บท 223: Chapter 222 "Jormungandr"

Skyler took a few steps back, easing the pressure on himself, with a subtle smile playing on the corners of his mouth.

He particularly relished witnessing relationships akin to "old enemy" or "natural enemy." The pressure stemming from such adversaries often serves as a crucial catalyst for progress and advancement.

Opening his mouth, he emitted a hissing sound. The pendant box shimmered with a green light and levitated into the air. Its lid lifted, revealing the outline of a basilisk.

Suddenly, Susan's power spiraled out of control.

An ivory-white skeleton materialized around her, enveloping her. The skeleton gradually expanded, visibly growing until it reached the size of a pure-blood giant, surpassing Hagrid in height. Susan gently ascended from the ground, hovering around the position of her heart between her ribs. (Refer to this chapter)

Abruptly, the skeleton emitted a soft wail, and a vibrant purple flame engulfed its entirety, exuding a ferocious and terrifying aura. The two vacant eye sockets on the skull's head each flickered with a pulsating purple flame, as if alive, fixating eerily on the basilisk's ghostly figure.

The locket's basilisk shadow ability is incomplete, capable only of petrifying creatures within its line of sight. This limitation resulted from Skyler's sacrifice of a substantial amount of the basilisk's flesh and blood, along with its pair of snake eyes. Without these sacrifices, the basilisk's ability would have been even more diminished.

In the presence of the two purple flames' gaze, the basilisk ghost emitted waves of agonized screams, as if undergoing intense pain.

Skyler observed the transformations within the basilisk's shadow with unwavering focus. The phantom of the basilisk struggled and screamed, gradually fading, indicating a rapid loss of its power. Once this power waned completely, the basilisk's phantom would cease to exist.

"What are you doing?" Aquila exclaimed coldly. In a certain sense, it shared a kinship with the basilisk shadow. At this moment, it empathized with the latter's suffering. "If this continues, the basilisk will vanish forever!"

"Don't worry, I have my reasons," Skyler replied calmly, seemingly indifferent.

The primary distinction between Basilisk Shadow and Aquila lies in the former lacking sanity while the latter possesses it.

Despite being a seemingly small difference, in Skyler's perspective, it represents a significant gap. The basilisk shadow, at best, serves as a weapon—it lacks the ability to comprehend Skyler's thoughts like Aquila or establish a camaraderie with him, hindering the possibility of seamless cooperation through spiritual communication when confronting adversaries.

As the basilisk's shadow dwindled to a mere indistinct silhouette, Skyler, using snake language, bellowed, "Basilis, the king of snakes, are you content to fade away like this?" The basilisk emitted a final, mournful cry, conveying a sense of intense resentment and unwillingness.

"In that case, I shall aid you!" Skyler drew his magic wand and intoned a spell loudly, "Calling the Gods to protect you!"

A majestic ancient dragon adorned with a vibrant, multicolored sheen materialized with the force of wind and thunder. A resounding roar echoed before Skyler, as the ancient colossal dragon recited the enigmatic ancient dragon language, enveloped in a halo of seven different hues. It soared towards the towering figure of the purple flame giant.

The colossal skeleton and the vibrant dragon clashed in a forceful collision.

While the giant delivered a powerful punch to the dragon's head, the dragon's claws simultaneously scraped the ribs on the giant's chest.

With a subtle gesture of his left hand, Skyler summoned the rib fragments still ablaze with purple flames, arranging them in front of him. He began chanting in snake language:

"Swallow the bones of your ancient foe; ignite your will; let rebirth bestow!"

In response, the basilisk phantom leaped vigorously, opening its bloodied jaws to consume the entire rib fragment in one swift motion.

Skyler wielded his wand to extract a piece of bloody flesh from his right arm, tossing it to the basilisk shadow, and continued his chant:

"Fusing the flesh and blood of the host. Complementing your flaws, sanity engrossed!"

Upon contact, Skyler's flesh and blood melded and were swiftly absorbed by the basilisk shadow, causing its outline to shift between clarity and obscurity, displaying intermittent brightness and darkness.

"I've fulfilled my part; the rest lies in your will!" Skyler exclaimed, "Snake King, should you endure, Jormungandr shall be your name!" With a resounding roar, the basilisk phantom burst into green flames, elongating and expanding until it matched the stature of the Purple Flame Giant.

Retracting the dragon patron saint, Skyler murmured in snake language, "Go, Jörmungandr, to your destined battle!"

Jörmungandr slid before the purple flame giant, engaging in a formidable face-off. Witnessing the basilisk's phantom, the giant intensified its violence. Yet, suspended amidst the ribs' center, Susan remained serene, as if immersed in profound slumber.

The Purple Flame Giant fiercely clashed with Jörmungandr. Despite seeming evenly matched, Skyler discerned Jörmungandr's distinctive will. Forged with a potent resolve and bereft of sanity, its vigor grew with each bout, progressively becoming more robust through battle.

