A giant sword?!
I can't be seeing this right?!
Facing Arthur, massive as a mountain bearing down on them, the dark wizards instinctively stumbled backward several steps.
Shock flickered through their cold, predatory eyes.
Doram, the lead dark wizard, swept his wary gaze across the surroundings, his wand rising slightly in his grip.
Such an archaic and direct fighting style—they'd only seen it in history books. But they weren't fools.
At this close range, facing a heavy weapon's sudden assault, anyone would be thrown into chaos.
Yes, just chaos...
The dark wizard Arthur had sent flying was already staggering to his feet, venom and fury warring in his eyes.
The flash of steel from seconds ago still echoed in his mind. The thunderous whoosh of the blade cutting air made his heart race, but more importantly...
"Pfft..."
"Ahahahaha!"
"Merlin's rotten wand! Joseph, McLaughlin, look what I'm seeing!"
"Don't say it—I can see it!"
"Good God!"
"Did that little brat hire Muggles to help him?"
"I can't take it—he's going to kill me laughing. He actually did it! He pulled it off! Haha!"
Chaotic, mocking laughter erupted around them, dripping with contempt and disgust for Muggles. Contact with Muggles was the ultimate shame.
"This isn't where you belong..."
"Go home, Muggle."
Beneath his gray-black cloak, fingers twitched, signaling his subordinates to increase distance while Doram tried to convince this unpredictable element to leave.
No one in this world was truly a fool—only mediocrities blinded by money and power.
He understood this perfectly.
Seeing Arthur's brazen confidence, his internal alarm had reached maximum alert.
"Come on then, scum..."
"Show me what you've got."
Arthur's voice carried a note of anticipation.
Beneath his perfectly groomed mustache, a mocking smile played across his lips, constantly needling the dark wizards' sensitive nerves...
"Expelliarmus!"
Red light flashed and died.
The giant sword didn't budge in his grip.
Arthur paused slightly, looking toward the dark wizard who'd cast the spell—the one he'd sent flying.
"Put some effort into it, you worthless cur..."
"You won't get many more chances."
The massive blade crashed to the ground as he stopped completely.
The Shelby family members still needed time to arrive through the Floo Network. He didn't mind playing for another two minutes...
The dark wizard stared at him blankly, his face gradually flushing red, knuckles white where they gripped his wand.
"Confringo!"
"Diffindo!"
Light blazed rapidly from his wand tip.
However, ripples flowed across the space before Arthur—clearly the work of protective charms.
"Crucio!"
With a hysterical shriek, the ripples wavered for a moment before settling back to calm.
Arthur still hadn't dodged, the mockery in his beard only growing thicker.
"A protective charm that can block Unforgivables?!"
"Damn it! Didn't they say the Nott family was broke?"
"That little brat really went all out."
At this, every dark wizard present—including the shop owners watching from inside their stores—couldn't help but gasp in amazement.
Shrewd, greedy eyes constantly appraised this mysterious ally the Nott family had hired.
Four spells.
Even calculating with the cheapest protective charms on the market, that was a solid two thousand Galleons.
Not to mention that final charm capable of stopping an Unforgivable—practically priceless...
Borgin winced, his face twitching with pain.
"He... he just..."
"Burned through them?!"
"Yes, like they cost nothing at all..."
Raven Borgin's lips curved slightly, his long chuckle heavy with meaning and regret.
This was the Shelby family—that clan from a thousand years ago that even the Wizengamot had feared. Cheap enchanted products capable of overturning the entire wizarding world...
"Your chance is gone..."
Arthur dusted off nonexistent dirt from his chest, reversed his grip on the massive sword, and walked toward the panicking dark wizard.
Beneath his gray waistcoat, polished shell protective charms wove together like interlocking scales.
Among them were Uncle Martin's latest protective charm research, specifically designed against Unforgivables.
Many soul-targeting dark magics couldn't be blocked by ordinary Shield Charms, while multiple Shield Charms were simply too wasteful.
If facing someone with powerful magic, a single Killing Curse could pierce through all Shield Charm protections.
So in critical moments, a single Shield Charm's protection was often less effective than hiding behind a simple wooden board or stone.
Given this, Uncle Martin had taken a different approach.
Using the family's third bloodline magic awakening, he'd utilized goblin forging techniques to ingeniously fuse magically compressed physical matter with protective runes, creating an unprecedented dual-protection mechanism...
"Avada Kedavra!"
"Avada Kedavra!"
"Avada—"
Footsteps grew more urgent.
Facing the approaching howl of wind, the dark wizard tried to cast Unforgivables again. But green light flickered at his wand tip without emerging, like a broken circuit sparking uselessly.
"No!"
His terrified, trembling pupils contracted sharply.
Cold steel swept upward in a devastating arc. Indescribable force exploded outward. Stone fragments scattered across the ground.
The dark wizard crumpled like fragile paper, the giant sword slicing cleanly through his torso. Blood rained down as the thick, nauseating stench of gore gradually filled the air.
The dark wizard's eyes bulged wide with shock and terror as his upper half crashed beside his feet, releasing agonized wails.
"Save me! Save me!"
"Doram, save me..."
His hysterical screams grew weaker and weaker.
Not one of the surrounding dark wizards looked his way—not even Doram, whom he'd begged for help.
Because from within the Nott family shop, Shelby family members emerged one by one from the shadows, their undeniable authority and oppressive presence washing over everyone.
Perfectly tailored three-piece suits outlined their powerful, compact frames.
Daggers, long blades, and brass knuckles gleamed coldly.
Untamed eyes flickered with pale light, like beasts emerging from night's embrace, coiled and ready to strike.
"Damn little brat..."
Doram's expression darkened. At his signal, the dark wizards behind him gradually spread out, preparing for battle.
Wary, sinister gazes constantly swept over the Shelbys as dark, obscure whispers hummed through the crowd.
"Damn God and Jesus..."
Arthur spread his arms wide, welcoming the baptism of blood. He inhaled deeply with obvious pleasure.
God knew how much he'd been holding back since the higher-ups had forbidden Shelby family expansion.
Too bad they couldn't use guns here.
Not just because Uncle Martin hadn't yet developed firearms that could automatically enchant bullets.
More importantly, gun violence would easily attract attention from the Ministry and pure-blood nobles.
Friction between pure-bloods and dark wizards would become conflict between wizards and Muggles—and the Shelby family wasn't strong enough to weather that storm yet...
"Arthur, Tiger and Theodore are still here."
"Don't corrupt the children."
Tommy walked forward from behind the group, one hand in his pocket, elegant and casual eyes drifting lazily.
"Arthur, just these?"
"Mmhmm~"
Arthur twisted his neck as he turned, shouldering his sword and catching the cigar John tossed him. He lit it casually.
Wisps of smoke curled from his mouth and nose.
"Not very many. I thought there'd be hundreds. Looks like I alone would be enough..."
"Arthur!"
Tommy gave a slightly reproachful hum.
"Alright, alright, I get it." Arthur shook his head helplessly. "Don't underestimate these sons of bitches."
"I remember. I remember very clearly."
"Then what are we waiting for..." A wild, unrestrained voice suddenly rang out from the other side.
John's figure had somehow appeared at the rear of the dark wizard formation, a black claw-blade pressed against a trembling dark wizard's throat.
"Damn it!"
The dark wizards scattered in chaos, wand tips immediately blazing green without regard for friend or foe.
"Let the hunt begin, brothers."
The claw-blade flashed cold steel. Blood sprayed.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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