Chapter 44. The Battle of Immortals
The portkey brings us to an antechamber, a narrow wooden hall with vines growing on the walls. And waiting there for us is Isabella Zabini.
"Lord Rayhmir." She drops into a low curtsy, offering me an indulgent view down the front of her dress, where the upper curves of her mesmerising brown breasts are perfectly displayed. The dress itself is something else entirely—crimson, sleeveless, and skintight, clinging to her generous chest and narrow waist before flowing down to her ankles. Wide, deliberate cutouts run along both sides, exposing bare skin from her waist down, including the thin string of her underwear. "Or would you prefer Harry?"
"Harry is fine." I return her confident smile, though mine lacks the trace of dread that hers tries to hide. Teresa stands beside me in silence, clearly unimpressed by the outfit's brazenness.
"Harry it is, then." She drapes herself around my arm, her voluptuous mounds squashed against me. "Come, allow me to guide you to the study where my master is."
"Lead the way," I say, not pulling away from her tantalising grasp, enjoying the buxom milf's antics. Not only is she warm and soft; her fragrance is pleasant as well, a unique spicy scent that makes my groin tingle.
Teresa follows a step behind, exasperated.
Isabella ushers us into a beautiful wood-panelled corridor, decorated with flowers and scenic paintings. At the end of the narrow passage is a door, and through it we reach the study. Or so I assumed.
It's not an office, I realise—it's a kitchen. Seated at the dining table is a wiry, middle-aged man. His head is full of short, fuzzy brown hair, and faint wrinkles line his face. If he were a muggle, I'd say he's in his fifties. But I know how ridiculously old he is.
I use my [See] skill, hoping he wouldn't be too strong.
Nicolas Flamel
Level: 500
Beauty Tier: B
Seduction: 0%
Points Available: 3
Kinks: ?
…
…
Shite. This is bad. I'm no fool. I know this isn't it. If he is level 500 normally, I don't even want to imagine how strong he'll be in his true form. And there is a true form; I'm sure of it.
"Pardon me, my dear. I realised it would be better to have this discussion over dinner. You do not need to take them to my study. Come now, take your seats, children; Tiffy has prepared a feast," he says with a grandfatherly smile, beckoning us.
Isabella releases my arm and saunters away to the table, her dark, creamy legs too enticing not to stare at. She sits at Flamel's side, amused, aware where my eyes were.
Whereas I'm entertained by Isabella's show, Teresa is stiff and full of rage, her face conspicuously blank. I take her hand in mine, twining our fingers, giving her a squeeze, signalling her to control herself and not draw her sword already. The tension in her body eases slightly, and she allows me to tug her towards the table.
We sit across from the Immortal Alchemist and his sexy pet.
The innocuous-looking man nods at us. "It's always a pleasure making acquaintances with prodigies. I respect what you were able to accomplish in such a short amount of time. A god already. Though I have learnt fame often comes with plenty of drawbacks. It was the reason why I pulled away from public life, faking my own death. I suppose you will learn eventually. You are only a child."
"Thank you for your advice. But it's Rayhmir who's idolised, not Harry Evans. I'm sure I'll successfully have both fame and privacy," I reply, discreetly checking the food and the drinks laid before us with magic. I doubt they're laced with poison, but it's better to check.
"Rest assured, child, they're not poisoned." He chuckles without even glancing up from the steak he's slicing. "I do not need such treacherous methods to kill. If I want you dead, you will be."
The atmosphere at the table shifts. Isabella pales. Teresa reaches for the sword strapped on her back, and I smile a joyless smile. "Is that a threat?"
Flamel blinks at me, his brow furrowed. "No, my dear. It was merely a statement. If I desired to threaten you, I would tell you how I can send the strongest wizards and witches under my pay to kill your family. You have a mother and two sisters, correct? And an estranged father. I doubt you'd care about his death. I can even force all the guilds to attack Wizarding Britain and turn it into a desolate wasteland. Now those would be threats."
Before I can fire back, he continues.
"Fortunately, we do not have to resort to cheap threats. Tell me, what will it take for you to work for me or with me? I have never seen anyone able to do true resurrection. Your Cure-All potion is no less intriguing. It would be a shame if we became enemies. To snuff out your genius before you can create more wonders."
The nerve of this man, to not even consider that I can kill him.
