Chapter 28: Desperate Straits

In this world, there is no one else who can fight while fanatically shouting slogans—and specifically "For the Greater Good"—except for the fanatical Acolytes under Grindelwald.

Levi had no time to ponder why Grindelwald’s men had come knocking.

"Where are Tom and Professor Hicks?" Levi looked behind Toby.

He saw Tom lying quietly on the floor behind Toby, looking exceptionally peaceful.

"Huh?" Levi stared at Tom on the ground in shock. Had the future Dark Lord met his end before his career even began?

"Master Tom has only been stunned. Professor Hicks is still outside holding them off, but there are too many of them, and the Professor won't be able to last long. We must leave at once!"

Toby grabbed Tom’s hand while anxiously extending his other hand toward Levi. "Quickly, take Toby’s hand. Toby will get you out of here first... Ah!"

"Boom!" Before Toby could finish his sentence, the wall behind him was blasted open.

The violent shockwave knocked Toby unconscious instantly, and he slumped down next to Tom. Because Levi had been standing in front of Toby, Toby’s body had absorbed part of the blast, sparing Levi from being knocked out.

However, his head was still buzzing intensely.

A massive hole had been torn into the wall. Through the swirling clouds of dust, a tall figure was forcing its way into the room!

Levi quickly drew his beechwood wand.

"Impedimenta!"

"Boom!"

No sooner had the tall figure crawled into the room than Levi’s Impediment Jinx sent him flying back out through the hole.

After casting the spell, Levi didn't hesitate. He rolled to the side, dropping off the end of the bed.

His decision was undoubtedly correct.

He had barely rolled off the bed when seven or eight spells struck the exact spot where he had been sitting. The poor wooden bed was blasted to splinters; feathers and wood shavings filled the air.

With a flick of his wand, Levi pulled Tom and Toby toward him through the air. A heavy wooden cabinet, which had been slowly toppling over due to the tremors, crashed down exactly where they had been lying, kicking up another cloud of dust.

Levi urgently checked the two on the floor. Toby had been stunned by the shockwave, and Tom appeared to have only been hit by a Stupefy curse; neither seemed to be in critical condition.

But with Toby out cold and the Acolytes about to storm back in, there was no time to wake him and have him carry them to safety.

Levi looked at the two unconscious figures again, knowing he could not stay here. If the attackers outside launched a series of explosive spells, they might collapse the house and bury them all alive.

It seemed his only option was to charge out and create a massive distraction, making them believe everyone had fled the room, in order to draw their firepower away for the time being.

Moreover, he had no idea how Professor Hicks was faring.

Without further hesitation, Levi pointed his wand at a wall.

"Reducto!"

"Boom!"

Levi blasted a large hole in the wall. The moment it shattered, he surged out along with the flying bricks and dust.

The explosion was sudden, and those outside had not yet reacted. Furthermore, concealed by the dust and possessing the small frame of an eleven-year-old, Levi went unnoticed by the Acolytes for a brief moment.

Levi caught a glimpse of two figures standing before him. Perhaps because this wall faced the back of the house—with no doors or windows—the Acolytes had only left two men to guard it, and they never expected anyone to emerge from there.

"Stupefy!"

"Petrificus Totalus!"

Caught off guard, both men were struck down by Levi through the haze of dust.

The figures surrounding the house were almost certainly enemies, so Levi showed no mercy. Besides, in a life-or-death situation, he had no time to distinguish friend from foe; he would take them down first.

His sudden, explosive exit had the intended effect, successfully drawing the attention of the Acolytes.

"Movement over there! It looks like someone inside broke through the back wall!"

They abandoned their assault on the house and began rushing around the perimeter toward his position. The sound of frantic footsteps grew louder, approaching from all sides.

With so many coming, Levi guessed that Professor Hicks’s situation was likely dire.

"Obscuro Nebula!"

After downing the two guards, Levi immediately cast a fog-conjuring spell. In an instant, his surroundings were swallowed by thick white mist, and the area covered by the fog began to expand rapidly!

When the Acolytes rounded the back of the house, they collided directly into the growing white bank of mist.

"Careful! Don't hit your own—ah!"

Before the man shouting could finish his sentence, he let out a scream and collapsed to the ground.

Levi lowered his wand and quickly shifted his position within the mist. As he ran, his wand tip continued to emit dense fog.

"Over there!"

Levi had just moved when the spot he had occupied was raked by a barrage of spells!

"Missed! He got away! Dammit! If you've got the guts, come out—ah!"

As another loud-mouthed Acolyte was swiftly taken down, the others fell silent. Clearly, the individual hidden in the mist was targeting them based on their voices!

The enemy could strike at will, while they—fearing friendly fire due to their numbers—dared not attack indiscriminately. In an instant, the Acolytes’ numerical advantage vanished.

Levi moved constantly through the fog. Although the enemy couldn't see him, he couldn't see them either. He could only use the fog to contain them while launching sneak attacks; it was the most effective method available.

After all, even though he possessed the mental strength of an adult and magical proficiency equal to an adult wizard, he could not take on a crowd! Moreover, these were battle-hardened Acolytes—the elite under Grindelwald.

Even in a one-on-one duel, Levi, with his limited combat experience, would have little confidence in defeating one of them. Ultimately, he simply hadn't been studying magic for long enough.

"Protego!"

"Protego..."

After two more teammates were ambushed, the remaining Acolytes began casting Shield Charms, enveloping themselves tightly in protective barriers.

The Shield Charm was highly defensive; aside from the three Unforgivable Curses, it could deflect most other spells.

Hidden in the mist, Levi’s heart sank when he heard the chant. With them protected by shields, he could no longer take them down with a single blow. Even if they stood perfectly still, it would take several spells to shatter their shields.

Trapped in the center of the encirclement, a pause of even a second would result in him being bombarded. And that was without considering the difficulty of casting multiple spells in succession...

"Ventus!"

At that moment, someone cast a Hurricane Charm.

A sudden, violent gale swept through, instantly clearing a large patch of fog and widening their field of vision!

Seeing this, the others followed suit, casting their own wind spells. The thick fog was scattered in an instant!

At this moment, Levi found himself in a desperate situation.