Golden Snidget, walking behind the Horned Basilisk, suddenly drew a dagger glowing with an eerie light and plunged it into the Horned Basilisk's back.
"Ah!!!"
The Horned Basilisk screamed in pain as he was suddenly attacked, and almost instantly, a terrifying surge of magical power erupted from his body.
With lightning-fast reflexes, he formed several layers of protective shields around himself.
Thunderbird, opposite the Horned Basilisk, didn't hesitate when he saw the Snidget succeed.
He quickly pulled out his wand with a flick of his wrist, and a long blade made of blue Fiendfyre instantly appeared, slashing fiercely at the Horned Basilisk.
The fiery blue blade struck the Horned Basilisk's newly formed shield, breaking through the outermost layer in the blink of an eye.
Meanwhile, the Golden Snidget behind the Horned Basilisk wasn't sitting idle.
After stabbing the knife into his back, he flicked out his wand and focused his magic to create a translucent spear, which he drove hard into the Horned Basilisk's back, piercing another layer of his shield.
"Why, Denis? Why did you betray me?" the Horned Basilisk's voice was filled with disbelief, not so much because Thunderbird attacked, but because of the Snidget's backstab.
"You talk too much, father!" Snidget growled through gritted teeth, tightening his grip on the spear and pressing harder.
The last two shields around the Horned Basilisk began to falter.
With a painful cough, the Horned Basilisk spat blood, clearly hurt by the twin attack, but he refused to give up.
He summoned a burst of powerful magic that pushed both attackers back.
Seizing the moment, the Horned Basilisk twisted his body like a rubber band and leapt into the air, transforming into a long snake as he darted toward a nearby exit.
Seeing the Horned Basilisk try to escape, Thunderbird swung a wave of Fiendfyre, aiming to block his path.
But the snake's special form allowed him to move incredibly fast, twisting to avoid the flames and slipping through the gap.
"Come on!" the Golden Snidget shouted, raising his hand to cast an Anti-Apparition Curse.
At the same time, Thunderbird rushed forward, dragging Yan Ren along with him.
"You idiot! Why didn't you just use the Killing Curse to sneak attack? How much good is a broken knife going to do against him?" Thunderbird, who had been tailing the Horned Basilisk closely, couldn't help but grumble to the Golden Snidget flying beside him.
"I think you're an idiot," the Golden Snidget cursed under his breath. "With the Horned Basilisk's sharp senses, can't you detect when I'm channeling magic? The Killing Curse is full of deadly intent, but to us, it's no different from a prank. Besides, my knife is coated with 'rotten tissue', as long as he doesn't get a chance to rest, he'll rot and die in no time!"
"I hope you're right. If he gets away, we'll have nothing to show for this," Thunderbird said anxiously.
Seeing the Horned Basilisk darting around the corridor ahead, he shouted excitedly at the Snidget before spurring his horse forward.
As they chased after the snake, Thunderbird occasionally hurled bursts of fiery flames, but the Horned Basilisk didn't even glance back.
Relying on his instincts, he dodged the attacks with ease, proving the Golden Snidget's words true.
Still, the Horned Basilisk was clearly affected by the short knife lodged in his back.
His pace slowed noticeably, and soon he found himself cornered by Thunderbird and the Snidget in a narrow hallway.
"Why are you doing this to me? Aren't you afraid that the elixir's formula will die with me? You'll regret killing me soon enough!" the Horned Basilisk gasped, panting heavily against the stone wall.
"Cut the bluffing," the Golden Snidget said, catching his breath and sneering. "I've been following you for years, I'm not wasting my time. I've already noticed your memory fading over time. You're usually so careful, but do you really think you've just been memorizing the formula in your head? You've got the recipe backed up somewhere, haven't you? In the basement of this manor, right?"
The Horned Basilisk's eyes widened in panic.
"How do you know that?" he stammered. "Don't kill me! At worst, I'll share the recipe with you, and then we can all just go our separate ways."
"Don't you guys understand how I was raised all those years?" Thunderbird shouted.
"Your nurturing love? I've already reported it to the Saints' Association!" someone called back excitedly.
Hearing that there really was a formula, Thunderbird stepped forward with renewed energy.
He raised his blue hell blade and slashed fiercely.
The Horned Basilisk, struggling to keep his balance and looking desperate, flicked his wand sharply.
"Serpens Occulta!" he shouted, casting a powerful spell.
From the tip of his wand, two intertwined turquoise energy snakes erupted, swirling toward the blue blade.
They seemed almost alive as they wrapped around the Fiendfyre knife.
At that moment, another sudden change happened.
"Avada Kedavra!"
Snidget, who had been hiding behind Thunderbird, took advantage of the magical standoff.
But instead of targeting the Horned Basilisk, he aimed straight at Thunderbird.
The deadly green curse struck Thunderbird's lower back with a sickening force.
Thunderbird let out a painful scream and his body instantly went limp.
Meanwhile, the Horned Basilisk didn't seem badly hurt.
He gave his wand a slight shake, sending Thunderbird flying backward.
"Why...?" Thunderbird, though struck down by a powerful Avada Kedavra curse, hadn't completely died thanks to his strong life force.
He lay on the ground, unable to raise himself or even grasp his missing wand, barely managing to lift his head and look at the two figures standing before him.
"I'm sorry, my child... I never wanted to be so cruel to you. Your offer was truly moving, but following you to America and facing black dragon, who hold complete control there, is just too dangerous for me," the Golden Snidget, who had just ambushed Thunderbird, said with a tone of regret as he shook his head.
Moving over to the Horned Basilisk, he pulled a dagger from the opponent's back.
The Horned Basilisk winced, showing that his previous injury had been real.
"Child?!" Thunderbird stared at both of them in disbelief. "Who... who are you?"
Golden Snidget and the Horned Basilisk turned to face him and slowly removed their masks in unison.
Each took a turn to speak, their words revealing a shocking truth.
"Who else could I be?" the Golden Snidget said.
"I'm the father you've always hated..." the Horned Basilisk added.
"And at the same time, I'm the club's leader, the Horned Basilisk, and the master of potion formulas..." the Golden Snidget continued.
"I was once your brother, and now I am the Golden Snidget of the club..." the Horned Basilisk clarified further.