HP: The Arcane Thief
chapter-139

"Sorry, but I'm not into talking books," said Axel, his voice purposely altered. Now that his cover was blown, he didn't try to hide anymore. Instead, he subtly signalled Akiko and Martina to stop the ritual circle instead.

Upon his outrageous words, burst of darkness came from the book, and Lockhart drew out his wand and directly sent out a cruciatus curse at Axel.

"How DARE you? Do you know who you are talking to?!" He asked.

Axel had to move aside to dodge it. He raised his hands in front of him. "Whoa whoa! Why so angry? Let's talk this out, alright?" He said, his gaze flickering towards the fight happening behind Lockhart.

It was truly a sight to behold. The Guardian Angel didn't play around this time. It rushed straight at the group of Demogorgons, who launched beams of darkness back at it. But, it made no impact.

'Arcane Footwork…' Axel realized. The Guardian Angel was using Arcane Footwork right now. It weaved through the web of darkness and plunged into the midst of the dark creatures, making them scream.

'I need more distraction,' thought Axel. The fight happening right now was beyond his ability to interfere. Not because he was weak, but he simply didn't have enough magic power. He had to uste limit break for even taking down just one of the creatures. Right now, there were four of them, and more would come.

Not to mention they have no idea if Voldemort has any other more powerful monster he can send. Their bet is to quickly shut down that rift. And he can't do that himself since his pendant is reacting to the ritual circle. That's why, he has to try his best to distract Voldemort while Akiko and Martina are closing the rift.

[Increase Presence]

If he knew how to minimise his presence, he also had some mastery over increasing it.

As expected, Voldemort was now more focused on him rather than the fight taking place behind them.

Voldemort laughed. "Arrogant. Recklessly so. I can't remember the last time someone has dared to be so brazen in my presence. Who are you?"

Axel shrugged. "Me? I call myself the Arcane Thief. ...But you can call me your daddy."

Lockhart lost it this time.

"You—! Do you know the consequences of opposing Lord Voldemort?!" He asked, already intent on attacking Axel again.

"Calm down, Lockhart," Voldemort's voice suddenly became more clear as dark apparition emerged from the book it's two red eyes glaring down at Axel. "Had it not been that you have something I desperately need, you would have been dead already, Arcane Thief."

Axel raised his eyebrows. "Oh yeah? And what is it that you want from me? Surely it's not due to my looks, or are hooded black figures your type?" Asked Axel, glancing down at his own fully covered appearance. "Wait, that does make sense, doesn't it? Why else would you have an army of them?"

Voldemort's eyes blazed with fury. Axel had taken it too far.

Lockhart began attacking Axel again. Only this time, Voldemort didn't stop him. "Kill him! We retrieve what I want from his dead body."

'Fuck.' muttered Axel. 'But I suppose now I would have his full attention,' he reasoned, looking back at the ritual circle.

His [Increase Presence] might be too powerful.

"I'll kill him for you, my lord."

Lockhart was all the more happy to comply. But first, the bastard deserved some torture. No one can be allowed to disrespect his master. Lockhart used to be a terrible wizard. All he could do was memory altering spells. But then, HE found him, the Lord's most loyal and devout follower.

Lockhart discoverd that he wasn't completely useless after all. Using the powers bestoyed upon him by his lord, even he, Lockhart, can be a powerful wizard. Not as powerful as the Lord's most devout, but powerful nonetheless.

Due to that power, he was quickly able to gain fame and achieve his dreams. But he only later realized, all those things he had been running after were merely superficial. Just because of one person, all the fame he had built with years of effort crumbled like a sandcastle. Now his Lord is the only support he is left with. And he is not going to let some arrogant twat disrespect his Lord like that!

"You'll pay for your words! Crucio!"

Lockhart again began firing the Crutiatus curse at Axel again and again.

Seeing the extremely familiar spell, Axel felt a vein throbbing on his forehead.

[Magic Hands]

He suddenly stopped dodging and raised his hand, blocking the Cruiatus Curse with his bare hand. Without even a flinch.

Axel looked at the residual magic in his hand and scoffed. Looking back at the completely stunned Lockhart, he simply shook his head. "You may get power by sucking his non existent dick, but you are simply too incompetent to use it," he informed helpfully.

Lockhart was still looking at Axel's hand in shock. "H-How…?"

Even Voldemort looked serious now. That was a crutiatus curse. An unforgivable curse that can't be blocked with a shield. The one Lockhart fired was enough to incapacitate any ordinary wizard. Even strong ones would feel the overwhelming pain.

"You do have some interesting tricks, Arcane thief," acknowledged Voldemort. "But you just denied yourself a quick death."

Surprisingly, the dark apparition of Voldemort entered Lockhart, making him fall to the ground while choking. In the next instant, a terrible pressure spread through the area.

