Chương 178: Surprise visit

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Dumbledore gaped at the magnificent phoenix before him. This creature radiated beauty and nobility, putting his phoenix to utter shame. In comparison, Dumbledore's phoenix resembled a mere pheasant – an uninspired facsimile. As a seasoned wizard, his senses keenly focused on the immense magical power coursing through the phoenix's body. Dumbledore now fully grasped Ivan's earlier words. With this kind of power, Voldemort wouldn't stand a chance.

Suddenly, the phoenix raised its head and let out a mighty cry. It unfurled its wings, their graceful sweep filling the air with a mesmerizing display. However, the surge in power left Harry overwhelmed. Unable to fully control his newfound abilities, he unleashed a fiery torrent from his maw, a devastating blast that incinerated a nearby castle section.

Witnessing the destructive power at his command, Harry's heart surged with exhilaration. With this strength, defeating Voldemort and avenging his parents was a sure thing. But amidst this euphoria, a wave of grief washed over him, a stark reminder of their tragic demise. The conflicting emotions and the overwhelming power proved too much for him. He succumbed to a primal rage, his eyes glowing with a sinister red light. Reason gave way to a monstrous fury.

Witnessing the phoenix lay waste to his castle, Ivan roared angrily. "Enough of this, you infernal beast! Stop, or I'll be forced to end you!"

Sadly, reason had abandoned the phoenix. Now consumed by the transformation's dark side, Harry ignored Ivan's warning. Another pillar of fire erupted from its maw, aimed directly at the sorcerer.

"Blast it!" Ivan cursed, dodging the fiery onslaught. The violence in the phoenix's eyes confirmed his suspicions.

He had underestimated the psychological impact on Harry, a young man burdened by grief and fueled by a deep-seated hatred. This perfect storm had triggered a demonic possession of sorts. This unforeseen complication was a costly mistake.

Time was of the essence. Ivan couldn't allow further destruction. With a flick of his wrist, he conjured a ball of magical energy, shaping it into a luminous rope that ensnared the phoenix mid-flight.

"Don't harm him!"

Dumbledore's voice boomed as he witnessed Ivan's action. A beam of white light erupted from his wand, striking the magical rope. The impact disrupted the binding, allowing the phoenix to evade capture.

"Dumbledore! I wasn't trying to harm him, merely restrain him until he regains control!" Ivan yelled, frustration lacing his voice. He could have quickly subdued the phoenix with lethal force, but Dumbledore's intervention thwarted his attempt. The phoenix, sensing imminent danger, instinctively took flight towards the heavens.

"Forgive me, Ivan! I misunderstood your intentions," Dumbledore admitted sheepishly. He realized his blunder – if actual harm were Ivan's intent, a simple rope wouldn't have sufficed.

"Oh, why me!" Ivan groaned inwardly, his heart heavy with the burden of this chaotic situation. He launched himself into the air, chasing after the runaway phoenix. Dumbledore followed close behind, both figures disappearing into the swirling clouds above.

Ivan had implemented a magical barrier around the castle, an impenetrable shield fueled by the boundless energy reserves of the underground nodes. While impeccable in defense against external threats, it offered no resistance to those within. The phoenix soared effortlessly through the barrier, reaching the cloud layer where its fiery nature dissipated the surrounding moisture, bathing the castle in a rare glimpse of sunlight.

The phoenix reveled in the freedom of flight, its cries echoing through the sky. But Ivan wouldn't relent. He materialized as a shadowy apparition before the phoenix, attempting to subdue it again. He condensed a ball of energy into another rope, aiming for the phoenix's neck. The enraged creature retaliated, thrashing violently against the binding. A fierce struggle ensued above the clouds while a worried Dumbledore watched from below, desperately calling Harry's name in hopes of snapping him out of his trance.

Despite Harry's newfound strength, it paled in comparison to Ivan's power. His struggles against the binding rope were futile, his strength steadily waning. It seemed the phoenix's transformation would soon reverse.

Just as Ivan grappled with the phoenix, a mysterious occurrence unfolded far away in the Himalayas. A bald woman clad in a yellow robe sat cross-legged, her eyes snapping open as a surge of powerful energy registered in her senses. "Impossible! I must investigate this," she declared, her voice laced with urgency. She draped the robe tighter around herself and drew a circular pattern in the air, stepping through it and vanishing from sight.

Meanwhile, Ivan continued his struggle with the phoenix. Suddenly, a tear in the fabric of reality appeared nearby, disgorging a figure cloaked in yellow robes. This unexpected arrival sent the cloaked figure plummeting towards the ground. However, the robe billowed out, acting as a makeshift parachute.

