Hogwarts: Oh no, I've become Voldemort!

Although Grindelwald was also a dangerous individual, he was completely different from a madman like Voldemort. If Dumbledore truly felt the situation was beyond repair, Cyrus wasn't sure he would seek Grindelwald's help.

Even if I team up with Voldemort, I won't have any advantage.

Grindelwald is a wizard no less skilled than Dumbledore; the two are practically on the same level, with no significant differences. Furthermore, Dumbledore has the Elder Wand and the Order of the Phoenix, willing to sacrifice their lives for a noble cause, while Grindelwald has a loyalist faction of wizards.

These are things that those good-for-nothing Death Eaters cannot compare to.

In short, Cyrus did not think highly of teaming up with Voldemort.

Moreover, he and Voldemort were not on the same side.

He didn't care whether Voldemort lived or died, and there was absolutely no need for him to fight against Dumbledore.

What good would it do him to fight against the greatest wizard of the century?

Cyrus only wants to obtain ancient magic and become stronger.

“Come here, come closer. We are one, closer than brothers.” Voldemort was still beckoning him. “We were born to wield power; we can become the Dark Lord, bringing fear!”

“I have no interest in instilling fear in others. Besides—” Cyrus shook his head, looking at Voldemort with disdain.

"Only losers are called Dark Lords!"

Today's two-in-one

Also, thank you to the cat who's taking a nap for the 1176 points! Thank you, boss!

Chapter 138 Battle in the Fire

"I don't associate with losers."

"You dare call me a loser?" Voldemort's voice was sharp, like a pitiful man crying out after being stabbed in a sore spot. But he quickly calmed down. "I haven't lost. Don't just look at temporary success or failure. Whoever lives longer is the victor."

“I can guarantee that Dumbledore will die before me. And I—will personally deliver death to him.”

He was brimming with confidence, and this wasn't just empty talk.

At his peak, Voldemort was actually still somewhat inferior to Dumbledore, who possessed the Elder Wand; otherwise, he wouldn't have been so afraid of him. Conversely, even with the invincible Elder Wand, Dumbledore couldn't completely defeat him.

For Voldemort, who possessed Horcruxes, the power he had at that time was not necessarily his end. On the path of magic, he could still go further.

It's said that youth has the upper hand in combat, and the same applies to wizards. If a wizard gets as old as Nicolas Flamel, even with immense magical power, he's just a paper tiger. He poses absolutely no threat in battles of equal strength.

However, Cyrus has no intention of joining forces with them.

No matter how powerful Voldemort was, it was still just aggressive and violent power; everything about him was visible. Not to mention, he himself had inherited Voldemort's talent, and even surpassed it. Now possessing the foundation to learn ancient magic, he believed his future would be no less than Voldemort's.

But Dumbledore was different. Besides his strength, what was even more terrifying was his unparalleled wisdom. Cyrus didn't want to be completely outmaneuvered by him, lest he die without even knowing how.

Seeing that Cyrus remained silent for a long time, Voldemort understood what he meant.

He became cold-hearted.

"It seems our conversation is going to end badly."

"It's obvious."

"I never imagined that I was such a coward back in my school days, too afraid to face Dumbledore? Was I scared out of my wits by him?" Voldemort sneered, his snake-like eyes fixed on Cyrus, who bore the face of his younger self.

Cyrus felt numb all over as those eyes stared at him, as if a slight electric current was flowing through his body.

He sensed danger.

"Since you are unwilling, why not hand over the secrets of ancient magic to me?"

Voldemort took a step forward in the fire, his powerful aura causing the flames to bend like rice paddies or wheat fields swept by a raging wind.

He finally dropped his disguise, revealing his greedy nature. His face was still human, but he looked more like a python about to devour its prey whole.

“Give it to me, Cyrus! Don’t test my patience!” he roared in a low voice.

“Ancient magic is right before your eyes, but you can’t see it,” Cyrus whispered. “It’s like a Muggle who can’t see magical power.”

His words provoked Voldemort.

Voldemort himself was deeply troubled by the lowly Muggle blood that was part of him.

That bloodline made him feel ashamed; it was his eternal stain and his most secretive feature.

Now Cyrus was directly comparing him to a Muggle, which annoyed him.

He stared at Cyrus, wondering if he shouldn't have incorporated so many memories when creating the first Horcrux, or given it too much capacity for thought. Had this resulted in a personality that dared to defy him?

Something that is not under your control is ultimately a threat.

He finally made up his mind.

Voldemort originally did not intend to fight Cyrus, because he did not know whether Cyrus would still be considered a Horcrux after his resurrection, and he did not want to destroy his own Horcrux with his own hands.