"I want you to set Teresa free," I demand, pushing the plates aside, keeping my elbows on the table. "I want you to apologise to her for all the misery you put her through. Do that, and we may work together."
Teresa snaps her face towards me, enraged, but my one look silences her.
I'd rather not fight Flamel now when I'm vastly weaker. There's no need to make an enemy when there can be an alliance. Not to mention, we can kill him afterwards once I surpass him. Revenge is only good when you're stronger than your adversary. And I'm hundred percent sure that level 500 is not even his true strength; I dread to think what is.
"Apologise?" Flamel raises his eyebrows, his affable tone changing. "For making her one of the strongest warriors in the world? For giving her unprecedented power? I'm afraid it's she who should apologise to me for betraying me and latching onto you. I have taken great care of her since she was a child. Yet, she always runs away. Irresponsible and ungrateful, unable to look beyond herself."
Teresa barks out a harsh laugh, leaning so far back in her chair that it teeters on its rear legs, as if trying to put as much distance between them as possible. "Ungrateful? I've been a guinea pig my whole life. The power you brag about is nothing but the side effects of your experiments. If I hadn't endured, I'd be dead, and you'd have just found another orphan to shove into your pod."
"That is indeed true," Flamel says, accepting her accusation without flinching. "You are replaceable. And that's exactly why I cannot apologise. Everything I have done has been in the name of progress, to see how much power a subject can hold before they break. None of it was ever personal. Apologising to you would be like apologising to the steak we're eating, or the chair I'm sitting on."
Teresa shakes her head, eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "So I was always just… nothing. You never saw me as a person."
"Not nothing," Flamel says softly, glancing at her with unsettling gentleness. "I saw you as I see everything else—matter. The foundation of the universe, hiding untold secrets. So versatile it can become anything. And you became a 'guinea pig', as was your purpose. I understand your resentment, child. But any apology I offer would be nothing more than an empty platitude. And I outgrew such obligations long ago."
"I understand." Teresa nods, lifting herself from the chair, her face expressionless. "There can be no concord between us. Only violence."
I stifle a sigh, standing up as well. It appears this confrontation is unavoidable. I hope the two of us can defeat a monster like him.
Across from us, Isabella has gone stone still, and Flamel regards us with a pitying look. "Do not commit this foolery. I don't want to kill you. Being my ally will be in your best interest."
In response, Teresa uses her ability and drags me and Flamel into the pocket dimension.
~xXxXx~
One moment, we're in Flamel's kitchen. Next, we're standing on an endless stretch of silver sand.
As far as the eye can see, there's nothing but dunes glittering under starlight. Starlight, because there is no moon in the sky. The purple fabric of the night sky is stained with distant stars, pinpricks that may seem small and insignificant from the ground, yet burn with enough power to illuminate the battleground.
Flamel stands some twenty paces away from us, his face aglow with intrigue rather than panic. He slowly turns, arms folded behind his back, surveying the silver landscape with quiet fascination. "A new dimension. I do not recall granting you this ability. I suppose changing your master came with some benefits."
"I don't have any masters," Teresa utters coldly, grabbing the claymore from her back, pointing her sword in his direction. She shines with ethereality, akin to the lights of the stars. There are two large majestic white wings at her back, spread wide in rage, and two smaller ones at her lower back. Her wings are angelic, but her overall shape reminds me of a beautiful butterfly. Her long, silky blonde hair sways without the wind, and her silver eyes are molten divinity.
"Now that I remember bestowing upon you." Flamel comments on her transformation, turning around to face us again. "You have yet to cross the line, child. Return to me. Stop this madness. I will forgive you."
"I want your death, not your forgiveness." Teresa's wings flap like thunderclaps and she's right there, in front of Flamel, bringing down her sword on him.
Flamel sighs and takes a single step back, the sword passing down his left, merely an inch away from his shoulder.
The ground shakes as a crevice splits open along the path of her sword, rending the earth itself. A chasm yawns wide, silver sand rushing in vain to fill it. Flamel is long gone—now standing a hundred metres away, weaving magic with sweeping gestures.
I unfurl my angelic wings as well and rush towards him behind Teresa.
She slashes her sword down at him while I shoot small blue embers of unquenchable fire.
A screen rises up in an instant around Flamel, in the shape of a transparent cylinder, caging him—protecting him.
