"Oh? So after joining you, it's all benefits and no obligations?" Alan was growing more curious about the Silver Spears, though what he valued most were the precious materials and information they possessed.
"Of course not. How could you ask such a naive question?" Thunderbird shook his head disdainfully. "However, compared to the benefits you'll receive, those obligations will be incredibly easy for someone of your caliber."
"Within the Club, as long as you sign a confidentiality agreement and regularly complete assigned tasks, you can earn Merits that can be exchanged for information or materials. Moreover, the more you work, the more you gain. You can acquire status and enhance your strength based on your abilities. I see you've reached such heights at a young age; surely you don't want to be confined to this small, isolated island forever?"
"We never reject ambitious powerhouses, and we are skilled at discovering and cultivating them. You are different from those useless trash. Associating with them for too long will only make you ordinary. Only we can let you see a wider world!"
As Thunderbird spoke, he became radiant with ambition, spreading his arms toward Alan in a welcoming posture.
"Oh?" Alan raised an eyebrow. It seemed this man truly thought highly of him. However, for a scoundrel who had dared to set fire to his home, Alan only wanted to send him to meet Merlin.
"You trash, who constantly act furtively with your tails between your legs—like rats scurrying across the streets—have the nerve to call yourselves powerhouses? It seems the title is truly cheap to you."
Listening to Alan's sarcasm, Thunderbird's expression darkened. He finally realized that Alan had no sincerity whatsoever and had been completely perfunctory, merely stalling for time.
"You refuse the easy way and choose the hard path; you are seeking your own death!" Thunderbird discovered he had been played by a mere child, and fury surged in his heart, his magic boiling instantly.
"Fiendfyre! Scorching Arrow!"
Thunderbird violently waved his wand, and a giant arrow made of viscous Fiendfyre formed at the tip, shrieking toward Alan with a blazing trail.
"Thunder Raven Spell! Resonant Pulse!"
Alan had been secretly accumulating magic, and now was the perfect time to release it. He pointed his wand forward, and the lightning magic condensed at the tip immediately transformed into hundreds of ravens.
This was based on the Flying Raven Spell he had developed earlier using Avis, but this magic had undergone significant improvements. These ravens were different from ordinary ones; they were covered in azure blue feathers, and their eyes glowed with silver light. They howled as they flew, each cry a resonant sound blast enhanced by an infrasonic spell, mimicry of the annoying calls of Evil Hag Birds.
As soon as the Thunder Ravens appeared, a portion of them crashed directly into the Fiendfyre Arrow, while the rest split into two teams. One team charged toward Thunderbird, and the other scattered, pouncing toward the surrounding pine trees.
The ravens attacking the trees howled freely, shaking the heavy snow from the branches. The drifting snowflakes began to obscure their vision, adding a touch of desolation to the battle.
In the center of the clearing, the Thunder Ravens confronting the Fiendfyre Arrow were no match for the initial collision; the arrowhead pierced through several of them instantly. However, the ravens were numerous and composed of Wild Lightning, which was equal in quality to Fiendfyre. Under their continuous suicidal pounces, they successfully annihilated the projectile.
Thunderbird, seeing the remaining ravens charging him, merely smiled. He lightly flicked his wand and unleashed a wide-ranging Oppugno. The magic projectiles, like precision-guided missiles, shot toward the ravens with urgent speed, piercing through them before they could affect him with their Resonant Pulse.
However, several ravens exploded before they were even hit. Some emitted dazzling flashes of light, while others released a wave of dark magical fluctuation. When Alan had cast the spell, he had hidden Flash Charms and Dark Charms inside the ravens, knowing that throwing them directly would never hit an opponent of this level.
Thunderbird seemed to be genuinely affected by the charms, standing still in his tracks.
Alan didn't wait to see if the distraction had fully taken hold. He swiftly fired two Sectumsempra curses followed by a Beam Lightning. But just as the four spells were about to strike, Thunderbird roared.
"Fiendfyre! Yan Blade!"
Thunderbird swung his wand in a wide, horizontal arc. His wand acted like a blade unsheathed, drawing out a giant flame blade over ten meters long, entirely composed of Fiendfyre. With that single sweep, he disintegrated Alan's incoming spells.
"Kid… you've completely enraged me!"
Thunderbird pointed his right hand, still holding the flame blade, toward the ground. He raised his left hand and pulled the mask from his face, revealing a furious expression. He had already shown his face to Alan once before, so removing the mask carried no weight now. He wanted the boy to see his genuine anger.
"It's been years since anyone dared to use such trash against me in a duel. This is not only an insult to me, but an insult to the art of the duel. Do you truly think you can shatter a duelist's will with a mere Endless Darkness charm?"
"Trash is trash. It seems I was wrong from the beginning. How could someone who relies on such external objects possibly inherit the will of the Silver Spears?"
"Kid, next, I'll let you witness the wrath of a duelist! Die!"
Thunderbird roared, raising the massive blade of Fiendfyre high. He gripped the air with both hands and slashed down fiercely. The viscous blade extended another ten meters as it fell, striking toward Alan with an unparalleled sense of oppression. The fiery edge cleaved through the air, the falling snow, and the earth itself, boiling everything it touched. Within the lava-like blade, ghostly faces were hidden, howling in constant agony.