Sectumsempra...
Behind his mask, Lucius Malfoy's expression turned grave. He had once asked Snape about this curse and wanted to learn it from him, but Snape refused. Yet here was Sean, wielding this very magic, making Lucius realize that Snape valued Sean far more than he thought.
Did he truly treat him as his own disciple, Severus? Then how will you answer to the Dark Lord?
According to the Dark Lord's personality, only one of them could survive—Snape or Sean Bulstrode. Which would Snape choose?
Though Lucius had done many despicable and ruthless things, his relationship with Snape was genuinely good. They were truly close friends who could forgive each other almost anything.
So when he saw Sean cast Sectumsempra, Lucius subconsciously held back—this was how he could honor his friendship with Snape. Even though Lucius himself greatly detested Sean.
Just as Lucius was holding back, that voice that terrified them all rang out again.
"Useless fools. Can't even catch a fourth-year student, and some of you are dead!"
Voldemort descended from the sky. He had already broken free from the petrification without any lingering effects. Now he was once again ready to act and completely eliminate Sean.
"Sean Bulstrode, I advise you to surrender. That way I can be merciful and give you a quick death, considering you're my other half."
"You're dreaming, Tom!"
"Since you're so ungrateful, I'll have to make you suffer."
Forcefully waving his wand, the fire already burning behind suddenly shot skyward, transforming into countless flame chains that descended overwhelmingly toward Sean, sealing all the space around him.
Cold air surrounded Sean. Layer after layer of ice walls rose from the ground, and huge frost palms extended toward the sky, grabbing the massive net formed by countless flame chains and slowly tearing them apart.
Sean moved, black smoke swirling around him as he shot upward.
But Voldemort also flew up, rushing at Sean while raising his wand high to shoot another Killing Curse.
"Avada Kedavra!"
The sickly green light streaked across the sky, aimed directly at Sean.
Sean immediately turned, extending the red light in midair.
"Expelliarmus!"
One red, one green—the two lights collided again.
But Sean's current condition was far worse than before. He couldn't withstand Voldemort's offensive and was instead suppressed by Voldemort's Killing Curse, falling from mid-air.
Boom!
Sean crashed to the ground, half-kneeling with black smoke dispersed around him, barely holding up his wand to resist Voldemort's descending Killing Curse.
Voldemort hovered in mid-air, maintaining the Killing Curse while saying to Sean, "I must admit, your strength is quite impressive. I know what those soul fragments are capable of, and that you could achieve today's strength is not without your own efforts. Unfortunately, you were born as my other half—destined to return to me, and everything about you will completely belong to me!"
"Belong to you? You're not worthy!"
Sean let out hoarse laughter. His knee that had been kneeling slowly lifted as he stood back up. Sean extended his left hand, gripping his right hand, which was gradually showing black patterns from the Killing Curse's effects, going all out to reinforce his spell again.
Sean's Disarming Charm suddenly gained increased power, pushing the Killing Curse that had nearly descended back a great distance.
Voldemort's expression became extremely ugly. He gritted his teeth hard, roaring as the Killing Curse's power increased again. But he clearly underestimated Sean's tenacity. Despite his Killing Curse's repeatedly increasing power, it couldn't completely crush Sean.
"I'd like to see how long you can persist!"
Just as Voldemort prepared to go all out, two spells arrived instantly, attacking Voldemort.
Though these two spells couldn't harm Voldemort at all, they still made him slightly distracted. In that instant of distraction, Sean successfully seized the opportunity, forcefully swinging his wand so his Disarming Charm's red light twisted around the Killing Curse's green light, flying in another direction and exploding a huge crater in the ground.
Sean quickly retreated. Feeling the Anti-Apparition Jinx's effect lift from his body, he immediately Apparated and disappeared from the spot, escaping Voldemort's attack range.
Seeing Sean's departure, Voldemort became greatly enraged. That volatile and angry version of him reappeared, his face extremely twisted and ferocious as he looked at the surrounding Death Eaters. He waved his wand twice consecutively, casting two Killing Curses that killed two Death Eaters under his command directly, then roared furiously, "To let someone interfere with my duel—you useless wastes deserve death!"
With an angry roar, Voldemort immediately turned to look toward where those two spells came from. His wand waved continuously as massive yellow flames shot toward buildings in that direction, immediately causing violent explosions that completely destroyed several buildings in that area.
Just then, two figures rushed from those exploding buildings, both preparing to Apparate away.
But Voldemort clearly had preparations. He merely pointed his wand at those two people. Fleur and Krum, who had been preparing to Apparate away, immediately fell from their Apparition state and crashed to the ground with muffled grunts.
Two nearby Death Eaters immediately rushed toward them. Just as they prepared to eliminate them, a huge serpent tail suddenly emerged from underground, whipping at those two Death Eaters. One reacted quickly enough and immediately Apparated to escape, but the other didn't have such good luck or reaction speed—he was whipped into a spray of blood and flesh that bloomed in mid-air.
Seeing this, Voldemort waved his wand again, casting a Killing Curse directly at that serpent tail.
Sean had no other options. He swung his tail at the incoming green light of the Killing Curse. The Killing Curse's green light struck Sean's tail, immediately shattering scales and rotting flesh. In the blink of an eye, the tail became bloody and mangled, making Sean roar in pain.