Teresa's sword strikes explode against the barrier, wreaking havoc on the sandy floor, creating chasms upon chasms. When she stops, once she's done inflicting ruinous devastation, only a tapering rock formation is left, on which Flamel stands with his unbroken barrier. Everything around him is gone, the sand, the ground beneath; only a cylindrical section is left in the waterless pit. The jutting section of the rock formation is similar to a lighthouse in the centre of the sea, forced to suffer the powerful waves.
For all the great damage we caused, Flamel is untouched. His barrier stands strong. Even when my unquenchable fires struck the barrier and began eating it away, he snuffed them without moving a finger.
Our adversary stands strong under the protective shield of the transparent cylindrical barrier, his arms crossed behind him, wearing a patient smile.
He doesn't yell, yet his words reach us the same in the sky. "Such mighty power. It will be a shame to eliminate you two. Now, you had your fun; allow me to demonstrate my offensive abilities."
A sound similar to a ringing bell echoes.
My eyes widen when hundreds—no, thousands—of golden spears just appear out of thin air in the hollow sea, around the solitary rock formation.
Then they blur. Then they flash towards us.
It's a beautiful sight, really. They gleam under the starlight, coming at us in thousands, like a golden rain, like golden falling stars. Only in this instance, the stars are falling upwards, towards us, sharp enough to skewer our flesh.
I activate my [Ethereal Prime] skill and become intangible, letting the spears pass through me harmlessly.
[Ethereal Prime]
— Grants the user the ability to turn intangible. You are untouchable in this state, no type of attack will hurt you. But you can only unleash a single attack while being invulnerable.
Teresa doesn't have such skill, but her swordsmanship is enough. I watch in awe how she cuts through every spear that comes close enough to touch her. Such is her speed that I can only discern a silver blur rebutting the golden rain.
Remembering I have more important matters at hand, I shoot down towards the solitary rock formation, towards the barrier in which Flamel is contained.
He sees me coming but doesn't react, no doubt confident in his spells.
I effortlessly pass through the barrier in my intangible state. His eyes widen, and he attempts to destroy me with all his ancient magic. But I'm invincible until I commit one attack, and all his spells pass through me or get no hold of me.
I suck in a deep breath and yell, "FUS RO DAH!"
The force of my shout slams him into the very barrier that was protecting him. The air in his lungs leaves with a guttural impact, and he groans as he slides down into a slump. I'm surprised to see the barrier still standing. The might of my shout was contained within the barrier; it was concentrated in this small three-foot-wide barrier. It should've vaporised. Whatever, I can't waste this chance to worry about the small details. Flamel is still disoriented. He's an easy target.
"Avada Kedavra!" My hand is aimed at him as I speak the dreaded words.
The green jet of light strikes him in the chest, and he dies.
…
…
Then, his body erupts into orange flames, and he rises from ashes like a phoenix, naked and distinctly unamused.
I grunt, sensing something off. My skin ignites with agony, as if a million ants are biting me at once.
The last thing I see is his condescending face.
My body melts, flesh turning to bubbling liquid gold, as I die for the second time in my life.
~xXxXx~
Even as my death is transferred to my clone and I replace the melting body, I activate my [Ethereal Prime] and flee through the barrier, going back to the sky, to Teresa.
The assault of the golden spears is done. She hangs under the stars, glowering down at him. There is a pin-drop silence.
"That was a fascinating ability, Rayhmir. Now that I know you cannot be killed, I'll imprison you and learn every unique magic you have mastered." Flamel smiles, clothing himself in a flowy white robe, the cylindrical barrier around him flashing and becoming stronger. Not that it will stop me in this state. But there's no reason to go near him again. I have confirmed it for myself; Nicolas Flamel has the phoenix enhancement just like Teresa. I'm near sure he has the Veela enhancement as well, allowing him to sprout wings and double his strength. His true form will be unbeatable.
It's better I don't give him the chance to transform.
I glance at Teresa and nod. It's the signal to follow the strategy that is most likely to succeed.
She shrinks the pocket dimension in an instant.
It happens in a blink. The never-ending stretch of silvery dunes is now just one kilometre in length and breadth. There's no room to run or hide.
In the sky, under the starlight, with my wings wide open, I execute my strongest attack.
