Intense pain shot through the wound in his chest. When Raichel pulled his hand back out, Leonard felt cold.
It was as if a huge hole had opened in his chest and cold wind was pouring through it.
No, there really was a huge hole in his chest.
Leonard felt the strength drain from his powerful body. Lupin slipped from his shoulder, and everything in front of him turned pale.
He could see Sirius roaring, but he could not hear the shout. All he heard was a dull ringing.
Leonard had never thought about what he would think or feel when he died. Would there be fear, or pain, or just blank confusion with no awareness at all?
But now that he was truly on the brink of death, his mind felt strangely clear, his thoughts even sharper than usual.
Is this what dying feels like? But that is not right. If he is dying, then what about that version of himself who came back to this point?
Had that self not said he would deal with Raichel's main body? Then what is this thing behind him? It crept up on him without a sound and attacked with this much power. Could this be another clone too?
Huh? Wait, why am I not dead yet?
Leonard lowered his head and suddenly saw that the Ancient Sprout wrapped around his arm had somehow burrowed into the wound in his chest, frantically weaving itself together as it tried to patch that horrifying gap.
And it had actually done it. Plant fibers turned into blood vessels, muscle, bone, even internal organs. The Ancient Sprout was consuming itself to fill the wound in Leonard's body.
But making such a commotion at a time like this was really not wise.
A bitter smile appeared on Leonard's face. If he had known, he would have just dropped to the ground.
"Hm? You can still resist?" Raichel looked with interest at the wound on Leonard's chest being stitched back together, and a cruel smile spread across his face.
He reached out like a mischievous child playing with a spiderweb. His sharp claws sliced through the mended tissue, and his hand maliciously stirred around inside.
A knife in the wound.
"...!"
The agony made Leonard's vision black out, and fury surged up in him.
You bastard, are you done yet or not?!
A set of illusory fangs opened on his left arm and bit down on Raichel's arm.
Raichel had not cared at first. His arm was covered in scales, feathers, and beast fur, every layer a defense of incredible toughness. Even some ancient magic could not harm him.
But the instant those fangs bit into his arm, Raichel's expression changed.
He abruptly leapt back, trailing blood behind him. His right arm had vanished from the elbow down, cut away so cleanly that the cross-section of muscle fibers looked perfectly neat.
Raichel glared furiously at Leonard. That severed arm was still buried in Leonard's chest.
This was the first time Raichel's true body had ever been wounded. Since gaining all those bloodlines, it was the first time he had ever been injured.
"Unforgivable." Raichel's face twisted. "Why? Why aren't you dead yet?"
"I'll tear you apart!"
He roared in fury, but then a sudden sweet fragrance drifted through the air and cleared the mind that had been thrown into chaos by dozens of conflicting bloodlines.
The rage faded. Raichel stood there blankly, sniffing the fragrance in confusion.
His arm suddenly felt itchy. Lowering his head, he was shocked to find a membrane of blood rapidly growing over the cut on his arm, and even bone was beginning to regenerate.
On the ground, Lupin, who had been poisoned by the Manticore's venom, began breathing steadily, and the purple tint on his body gradually faded.
Tonks, still unconscious, slowly relaxed her tightly furrowed brow. She opened her eyes and looked around in complete confusion.
Sirius, who had not been hurt, had no idea what was happening either. He had also caught the scent, and it invigorated him, making him instinctively search for its source.
Then his gaze landed on Leonard.
The wound in Leonard's chest had not healed, and his still chest looked as though he were dead.
The plants that had been trying to mend the injury had been torn apart and turned into motes of starlight.
And yet that body, which looked like a corpse, was now brimming with astonishing vitality. The life in it was so dense that even a Muggle would have been able to feel it.
It was the kind of overflowing life force that made it seem as though even a stone could jump up and punch someone.
Raichel snapped fully awake. His eyes turned red, and when he looked at Leonard it was as if he were staring at some exquisite delicacy. Drool slid from the corner of his mouth.
"Hungry..." he growled, his reason already crushed beneath appetite. "Hungry!"
Raichel moved.
With the bloodlines of dozens of magical creatures gathered in his body, countless strange abilities, and physical strength beyond measure, Raichel lunged at Leonard at a speed the naked eye could barely follow.
He spread his claws and rushed forward like a diner charging at a feast with knife and fork in hand.
Sirius gripped his wand and charged too. At this point, he was the only one left who could still fight, aside from Tonks, who had no idea what was going on.
Even Sirius himself did not know what use there was in rushing in. Leonard looked as though he was already dead. Was he really trying to protect a corpse?
And yet he still rushed forward.
...
Facing Raichel, whose body was mixed with the traits of countless magical creatures, Sirius did not hesitate. He raised his wand and immediately cast an Unforgivable Curse.
"Avada Kedavra."
Sirius looked imposing. Sirius was full of confidence. Sirius felt this one was in the bag.
He liked to think of himself as righteous, but his strength was not to be underestimated. The power of his Unforgivable Curse was no weaker than that of the Death Eaters.
But Raichel's response to Sirius's Unforgivable Curse was simple.
He raised a hand and slapped it away.
The sickly green spell flew off like a ball, and the self-assured Sirius froze on the spot.
Come on, that is just unfair. Since when did an Unforgivable Curse have so little dignity that it could just be batted away?
Do I not have any talent at all?
Sirius was stunned into silence, but Raichel did not pause for even a moment. The Killing Curse had done nothing to him, and he kept charging straight at Leonard without losing speed.
Just as he reached Leonard and was about to feast, a giant mouth appeared out of nowhere.
That mouth was like the huge gate of a castle. Before Raichel could even react, it swallowed him whole, along with a huge stretch of ground in front of Leonard.
All that remained before Leonard was a massive crater.
Sirius's mouth fell open. Then he looked with relief at Lupin, who was lying at Leonard's feet, just a few centimeters from the edge of the pit.
Close. So close. Remus's arm had nearly been gone.
Sirius finally let out a breath.