No matter how they had escaped separately, running in different directions, all of the Centaurs were simultaneously engulfed in crimson flames.
There was no way to evade or foresee, the flames seemed to surge out from within them. All the Centaurs fell to the ground, letting out shrieking cries that sounded near to wailing.
The fire.
Did not directly burn these Centaurs to death.
The flames were more like a terrible magic, gradually eroding their skin and flesh. The skin of the Centaurs started to become dried out, like land scorched under the sun for days, losing all its sheen and elasticity. Their muscles began to shrink, as if an invisible force was draining every drop of blood and moisture.
The surrounding trees seemed to be retreating, gently swaying even in the absence of wind.
"No!!! I was wrong!!!"
"Kill me! Just kill me directly!"
"Evil Dark Wizard! Your soul will be cursed!"
After some painful moans and struggles, the Centaurs fell slowly to the ground like puppets that had lost all life force, their bodies shriveled like dried corpses. No longer did they possess their usual pride and vitality. Once the Centaurs fell, the flames gradually extinguished, leaving only a scorched and ruined scene.
The air was filled with a suffocating burnt smell—a trace left by life being mercilessly stripped away.
"What a nuisance!"
Ian quickly distanced himself from the ashes scattered all around, watching the Black Phoenix land on his shoulder, and the Black-robed Skeleton followed suit. He decided to share some of the Centaur's curse.
"Honestly, you're the ones who acted, so you're who it was calling the Dark Wizard." Ian remained exceptionally cautious, even though he hadn't felt the presence of a curse.
"Caw?"
The Black Phoenix seemed to be indicating that it was not a Wizard.
"Then it must be referring to it, the lone outsider... the skeleton." Ian and the Black Phoenix simultaneously turned their ears and heads to the silent Black-robed Skeleton.
"??????"
The Black-robed Skeleton didn't utter a word.
But it clearly sensed how clever Ian was; despite following Ian's orders to silence them, it ended up being shunned by Ian along with the Black Phoenix.
"It's okay, you can handle it, I believe in you... And also help me bear Voldemort's curse." Ian walked along the narrow, winding path toward the secret passage.
The empty forest echoed with rustling sounds. The white glow from the Magic Wand illuminated the surrounding scenery; the damp path was covered with slippery moss.
Some grotesque fireflies were drawn to the light but did not dare to get close.
"Plop~"
The Black-robed Skeleton stepped on a tiny mushroom.
Ian glanced back.
Immediately, he ran off.
Just as the inexplicably baffled Black-robed Skeleton was about to leisurely follow, the tiny mushroom underfoot started to swell frantically, exploding in an instant and spewing out a large plume of green smoke.
The seemingly poisonous smoke dyed the Black-robed Skeleton green, yet it still moved swiftly, teleporting beside Ian who had already run far ahead.
"This is a good thing, let me scrape some off." Ian, already equipped with a bottle and brush and wearing protective gear, quickly approached to collect the toxic powder when the Black-robed Skeleton appeared.
A short while later.
The Black-robed Skeleton regained its color.
Ian was also satisfied as he stored a test tube's worth of powder. Perhaps because they had stayed in this spot for too long, a curious nocturnal creature was attracted to them.
It didn't seem to fear the Black-robed Skeleton, nor did it fear Ian and the Black Phoenix, slowly emerging from the dense forest, looking like a horse but far cleaner and more beautiful.
There were also some brightly colored butterflies emitting a glow, circling around this Fantastic Beast.
"It's a Unicorn."
Ian was a bit surprised by the encounter tonight. He had been in the Forbidden Forest more than once or twice, but had never encountered a Unicorn willingly approaching him.
In fact.
The Unicorn was not approaching him. It circled past Ian and the Black Phoenix on his shoulder, heading directly toward the Black-robed Skeleton.
Its feet knelt on the ground.
Slightly bowing down.
The Black-robed Skeleton tilted its head, looking somewhat puzzled, but still reached out to stroke the Unicorn's head—this scene made Ian feel somewhat fantastical and unbelievable.
"You were so cruel when killing the Centaur! Yet the Unicorn considers you to have a pure soul?" Ian felt that either he was insane or the Unicorn that appeared was insane.
It wasn't that when he approached, the Unicorn showed disdain. Of course, the Unicorn would let him touch it, but certainly not as gentle as it was in front of the Black-robed Skeleton.
This beautiful Fantastic Beast could have a very big temper.
Seeing the Unicorn even expressed wanting to carry the Black-robed Skeleton.
Ian was somewhat stunned.
"You're actually a good Skeleton!?"
He couldn't comprehend why he was witnessing such an eerie scene.
"Caw caw~"
The Black Phoenix echoed.
It looked at the Black-robed Skeleton as if viewing a class traitor.