Chapter 890: Gringotts Heist, Again
Chapter 890: Gringotts Heist, Again
The shackles, once secured by the Shadowless Blade spell, were effortlessly sliced in half, followed by the other half.
With a series of loud clangs, the chains binding the War Machine Dragon shattered and crashed to the ground.
The stone arms that had formed around the dragon also disappeared, but the dragon, unaware of its newfound freedom, still instinctively tried to attack Kyle.
The deep underground vault echoed with thunderous roars and blasts, as flames swept across the stone walls, causing rocks to rain down like hail.
A semicircular shield appeared above Kyle's head, blocking the falling rocks and deflecting the dragon's flames elsewhere.
Kyle attempted to calm the dragon, but at that moment, a stone happened to land on the iron shard that Auren had thrown earlier, emitting a crisp, metallic ping.
The dragon let out a hoarse roar, trembling as it retreated, its face revealing a human-like expression of fear.
As it drew closer, one could see the terrifying, uneven scars on its face.
Just a sound had terrified the largest Ukrainian Ironbelly...
Kyle's lips moved, seemingly cursing under his breath.
He waved his wand again, and several massive chains rose into the air, exploding into a shower of metal fragments in front of the dragon.
Witnessing this, the Ironbelly's previously dim eyes regained a glimmer of light, finally realizing that the shackles that had bound it were broken.
It was free.
At the same time, Kyle raised his wand, pointing it at the tunnel above.
"Thunder Explosion!"
A series of blasts echoed from above, seemingly mixed with goblin screams, though Kyle paid them no mind.
After a moment, the tunnel was blasted open, and a ray of sunlight pierced the darkness, landing on the dragon's wings.
"Fly," Kyle whispered.
With a roar, the dragon stood up, spread its wings, and soared into the air, struggling to fly towards the tunnel's exit.
Kyle turned around, intending to destroy the iron shard as well, but the next moment, he paused.
He noticed several purple cracks on the stone that had pinned the iron shard, and as the dragon's wings flapped, the stone shattered into pieces.
"Curse Magic?" Kyle's eyes twitched. Luckily, he hadn't used that thing.
The stones had turned to dust, and it was hard to imagine what would have happened if he had touched it.
Without hesitation, Kyle's wand shot forward.
The scattered stones on the ground rose into the air, transforming into crude stone spikes that surged towards a vault in the distance.
At that moment, Auren, who had been controlling the fairy named Kra, opened the intricate vault door, only to turn and witness the surprise Kyle had in store.
The sharp stone spikes flew like a swarm of locusts.
Auren, disregarding his image, rolled to the side, barely managing to dodge the onslaught.
The stones rushed into the vault, smashing the piles of gold coins and goblets stacked to the ceiling, sending them flying in all directions.
"You're not holding back at all. Do you want to kill me?" Auren climbed to his feet, grinning, "I even taught you that."
"Same here," Kyle scoffed. "You didn't thank me for restraining the dragon, and instead, you tried to ambush me with Curse Magic. Truly despicable, befitting of a Death Eater."
"It's a shame you didn't fall for it," Auren sighed. "And I didn't expect to succeed either. After all, you have your own dragon, and a certain magical creature that's even more troublesome than a dragon..."
He glanced meaningfully at Kyle.
Although he didn't understand why there was another Kyle in Godric's Hollow, he had seen the massive snake, nearly fifty feet long, from afar.
Moreover, from Voldemort's furious behavior, it seemed the Dark Lord was aware of the snake and held it in high regard.
Auren shook his head, deciding not to dwell on it any further.
"Do you regret it?" Kyle asked, extending his wand once more.
However, this time, Auren was prepared.
A yellow and a red beam of light simultaneously shot out from their wands, meeting in midair and forming an orange sphere of light where they connected, sparks flying in all directions.
The sparks that fell onto the surrounding walls emitted a series of crackling explosions.
Both men gripped their wands tightly, exerting all their strength to push the sphere towards each other.
Auren had initially felt confident, admitting that he couldn't defeat his former student in a direct confrontation, but he didn't think he would lose in terms of magical power either.
Even this special magical chain was something he had intentionally created... He had no choice but to resort to such methods when facing a stronger opponent.
However, Auren soon realized that the central sphere of light was moving at a slow yet steady pace, inch by inch, towards him.
This... was too much!
As the sphere approached the tip of his wand, Auren panicked, feeling his wand grow hotter and hotter, as if it might explode at any moment.
This couldn't continue.
Auren took a deep breath and forcefully swung his wand upwards, attempting to throw the sphere further away.
But the distance was too close.
When the light connecting the two wands broke, the previously stable magical power went out of control.
With a loud bang, the sphere exploded.
At such close range, even with the protection of the Iron Armor spell, Auren was blown away by the blast, slamming into the wall at the edge of the vault.
His legs were twisted in an incomprehensible position, and his body felt as if it had been trampled by a herd of kelpies, the pain rendering him speechless.
Even after witnessing Kyle's strength once before, he hadn't expected to lose in terms of magical power as well.
