The calm sea suddenly turned violent, waves rising with thunder and lightning, as a raging storm descended without warning.
Meanwhile, on the private island of the Uesugi family, one of the Hachiya, the Eight Noble Clans of Japanese wizarding society, two figures were entwined in the room of the family patriarch, Yoshinobu Uesugi.
After a long moment, following two sharp cries, the figures slowly pulled apart.
Just then, a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, and in its illumination, a dark silhouette was suddenly reflected in the windowpane.
"Who's there?!"
The sudden appearance of the figure startled Yoshinobu. Instinctively, he reached for the wand lying at his side.
But in the next instant, a spell tore through the wall and shattered his wand into pieces. Both Yoshinobu and Tachibana Yusei stood frozen in shock.
Tap… tap… tap…
Accompanied by slow, deliberate footsteps, the figure of Wentworth entered Yoshinobu's chamber.
Upon recognizing him, Yoshinobu shouted in astonishment:
"You?!"
He quickly recovered from his shock and bellowed:
"Guards! Someone, anyone, come quickly!"
But Wentworth advanced unbothered, step by step, until he stood directly in front of Yoshinobu. Only then did Yoshinobu notice the trail of blood-red footprints that followed behind him.
The sight made Yoshinobu fall silent, dread spreading across his face.
Wentworth stared at him expressionlessly and said:
"Go ahead. Call again if you like. But if you're hoping those useless fools outside will come, don't waste your breath."
Yoshinobu glared, gritting his teeth:
"Wentworth Grindelwald! Don't get cocky! You're in Japan now, this is the domain of the Hachiya—"
Before he could finish, he saw Wentworth raise his wand and aim it at him, his expression cold as ice.
"I ask. You answer. Understood?"
Yoshinobu swallowed hard and nodded repeatedly.
To his shock, Wentworth's wand lit up immediately.
"Cruciatus!"
"Aaargh!!"
A piercing scream filled the room as Yoshinobu collapsed, writhing in agony on the floor.
Yusei stumbled backward in horror, yelling:
"He said he'd answer you! Why are you still torturing him?!"
Wentworth glanced at Yusei, his face devoid of emotion.
"I didn't expect him to agree so easily. I just wanted to hurt him."
Yusei was stunned speechless. A moment later, terror overtook his face.
"Y-You… You're a monster!"
Wentworth ignored him. He turned back toward the convulsing Yoshinobu, looking down coldly.
"I'm not a monster," he said. "I'm a Dark Lord."
A long while passed. Once Yoshinobu's pupils had fully dilated, Wentworth finally lifted the curse. But even with the spell lifted, Yoshinobu's body still twitched involuntarily.
Wentworth loomed over the man, his voice sharp and unforgiving:
"Tell me, what's going on with the Obscurus inside Yukina? Why did she become one?!"
Soaked in sweat, Yoshinobu gasped, stammering:
"I'll talk… I'll tell you everything… Just, no more—"
Before he could finish, Wentworth's cold voice cut in:
"I don't believe you."
"…?!"
In the next second, another spell lit up.
"Legilimens!"
Wentworth peered directly into Yoshinobu's fractured mind, and quickly found the memories he sought.
A series of vivid scenes unfolded.
A little girl, delicate and doll-like, peeked through a doorframe to watch her father perform a Levitation Charm, sending a teacup floating into his hand. Her face lit up with amazement.
Later, she snuck back to her own room and mimicked what she had seen, trying to perform magic herself.
She was untrained, wandless, just a child, but the doll across the room stirred.
Before she could even smile, her father appeared behind her and kicked her to the ground.
He told her she must never, ever attempt magic.
Over the years, she obeyed. But magic would still escape her at times, uncontrolled. Each time it did, her father would beat her mercilessly.
While the other children her age began their magical training and received their own wands, she remained locked away, alone with her battered cloth doll.
One day, when her favorite doll tore, she recalled a spell she had seen and tried a Reparo. Miraculously, the doll was restored.
But instead of praise, it earned her another savage beating.
And this time, her father destroyed her beloved doll completely, ripping it to shreds before her eyes.
As she stared at the pieces, something deep within her stirred, as if a buried force were breaking free.
Moments later, the girl erupted in fury, becoming an Obscurial, unleashing destruction on everything in sight, until her magic finally burned out.
Her father, however, only laughed, laughed with utter satisfaction.
After her Obscurus had awakened, the girl was finally permitted to learn spells. But under her father's strict command, her days became relentless: studying magic from dawn till dusk without a moment's rest.
She tried to run away multiple times, but each attempt failed.
And so she submitted, day after day, following his rigid schedule.
Yet despite it all, the girl's face never lacked a smile. Even the sight of a single blooming flower in the morning was enough to brighten her whole day.
Because in her colorless world, that tiny bloom was one of the few traces of beauty left.
When the vision faded, Wentworth stood in silence.
Then, a fury overtook him. He roared:
"Why?! Why would you do that?! She's your daughter!"
Yoshinobu, still prostrate on the ground, began to laugh hoarsely.
"Why? For the Uesugi legacy, of course. This was an experiment, a great one! So long as we raise a new Obscurial every ten years, without interruption, the mighty Uesugi family will always have one at our command. Can you even fathom that kind of power?"
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This fanfic has been fully translated!