173 Chapter 172 "Give Me Draco Back"
The body of the wand lit up with a faint golden light, and the roar of the Thestral came from the void. Thousands of black threads as thin as silk were shot out from the end of the wand, slowly wrapping the whole blood ball, and finally, the crimson blood ball was entirely covered in black.
The blood ball began to vibrate strongly, and Skyler knew that this was Armand's counterattack inside the blood ball.
Even though Skyler had the upper hand and the initiative at the moment, he didn't dare to overdo it. The magic power gap between the two sides was too big.
Without the ability to use the Death Curse, he wanted to seal the soul of an opponent whose magic power was dozens of times greater than his own, which was no easy task.
He suddenly tightened his grip on the wand and increased the output of magic power, and his forehead began to sweat profusely.
Skyler gritted his teeth, not daring to relax even half-heartedly. As long as he persisted a little longer, when Armand's soul was sealed, Draco would transform from the black mist back to his original body, and then he would put the Horcrux inside again. If the split soul is also eliminated, then everything will be fine.
Suddenly, the mirror frame placed on the small table next to the bed burst into light and shot out a black light. With the sound of sharp arrows piercing the air, the black light shot into the blood cells.
The blood ball exploded suddenly, and blood sprayed all over the ground.
Armand had transformed into Draco and stood below where the blood ball was.
"What a spell!" Armand said with heavy breaths. His expression was no longer as frivolous as before, but more serious. "I actually almost fell into your hands."
The success fell short!
Skyler transferred the wand to his left hand, then lowered his aching right hand and waved it gently to relieve the numbness on his right wrist.
He carefully felt the remaining magic power in his body and found that almost half of it had been consumed, causing his heart to sink.
Observing the other party with his magic eyes again, he noticed that the opponent's magic power was even more depleted than his own, but the total amount still surpassed his by several times, sending a chill down his spine.
If the life curse measured the magic value, Armand's magic power would be sufficient to cast the life curse with full power three times. However, he could only cast the life curse with slightly reduced power once at most.
"Let me guess," Skyler seemed to have discerned Armand's thoughts. With a ferocious smile, Armand said, "You've now realized that your magic power is insufficient, right? Are you unable to use many powerful magics?"
"That's long-winded!" Skyler dismissed Armand's attempt to unsettle him. Unfazed by Armand's attempt to use menacing words, he responded coldly, "Undoubtedly, you surpass me in terms of magic power, but the total amount of magic power doesn't solely determine battles. I believe I won't lose to someone who has been dormant for centuries—an antique! Mighty forces of darkness, offer me your life in exchange for my strength!" Skyler's momentum surged steadily as he spoke, and his magic power intensified rapidly, akin to the torrents of the Yangtze River.
"You're insane!" Even Armand, with his composed demeanor, couldn't help but be astonished by Skyler's recklessness.
There was only one method to trigger the magic of life sacrifice—using this forbidden magic heightened the density and condensation of magic power by sacrificing one's own vitality and lifespan.
It involved compressing the magic power in the body to the extreme. Such magic was considered taboo even in the realm of dark magic.
Only the most deranged dark wizards dared to attempt it. As far as Armand knew, these dark wizards had either consumed the blood of unicorns, created Horcruxes, or undergone body transformations through black magic.
"Perhaps you are the true lunatic of the Malfoy bloodline, Skyler! You are doing more harm to your body than it's actually damaging me!" Armand exclaimed.
"Save your worries! If you are truly worried about me, then give Draco back you bastard!" Skyler replied as the dark magic power continuously surged from his body.
These dark wizards might face the curse on their souls, but their lifespans differ significantly from those of ordinary people.
It was unprecedented for someone to be as persistent as Skyler, willingly risking their life without any contingency plan.
Skyler's magic power had essentially returned to its peak level, if not surpassed it. He expelled a substantial amount of shocking blood, his face ghastly pale, and hoarsely proclaimed, "Dark magic... you're not the only one who can wield it!"
"Naive! Even if you recover your magic power, do you think it's enough to contend with me?" Though slightly taken aback by Skyler's determination, Armand maintained his calm demeanor.
In the current situation, despite the marginal difference in their magic power, he still held the advantage in overall magical strength.
Skyler's debilitated body would also inevitably compromise his spellcasting and evasive abilities.
The only source of frustration was that the body he sought to possess had been destroyed due to Skyler's actions, fueling his resentment.
"From the outset, to avoid inflicting even the slightest harm to your body, I've consistently opted to target the soul, limiting the deployment of my full strength. Since you yearn for death so fervently, allow me to assist you!"
"Anima Delevare!" Armand's sharp cry resonated, conjuring a silver-white scythe in mid-air. The blade bore a dark green, translucent aura, resembling an ethereal entity saturated with malevolent energy. The sickle exuded an aura akin to the "god of death" unveiled by the Death Curse under the scrutiny of the Magic Eye, albeit considerably fainter—a likely offshoot of the Death Curse.
Yet, Skyler outpaced him. Uttering "Fulmen Volans!," a white light surged forth from the wand's tip, homing in on Armand at nearly the speed of light!
Skyler had unleashed Grindelwald's signature spell, "Lightning Bolt Spell." Among known magics, this spell ranked among the swiftest, inducing immediate paralysis upon contact and sapping the opponent's strength. Simultaneously, it inflicted physical agony reminiscent of electrocution.
In an instant, Armand was forcefully blasted away, crashing onto Draco's expansive bed. Bed and wizard rolled to the ground, the once-sturdy piece of furniture reduced to splinters.
The aftermath wasn't confined to the bed's destruction; as debris scattered, arcs of white thunder tongues streaked in all directions. A stray arc collided with the mirror frame on a nearby table, shattering it into shards.
Meanwhile, the silver-white sickle swung menacingly in front of Skyler.
"Aquila!" Skyler's powerful exclamation summoned an eagle-shaped shadow from behind his neck. Transforming into a glimmer of light, it intercepted the scythe's swing, altering its trajectory.
Swiftly adjusting his steps to evade, Skyler watched as the scythe grazed the skin on his left shoulder. A sizzling sound accompanied the impact, and a sharp intake of breath revealed the pain inflicted. This scythe not only wounded the physical body but also directly targeted the soul.
"The victor is clear!" Raising his head, Skyler's eyes gleamed with an indescribable light. His platinum-blonde hair floated, untamed by any breeze, revealing a smooth forehead.
A small crimson rhombus materialized on Skyler's forehead, seemingly infused with life as it unfurled into intricate red lines, ultimately morphing into an exquisite lotus flower shape.
Harnessing the power of his mind, Skyler summoned Aquila, who emitted a resounding scream. Aquila swiftly transformed into six clones, each armed with sharp claws.
Simultaneously, Skyler wielded his magic wand with his left hand, casting a transformation spell that brought forth thick, robust vines surging toward two of the masked adversaries.
Using the index finger of his right hand, he traced an ancient rune symbol denoting "Judgment" (Teiwaz), which metamorphosed into a radiant spear hurtling towards the remaining four assailants.
Caught off guard by Skyler's formidable onslaught, the six masked men never anticipated such ferocity from a single opponent challenging their collective might. As two of them grappled with Aquila's clones, one inadvertently stumbled over the rapidly advancing vines, plummeting to the ground. The vines efficiently disarmed them, tightly binding their bodies to the point of immobilization, leaving them unable even to twitch a finger.
