anguish and trance, as though mesmerized by something. By the time Fa-jie and the others arrived, they happened to see Voldemort reaching out to grab the stone in Harry's hand.

Several Avada Kedavra spells were cast simultaneously. A layer of protective shield rose around Voldemort; the green light struck the barrier, and he shrieked, blasted backward and tumbling several times before coming to a stop. Harry, frightened out of his wits, collapsed to the ground while still clutching the stone.

Fa-jie yanked Harry back, pushing him behind her. The others continuously fired Avada Kedavra at Voldemort, green light flashing one after another. Voldemort's shield shook violently under the barrage, yet refused to break. Reducto, Confringo—all had been tried to no avail. Voldemort counterattacked a few times as well; his curses struck them, only to be blocked by the Kurama Cloaks. Though uninjured, they were forced back several steps by the impact.

Fa-jie's temper flared. With a crack of Apparition, she materialized directly in front of Voldemort and lashed out with a kick, connecting solidly with his shield. The recoil bounced her back; she dropped into a low crouch with one hand supporting her weight on the ground, stretching one leg far out to steady herself. Then, with another Apparition, she stepped right onto Voldemort's shield, looking down at him from above.

"Just a wisp of a remnant soul!" She gripped her wand in a reverse hold and drove the tip fiercely into the shield. A crack appeared across the surface of the barrier as she shoved inward through gritted teeth, "If we can't break it from the outside, I'll pierce inside to fight! Avada Kedavra!"

Green radiance erupted from the tip of her wand, flooding the entire interior of the shield. The barrier exploded from within, sending Fa-jie flying backward—

Su Yu leaped up and caught her, holding her securely in his arms.

"Why push yourself so hard?" Su Yu looked down at her, a note of reproach in his tone, "It's not like I wasn't coming."

Fa-jie remained silent, wrapping her arms around his neck and planting a fierce kiss on his lips.

Over on Harry's side, the pain in his forehead finally subsided. The door leading to the surface world also began to stabilize.

The Slytherin students were still clearing the battlefield; the remaining small fry no longer posed any threat.

The only battle still raging on the field was between Dumbledore and Belial.

The old man was reaching his limit. The fire giant had shrunk a size smaller, Dumbledore's flight speed had slowed, and his wandwork lacked its previous crispness. Su Yu could tell he was forcing himself to hold on, buying time for him.

Su Yu set Fa-jie down and rushed back onto the battlefield. As he fought, he shouted, "Old man! How do you kill him?"

Dumbledore's voice drifted down from the air, maintaining that unhurried tone, "The Lord of Hell belongs to the realm of conceptual entities. The only way to kill them is through conviction—be it love, hatred, joy, despair, unity, or malice. Only emotions can kill them."

What a master of riddles. Upon hearing that, Su Yu wanted to turn around and lead his team away. Convictions and emotions? What time was it, and he was still treating this like a lecture?!

At that moment, Ka-jie stepped forward and shouted loudly, "Su Yu! Do you have any attacks that can absorb power?"

Su Yu glanced back at her, thought for a moment, and realized he indeed did.

He told Dumbledore to hold on a bit longer, retreated to the rear, and began shifting his form. The Ultimate Complete Body Susanoo, red armor layering on top of one another, and Kurama's several clones vanished instantly, their power concentrating entirely within the bolt of lightning clutched in Su Yu's hand. The arrow flickered within his palm, the red light growing increasingly brilliant and casting a reddish glow across the entire valley.

Ka-jie turned around and shouted to all the Slytherins, "Infuse your emotional attacks into it! No matter what it is—joy, hatred, emotion, sorrow, anger, fear—pour it all in!"

The young Slytherin witches and wizards raised their wands, casting various curses toward the arrow in Su Yu's hand. Some thought of letters sent from home, some of the hand tremors when first casting an Unforgivable Curse, some of the night Su Yu stood before them and declared, "You are Slytherins," some of their hatred for Voldemort, and others of their own loneliness. Spell after spell converged into that arrow.

Harry also raised his wand and cast a spell into the arrow. Professor McGonagall paused for a fraction of a second before casting a spell into it as well. Snape stood in the corner, silent for a long time, before finally raising his wand and flicking it toward the arrow; Su Yu fancied he saw that the curse Snape cast was brimming with love.

The arrow in Su Yu's hand shone with an almost blinding intensity. Then, he unleashed a technique he had never before used with his Mangekyō Sharingan—Causality Alteration.

This ability was one he had yet to fully master. It was far too difficult, and the stronger the target, the higher the restriction; sometimes it simply failed to work at all. Much like how God could never conjure a stone too heavy for Himself to lift, it was a logical conflict.

Suddenly, Belial tripped over a volcano beneath his feet.

Just for that single instant. A giant like Belial tripped over a volcano, his body swaying and his center of gravity shifting.

Su Yu moved. Without firing the arrow, he used Apparition to instantly teleport directly behind Belial, carrying the Susanoo along with him. Clutching that arrow in his hand, he thrust it upward—

"Indra's Arrow — Buttfall Thousand Calamities!"

A remodeled Thousand Years of Death.

Belial exploded instantly. Beginning from the point of penetration, a streak of red light surged outward through his entire body—from his waist to his chest, from his chest to his head—and then his entire body burst apart like a balloon. Red points of light scattered across the sky, resembling a fireworks display.

The battlefield fell silent.

Everyone in Slytherin stared in stunned disbelief. Dumbledore floated midair, wand raised, having forgotten to lower it. Professor McGonagall's mouth remained agape, unclosed. Snape's expression finally shifted, carrying the complex air of someone who had lived so many years yet had no idea what to say for the first time in his life.

This skill could be used that way?

Belial's roar seemed to still echo in the air, faint and indistinct, cursing with extreme viciousness...