But now he's figured it out.

Magic is power!

Voldemort's thoughts drifted back to that night twelve years ago, before Halloween, to the ancient magic that had defeated him!

With that power, killing Dumbledore would be a piece of cake, and losing one or two Horcruxes wouldn't matter. He still had so many Horcruxes; losing even one wouldn't be a big deal.

Moreover, this person knows too many of my secrets. If he is unwilling to stand on my side, then he should be made to disappear forever!

The eerie blue flames continued to burn, their reflection on the water-like surface resembling blooming fields.

Cyrus dared not take his eyes off Voldemort.

He hadn't intended to provoke the other party, but then he thought, "Do I have to be so timid and hesitant when facing Voldemort who hasn't been resurrected yet?"

A weakened Voldemort would certainly be a problem for him, but not a threat.

What broke the tension was a bright incantation!

Voldemort launched his attack without warning, giving Cyrus no time to react. He was far less composed when facing an enemy who could pose a threat than he was in his duel with Harry in the original story.

The spell was very powerful; the light it emitted was extraordinary. Even before the spell exploded, it caused the ground beneath their feet, which was like a body of water, to ripple violently.

The flames were bent under the pressure!

He wanted to catch Cyrus off guard, but he underestimated Cyrus.

The light was reflected in Cyrus's golden pupils.

Voldemort's every move appeared to him as a slowed-down silhouette. His dynamic vision was exceptionally sharp; he reacted the instant Voldemort raised his wand.

While this dynamic vision doesn't increase his speed, it allows him to perceive the enemy's every move and grasp every detail of the battle.

Just like now!

As the spell flew towards him, the flames in front of Cyrus suddenly surged!

Flames soar high!

The flames spontaneously formed a wall, blocking Cyrus's path, and the powerful spell created a vacuum in the fire shield. The shattered sparks dissipated before Cyrus's eyes like countless pale blue butterflies.

This is Voldemort's power; a mere spell possesses such immense force.

However, the flames quickly spread back and surrounded Cyrus, like a blue flower with its petals closed to protect the stamen in the center.

Voldemort sounded the battle horn, and Cyrus, naturally, had no intention of yielding. He raised his wand high, and under his control, blue flames surged up to the dome. Within the flames, a fire dragon with demonic horns charged toward Voldemort.

However, his attack had little effect.

Voldemort used fire to fight fire, and Fiery War Abyss, even more ferocious than Fire Shield, transformed into a giant serpent and clashed with the fire dragon.

The fiery monsters tore and bit with their sharp teeth and fought by grappling with their bodies.

Meanwhile, the real old fire dragon in the secret vault was trembling and cowering in a corner, not daring to move an inch.

The duel between the two intensified, with all sorts of spells flying everywhere. This battle was enough to prove just how powerful Voldemort was. To be precise, the magical power within Cyrus at this moment definitely surpassed that of Voldemort before his resurrection.

The opponent was only controlling the body of an ordinary dark wizard, but even so, he was able to fight Cyrus to a standstill with his superior magical knowledge.

The knowledge Voldemort gained during his years of travel after graduating from Hogwarts was immeasurable. Anyone who truly considers him a fool who only knows how to eat melons is the real idiot!

The spells he casually unleashed possessed immense power.

Many of those dark spells were ones that Cyrus had never seen before, but their terror far surpassed that of the Death Curse.

The Unforgivable Curse is famous not because of its immense power, but because it has no counter-curse. In fact, many dark curses are far more powerful than the Killing Curse.

Cyrus's combat experience was far less than that of the uphill demons, but fortunately, the fire shield was both a powerful spear and a sturdy shield. Most spells could not penetrate the fire shield's defense. Cyrus felt like an artilleryman bombarding from inside a fortress, not needing to worry too much about dodging, but only needing to unleash his full power.

Of course, Voldemort wasn't stupid; he quickly realized that the flames Cyrus unleashed were not ordinary protective magic.

"You think I can't do anything to you like this?" He laughed coldly, his wand twirling slightly as he used an Ironclad Charm to block one of Cyrus's spells. Then, his body jolted, and he unleashed a spell like lightning!

Do not!

Not just one!

The foremost curse resembled a black sun that had flown away, shattering the flames.

Voldemort's snake eyes reflected Cyrus standing in the flames within the vacuum.

He revealed a cruel smile, and before the flames could regroup, several more spells suddenly sprang forth from the shadow of the previous spell! Those dark green spells attacked Cyrus like shadows.

They passed through the fire shield and were only a hair's breadth away from Cyrus.

Voldemort saw Cyrus's astonished expression through the gaps in the flames that were beginning to coalesce.