Rimuru Tempest and the World of Morons with Magic Sticks

Arc 2: Chapter 9

The Great Hall was rearranged to facilitate the duel, being the only room built to hold all those that attend and work at Hogwarts. Rimuru had insisted that everyone witness it, after all, and I agreed, so anything else would be breaking my word.

Though now... I was frightened. At least moderately. There was an air around Rimuru that I could feel. Something dark, or even beyond dark. It was not exactly magic, it was something else. I'd noticed something similar when the girl barged into my study about the issue that led to these circumstances. The best word to describe the feeling was: oppressive.

I would need to double my efforts in my study of her.

Severus was standing close-by to Rimuru, stiff and proud as ever. He seemed eager, in his own way; I know the man well enough to detect that from him, despite his usual scowl. Rimuru was focused on her soon-to-be opponent at the other end of the platform and neither had yet to step up onto.

Lockheart was confidently grinning back, but he was hiding some nervousness behind that expression. Perhaps he was feeling what I was feeling from Rimuru, but I suspected he might be too dense to do so.

Soon, both were in position. Now, Rimuru and Lockheart stood at opposite ends, facing each other, the crowd of students and staff quiet with anticipation.

I would hope to spare the details normally, however what happened next was noteworthy.

The man's attempts to cast spells simply drained from the air as they approached the girl. She hadn't even raised her wand, yet all of the magic disappeared from the world as it got too close.

All the while, she was approaching Lockheart slowly, to the man's seeming terror. I could not quite tell why, until I saw it.

Those small black sparks dancing along her palm. I'd never seen such a spell before.

Quickly enough she was face to face with the man, at the very edge of the makeshift arena. The sparks passed from her hand into her wand, the tip of which was instantly pressed to Lockheart's chest.

The man screamed in agony, for an oddly long time, before collapsing completely.

He jolted several times more, before simply appearing dead.

I could tell he was not, as his faint aura had not dissipated. Yet, it appeared like it.

He was quickly taken to the infirmary following that. Soon after, he disappeared.

Rimuru's POV

That was satisfying.

It wasn't the norm for me to enjoy inflicting pain on others, but there had been a few exceptions over the years, and this was one of them.

I'd given Lockheart a bit of the ol' 'Clayman Treatment' and drew out his pain to a longer length than it actually was in reality, courtesy of Thought Acceleration. Just a few hours' worth of suffering was enough, I didn't wanna go overboard and have his head pop like an overripe melon or something equally as gruesome. Humans are fragile, after all, and hundreds of children were watching.

I dusted my hands off as they pulled him away to be treated, since I may have crisped him up a little with that weakened form of Black Lightning.

Was that enough, you think, Ciel? Or are you still mad at him?

[[Perhaps it is enough, now.]]

Something felt off a bit, Ciel never intoned her words. Not ever. I just had to ignore it though. I didn't want to anger her again by questioning.

...

I had to deal with the entire school cheering and mobbing me all at once, and it took me some time to escape all of that, but once things had calmed down, Snape approached me.