It will kill both Teresa and Flamel. It will kill me as well.
Focusing my glare on Nicolas Flamel, I do it.
~xXxXx~
Two winged allies flap their wings in the purple sky. One is beautiful and slender, possessing four wings—a large pair and a small one. The other is simply… powerful.
Their enemy is contained within a protective barrier over a lonely rock formation in the empty bowl of the earth. Imagine an inverted dome with a single stick rising from the centre.
Nicolas Flamel waits patiently for the attack, not eager… but curious.
He doesn't fear for his life. He is immortal. He cannot die.
Out of the two winged ones, the powerful one suddenly brims with unimaginable power. His existence becomes so dense that the very gravity bows to him. Then this dense energy is transferred into his palm, to form a ball of white fire.
Harry Evans drops this ball.
This energy-rich fireball falls faster than the normal gravity's pull. It's a streak of white light, a straight line, falling from the heavens, brighter than the stars.
Now Nicolas Flamel feels a tinge of fear. He can sense the abnormal amount of power packed in that single white ball.
Before he can revert to his true form to weather this attack, the fireball's velocity is multiplied by hundreds, yanked by the enthralled gravity.
The heavens and the earth connect for an instant, by this streak of burning white light.
Then the world shatters in a white flash.
The moment the white ball strikes earth, it explodes, releasing white fires from hell, unquenchable, unstoppable—ravenous.
A breath later, the small one-kilometre-wide world is nothing but glass.
~xXxXx~
I look at the crystal grave with morbid satisfaction.
This world is nothing but a crater—an empty glass bowl. I drop into the centre, where two small fires are still burning after the explosion.
These are mounds of ashes. One is Nicolas Flamel; the other is Teresa Clare.
Both heaps of ashes are twitching, trying to regrow, but my fire is unquenchable; it will keep devouring them. It will use their phoenix enhancement as fuel to keep burning eternally.
I dispel the flame from one mound and allow Teresa to regrow.
Before my eyes, the ash rises from the ground and forms into a beautiful blonde girl. A beautiful naked girl with mesmerising angelic wings and strange silver eyes.
She's far too happy to be bothered by her nudity.
A grim smile crosses her face as she eyes the burning mound. "You sure you can't kill him?"
I can, but I'll have to use 'Penance'.
[Penance]
— It's an arrowhead of absolute death, forged by the Reaper himself. Simply say the name of your enemy, and it will fly to do your bidding. It can kill anyone, whether they are human or a thousand-year-old, immortal, unkillable god. Note: It can be used only once.
I'd rather not use up this weapon on a downed enemy.
"Why give him death when he can burn forever?"
She nods. "What now?"
"Now—"
The burning mass of ash suddenly billows. The orange fire attempting to devour my white fire. It succeeds. The white fire suddenly sputters… and then it vanishes. And the ash forms into a nude, wiry man. Brown-haired and smug-smiled.
There's one important difference, though.
He has four wings. And his skin glows.
Nicolas Flamel
Level: 1000
Beauty Tier: SSS
Seduction: 0%
Points Available: 20
Kinks: ?
"Remember, you made me do it." He crosses his arms behind him, looking like a disappointed grandfather. "Your deaths will not be quick. Take pride that you forced me to reveal my true strength."
Since I can become intangible and invulnerable, I'll be safe. But Teresa will not.
"Nicolas Flamel," I say with an arrowhead in my open palm. With 'Penance' in my grasp.
The arrow flies and strikes true. It passes through everything Flamel conjures to protect himself. And it embeds into his heart, stealing his life, killing a god.
I watch with a heavy heart as a level 1000 god dies with shock in his eyes. I do not regret his death. I regret that I had to use a priceless boon like 'Penance'. But it's better to use it when needed than to keep it as a decoration in my Vault.
I doubt Teresa or I would have lasted against him if he went all out. Maybe I could've fled with my [Ethereal Prime] on, but Teresa would've surely died, which is unacceptable.
"You said you cannot kill him." Teresa deadpans at me, nudging Flamel's body with her toe.
"You don't know the price I paid for his death." I sit down on the glassy ground. "But your life is worth more than a mythical weapon."
Her gaze softens, and she flops at my side. "Thank you."
"So you'll finally go on a date with me?" I ask.
"Yes." She smiles.