Bab 312: Chapter 312: Clash
when Isabelle suddenly drew her wand to launch a surprise attack on Rowenna Smith, a look of astonishment appeared on Albert's face.
Without a doubt, Isabelle's sneak attack was successful. The Cruciatus Curse hit Rowenna Smith's body, freezing the smile on his face. The pain contorted his cheeks into a grotesque and terrifying expression.
"You were never under the Imperius Curse from the beginning?" Rowenna Smith never expected Isabelle to have another wand prepared.
Seeing Isabelle's intention to speak to Rowenna Smith, muscles on Albert's cheeks trembled uncontrollably.
He didn't hesitate, immediately drawing his wand, disarming Rowenna Smith before the situation could escalate further.
What changes would occur before this ordeal concluded were uncertain.
Furthermore, Albert hadn't forgotten that they were in the Forbidden Forest. Rowenna Smith could use Disillusionment Charm and escape at any moment, though the likelihood was slim.
"You..."
Isabelle turned her head and saw Albert holding a wand as well. She hadn't anticipated that Albert would also be armed with two wands.
"Forget 'you,' get this done quickly," Albert urged, "Say fewer empty words, if you're seeking revenge."
"Mr. Anderson is right; you shouldn't leave openings for your enemies," Rowenna Smith got up from the ground in a disheveled state, brushing off the dirt and decaying leaves from his robes.
"And also, you might want to skip the Unforgivable Curses," he sneered, "You're not ruthless enough. The Cruciatus Curse isn't particularly effective."
"Shut up, Cruciatus!" Isabelle gripped her wand tightly, pointing it at her enemy before shouting once again.
Rowenna Smith was hit by another Cruciatus Curse, his complexion even paler.
"Cruciatus, Cruciatus, Cruciatus! Father was your best friend, he trusted you so much, how could you have done it? You beast, repent for the sins you've committed in agony!" Isabelle roared in anger, her eyes filled with the vindictive satisfaction of revenge. She tormented her enemy with an imperfect Cruciatus Curse, releasing the years of pent-up hatred.
This was the moment she had been waiting for, for too long.
"Enough, if you want revenge, kill him," Albert interjected.
If Rowenna Smith wanted Albert dead, there was no need for restraint.
"What?"
Isabelle's face displayed momentary confusion, evidently not expecting Albert to speak like this.
"If you can't bring yourself to do it, knock him out and feed him to the Acromantulas," Albert didn't care about Isabelle's thoughts; he was prepared to cast the Stunning Spell on Rowenna Smith, incapacitate him first, and then discuss how to proceed.
However, Rowenna Smith's reaction was quicker than his. He had an extra wand concealed somewhere, which he used to block Albert's Stunning Spell.
"What..."
Everything happened too fast, and Isabelle nearly didn't react. She had initially felt angry when Albert interrupted her revenge, but seeing Rowenna Smith with a wand in hand had thrown her into sudden confusion.
Rowenna Smith smirked coldly as he looked at them.
"Did you think you were the only ones with two wands?" Rowenna Smith swung his wand, casting a spell towards Isabelle and sending her flying.
"Damn it." Albert immediately launched an attack on Rowenna Smith. He didn't use any particularly powerful spells; instead, he rapidly cast the Silencing Charm, attempting to disrupt Rowenna Smith's incantations.
"Using Silent Spells proficiently already, you're quite a remarkable fellow," Rowenna remarked while blocking Albert's assault. "No wonder they think so highly of you. But, not telling Dumbledore about this incident was a grave mistake. Do you believe you can defeat me on your own?"
"I just wanted to understand why, and I never thought you would become this insane," Albert's tone remained calm. The Felix Felicis potion allowed him to fully utilize his strength.
"The outcome is a bit beyond my expectations."
"You're quite arrogant."
Suddenly, Rowenna Smith laughed. "Actually, I'd rather see you in pain, struggling, and begging me for mercy."
"You might be disappointed then," Albert said focusedly, waving his wand. A spell exploded at Rowenna Smith's feet, creating a crater, nearly causing him to lose balance.
As Rowenna Smith regained his footing, a strong light flashed. He found himself hanging upside down in the air, seemingly suspended by an invisible hook.
The surrounding vines, affected by the Transfiguration spell, transformed into spears and thrust towards Rowenna Smith.
