A powerful shattering curse hit the black shield, instantly breaking it apart.
Immediately afterward, a Killing Curse, glowing with a strange green light, shot toward Dormammu's follower, Lawrence.
Almost instantly, as soon as Lawrence saw the green light, alarm bells went off in his head. His hair stood on end, and a wave of death washed over him.
In a flash, Lawrence turned into a thick black mist, radiating a dark and evil aura.
However, when the Killing Curse hit, the black mist visibly shrank by more than half, as if it had been evaporated.
The next moment.
The black mist, now greatly reduced, fled out the window of the building, as if running for its life.
However—
Just as the black mist escaped through the window, a red, flame-like light curtain suddenly appeared.
Boom!
With a loud sound, the black mist collided with the light curtain, and a series of red flame lines appeared across the barrier, shining brightly.
Sizzle!
The light burned the black mist, producing a sizzling noise like acid on metal. The mist shrank even more.
Seeing this, the black mist quickly turned around, flew back inside, and reformed next to Alexandra.
Now in human form, Lawrence's face was pale, his body trembling. Red flame marks were clearly visible on his partially exposed arms, as if he had been branded by hot iron.
He glanced toward Vera's side and locked his gaze on Ian, who had just acted.
No.
Lawrence saw Ian's entire body shifting and transforming. Soon, a handsome blond man stood in front of him.
"Mentor."
"Professor Lockhart."
Vera, Peter, and Steve exclaimed softly.
At the same time, Lawrence's eyes fixed on the Sling Ring on Lockhart's right hand. He gritted his teeth and muttered bitterly, "A Sorcerer of Kamar-Taj."
"He's certainly lived up to being a dark disciple wanted for years. That escape was impressive," Lockhart said to Lawrence—or rather, to Kaecilius, who was now revealed to be behind Lawrence.
"Of course, but his luck ends today," Kaecilius mocked from behind.
Hearing voices in front of and behind him, Lawrence's face grew dark.
Quickly, he turned to Alexandra and urged, "We need to act together. Kamar-Taj's magicians won't let you go. They won't tolerate you using the power of the evil god, especially not with the Black Sky beside you. They will never stop coming after you."
Alexandra's unease had grown with every moment of the confrontation. Originally, she had hoped to use Lawrence's power to deal with the enemy and potentially take advantage of the situation with a sneak attack.
When the time came, she intended to have the Black Sky capture Lawrence and force him to reveal how he resisted the evil god's power.
However, she quickly realized Lawrence was a disciple of the evil god himself, and the erratic behavior of Dormammu's followers filled her with dread.
She abandoned the idea of manipulating him.
Seeing Lawrence severely injured and on the run moments ago, Alexandra's plan had quickly fallen apart. It was clear that the enemy had set a trap, making her deeply uneasy.
Worse still, Lawrence's words about Kamar-Taj and the Black Sky sent a chill down her spine.
Her thoughts raced as she called out, "The Black Sky!"
At the same time, she unsheathed her katana and channeled her Qi into it.
Dark red lines appeared along the blade, like streaks of blood.
"Friend, why don't you handle Lawrence yourself? We won't interfere, alright?" Alexandra said, trying to distance herself from the conflict.
Kaecilius, sensing the corruption of the evil god on her, replied with disgust: "Anyone who relies on the power of the evil god will die."
People like Alexandra, who believed they could control the power of evil gods, always fell faster the more they relied on it.
Hearing this, Alexandra's expression remained blank, but she glanced at Lockhart before closing her eyes briefly and sighing.
"Black Sky!" she shouted sharply.
Boom!
In an instant, Elektra, the Black Sky carrier, clenched her fists, and her once bright eyes turned black.
With her two sai weapons glowing with dark energy, a strange, evil aura spread around her.
Lawrence grinned with satisfaction.
He had refrained from attacking the Hand earlier, only because of the Black Sky's presence.
Now, seeing her strength, he realized she was as powerful as he had been at his peak.
Turning to Alexandra, he said, "Can she kill them?"
"I've sealed the space. Kamar-Taj's Sorcerers will arrive soon, but if you can't finish this quickly, we need to retreat before it's too late."
Alexandra's mind raced as she heard Lawrence. She hesitated briefly but then commanded Elektra: "Black Sky, kill them."
Elektra's gaze locked onto Lockhart, her black eyes burning with a crazed killing intent.
Seeing this, Lawrence sneered at Kaecilius.
He clasped his hands together, forming a strange gesture, and began chanting: "Great Lord of the Dark Dimension, your devout follower calls upon your power to strike down the enemies of Kamar-Taj. I offer you a delicious soul..."
Suddenly, a powerful dark energy surged from an unknown source. Lawrence's once pale face regained color, though the dark lines on his skin now covered almost half of his face.
He knew that when the dark lines fully enveloped him, he would be completely consumed by Dormammu—becoming a puppet of the darkness.
But with enough sacrifices, he would return to his normal self.
And now, the Kamar-Taj Sorcerer before him would make the perfect offering.
Meanwhile, Lockhart ignored Steve, Peter, and the others as they slowly retreated.
He focused solely on the black-haired woman in front of him, holding the sai and radiating a dangerous, bloodthirsty aura.
Lockhart remained cautious, raising his wand as magic surged through it. The tip glowed with a dark green light, carrying the same deadly aura as before.
He watched Black Sky Elektra's every move, prepared to unleash the most lethal spell he had if she made an aggressive motion.
The next moment—
Footsteps echoed as rapid chanting filled the air.
"Avada Kedavra!"
"Avada Kedavra!"
=========================
[Read up to 100+ chapter ahead and more Weakly Chapter Update at p@treon.com/goldengaruda]
=========================