The cloaked figure, a woman of stern authority, spotted Ivan grappling with a majestic phoenix. Her face contorted in alarm. "Audacious fool! How dare you hunt a divine phoenix! You court death!" she bellowed.

Ivan was utterly bewildered. This cloaked figure's arrival was entirely out of the blue. Before he could utter a word in his defense, the woman lashed out, a wave of her hand conjuring a torrent of yellow energy that coalesced into a barrage of arrows aimed straight at him.

"Hold on, Ancient One! This is a misunderstanding!" Dumbledore roared, simultaneously casting a protective spell on Ivan with his wand. Unfortunately, the strength disparity was vast. Dumbledore's shield held for a moment before being overwhelmed by the energy arrows.

Having sensed the cloaked figure's arrival with his keen senses, Ivan recognized her iconic space magic and correctly deduced her origin – Kamar-Taj. Dumbledore's confirmation cemented his suspicion. The Ancient One, a figure powerful enough to hold her own against Odin, demanded respect.

He remained calm despite the unexpected assault. One hand continued to secure the phoenix with the rope while the other conjured a magical shield to deflect the onslaught of energy arrows.

Ivan wasn't one to take such aggression passively. With a flick of his wrist, a blue energy construct materialized, a counterpart of himself, mirroring the Ancient One's tactic. This illusory copy seized the rope, continuing the struggle with the shifting phoenix. At the same time, Ivan's proper form retaliated, launching a volley of magic projectiles that mirrored the Ancient One's attack.

The Ancient One, an ancient guardian of Earth, recognized several critical figures, including Dumbledore. Dumbledore's plea gave her pause, a nagging suspicion hinting at a misunderstanding. However, the situation had escalated too quickly to offer apologies. Yet, the sight of her opponent mirroring her technique sparked a question – was this a deliberate act of provocation? Cornered, the Ancient One conjured a pair of orange-yellow magical shields to defend herself against the incoming magical thorns.

Even amidst the chaos, Ivan couldn't help but notice the intricate geometric patterns within the Ancient One's magic shield. It differed from his circular magic circles, appearing more fluid and adaptable. Circles conveyed a sense of completeness, while these incorporated triangles, suggesting a focus on strength and sharpness.

Their magical barrages clashed with a resounding clang, Ivan's magic cones parried by the Ancient One's shield. Undeterred, Ivan split the remaining clones into three. One continued its frontal assault while the other two flanked the Ancient One from the sides, converging for a sneak attack from behind.

Sensing the impending threat, the Ancient One raised one shield while swiftly drawing a circle with her other finger. A portal materialized beneath her feet, offering a swift escape. Ivan, however, anticipated this move. With his eyes closed, he focused his senses, detecting the spatial fluctuations behind him. Without hesitation, he redirected his magic cones, their sharp points aimed at the precise location of the portal's emergence.

The Ancient One, stepping out of the portal moments ago, was again bombarded by the relentless magic cones. Reacting instinctively, she raised her shield again to defend herself, then hastily opened another portal and dove through it.

Ivan repeated the sequence, his magical awareness pinpointing the spatial distortions as the Ancient One attempted to escape through various portals. A hail of magic cones greeted her each time, forcing her back through the portal before she could catch her breath.

Frustration mounted within the Ancient One. No matter where she opened a portal, her pursuer seemed to possess an uncanny ability to detect her arrival. This confirmed her suspicions – her opponent somehow grasped the essence of space magic. This traditional approach was proving ineffective.

With renewed determination, the Ancient One pressed her hands together, uttering the words "mirror space." Ivan's surroundings warped and folded in on themselves, a disorienting effect. However, Ivan was no stranger to space magic, having studied it extensively and even created a formidable magic mirror himself. He closed his eyes, feeling the unusual ripples in the space around him. Then, with a focused movement of his hands, he countered the spatial manipulation, forcibly unfolding the distorted space back to its original state.

The Ancient One stared, disbelief etched on her face. In her long life, she had encountered a few who could break through her mirror space – formidable beings, even gods, who resorted to brute force to shatter it. This was the first time she had witnessed such a refined approach, which seemed to understand her magic's nature.

Her gaze intensified as she scrutinized Ivan, piecing together his identity. The similarities in their magic hinted at a connection to Kamar-Taj. Perhaps a traitor had divulged their secrets? Yet, the thought of betrayal within their ranks was unsettling.