Hearing Grindelwald's respectfully phrased inquiry, the Acolytes were struck with utter bewilderment!
The fiercely loyal Miss Vinda Rosier, in particular, could hardly believe her ears. Her upward-slanting eyes widened as she stared at her master in disbelief. When she saw that his gaze didn't linger on her for even a second—instead focusing with an unprecedented fervor and longing on that strange, masked boy—a knife-like pang of jealousy and pain rose from the depths of her heart.
Her great master had never looked at her with such intensity... even if she never dared to hope for it.
Swish!
Vinda Rosier whipped her head around, turning her grief into pure rage as she glared at Ethan. She stepped forward, chin tilted high, and demanded coldly, "Did you not hear my Lord asking you a question? Or are you simply too ashamed to speak your own name?"
Hearing this, Grindelwald's brow twitched. His eyes darted toward her, a calculating thought crossing his mind: If I can sacrifice one subordinate to test this boy's limits and true strength... it might not be such a bad trade.
He wanted to see just how far this opponent would go when provoked.
Grindelwald, brimming with self-confidence, didn't truly believe he would die here today. After all, he was the king destined to unite all of Europe, wasn't he? Eventually, he would surely ascend to the next level of existence, just like those high-order beings!
And so, Grindelwald feigned a few words of reprimand while discreetly stepping back, positioning his Acolytes like a shield in front of him. He was ready to make a run for it at a moment's notice.
However, much to Grindelwald's surprise, while the boy before him was clearly powerful, his temper seemed unexpectedly mild. He wasn't annoyed by the sharp interrogation; instead, he turned his head and examined Miss Rosier with a gaze full of genuine interest.
Actually, that was even more terrifying.
In the heavy silence, beads of cold sweat broke out on Vinda Rosier's neck, sliding down her pulsing throat and disappearing into her collar. She felt her body becoming increasingly stiff.
"So, you are 'Miss Rosier'?" Ethan spoke slowly, looking thoughtful. "Coming from the same root, yet the flowers that bloomed are entirely different."
One was a black rose who would slaughter Muggles for the sake of her "faith." The other was a vibrant, upright red rose who bore the sins of her family yet still bloomed beautifully.
Ethan shook his head and lifted his paintbrush. "Alas, 'one root, two flowers; each tells its own tale.' Allow me to represent my member of the Enlightenment Society and deliver a small punishment to this 'ancestor' who has strayed so far."
Vinda Rosier knit her brows. For some reason, a surge of irritation welled up in her chest—it felt as if her own ancestors were poking her in the forehead and scolding her!
Gripping her wand, she gritted her teeth and snapped, "What kind of madness are you—ugh!"
Her voice cut off abruptly.
On the other side, Grindelwald was still weighing the meaning of Ethan's words, his expression grim. Why did it sound like he was talking about Rosier's descendants? Did this person truly possess the power of prophecy? Was he... a modern Merlin?
After a few seconds of pondering, he suddenly realized that Rosier had gone silent. He instinctively turned to look.
When the sight beside him hit his eyes, Grindelwald's breath hitched, and his pupils constricted violently!
A rose, as crimson as weeping blood, was pinned directly through Rosier's left chest!
It looked as though it had blossomed straight out of her flesh. The petals were full and dripping with color, while the stem coiled tightly around Rosier's neck. Like a crown of thorns, it strangled the throat of a swan.
A towering figure stood silently behind Miss Rosier. At least three or four meters tall, the figure was draped in a complex, ruffled gown of deep crimson. A massive, exaggerated "cake hat" sat atop its head, obscuring most of its face and leaving only a slender, pale chin and small red lips that looked as though they had been kissed by blood.
Slender fingers clad in black lace gloves delicately twirled the stem of the rose.
It was "she" who had plunged this flower of death into Vinda Rosier's chest!
Amidst the collective horror, Ethan's clear, pleasant voice rang out slowly:
"Accept it—the punishment from the family you abandoned."
[ Name:The Rose Arbiter ]
[ Grade: 3-Star · Golden Legend ]
[ Type: Portrait ]
[ Effect: A portrait inspired by a righteous Lady Auror. It can inflict the "Flower Arrangement Punishment" on anyone deemed guilty. The rose blooms using flesh and blood as nutrients, dealing massive damage in a short period. Only effective against humans. ]
[ While its limitations are many, once it hits, it is a guaranteed overkill! ]
[ Evaluation: "Junior presents 1x Rose Flower." ]
"Ugh... ah...!"
Rosier's eyes bulged, her body arching backward. Every vein and fiber of muscle felt as if it were being pierced by thorns, leaving her unable to move.
Clatter.
Her wand slipped from her frozen hand, rolling lonely across the floor.
Through the agony spreading from her heart, she saw a blurred figure in a trance. The figure was staring at her with grief and fury, bellowing a silent accusation—
[ You have abandoned justice! ]
"AAAAAAHHH!!!"
A blood-curdling scream tore through the air!
Spurt!
A spray of blood erupted from Miss Rosier's chest! She finally gave out, collapsing to the ground with a dull thud, her legs twitching slightly. Her cold, arrogant face was now stained with a single tear, reflecting a mixture of pain, chaos, and confusion.
She had completely blacked out!
The towering crimson figure turned slowly. From beneath the wide brim of the hat, its gaze looked down upon Grindelwald and his followers.
Gulp.
Grindelwald swallowed hard, drenched in a cold sweat. Even he hadn't sensed when this monster had appeared! He held his wand, but he had no idea what spell to use. After all, the magic he had learned was meant to deal with the living, not... this.
This boy could create more than just fierce beasts—he could create "people" endowed with magical properties?!
This... this was practically the power of Merlin himself!
Mr. Lamp... how had he never heard of a man with such world-transcending power?
A sense of impending doom rose in Grindelwald's heart. He suddenly felt that, this time, he might have been a bit too confident.
Not far away, the group of Aurors was stunned. They turned to their leader and asked blankly, "Wh—which side are we supposed to arrest?"
Theoretically, they were there for Grindelwald. But emotionally, that guy on the other side looked way more evil and dangerous! He had taken Dark Arts to a whole new level! Grindelwald looked like an amateur by comparison!
The leader, Theseus Scamander, said nothing.
Don't ask me, I don't know either.
"Bloody hell, I've really seen it all today," Theseus muttered, a rare curse escaping his lips, earning him a reproving glance from his fiancée.
Meanwhile, on the stage.
Grindelwald swallowed again and said hoarsely, "My apologies. I failed to manage my subordinate. She is yours to deal with as you see fit..."
His meaning was clear: It was all Rosier's fault; I have nothing to do with it.
"Is that so?" Ethan smiled faintly, his tone gentle. "Are those your final words?"
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