A clanging sound echoed as the vines struck a shield. Then, flames burst from the tip of Rowenna Smith's wand, completely incinerating the vines and dissipating Albert's attack.
"Avada Kedavra!"
A green light pierced through the raging flames and soared towards Rowenna Smith.
Albert had never expected to kill Rowenna Smith with an ordinary spell because he knew it was completely unrealistic.
Although he had never used the Killing Curse, he knew how it was done. With the help of Felix Felicis, there was a chance this curse could kill his opponent.
Honestly, he regretted not immediately using the Banshee's wail to incapacitate him earlier.
His decision to attack Rowenna Smith directly was driven more by his instinct enhanced by the Felix Felicis.
The Killing Curse missed, blasting a nearby tree apart. Rowenna Smith vanished into thin air, leaving behind only the sound of collapsing trees.
"Where is he?" Isabelle glanced at Albert, surprised that he had been even more ruthless than herself, directly using the Killing Curse.
"He should still be nearby." Albert scanned his surroundings and glanced at Isabelle from the corner of his eye. "Remember to finish him off later."
"You're really heartless!"
Rowenna Smith's voice echoed from all directions. "Using the Killing Curse, you're even more brutal than other Dark wizards."
"First, you tried to kill me, so don't expect me to show mercy."
Albert carefully observed his surroundings, knowing Rowenna Smith wouldn't escape.
If he did manage to escape, he would be in trouble. They would definitely inform Dumbledore about this incident, and others would find out as well. There was no way he could avoid the consequences.
Would Broderick's group allow Rowenna Smith to kill his own heir?
Definitely not.
With their discerning eyes and influence, this matter wouldn't end easily.
The investigation into Isabelle's father's case hadn't gone deep. He had mostly been disqualified from the running.
"You're absolutely right. If you weren't a candidate for the Wildsmith heir, we could have been good friends."
"Good friends? I'll pass!" Albert couldn't help but taunt, "Look at how you treat your friends. Who would want to be your friend?"
"Shut up!" Rowenna Smith roared, "That was an accident."
A spell flew from the right side of the bushes. Albert waved his wand vigorously and yelled, "Armor Protectus!"
The spell collided with the Shield Charm, bursting into intense light, disintegrating the Shield Charm and sending dirt and decayed leaves flying.
Albert felt pressure on his chest, adjusted his stance to avoid losing balance.
"I'm quite surprised; you managed to block it with Armor Protectus." Rowenna Smith emerged from the forest, laughing manically while watching Albert struggle to keep his balance. "It seems I've won after all. Cruciatus—Cruciatus."
The results of his recent training were apparent. When Rowenna Smith cast the Cruciatus Curse, Albert managed to evade it and roll on the ground.
"Keep struggling, but you can't evade forever, Cruciatus—"
"Expulso."
A spell shot towards Rowenna Smith, interrupting the Cruciatus Curse. He had to defend himself with a counter-spell, but the explosion caused him to stumble.
Isabelle charged forward, waving her wand to engage Rowenna Smith again.
However, compared to Albert, who had taken Felix Felicis, Isabelle's strength felt lacking. Rowenna Smith easily deflected her spells.
"You're not bad either, but you still have a long way to go compared to Albert." Rowenna Smith continued blocking Isabelle's spells, effortlessly warding off her attacks or disrupting her attempts.
Once Albert regained his balance, he lifted his wand and pointed it at Rowenna Smith, yelling, "Disarmament Charm!"
A red light shot towards Rowenna Smith, but he deflected it with his wand.
"Move aside!" Albert stepped forward quickly, pushed Isabelle away, and locked eyes with Rowenna Smith. The two of them raised their wands almost simultaneously.
"Expulso!"
"Cruciatus!"
Albert had never experienced this kind of excruciating pain. It felt like every bone in his body was being scraped by a knife, spreading agony throughout him. He collapsed to the ground, drenched in sweat.
Rowenna Smith didn't fare much better. Albert's explosive spell had targeted his feet, sending him flying and crashing onto the ground.
Isabelle seized the opportunity and rushed forward. A green light burst from the tip of her wand, hitting Rowenna Smith's body. However, Rowenna Smith wasn't killed by the Avada Kedavra curse.
Yes, he survived.
The Avada Kedavra curse required a significant amount of magical power as a foundation.
In fact, this was a common prerequisite for most Dark magic.
