Having completely exhausted his reserves of dark magic, Rey's normal magical power slowly began to recover.
He shook his head vigorously, trying to force himself into alertness.
Terence Barrow's kicks hadn't been gentle, but the sharp pain served to jolt Rey's spirit awake, clearing his muddled mind. This sudden clarity allowed him to piece together the key to the mystery.
"There's only one summoning circle, isn't there?"
Rey pushed himself up with both hands, taking a deep breath. He rubbed the spot on his waist where he'd been kicked and slowly stood up.
He moved slowly, but the weak struggle that had plagued him earlier was gone.
Terence's kicks were painful, sure, but to Rey, it was just pain—nothing internal was damaged.
Since receiving the Dragon God's acknowledgment in the Hogwarts vault, Rey's body had become far more resilient than an average wizard's. After all, he was now technically part dragon.
A true dragon possessed physical reflexes, inherent strength, and magical resistance far superior to a normal human. Under normal circumstances, Rey should have been able to block Terence's attack easily.
"And the Veritaserum... that wasn't real either, was it?"
Standing tall now, Rey faced Terence Barrow and calmly asked two questions in succession.
By now, Rey had unraveled every suspicion he'd held about Terence Barrow.
It was Terence who suddenly supported Rey as captain. It was Terence who used Veritaserum to interrogate the prisoner. And it was Terence who eagerly assigned the team roles.
He had manipulated all three pivotal moments. If he was the one pulling the strings, creating a "problem" was all too easy. Connecting the dots, it was clear: Terence was behind everything.
There was only one summoning circle. The other two locations were just decoys to send Andre Rosier away. Terence had followed Rey, waiting for the perfect moment to force a duel. That was his endgame.
"No, the Veritaserum was real. I just... tweaked the interrogation a bit," Terence replied with a cold sneer, the corner of his mouth twitching upward.
"You want a duel? Fine. I'll duel you. Let Helena go." Rey nodded, agreeing to the fight, but demanding Helena's release first.
However, the Terence standing before him was no longer the Terence Rey once knew.
The old Terence, though stubborn, would never have stooped to such underhanded tactics to force a duel. That Terence believed in fairness and held onto his aristocratic pride.
This Terence was a dark schemer, a conspirator rotting from the inside out. That cunning, sinister smile proved it.
It seemed the Peverell gravekeeper in Godric's Hollow was right. Morgana le Fay's magic was corrupting Terence, twisting his personality and actions without him even realizing it.
---
"I naturally won't hurt Helena. But before that... hehe..."
Seeing Rey stand up, Terence let out a cold laugh and performed a mocking bow—a formal dueling courtesy.
Rey remained unmoved. This so-called dueling etiquette was pure hypocrisy. In such an asymmetric slaughter, talking about manners was bullshit.
If two duelists were truly like the legendary swordsmen Ximen Chuixue and Ye Gucheng, fighting purely to test their skills, then the bow would be genuine respect. This was just theater.
While Terence bowed, the thin wizard pressed his wand into Helena's chin.
It was a hostage situation. Rey knew exactly what was being threatened.
" Crucio! "
Formalities done, Terence assumed his stance and fired the curse at Rey immediately.
Rey didn't fight back. With Helena in the thin wizard's grip, he didn't dare.
The Cruciatus Curse was one of the three Unforgivable Curses.
As the spell hit, Rey felt a sudden chill, followed by a violent constriction in his chest. It felt as if an invisible giant hand had reached inside and was crushing his beating heart.
In that instant, Rey's mouth gaped open in a silent scream. The sudden, intense pain made it impossible to breathe.
The agony forced him to curl up, clutching his chest with both hands, gasping desperately for air.
This wasn't a duel; it was one-sided torture. Who starts a duel with the Cruciatus Curse? Usually, it's Avada Kedavra to end it quickly.
"What's wrong? Since when are your reflexes so slow?"
Terence Barrow controlled the hunched Rey with his wand. The output of his magic determined the intensity of Rey's pain. If he wanted to, he could make Rey feel like his heart was being crushed into dust instantly.
"Stop! Stop it! Terence, Rey is a student of Ravenclaw! My mother won't forgive you!"
Helena screamed frantically. Disregarding everything, she tried to rush forward, feeling Rey's pain as if it were her own.
The thin wizard flicked his wand downward. Helena, having only taken two steps, was hit with a Leg-Locker Curse. Her center of gravity failed, and she crashed face-first onto the ground. Bloody water splashed up, staining her clothes and face.
Terence turned around, seeing Helena fall. He shot a vicious glare at the thin wizard. clearly displeased with the rough way he had stopped her.
Leaving the thin wizard for later, Terence kept his wand trained on Rey but walked over to crouch in front of Helena.
"Your mother has already agreed to let you marry me. So, you are my fiancée. Do you understand?"
Terence's eyes showed concern, but he didn't help her up. Instead, he looked at her fervently, stating this fact as if hoping she would simply accept it.
"No! Who I marry is my decision! Not even my mother can interfere!"
Helena raised her head, staring defiantly at this stranger wearing Terence's face.
Terence held his wand on Rey with his right hand, while his left hand reached out to caress Helena's cheek, trying to wipe away the blood.
Though her legs were bound, her arms were free. Helena slapped his left hand away and simultaneously lunged for the wand in his right hand.
But Terence was alert. He immediately stood up and stepped back, causing Helena to grab at empty air.
"I knew it. I knew it. Your heart is always filled with this coward."
"Did you know? This coward once promised me he would never compete with me for you. But look at him now. Has he kept his word?"
Helena's rejection seemed to sting Terence again. He stood up and walked closer to Rey, shouting to make sure Helena saw Rey's "true colors." In his mind, he was the victim. He was the one who had been deceived.
As his anger flared, so did his magical output. The intensified pain forced the hunched Rey to collapse onto the floor, curling into a ball.
---
Rey gritted his teeth. The pain was numbing his face, and his eyes were bloodshot, but his mind remained clear.
"I did promise you. I broke my word. If you have a problem, take it out on me. Let Helena go."
Trying to keep his voice steady, Rey struggled to stand up again.
"Hehe!"
Terence sneered. Walking up to Rey, he slapped the wand out of Rey's hand.
His right hand kept the wand trained on Rey, while his left hand grabbed Rey by the collar, hauling him upright. "I will let Helena go, naturally. But only after you are dead."
As he spoke, Terence gave his wand a sharp twitch. Rey could no longer suppress the agony in his heart and let out a guttural roar.
It seemed Terence Barrow had finally decided to kill him.
"Ah... No! Don't! I beg you, don't..."
Helena crawled through the bloody water, her voice breaking into sobs.
"Don't worry, Helena, my fiancée. After I kill this coward, I will use Obliviate to wipe away all these bad memories. You will only remember me. And you will only marry me."
Terence looked back at Helena with a gentle expression, but as he finished his sentence, his tone turned tyrannical.