And so, the recently graduated students were like this?
But it wasn't over yet.
In the blink of an eye, a boulder, not much smaller than the dragon, broke free from the ceiling above and crashed down on Auren.
After a violent tremor, smoke and dust rose, and the vault fell silent again.
Kyle approached, frowning slightly at the boulder.
Something was wrong; there was no blood.
If Auren had truly been hit, it should have been messier.
Indeed.
The next moment, a black fog emerged from behind the boulder and rushed towards Kyle.
Kyle calmly took a small step back, waved his wand, and a crimson flame wall materialized in front of him.
The raging fire illuminated the entire underground space in red, and the temperature began to soar rapidly.
The black fog made a sudden stop in front of the fire, then turned back even faster, hovering in mid-air, revealing Auren's upper body, making him appear like a human-shaped Dementor.
His condition wasn't good; his hair was curled from the heat, and a wisp of white smoke could be seen.
After a moment, the black fog re-condensed into Auren's form and landed opposite Kyle.
"That was close; I almost got killed," he said, pointing his wand at his leg and forcibly straightening it, his face paling from the pain.
"You're not holding back at all," he said as a long bandage shot out from the tip of his wand and wrapped around his leg.
It wasn't pretty, but at least he could manage for a while longer.
"I had no choice; you made the first move," Kyle shrugged. "You added Curse Magic to the metal plate without showing any mercy either."
As soon as he finished speaking, the two of them simultaneously raised their wands.
"Shadowless Blade!"
"Avada Kedavra!"
The two spells collided again, but this time, they didn't form a chain of magic; instead, they deflected each other in mid-air.
The blade cut a narrow fissure into the rock wall, while the Killing Curse flew towards the passageway.
"Found them... They're here..."
A goblin driving a small cart rushed in, just in time to intercept the Killing Curse with his body.
The goblin was thrown out, landing on the ground and lying there motionless.
This...
For a moment, Kyle wasn't sure what to say... The deflected curse was completely out of control, and it was a bit too coincidental to be so accurate. Even a scammer couldn't have pulled it off so precisely.
The driverless cart careened out of control and eventually collided with the cart in front of it.
The violent impact caused both carts to derail, turning into a pile of parts on the ground.
Meanwhile, more goblins appeared at the end of the passageway, adding to the already chaotic scene.
"Death Eaters! They dare to kill goblins!"
"Kill him! Kill him!"
"The dragon escaped! That bastard let the dragon get away!"
...
More carts appeared on the tracks, their sounds getting closer.
"The goblins are almost here," Kyle said, looking at Auren. "Where's your backup? Don't tell me you're the only Death Eater here. If that's the case, you're having a rough time."
"Sorry, it's just me," Auren said indifferently. "Those useless trash can stay away. I don't need them."
"They can be useful as cannon fodder," Kyle said, waving his wand, and several spells flew towards Auren. "Like this."
Auren gritted his teeth and deflected the spells but showed no intention of counterattacking. Instead, he turned and rushed into the vault, grabbing the nearest golden chalice.
Ah!
He screamed in pain, and a sizzling sound came from between his fingers, as if he were holding a red-hot branding iron.
But even so, Auren stubbornly held on without letting go.
"Is that what you're looking for?" Kyle raised an eyebrow.
"Of course... In the vault... the golden chalice... it fits the Dark Lord's requirements perfectly..." Auren said, his voice trembling.
Auren, who was forcibly holding the chalice, didn't seem to be doing well, and in a short while, the chalice split into over a hundred pieces, clattering to the ground.
Auren transformed into a black fog once more.
"Do you think you can escape?" Kyle extended his wand, and the raging fire around him continued to distort.
He admitted that this magic invented by Voldemort was useful; it could fly, and it was fast. But this magic wasn't a true Dementor, nor was it invincible.
Auren had escaped the previous attack purely because he had moved extremely quickly, slipping away before the boulder hit the ground.
This time, Kyle wasn't going to give him that chance again.
The raging fire blocked the way; even a real Dementor would be left with a layer of skin.
"I think... I can," Auren's black fog said, spinning rapidly inside the vault.
The treasures inside the vault, upon contact with the black fog, began to split and multiply, just like the golden chalice. The vault could no longer contain them, and the replicated gold overflowed like a tide.
The scorching gold emitted a high temperature, mixing with the raging fire, making the entire underground space feel like a furnace.
Goblin Kra, controlled by Auren's Soul Shackles, stood at the vault's entrance. If the tide of gold rushed out, it could instantly engulf him.
At the critical moment, Kyle decisively abandoned the idea of stopping Auren. He waved his wand, and an invisible force threw Kra to a safe spot nearby.
This goblin was the only one who knew the truth. If both Auren and Kra died here, Kyle couldn't guarantee that he could explain the situation clearly later.
This wasn't impossible.
Even if he could explain it in the end, it would waste a lot of time, and it wouldn't be worth it.
Auren had the same thought.
As Kyle rescued the goblin Kra, Auren seized the opportunity and flew towards the tunnel above without hesitation.
