Kyle suppressed his footsteps until they were virtually silent, holding his breath as he concentrated on tracking the movement of the Basilisk within the walls.
Soon, he followed the creature to the third floor of the castle—the very corridor where Mrs. Norris had been attacked not long ago.
Two students passed through the hallway, chatting and laughing. Immediately, the rustling friction from within the walls ceased.
Clinging upside down to the ceiling of the corridor, Kyle waited silently for them to leave. He couldn't open his mouth to warn them about the Basilisk. If the mysterious Heir of Slytherin was nearby, hearing him would mean all his efforts had gone to waste.
If they were to encounter the Basilisk head-on and die, it could only be attributed to their own poor luck for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
It wasn't that Kyle was cold-blooded. It was simply that this was the best opportunity to kill the Basilisk and capture the Heir of the Chamber of Secrets. If it meant sacrificing two people he didn't even know, Kyle would, at most, feel a small pang of regret.
After the two students walked away, Kyle waited for a long time without hearing any movement from the Basilisk. Just as he began to wonder if he had lost the trail and prepared to leave, a massive silhouette was projected onto the wall at the corner of the corridor's end.
Still clinging to the ceiling, Kyle cautiously drew The Phoenix's Vow, ensuring the blade didn't make a single sound against the scabbard.
The sound of scales scraping against the stone floor was particularly sharp in the empty corridor. The Basilisk was drawing near.
A gargantuan serpent—its body a brilliant, poisonous green that shimmered with a vivid luster, and its trunk as thick as an oak tree—emerged at the end of the hallway. No one else was visible beside it.
Whether the Heir was truly absent was hard to say; they might have been hidden by a Disillusionment Charm or similar magic. Kyle decided to wait a moment longer and spring an ambush.
Kyle remained motionless, blending perfectly into the darkness. He averted his gaze, looking elsewhere to avoid accidentally making direct eye contact with the Basilisk.
Just as the sound of friction reached the point directly beneath him, Kyle pulled a flashbang from his pocket. He tentatively shifted his vision, using his peripheral sight to check the area around the snake. Fortunately, the Basilisk wasn't looking toward the ceiling. Only then did Kyle confidently turn his head to survey the corridor.
To his disappointment, he saw no sign of the Heir, nor did he sense the presence of any living creature other than the Basilisk.
In that case...
It was time to act.
The click of the safety pin being pulled was clearly audible. The Basilisk jerked its massive head upward just as a strange cylinder fell from the air.
Bang!
An explosion of endless light erupted in the dimly lit corridor. Stimulated by the intense glare, the Basilisk immediately began to writhe frantically. Snakes have no eyelids; unable to close its eyes, this was the only way it could attempt to alleviate the pain.
Several more stun grenades detonated in the corridor. The intense light and sonic waves left the Basilisk's head ringing incessantly. A blade flickering with lightning lanced across its vision, instantly taking out one of its eyeballs.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
"Wind Release: Pressure Damage!"
A monstrous wave of fire instantly filled the entire corridor. A Flying Raijin Kunai cut through the flames, thudding deep into the Basilisk's hide. Attached to the handle of the kunai was a sizzling explosive tag.
"Ninja Art: Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags!"
A violent explosion rocked the corridor. The stone walls of the castle shattered into debris amidst the thunderous roar. Through the jagged breach, the starlit night sky was visible.
The Basilisk's massive form forced its way out of the center of the explosion, charging toward Kyle with its terrifying, bloody maw wide open. It no longer looked as pristine as it had moments ago. The power of hundreds of explosive tags had blasted a massive hole in its side, nearly snapping it in half.
If Kyle's Flying Raijin dagger had hit its head, the creature might have been clinging to life by a thread. A deep sword wound ran across one of its eyes, gushing black blood in a steady stream.
The Basilisk's vitality was not to be underestimated. Even with such severe injuries, it was still capable of launching such a fierce assault.
Facing the Basilisk, Kyle kept his eyes tightly shut as a surge of dark magical energy erupted around him.
"Amaterasu: Sword of Kagutsuchi!"
Pure black shadow flames wreathed The Phoenix's Vow, transforming it into a pitch-black demonic blade. Listening to the sounds of the Basilisk, Kyle rapidly calculated the distance between them in his mind.
As the Basilisk's gaping maw lunged at him, Kyle stepped back with unhurried precision, dodging the vicious bite. Gripping The Phoenix's Vow with both hands, he swung horizontally at the approximate height of the serpent's eyes.
Wrapped in black flames, the blade bit into the snake's scales, the sound of tearing flesh reaching Kyle's ears. However, he didn't feel the soft resistance of an eyeball. Kyle delivered a flying kick to the Basilisk's head, using the momentum to retreat a few steps and avoid any potential counterattack.
The Basilisk, however, had no intention of counterattacking. Instead, it began to retreat, clearly having lost its will to fight.
But how could Kyle let it leave so easily?
Just as he intended to press his advantage, a frantic set of footsteps echoed from behind him. Simultaneously, Hannah's panic-stricken voice rang out.
"Kyle!"
"Get back!" Kyle roared without turning his head.
Why did she have to show up now? Was she trying to get herself killed?
Kyle gave The Phoenix's Vow a sharp flick. A streak of light cut through the air and struck the ground behind the Basilisk. Instantly, an Earth-Style Wall carved with dog heads rose up, blocking the creature's path of escape.
"Nebulus."
The Basilisk was intelligent. It didn't turn its back to Kyle to flee; it kept its gaze fixed in his direction. Consequently, Kyle had to shroud the area in mist to obscure its vision before he could finish the hunt. Otherwise, with his eyes closed, it would be difficult to catch a Basilisk fleeing at full speed.
A thick fog filled the corridor, completely veiling not only the Basilisk but Kyle and Hannah as well. Once visibility dropped to nearly zero, Kyle charged forward with his sword.
Unfortunately, by the time he reached the Earth-Style Wall, the Basilisk had already smashed through it and vanished. Kyle followed the trail of blood splattered on the floor, but after rounding a corner, the Basilisk's tracks disappeared without a trace.
"It actually got away," Kyle sighed.
A moment later, Hannah reached Kyle's side, panting for breath. The young girl lowered her head silently, looking like a child who knew she had done something wrong. She realized that her reckless appearance had caused Kyle a great deal of trouble; she was part of the reason the Basilisk had successfully escaped.
Looking at the trembling girl beside him, Kyle ultimately decided not to say anything harsh. He ruffled Hannah's hair and said in a gentle tone, "Don't be so reckless next time."
Hearing that there was no blame in Kyle's voice, Hannah looked up in pleasant surprise.
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