On the opposing side, the Purple Flame Giant fought against its host's will, gradually depleting Susan's bloodline power. Consequently, the giant's vigor waned as the battle unfolded, inevitably leading to its eventual defeat.

Just as Jörmungandr successfully entangled the purple flame giant, aiming to crush it with potent constriction, Skyler intervened.

"Massive figure ablaze in purple, though I know not from whence you hail," Skyler's voice, though not booming, resonated distinctly throughout the entire Slytherin chamber, "I wish to convey that times have changed."

"We are not adversaries." Skyler gestured towards Susan's position and then to himself, "She and I, your host, are friends and comrades fighting shoulder to shoulder."

"We share a grand and common ideal, and for this, we require every ounce of strength. Both she and I need your power," Skyler affirmed earnestly, "Should you be willing to relinquish your animosity, I can assure you that I will treat you kindly, akin to family, alongside my host. Otherwise—"

Skyler raised his wand, directing it toward Susan with flashing red eyes exuding the darkest cruelty. His emotionless, cold voice cut through the air, "Although I might suffer afterward, both you and she will vanish from this world today. Trust me, I have the capability. Your current state can't stop me."

The flame giant's body, trapped by the colossal snake, became immobilized. Initially still, it gradually nodded in Skyler's direction, and eventually, the purple flames in its eye sockets dimmed. The entire skeleton transformed into invisible magic, returning to Susan's body.

Aquila observed the entire spectacle, utterly astonished. "With just a few manipulations, you've convinced these two forces to set aside their old grievances and use them both for your benefit?"

Skyler flashed a sinister smile and replied, "Whether it's Jörmungandr or the Purple Flame Giant, they both utilized my blood in the awakening process. In terms of magical rituals, one could say they owe me their lives."

"The most crucial aspect," Skyler's voice carried a touch of coldness, "is that weapons, no matter how sharp and powerful, become expendable if I can't wield them. I won't afford them the chance to turn against me. They should comprehend this. The moment they utilized my blood as a ritual sacrifice, their fate was sealed."

Skyler extended his hand, and with a gesture, Jörmungandr transformed into a green light and was absorbed into the pendant box.

Now rubbing her hazy eyes, Susan surveyed the destruction around her and asked in confusion, "What just happened?"

"I must congratulate you first, Susan," Skyler said sincerely. "This rosewood wand suits you perfectly. If used for casting magic, especially defensive spells, the increase in power is likely far more significant than you anticipated. Additionally, have you noticed anything different about yourself?"

Susan examined her body carefully and exclaimed in delight, "My magical power has increased! At least 10% more than before."

"That's correct. Your magical prowess is now on par with Cho's, if not surpassing it. In fact, compared to the young Aurors at the Ministry of Magic, you stand out as one of the best," Sherrington stated, pausing before adding, "You've evolved into a formidable individual capable of standing alone."

"You know, I've witnessed your dedication all along," Skyler expressed sincerely, "I appreciate that you've placed so much trust in me and were willing to invest so much in my seemingly unrealistic ideals. The reality now proves that I wasn't wrong about you. You're no less capable than any other core member in the Serpentis Vigil Club."

"Ah, really?" Susan's cheeks blushed with two bright red spots. She had often felt a bit inferior, even though it was never explicitly stated.

Self-aware of her position as the weakest among the core cadres in the Serpentis Vigil Club, this was the first time she received praise from Skyler. Shyly, she lowered her head, unsure of what to do with her hands.

"You just emerged from a deep slumber, and there's something you're yet to discover," Skyler gazed at Susan with seriousness, "You've awakened an exceptionally rare blood talent."

"Me?" Susan exclaimed, lifting her head and pointing at herself, "Blood talent? But, my aunt always said our Bones family lacks such talents."

"Indeed, you're right, and I won't deceive you. Your Aunt Leia is correct," Sherrington clarified. "The bloodline talent you've awakened is incredibly rare. The last known instance dates back over two thousand years to ancient Greece, embodied by a man named Invincible Wizard Andros."

"I know him! I even have his chocolate frog cards," Susan's eyes sparkled with an inexplicable light. "Are you saying the power I awakened comes from him?" She understood that Andros represented invincibility in his era, and if she inherited his bloodline power, it hinted at her immense potential.

"Yes," Skyler confirmed, "This power is known as the 'Skeleton of the Holy Spirit.' It employs magic to stimulate the power within the blood, materializing a humanoid skeleton as colossal as a pure-blood giant to serve as a shield. Due to the incredible defensive capabilities of the skeleton, it's also dubbed 'Absolute Defense.'"

"Master this secret, and you could become the most formidable frontline force in the Serpentis Vigil Club," Skyler declared, "You'll be the protector for all of us!"