As he brushed past the dark fog, Kyle felt a powerful blow that sent him flying backwards, crashing into the cliff behind him.
This sudden move caught Auren off guard in mid-air... Did he just attack Kyle?
No, that couldn't be...
But why did Kyle suddenly fly out like that, as if he was looking for trouble? However, at that moment, a large group of goblins had arrived and jumped off their carts, leaving Auren no time to think further.
The dark fog accelerated once more, finally managing to escape through the upper opening just before the goblins' magic could reach it.
It was a close call.
Looking down at the furious goblins below, Auren couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction.
Although the process differed slightly from what he had envisioned, the outcome was perfect. He had obtained what he wanted and had outwitted the Gringotts goblins.
Perhaps this time, when he returned, he would gain more recognition among the Death Eaters and gain access to secrets that only veteran Death Eaters were privy to.
For instance, why did Voldemort care so much about an item hidden in Gringotts that Bellatrix, who was in charge of guarding it, had just died, and was determined to move it, even at the risk of offending the goblins.
After all, if Voldemort could control his impulses, the goblins would eventually side with him.
What was the point of not only giving up the available help but also possibly pushing them to the opposing side, all for a golden cup? Auren wondered, his heart racing with excitement. He didn't immediately notice that the sunlight above seemed to be blocked by something massive.
It took him a moment to realize.
A scorching flame descended from the sky.
The dragon hadn't left!
No, it had turned back and collided with the escaping Auren.
Unfortunately, the golden cup Auren was holding kept splitting, and the distinct scent of the Gringotts vault stimulated the dragon.
There was nothing more to say.
The dragon unleashed its flames, chasing after what it perceived as a 'goblin', seeking to crush it in its rage.
But this only added to the troubles of the shopkeepers in Diagon Alley.
They had to dodge the falling golden cups from above while also keeping an eye on the crazed dragon and putting out the fires on the roof.
Damn it, why was there a dragon in Diagon Alley?! Of course, some people also had their eyes on the golden cups, hoping to claim them for themselves.
But these individuals soon paid the price, screaming in pain from the heat before realizing that the golden cups were fake, split from the original, and held no value.
"Damn it, which bastard..."
The curses filled the air, echoing throughout Diagon Alley.
However, there were also some clever individuals who vaguely understood what had happened.
The Splitting Charm and Flame Charm on the golden cups were clearly Gringotts' doing, indicating that someone had broken into Gringotts and illegally obtained something from within.
Gringotts had been robbed again?
Someone keenly sensed the critical issue.
The reason for saying 'again' was that Gringotts had also been robbed once six years ago.
But at that time, the Gringotts manager claimed that Vault 713 was empty, and the contents had been taken out beforehand.
This time, it couldn't be another empty vault, could it?
Gringotts, which had been safe for centuries, had now been robbed twice in quick succession. It was hard to believe that this was just a coincidence.
The Daily Prophet, upon receiving the news, immediately dispatched reporters to the scene.
However, Gringotts' response was equally swift. Rita Skeeter didn't even get to enter the door before she was stopped by several Aurors and the goblins, who were on high alert.
The goblins were resolute, and Rita Skeeter, sensing their determination, didn't insist on lingering. She soon left.
Whether she truly left or not, no one knew.
Meanwhile, the situation inside Gringotts was also tense.
Auren had escaped, and the goblins indeed shifted their focus to Kyle.
"They're accomplices! Capture him!" Bogrod shrieked.
"You'd better think before you speak," Kyle said, holding the goblin Kra in one hand and his wand in the other, staring coldly at the old goblin.
"You goblins are something else. Not only are the goblins Death Eater impostors, but I also helped out of goodwill, and now I'm accused of being an accomplice."
"You wait and see. I'll tell the Minister of Magic the truth!"
"Do you think we'll just believe you?" Bogrod snorted, showing no signs of backing down.
"Whether you believe me or not doesn't matter. I have evidence." Kyle lifted the goblin Kra, "As long as I send this to the Ministry of Magic, the Aurors will only need a few seconds to extract the truth from its mind. Let's see how long you can keep up this charade."
Bogrod fell silent.
As an old goblin, he could clearly see that Kra had been subjected to the Cruciatus Curse.
And the one who did it was most likely the escaped Death Eater, the same one who had impersonated the goblin Griphook.
If this wizard was telling the truth, Gringotts would be in trouble.
"What, do you want to take the goblin?" Kyle asked, noticing the changing expressions on Bogrod's face and immediately guessing his thoughts.
"We'll handle the goblin issue ourselves. We don't need wizards meddling."
"I don't care about your goblin affairs, but what about my six hundred and thirty Galleons that were stolen? Gringotts should at least give me an explanation."
"And..." Kyle looked up, "Whether wizards should get involved or not is not for you to decide."
Just then, seven or eight Aurors appeared through the previous opening and entered the underground vault.
Leading them was the Head of the Auror Office, Scrimgeour, an old acquaintance.
(End of Chapter)
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