The Butcher of Hogsmeade

"Sphinx!" The terrifying-looking wizard called out another name, different from the one Shen Hou had mentioned, but the two names actually pointed to the same identity. "No, I have never seen or heard of a Sphinx with wings on its back."

Upon hearing the words of the terrifying wizard, Shen Houcai suddenly realized that he had overlooked the pair of wings that were folded up and pressed tightly against the back of the lion's body.

"Inferior imitations, not only arrogantly using my name, but even the riddles they wrote are laughable shoddy products." The Sphinx's steps were as light as a feline, completely ignoring the wizard's terrifying nature, until he walked to a distance where they could see each other's pupils clearly, before leisurely stopping and crouching on the ground like a lion.

The terrifying sorcerer looked up, sizing up the mythical monster that was a third taller than him, his cheeks twitching as he forced a strange, unreadable smile: "Interesting. Are you trying to tell me that what I learned from textbooks, including what I've seen with my own eyes, is fake?"

"What's real and what's fake? How can you be so sure you can tell the difference?" The Sphinx's face, indistinguishable from a human woman's, wore an undisguised mocking smile. "Even your life, didn't it begin with a 'false self-deception,' Voldemort?"

When Shen Hou heard the words "Voldemort," he felt more relieved than surprised. After all, the image of this wizard was so striking that, apart from the Dark Lord, whose terrifying reputation made it almost impossible for anyone in the entire wizarding world to call him by his name, it was hard to think of anyone else who deserved such a prestigious appearance.

Meanwhile, Voldemort, his identity exposed, was furious. But the source of his anger wasn't that someone dared to call him by name; it was that a raw, painful psychological wound had been laid bare. He was confident he had concealed his origins well; in the current wizarding world, almost no one knew that the powerful Dark Lord, who championed the interests of pure-blood wizards, was actually a half-wizard and half-Muggle. But now, a monster, a beast from who-knows-where, had revealed this secret in a single sentence.

"What else do you want to say?" Voldemort stared at the Sphinx, his pupils contracting further in the gradually brightening morning light, leaving only a barely discernible thin line—a sign that cats and snakes have entered hunting mode.

"Are you trying to get me to leave my last words?" Sphinx understood Voldemort's implication, but remained calm and composed, his smile widening. "Then listen carefully: What is the most powerful force in this world, the most elusive, the most irresistible, the most irreplaceable, and the most omnipresent?"

"Ha, every Sphinx dies after a riddle game. The most powerful force in the world? The power to take life, the power to give death." Voldemort raised his wand, pointing forward. "Avada Kedavra!"

As the green light shot out, Shen Hou, even as a bystander, still felt a chill run down his spine, his skin crawling with goosebumps. This wasn't the first time he'd seen the green light of the Killing Curse, but compared to Voldemort, the Killing Curses of other Death Eaters and dark wizards seemed like cheap, clumsy street magic tricks.

The Sphinx neither dodged nor evaded; the green light entered its eyes, struck its body, and then disappeared; but it remained standing in place, glancing down at its chest where the green light had struck, a faint smile playing on its lips.

It must be said that if you ignore its large feline body and limbs and focus your attention on the Sphinx's face, it is an absolutely captivating face that can charm all beings; every frown and smile can seduce a man's soul.

Everyone except the Sphinx himself was stunned by what had just happened, including Voldemort. Ignoring the meager magical power of a child that could only cause nosebleeds, this was the first time in history that a Killing Curse had struck an enemy without taking its life.

"Take away life, bestow death, is that the most powerful force? Heh heh heh... Perhaps so; but among so many forces that can take life, which one is the most irresistible, the one that leaves all living beings helpless, forced to watch it relentlessly close in, taking their lives without any recourse? Please cherish the second chance I've given you, Voldemort, otherwise, you will never understand how precious what you've missed is."

Voldemort seemed not to hear the Sphinx's words. Still shocked by the failure of the Killing Curse, his voice grew increasingly urgent, sounding more and more like the hissing of a viper: "How could you? Why? What are you?"

"Because I am protected by the most powerful force in the world, I am not here, not at this time, not before you, not anywhere you think you are. Can't you guess the answer yet, Voldemort?" The Sphinx's voice was unhurried, but one could vaguely sense its impatience.

Voldemort took a deep breath, his face losing all expression; once he was completely suppressed, he instead withdrew his original mania, anger, pride, contempt, and horror, leaving only a profound calm in his eyes.

This Voldemort-like image made Shen Hou feel uneasy. Even though he knew that what he was seeing was an illusion, he still involuntarily took two steps back.

"You mean time?" Voldemort's voice even became calm.

The Sphinx laughed: "You see, if you just use your brain, you can easily get the right answer. Ah, time, the most magnificent force in the world! It turns something into nothing, and something into nothing; it can give everything, and it can destroy everything. Congratulations, you've seized your last chance."

"Because I have gone further than anyone else on the path of conquering death, I have defeated most of my adversaries, and the next one to be defeated is time," Voldemort said smugly.

"No, your opponent is not only time, but perhaps also fate? The great powers of time and fate are intertwined within you, and that is why I have come."

Voldemort turned his head slightly, and Shen Hou noticed that his gaze inadvertently swept over the dozen or so people by the fountain before immediately returning to the Sphinx.

"I'm all ears." Unconsciously, Voldemort's tone revealed a hint of humility, and he even bowed slightly to the Sphinx.

A person who is arrogant at first and then obsequious is often laughable, but when the same thing happens to Voldemort, it makes Shen Hou's hair stand on end.

A person who can bend and stretch, and who can transform from madness and tyranny to humility and respect in a very short time, is either a madman, a ruthless hero, or both.

And it is precisely this person who is his mortal enemy.

The next moment, a sentence uttered from the Sphinx's mouth startled Shen Hou so much that he almost jumped up from the spot: "Do you know that a time traveler has appeared in this world?"