"This entrance method is quite unexpected."
Sean had originally thought Barty Crouch Jr. would use the method from his memory—turning the Triwizard Cup into a Portkey to deliver him to Voldemort. Then he could use Magic Mark on himself, letting Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix arrive to give Voldemort a nasty surprise.
But these bastards were even more brazen than he imagined, directly breaking into the Triwizard Tournament competition grounds.
By now, Sean had roughly figured out where Barty Crouch Jr. had been hiding. Actually, Sean had overlooked this. Seeing Barty Crouch Sr. still alive, he thought his appearance had changed some things, that Barty Crouch's fate had improved due to his alterations to history.
However, Barty Crouch Sr.'s fate had indeed changed—just not for the better. He died even earlier at his son's hands, becoming a disguised identity for his namesake son, Barty Crouch Jr. From the beginning, the Barty Crouch who came to Hogwarts had always been Barty Crouch Jr., which was why he didn't seem as abnormal as in the original history.
Because Barty Crouch was compromised, so many preparations could be made so naturally.
One move behind.
If this Barty Crouch Jr. didn't die, Voldemort would become far more difficult to deal with.
Whoosh Whoosh Whoosh...
Streams of black smoke fell from mid-air, transforming into Death Eaters wearing cloaks, pointed hats, and skull masks.
When over twenty Death Eaters appeared throughout the ruined town, the serpent on the Dark Mark in the sky suddenly flew from the skull's mouth, rapidly descending to the ground not far before Sean. Unlike Sean's memory of a snake-featured, bald, noseless Voldemort with greyish-white skin, this Voldemort emerged from the serpent's black smoke wearing loose robes, holding a wand, and looking at Sean with a mocking smile.
"Ahahahaha..." Voldemort let out hoarse laughter, looking at Sean. "Sean Bulstrode, my other half, we meet again."
Sean had thought many times before about what it would be like to meet Voldemort. Excitement? Fear? Elation? Or some other emotion?
But when Sean truly met Voldemort at this moment, he felt abnormally calm.
Looking at Voldemort, Sean's lips curved into a mocking smile. Deliberately straining his voice to sound nearly identical to Voldemort's, he said, "Heh... heh... heh..." You say I'm your other half? Tom, we're all split souls—what makes you think you're the main body? I'd say you're my other half! As for these foolish creatures, do you really think this pathetic, snake-like creature is me? Would such a lowly thing be the great Slytherin's heir, the world's greatest wizard—Voldemort?"
"You dare challenge me! Sean Bulstrode!" Voldemort stepped forward, his face twisted with rage, eyes bloodshot with fury. But soon he suppressed his anger, sneering viciously. "Yes, yes, you want to enrage me, make me duel you, right? Very well, I'll give you this chance, because I am Voldemort! The world's greatest wizard. And you are just my other half, something that should have become a mere stepping stone for my power. Do you think these servants of mine can't recognize their master? No, they certainly can, because in this world, the greatest and strongest wizard is Voldemort! And I am that most powerful wizard!"
At these words, the surrounding Death Eaters immediately burst into laughter.
As their laughter gradually faded, Sean looked at Voldemort and spoke again.
"The strongest? Not necessarily, Tom!"
"Don't call me that name!" Voldemort roared, then suddenly calmed down again. He looked at Sean, chuckling. "I know your plan, Sean Bulstrode. You want to enrage me, don't you? Then as you wish. Now, raise your wand. Let us duel. Under the witness of my servants, the victor takes all, the loser loses everything. Of course, there will only be one victor here—me!"
Looking at this somewhat unstable Voldemort—alternating between madness and cold cruelty—Sean raised his wand, bowed to Voldemort, and then neither spoke another word. After the bow, both raised their wands towards each other.
"Avada Kedavra!"
"Expelliarmus!"
Boom!
The green light from Voldemort's wand and the red light from Sean's wand collided.
Both wielded powerful magic, making their spells incredibly forceful. The resulting red-green intertwined electrical currents shot indiscriminately in all directions, leaving numerous craters on the ground and buildings, forcing two Death Eaters standing too close to Sean and Voldemort to quickly retreat to avoid being caught in the crossfire.
Initially, the surrounding Death Eaters mocked Sean, waiting for Voldemort to kill him directly.
But as the spells clashed, Sean showed no signs of falling behind. Gradually, these Death Eaters lost their earlier composure.
Why hasn't the Master subdued this boy? Why does a mere fourth-year Hogwarts student have such powerful strength? Could it really be as he said—that he might also be the Master? Impossible. But what if... what if both of them are the Master?
Both Sean and Voldemort had Level 5 Legilimency. Though Voldemort's might be slightly more advanced, it was still Level 5, not reaching the peak Level 5MAX.
So as they dueled magically, both sensed the wavering and distrust in those Death Eaters' hearts.
Voldemort's expression became twisted and grim again, whilst Sean's mouth curved up as he activated the venom-spitting skill inherited from the Slytherin Serpent King.
"Ha, you say you're Voldemort? But they seem to be questioning that. Are you sure they're still as loyal to you as ever, Tom?"
Hearing Sean's words, the twisted, ferocious anger on Voldemort's face suddenly vanished. He became eerily calm, looking at Sean with cold indifference as an aura that made Sean's heart palpitate slowly spread.
At this moment, he seemed to tell Sean, "This—this was the true Voldemort."