Chapter 126: Class Dismissed

In order to help Dumbledore one last time, repay an old debt, and give Eda a proper lesson, Cecil had racked his brains and planned meticulously for this bloody encounter.

However, despite all his calculations, he had misjudged two critical points: First, he hadn't expected the four people seeking revenge against him to be this powerful—especially Isaac, who would stand out even among Aurors.

Second, he had miscalculated his own physical limits. His spells were significantly weakened, and he couldn't eliminate his opponents quickly. The longer the battle dragged on, the worse his condition became, trapping him in a vicious cycle.

A complete and utter failure. Cecil was simply not suited for scheming—he was better at straightforward fights.

If not for Eda's abilities far exceeding his expectations, the two of them would have long been buried six feet under.

Well, maybe not—Isaac probably wouldn't even bother giving him a grave.

Cecil was already struggling against a fully unleashed Isaac, and with the fat man continuously harassing him from the sidelines, he found himself at a loss for a solution.

His strength was steadily dwindling—each time he cast a powerful spell, his face turned a shade paler. In contrast, Isaac only seemed to grow stronger. With the fat man's support and protection, his attacks became sharper and more aggressive.

Almost there… just a little more. Once I kill Cecil, I'll kill that girl and avenge you. Just wait for me! Isaac thought to himself.

But before Isaac could land the final blow, a deafening crash echoed through the battlefield, shaking the very ground beneath them.

Isaac, the fat man, and Cecil all paused their fight, turning toward the source of the sound.

What they saw was a massive sphere of earth and stone slamming into the ground, leaving behind a deep crater.

The lanky man and Eda—both had vanished.

"Hey! What are you looking at?" 

A voice as clear and melodious as wind chimes rang beside the fat man's ear. Just as he was about to turn his head, he felt the tip of a wand pressing against his temple. 

The one holding the wand was none other than Eda, who had just Apparated. Using the loud crash from the earlier impact as cover, she had reappeared behind the fat man, executing a perfect counter-ambush.

She hadn't forgotten his earlier sneak attack—being someone who always paid back her debts, revenge was inevitable. 

"Heh~ Say goodbye to this beautiful world," Eda whispered softly behind him, her voice like a devil's whisper from the depths of hell. "Bullet Storm!" 

There was no overwhelming spectacle of countless bullets raining down—only a single, tiny bead of pure magic. That lone magic bullet pierced through the fat man's skull effortlessly, taking his life in an instant. 

"No!" 

The moment Isaac saw Eda, he instantly understood what had happened. She had once again killed someone right in front of him—this time, it was Tenab (the fat man's name). Tenab had no personal grudge against Cecil; he was merely someone Isaac had hired to help. Yet now, he lay dead. 

"I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU!" Isaac roared in fury, his face twisted into a monstrous snarl, his eyes bloodshot. 

"Your opponent is me." 

Cecil blocked Isaac's path, preventing him from going after Eda. 

"Then I'll kill you first!" 

Blinded by rage, Isaac fired a Killing Curse at Cecil. The two clashed once again, spells lighting up the air as they dueled fiercely. The battlefield was filled with the flash of magic, the sounds of spells colliding, and the deafening roars of explosions.

At that moment, Eda paid no attention to the battle between the two men. Instead, two consecutive "ding" sounds echoed in her mind:

[Host has successfully killed Pietro Loren. Reward has been issued. Please check your inventory.]

[Host has successfully killed Tenab Bryan. Reward has been issued. Please check your inventory.]

The surge of killing intent within Eda was abruptly interrupted by these notifications. She became acutely aware of what she had just done—within moments, she had killed two people.

And she knew that the next time something like this happened, she would only become more efficient, more decisive.

As her bloodlust faded, fear crept into her heart.

Despite her strength, she still held a fundamental respect for life.

This was the first time she had taken someone's life—it was impossible to act as if nothing had happened. Having gained the power to decide the life and death of others, she needed to adjust to the mental shift that came with it. Now that her hands were stained with blood, she had to find a proper balance.

However, this was not the time for her to stand frozen in contemplation. The immediate priority was dealing with Isaac. Pushing her thoughts aside, Eda prepared to step forward and assist Cecil.

To her surprise, Cecil had no intention of accepting her help. Instead, he loudly shouted for Eda to stay back, declaring that Isaac was his opponent. As he fended off Eda's approach, he also intensified his attacks.

With the fat man, Tenab Bryan, no longer interfering, Cecil was finally able to turn the tide of the battle.

Cecil was undeniably skilled in dark magic—if not for his weakened body, he could have easily wiped out all four of his enemies. Had he been at full strength, he wouldn't have struggled so much against Isaac alone.

Eda also knew fiendfire, but reaching Cecil's level would take her years of practice. The light emitted by the flames was so blinding that it hurt to look directly at them, and the searing heat made it difficult for her to breathe. She had to shield her eyes and retreat continuously.

Under Cecil's control, the blazing fire transformed into the shape of a massive Chimera. It had the head of a lion, the body of a goat, and a thick, python-like tail. Flames spewed from its mouth as it breathed, exuding an overwhelming, destructive power that mercilessly incinerated everything in its sight.

Drowned in grief and fury, Isaac unleashed Killing Curse after Killing Curse. The eerie, deathly green light burst ceaselessly from his wand. His sorrow and rage infused his spells with an even greater force.

Every time a Killing Curse struck the fiery Chimera, the beast weakened slightly. Explosions from the magical clashes echoed across the open space, and what had once been relatively even ground was now riddled with craters.

At this point, it was no longer a contest of magical skill or technique—it had become a battle of sheer willpower. Whoever endured longer would be the final victor.

In the end, the Chimera's flames engulfed Isaac. Yet, as he was swallowed by the inferno, he did not scream in agony. Because Isaac had already achieved his purpose.

His final Killing Curse struck Cecil, who was fully focused on controlling the Chimera. And because he had directed all his magic toward maintaining the beast, he had no means to defend himself. The moment he stopped attacking the Chimera, it lost control and consumed him as well.

Mutual destruction.

The vengeful Isaac and the scheming Cecil perished together.

The difference was that, though Isaac had avenged his blood feud, he still died with lingering regrets. But Cecil had no complaints about his fate—his death had always been part of his flawed, chaotic plan.

The only mistake was that he hadn't intended to die at Isaac's hands.

Cecil had never considered whether Eda was willing to accept his arrangement. He wanted to do it, so he did it—that was how he had lived his entire life. Cecil was selfish, obsessive, and undeniably insane.

In his final moments, he had given a young person the most meaningful lesson of all. Even as he collapsed, his gaze remained fixed on the only true student he had ever taken on.

Eda watched as Cecil slowly fell to the ground.

Her feelings toward him were conflicted. She was grateful to him because he had helped her immensely along her path to growth. Yet, she also resented him—because of his self-serving decisions, she had been deceived, thrown into danger, and forced to kill in order to survive.

There was a stark difference between those who had never touched blood and those who had been baptized in it.

After the first time, the second became much easier. From this day forward, Eda had lost her reverence for life. In the wizarding world, this was neither entirely a good thing nor entirely a bad thing.

In the last moments of his life, Cecil continued to look at Eda. Even from a distance, she understood the meaning in his dying gaze.

He was telling her: "Class dismissed..."

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