!!!!!!!

And Axel backed away immediately his jawing dropping in shock.

'Fuck! He can even do that?'

Things had just gotten a notch dangerous. Axel desperately hoped that Martina and Akiko would hurry it up. Lockhart stopped choking, as his body slowly rose. He was no longer Lockhart. He was LockMort.

The surrounding darkness seemed to go still for a moment, and then—

!!!

[Arcane Footwork]

[Lauching boom]

Axel boosted himself away from his previous location as tentrils of darkness pierced right where he was standing moments ago.

'Fuck…' Axel was impressed and horrified at the same time. Usually, a wizard is only able to use magic from his own reserve, But Voldemort is not using Lockhart's dark magic, The dark magic in the whole surrounding is his to control! That's why he is able to bring out such immense power even while using Lockhart's body.

But of course, it didn't seem like he can do this for long. Axel could see Lockhart's body quickly deteriorating in real time. It can't bear the burden of Voldemort's possesion.

!!!

This wasn't the end of the attacks. More followed, causing Axel to run around continuously. Right, now he couldn't use his main strength: his Stealth. Because then Voldemort might turn his gaze back and see that the Guardian Angel had already killed all the Demogorgons and the rift had started flickering as Martina and Akiko did their best to break the complicated ritual circle without damaging Rose.

Fortunately, Voldemort seemed to think everything was under his control as he merely played around with Axel using the Darkness. After noticing his astonishing movements, the darklord regarded at Axel with a gaze of interest. "Hm… you truly have some fascinating tricks," he said, increasing the intensity.

"You remind me of that annoying Queen. Not to mention your friends, who are—"

'No!' Axel was too fucking busy to stop Voldemort.

Too late, Voldemort finally glanced back, only to see that Martina and Akiko were already on the verge of breaking the ritual circle and taking Rose out.

"You dare—" exclaimed Voldemort, raising his hand towards them.

Axel got serious. The bastard was going to attack Akiko and Martina. Right now, Akiko was too focused on the task and Martina had just used an extremely powerful spell. Both were not in the condition to defend themselves properly.

[Throwing]

At this moment, Axel didn't use any fancy moves he had learnt till now. All he used was a simple [Throwing], a skill he had practiced countless times even before he had gotten the system.

Tens of daggers came out of his pouch, all of which he threw at Lockhart with all his might.

*BOOM*

The knives which he had thrown with all his might, using the technique he had improved through system easily broke through sound barrier, faster than Voldemort cast his magic using Lockhart's body.

With Voldemort's attention focused on the ritual circle, he was too late to defend himself. But even so, the darkness itself moved to protect him.

'This monster—'

Fortunately, the hasty defense was too flimsy, or the force behind his knives was too much. They pierced through the dark and hit Lockhart all over his body, going right through him.

LockMort was 'riddled' with holes right now. But even so, he was marvelously able to still keep standing. Though…

'Didn't expect any less,' thought Axel, already halfway towards Voldemort under full stealth. The knife attack was merely meant to stop the bastard from killing Martina and Akiko. Axel took out his main knife now, the one custom made by the Valentinos.

[Light Infusion: Max]

[Knife Wielding: Max]

Instantly, he sent out tens of quick slashes filled with Light magic towards LockMort's body, this time damaging LockMort for real. But Axel still wasn't done. As he finally reached Lockmort, his knife flashed a brilliant golden as he ran it through, not LockMort, but the Diary in his hand!

A horrifying shriek came out as Voldemort's soul itself was attacked. Darkness burst out from the book, but Axel was still. not. done. He slashing through the thing a good fifty more times before it fell to the ground in small pieces.

Axel knelt down, panting, Lockhart's bloody remains falling beside him. The guy died a truly meaningless death, simply because he was in the way. Too bad, Axel wasn't the kind to think twice before killing, if it means saving the lives of himself and his friends.

But the guy had it coming, supporting Voldemort to summon those monstrosities into this world. He's better off dead, lest he be sent to Azkaban, which is guarded by Voldemort's bitches: Dementors. Breaking out would be a breeze.

"Axel! Are you alright?!" Asked Martina, looking back from her work on the ritual circle.

Axel slowly got up, wiping the blood off his face. "Fine. Are you done?"

"Almost." Martina breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought we were done for."

Akiko clutched her head. "I was useless too. He had complete control over the darkness."

"Done!" Exclaimed Martina, as Akiko quickly stepped into the circle to get Rose out.

"Looks like it's over," muttered Axel, looking at the rift getting shorter and shorter.

That was a flag. A system alert came the next second.

[Axel. RUN]

Axel jumped. 'Why?!'

[Creatures aren't the only thing Voldemort can send through the rift. He can also send out his magic.]

Axel's eyes widened as he looked at Martina and Akiko standing dangerously close to the rift.