Chapter 68: Alleyway Deathmatch
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After Snape left, Ethan readied himself to leave the run-down hotel. Descending the decrepit stairs cautiously, Ethan finally exhaled a sigh of relief. This place was scarier than facing a Griffin. (T/N; Dude's talking about the vibe)
Upon pushing the door of the nameless hotel ajar, Ethan returned to the rat-infested and mosquito-laden streets of Knockturn Alley. Observing the longsword on Ethan's back, other wizards on the street sensibly avoided him. People were more inclined to pick on easy targets, but provoking someone like Ethan wasn't a wise choice.
Despite this, Ethan didn't fancy the atmosphere of Knockturn Alley. The dark and damp surroundings constantly brought back dark memories of the slums of Novigrad, with too many unpleasant recollections.
Navigating through the winding streets, bypassing one foul-smelling pool after another, Ethan aimed to depart from this odorous locale as swiftly as possible.
While traversing through a narrow alley, five figures appeared on the opposite side. Ethan promptly discerned the peculiarity of this group. Four towering wizards in black robes enclosed the man in the middle, with two tightly gripping his arms. The remaining two wizards stationed themselves in front and back, all holding wands firmly in their right hands.
The man in the middle, surrounded by the quartet, appeared thin with long gray hair, head bowed, obscuring his face from Ethan's view.
Ethan promptly deduced that these four were acting as escorts. As Ethan approached, the four seemed uneasy, and a tall wizard in the lead warned him in a hoarse voice, "Don't interfere in your affairs!"
"Just passing by," Ethan responded disinterestedly, with no intention of meddling in the affairs of these dark wizards.
Hearing Ethan's words, the man in the middle visibly trembled, but the four wizards relaxed slightly, even conceding their position to let Ethan pass first.
Ethan turned to the side to pass quickly, but as he cleared the five individuals, a strong sense of impending danger enveloped him.
"Avada Kedavra!" a voice echoed from behind Ethan.
Instinctively, Ethan lowered his head. Simultaneously, a green magical spell soared over Ethan's head, striking the mottled walls of the alley. The decaying wall crumbled into large pieces, dust filling the air.
Ethan was perplexed. He couldn't fathom why these individuals attacked him without cause. He had yielded and wouldn't have impeded their progress.
The wizard who cast the spell was equally surprised. His motive for attacking Ethan was simple: Ethan had seen their faces and wanted to eliminate any potential future trouble.
Initially, the wizard was wary of Ethan's longsword. However, witnessing Ethan willingly step back, he concluded that Ethan's intimidating appearance was merely a bluff. His misjudgment stemmed from his own foolishness.
After realizing his initial attack had failed, the wizard, although surprised, swiftly readied another spell for a second attempt.
Suddenly, the wizard sensed something amiss. A sensation of impending doom struck him, and he felt his chest about to explode. Looking down, he discovered a feathered wooden shaft protruding from his chest. Losing control of his body, he crumpled to the ground like a broken sack.
The remaining three wizards reacted promptly, simultaneously chanting incantations with their wands emitting a dangerous green light.
Ethan holstered his crossbow, moving like a ghost; he bent low and swiftly approached the nearest wizard. Instead of his longsword, he wielded a dagger for more precise combat.
Before the wizard could utter the last syllable of the Avada Kedavra, Ethan was already upon him. Wizards in this world were nearly defenseless in close combat.
Ethan's sharp dagger swiftly severed the wizard's wand hand, preventing the completion of the life-threatening curse. The wizard, unable to finish the syllable, screamed in pain.
Observing the gruesome fate of their comrade, the remaining two wizards—one tall and one short—hastened their spell incantations. Two green life-suppressing spells sped towards Ethan.
Using the disabled wizard's body as a shield, Ethan seized his collar and forcefully pushed him forward. The life-suppressing spells struck almost simultaneously, and the wizard's anguished cries abruptly ceased as he perished at the hands of his associates.
The two wizards, one tall and one short, who had inadvertently killed their comrades, were visibly panicking. Losing patience, they unleashed a barrage of indiscriminate spells on Ethan.
To their horror, a circle of pale yellow shields manifested around the man with the longsword, effortlessly neutralizing all their attacks. Panic spread across the faces of the two wizards as Ethan steadily closed in, seemingly impervious to their attempts to halt him.
Finally succumbing to the psychological pressure, the tall wizard turned around and attempted to flee the alley, exposing his defenseless back.
True to Ethan's promise, a crossbow arrow swiftly found its mark in the tall wizard's back. He emitted a short scream and collapsed to the ground, his body sliding a few meters before plastering itself onto a nearby wall.
The expression on the short wizard's face gradually turned desperate. Gritting his teeth, he began chanting a spell, summoning a potent and destructive energy at the tip of his wand. The short wizard seemed determined to go down fighting.
"Confri..."
The explosive spell had the potential to obliterate anything it touched, with a high-risk factor that could prove fatal if misused. The short wizard's posture indicated his resolve to meet his end alongside Ethan.
Meanwhile, the initially attacked wizard continued to provoke the group, unwittingly drawing upon himself a relentless barrage of magical retaliation.
Ethan sensed the immense destructive power accumulating at the tip of the short wizard's wand. Even the person being escorted comprehended the imminent danger and, though unable to move or speak, emitted a warning hum, urging Ethan to escape. Simultaneously, the escorted individual wriggled on the ground, striving to distance himself from the impending wizard.
The magic energy on the wizard's wand grew increasingly formidable, and his expression more resolute. Ethan showed no inclination to flee despite the impending threat, instead observing the wizard's impending actions with keen interest.
The restrained man whimpered in anxiety, perplexed by Ethan's apparent nonchalance.
"Axii,"
Ethan traced a simple symbol in the air with his left hand. A perplexed expression overcame the wizard's face as if he had forgotten his purpose and surroundings.
The energy on the wand gradually dissipated. Ethan closed in on the bewildered wizard, swiftly slashing the dagger across his neck. Blood gushed out like a waterfall, yet the wizard, still dazed, rubbed his neck as if oblivious to the unfolding events before collapsing like a lifeless log.
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