Seeing its claws easily severed by that sword, Echidna immediately panicked.
What luck, what change of fortune, it was still an unlucky demon.
Damn it, it had already come to Earth. As long as it could grow for a short time, it would gain immense power by devouring souls. So why did it have to run into these two damned human mages?
Echidna quickly changed its mind, abandoning its plan to kill the two mysterious mages and trying to flee instead. But it didn't know this was the Mirror Dimension, there was no escape!
After cutting off Echidna's claws, Harry grew even more excited. A faint red glow flickered in his eyes, a sign of his magic being pushed to its limits.
The magic within him was boundless. He conjured another Sword of the Vishanti and charged at Echidna.
Though he also knew defensive spells, like the most common Crimson Bands of Cyttorak, he didn't like using them.
He greatly agreed with a saying he'd once stumbled upon in an ancient text: the best defense is a good offense!
One side was burning with fighting spirit, while the other only wanted to escape. Moreover, there was already a gap in their strength. So, within minutes, Harry had slashed Echidna to the point of being covered in wounds.
Finally, he dispersed the Sword of the Vishanti embedded in Echidna's skull and let out a refreshed sigh.
An upper-level demon… wasn't all that strong. If he used something like the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak, he could fight a whole crowd of upper-level demons for an entire day!
Watching Harry effortlessly kill an upper-level demon, Wong's expression was complicated. Back in the day, it had taken him over a decade of training to reach that level. Harry, aside from the five years spent stabilizing his impossibly vast magic, had only studied for two and a half years.
But unlike Kaecilius, Wong wasn't narrow-minded. He didn't envy Harry for being favored by the Ancient One, nor did he resent Harry's rapid growth.
He was genuinely happy for Harry.
Wong patted Harry on the shoulder, his burly face breaking into a sincere smile. "Well done, Harry!"
After dealing with the demon, they used a portal to return to Kamar-Taj and report to the Ancient One.
Only a few terrified occult enthusiasts were left behind, questioning reality.
----
Back at Kamar-Taj, the Ancient One praised Harry and believed he was now ready to learn even more powerful spells.
She also mentioned that his current knowledge allowed him to create his own magic. After all, spells that relied on specific dimensional energies could be adapted for Harry's use, but they would never fully unleash the true power of his chaotic magic.
Harry took the Ancient One's words to heart and he already had an idea.
Thanks to his magic-enhanced brain, Harry's memory was astonishing.
He could even vaguely recall seeing a beam of green light when he was very young. That beam seemed to possess immense power.
After continuous experimentation, he was now close to mastering a spell that could produce that same green beam.
Hmm… what should he name this spell?
"Avada Kedavra"—yes, that was it!
Harry had long since mastered the portal spell, but due to the instability of his chaotic magic, the portals couldn't remain steady.
Sometimes, as his chaotic magic fluctuated, the portal would immediately go out of control and close.
To avoid getting killed by his own magic, Harry rarely used portals, mostly traveling on foot instead.
Returning to 20 Ingram Street in Queens, he found Uncle Ben, Aunt May, and Peter already asleep.
Harry naturally didn't want to disturb them. He simply leaped up to the second floor, opened the window, and prepared to climb inside.
But the moment he stepped through the window, his surroundings suddenly brightened.
The environment shifted from night to day, and his spacious room transformed into a narrow hallway.
Even after over seven years, Harry still recognized this hallway.
This was… the hallway in Uncle Vernon's house!
He's Back Again!
Harry looked down at his body. He was wearing a tattered, oversized gray T-shirt, which he remembered was a hand-me-down from Dudley not long ago.
Because Dudley was so fat, the T-shirt hung on Harry like a dress.
Suddenly, Harry noticed his hands and was shocked to realize that his body had reverted to how it looked when he was eleven years old.
Back then, he was still small and skinny, barely over four feet tall, a far cry from the handsome young man he would become seven years later.
After realizing this, Harry was gripped with terror. Had everything that happened before just been a dream?
No, please, no!
Uncle Ben, Aunt May, Peter, the Sorcerer Supreme, Wong, Gwen...
Every single one of them was incredibly important to him. He didn't want to lose any of them!
Then, Harry suddenly thought of something. Immediately, he began drawing the runes as taught by the Sorcerer Supreme. As a golden matrix of symbols materialized, he once again pulled out the Sacred Sword of the Vishanti!
Harry let out a heavy sigh of relief.
Thank goodness, it wasn't a dream!
As long as it wasn't a dream, there was still a chance for him to return to that world. Maybe it would just take some time.
Just then, Aunt Petunia's shrill voice rang out from the kitchen:
"Here comes our little birthday boy! Happy birthday, sweetheart!"
A bright smile curled at Harry's lips. It had been so long since he'd seen the dear Dursleys.
He had missed them so much!
Sensing the magic within him, it was still as vast and boundless as it had been in that other world. The only difference was that, perhaps due to the influence of this world, the amount of magic he could wield was reduced.
About a third of what it was before?
Still, it was more than enough. And it wasn't without its benefits, his magic seemed far more stable in this world!
Harry took off his glasses, his eyes glowing with a brilliant gold light. When the gold faded, his vision was restored to perfect clarity.
Using magic to enhance his body was one of the best ways to utilize chaotic magic, aside from telekinesis.
By constantly reinforcing his body with magic, he could quickly restore this world's frail form to a healthy state.
Harry wasn't used to this weak, scrawny body. As for the magic consumed, compared to his total reserves, it was barely a drop in the bucket.
Pushing open the grimy door, he walked into the kitchen, where Aunt Petunia was planting a kiss on Dudley's pig-like head while wishing him a happy birthday.
At this moment, Aunt Petunia looked gentle and kind, the very picture of warmth. The way she treated Dudley had once been something Harry envied deeply, but now, he didn't feel a shred of jealousy.
He had experienced that kind of love too, he had people who cherished him as well!
When Harry walked in, Aunt Petunia's expression instantly twisted into a scowl as she snapped,
"Hurry up and make breakfast, and don't you dare burn anything!"
But to the Dursleys' surprise, Harry acted as if he hadn't heard her. He strolled leisurely to the table, sat down beside Vernon, poured himself a glass of juice from the pitcher, and drank it with satisfaction.
(End of Chapter)