That's the most basic kind of instant-death magic there is...
Manus made the assessment to himself.
That was not to say the Killing Curse itself was simple. Severing the connection between soul and body was fairly advanced magic, and it was no beginner's trick even within Soul Magic.
But as a spell meant to kill an opponent, the Killing Curse did no actual damage. It merely severed the connection between soul and body and left the victim to die as a result.
In other words, under extreme circumstances, the spell might not even kill a child.
It was like throwing someone into a stream and doing nothing else. As long as they could swim—leave their body without dying—they would be fine. They could simply swim back out.
And if they were a strong enough swimmer or tall enough—if their soul was powerful enough, or they knew magic that let them cast spells outside their body—they would not even need to climb out. They could fight back from the water.
As instant-death magic went, it only barely met the standard.
For mages well versed in souls, the spell might even perform Astral Projection for them...
Then again, a mage skilled in that field was probably more likely to be unaffected altogether.
Anyone who studied souls knew how many techniques existed in that field. How could they not take extra precautions?
Surely no mage would think that being good with souls meant they could face any soul-related magic without protection?
The thought passed through Manus's mind without stirring another ripple. His attention had already been drawn to the two souls severed from their bodies.
Neither soul had the means to survive outside its body, so a few seconds would be enough to confirm their deaths. What happened next was more interesting. At