Although Isabelle's magical abilities far exceeded those of her peers, her magic wasn't nearly as potent as Albert's cheat-level strength.
Rowenna Smith was taken aback, brandishing his wand vigorously, lashing at the air.
Isabelle felt a searing, whip-like sensation strike her face. Caught off guard, she was thrown to the ground, her vision blurring with stars, nearly on the verge of passing out.
"I told you, you're not suited for Unforgivable Curses. You're not ruthless enough, and your magic isn't strong enough." Rowenna Smith spat blood and mucus, wiping his nose with the back of his hand.
Isabelle's spell had an effect, but it wasn't lethal to Rowenna Smith.
Albert glanced at the fallen Isabelle, struggled to get up from the ground, and raised his wand to deflect an incoming spell.
It was the Cruciatus Curse again.
However, he had already been significantly weakened by the Shield Charm.
Albert's body merely swayed for a moment before he steadied himself again.
Rowenna Smith didn't seize the opportunity to attack him but used the Levitation Charm to retrieve Isabelle's wand from the ground.
"I prefer watching you struggle in pain," Rowenna Smith said with a grin. "Actually, I know you've been practicing spells. Unfortunately, you're not our match at all. Maybe after you graduate, but not now."
"That last hit hurt quite a bit. It made me want to kick you where it hurts and make you feel the pain," Albert stared at Rowenna Smith and coldly said, "Let's begin the second round."
"You're quite the proud one. But most geniuses have that arrogance." Rowenna Smith looked at Albert, his smile growing wider. He suddenly asked, "Can you duel?"
"Perhaps. We should conduct this contest using the etiquette of a duel. The loser will forfeit their life. Let's bow to each other, Albert," Rowenna Smith said, inclining his head towards him. In response, a Stupefy curse came his way.
"How impolite." Rowenna Smith brushed aside the spell with a wave of his hand and chuckled. "They surely expect you to show more grace."
Albert's spell was his answer.
In this moment, Albert's mind was nearly blank. His only thought was to defeat the enemy before him. He instinctively pushed his magical power to its limits, throwing various spells at Rowenna Smith at an astonishing speed, utilizing the Silencing Charm to its fullest.
The spells from both sides clashed within the Forbidden Forest, and flashes of magical light flickered in the dim woods.
Rowenna Smith wasn't doing too well; he seemed to be getting suppressed, occasionally resorting to using Disillusionment Charms to move and evade.
However, both sides had combat experience. Rowenna Smith was significantly stronger than Albert, even with the Felix Felicis. Albert was no match for him.
Perhaps he should Disillusion himself and wait for an opportunity to incapacitate Rowenna Smith with the Banshee's wail. But Albert didn't do that; he continued to grit his teeth and engage in direct magical combat.
It felt somewhat foolish, but Albert knew he was the ultimate victor. The one who would die here was Rowenna Smith. Knowing the outcome, he felt fearless!
"You win."
Albert's gaze flicked to his wand that he had dropped and he regained his composure.
"I win. Looks like you're going to die here today. Do you regret not telling Dumbledore about this?" Rowenna Smith approached Albert, pointing his wand at his heart. He then turned to look at Isabelle, who was walking towards them. "You didn't even try to escape when you had the chance. It truly surprised me."
"Could we have escaped?" Isabelle countered.
"Of course not, but I'd enjoy watching both of you panic and run away," Rowenna Smith said joyfully. "However, I'm quite looking forward to seeing the reactions of that group when they find out both of you, the backup candidates, have died in the Forbidden Forest. I can't imagine what kind of response they'll have."
"Kill me, but don't think it will end like this. If I disappear, they'll know it was all your doing," Isabelle's tone remained calm. Her words weren't a threat but rather the final mockery of a loser. She had come prepared for this.
Albert glanced at Isabelle and realized they were quite similar.
"What are you planning to do? Kill us now, or..." Albert suddenly asked.
"I dislike your composure." Rowenna Smith frowned. "Even though you're on the brink of death, why can you still remain calm?"
"Would you spare us if we were panicking?" Isabelle sneered. "If that's the case, why should we panic and make you happy?"
"Let's go. I hope you can maintain your composure when facing the Acromantulas," Rowenna Smith looked towards a certain direction, a strange smile appearing on his face as he whispered softly, "Look, those big guys can't wait to enjoy their meal."
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