As they stood outside the base, looking at the ruins, a wave of relief swept over them—surviving the destruction of the base felt like a second chance at life.
"We did it!" Prolo Hawthorne shouted excitedly. "We've destroyed the Black Hole Organization's secret base!"
Dean Bruce smiled and nodded. "Yes, we did. But the battle isn't over. We still need to push forward and completely eliminate the threat of the Black Hole Organization."
The mages of the Herbert family also nodded in agreement, fully aware that this was just the beginning of their fight against the Black Hole Organization. More challenges lay ahead.
However, just as they were about to leave, hurried footsteps suddenly echoed through the air. They turned to see several figures in black robes rushing toward them.
"This isn't good—Black Hole Organization members!" Krupp shouted. "Everyone, be on your guard!"
Dean Bruce and the others immediately assumed a defensive stance, preparing for the imminent battle. But just then, a familiar voice rang out.
"Stop!"
Everyone turned toward the voice and saw Minister Cyb Louis, accompanied by a team of mages, hurrying toward them. He waved his hand, signaling the Black Hole Organization members to halt, and then walked up to Dean Bruce and the others.
"Minister Cyb, what are you doing here?" Dean Bruce asked in surprise.
Cyb Louis gave a small smile. "I received word of intense fighting here and was concerned for your safety, so I came as quickly as I could."
"Minister, your timing is perfect," Dean Bruce said gratefully. "We just destroyed a secret base of the Black Hole Organization, but it seems like they're not ready to give up just yet."
Cyb Louis nodded. "The Black Hole Organization is a stubborn enemy. They won't surrender easily. But as long as we stay united, we will be able to defeat them."
He turned to face the members of the Black Hole Organization. "You're surrounded. Surrender now."
The Black Hole Organization members exchanged glances, and after a moment of hesitation, they reluctantly dropped their weapons. They knew further resistance was pointless.
Cyb Louis waved his hand, signaling for his men to take the Black Hole members into custody. He then turned back to Dean Bruce and the others. "You've done well. You've made a significant contribution to the safety of the magical world. But the fight isn't over. We must continue to work together."
Dean Bruce and the others nodded in agreement. They knew the road ahead in the fight against the Black Hole Organization would be long, but they were ready. No matter what obstacles lay in their way, they would not give up.
Just as they were about to leave, the sound of hurried footsteps rang out once more. Everyone turned again, only to see a mysterious figure in a black robe speeding toward them. The figure moved with incredible speed, and in the blink of an eye, they were standing before them.
"Shasbia!" Dean Bruce exclaimed in shock. "You're not dead?"
Shasbia let out a cold laugh. "Of course I'm not dead. Dean Bruce, did you really think you could defeat me so easily? How naive."
With that, he raised his wand and began chanting an incantation. A powerful dark force immediately gathered around him, swirling and expanding as it shot toward Dean Bruce and the others.
"Everyone, be careful!" Dean Bruce shouted as he and the others quickly cast protective spells. However, Shasbia's attack was so overwhelming that their defenses were shattered almost instantly.
"Dean, what should we do?" Prolo Hawthorne shouted anxiously.
"Everyone, don't panic! Stay calm!" Dean Bruce shouted. "Shasbia's power is immense, but he must have a weakness. If we can find it, we can defeat him!"
The Herbert family's mages nodded in agreement, knowing that they had to stay united in order to survive this ordeal.
"Dean, where do you think his weakness might be?" one of the Herbert family mages asked.
Dean Bruce thought for a moment, then suddenly had a realization. "I remember him saying that he's the leader of the Black Hole Organization. That means his power is probably linked to the core of the Black Hole Organization. If we can find the organization's core, we might be able to find a way to defeat him."
"But where is the core of the Black Hole Organization?" Prolo Hawthorne asked urgently.
Dean Bruce shook his head. "I don't know, but we could try searching through Shasbia's memories for clues."
He then turned to Cyb Louis. "Minister, can you use magic to read Shasbia's memories?"
Cyb Louis furrowed his brow. "Reading memories is a very complex spell, and it requires the subject to be unconscious. Although Shasbia is injured, his mind is still very alert. It's going to be difficult for me to succeed."
"What should we do, then?" Krupp asked urgently.
At that moment, Dean Bruce suddenly had an idea. "I have a plan! We can use the 'Two Tigers' spell to disrupt Shasbia's consciousness, temporarily lowering his guard. Then, Minister, you can take the opportunity to read his memories."
The group fell silent for a moment, stunned by Dean Bruce's seemingly absurd suggestion.
"Is that really going to work?" one of the Herbert family mages asked skeptically.
Dean Bruce nodded. "It's worth a try. It's better than doing nothing."
With that, he began chanting the incantation for "Two Tigers" while performing the necessary gestures. Although everyone felt a bit awkward, they followed suit, chanting along with him.
"Two Tigers, Two Tigers, running fast, running fast, one has no eyes, one has no tail, how strange, how strange."
As the incantation was recited and the gestures performed, a strange, ethereal energy began to fill the air. Shasbia's eyes grew dazed, as if something was pulling at his attention.
"Now's our chance!" Dean Bruce shouted, and together with the others, they intensified the chant and movements.
Shasbia finally could not resist the peculiar energy. His eyes grew vacant, and his body trembled slightly.
"Minister, now!" Dean Bruce urged.
Seeing Shasbia's condition, Cyb Louis immediately cast the memory-reading spell. He gently placed his fingers on Shasbia's forehead, and a soft light began to radiate from his fingertips, entering Shasbia's mind.
Moments later, Cyb Louis withdrew his hand, a look of realization flashing across his eyes.
"I've got it!" Cyb Louis exclaimed. "The core of the Black Hole Organization is on a remote island. There, there's a massive black hole—it's the source of Shasbia's power."
"We need to go there right away!" Prolo Hawthorne said urgently.