Chapter 139: The Magical Chaos in Chinatown
"Alright, I'll help you, but I threw that nesting doll away at the shop entrance back then."
David thought for a moment and finally fell into Balthazar's trap.
George, who had been watching the whole thing, didn't say a word to warn David. After all, he also hoped David would take the bait so he could learn the magic from the Book of Merlin later.
"You threw it away? Let me check!"
Upon hearing this, Balthazar immediately began casting a spell. He had left a magical mark on the nesting doll, so he could locate it no matter where it was.
After a moment, he slowly opened his eyes.
"It's in a busy area, probably in Chinatown. We need to hurry before Horvath gets there first."
"Why not use your eagle?"
Seeing that Balthazar wasn't controlling the giant eagle to take them to Chinatown as before but was instead heading toward the building's staircase, David was puzzled.
Balthazar explained:
"We sorcerers try to avoid drawing attention from humans. This is a rule we Merlin-style sorcerers have always followed.
The busy area has too many people, and controlling the giant eagle there would be too conspicuous. There's a car I parked in the building's parking lot ten years ago. We'll drive there."
"If you're worried about being too conspicuous, I can take you there."
George spoke up.
Now was the time to act quickly. It would be best to get to the nesting doll before Horvath to avoid unnecessary trouble.
"How will you take us there?"
Balthazar and David looked at George in confusion.
A magic circle flashed on George's back, and a pair of large white wings unfolded.
"Of course, I'll fly you there!"
"You can fly?!"
Seeing George hovering in the air, David's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
He had no idea George the panda could fly, as he had never seen him do it before.
"Great, let's hurry then."
Balthazar was also surprised that George could use flight magic, but he was equally pleased, as it meant they could reach Chinatown faster.
Holding Balthazar and David under each arm, George quickly flew toward Chinatown.
About twenty minutes later, they landed on the rooftop of a seven-story residential building.
"Wait here on the rooftop. I'll go retrieve the nesting doll."
Balthazar said to George and David before heading down the stairs.
David couldn't help much since he didn't know any magic yet, and George's panda form would attract too much attention.
"Wow, it's so lively down here!"
After Balthazar left, David looked at the red lanterns hanging below and the bustling streets, letting out a sigh of admiration.
George replied:
"Because today is the New Year here, equivalent to your Christmas."
He hadn't realized it was already New Year's in this world.
David nodded in understanding, then suddenly realized something:
"You're a panda, so does that mean you used to live in China?"
"Well, you could say that."
George paused for a moment, then nodded.
Pandas are from China, so that wasn't wrong. His soul might not belong to this world, but saying he was from China wasn't incorrect either.
"No wonder you know so much about them."
David hadn't expected that the magical panda was actually a sorcerer from China.
"I've always thought you looked a lot like Po, the Kung Fu Panda. Have you seen that movie?"
"I have, but I don't know kung fu. I only know magic."
George shrugged.
As the two chatted on the rooftop, they suddenly heard a loud crash from below. A window on the third floor shattered, and Balthazar's figure flew out, landing on the busy street.
Three figures jumped down after him.
The leader was Horvath, followed by a male and a female sorcerer.
"Balthazar, today is your day to die!"
"That guy is really fast. Looks like we wasted too much time chatting on the rooftop."
Seeing this, George realized that Horvath had found the nesting doll first and had already released the two Morgana faction sorcerers sealed inside.
The Book of Morgana contained a time-reversal spell that could recreate scenes from many years ago. Horvath had used this spell to locate the nesting doll ahead of time.
"Stay here. I'm going down to help!"
George leaped off the rooftop, spread his wings, and flew around to sneak up on Horvath from behind.
"Sectumsempra!"
To capture the leader first, George aimed to take out Horvath, after which the other two would be easier to deal with.
However, just as he cast the spell, Horvath turned into a swarm of cockroaches, dodging the Sectumsempra curse.
At the same time, the female sorcerer, who looked to be in her late teens, quickly turned her head and locked eyes with George. Her eyes glowed with a strange light.
"You think I'd fall for the same trick twice, panda? I knew you'd be nearby."
Horvath reformed into human form, looking at George, who was now immobilized by the female sorcerer's mental magic, with a tone of triumph.
He knew that if he didn't eliminate Balthazar and the panda this time, even if he got the nesting doll, he'd still be hunted down.
So, after retrieving the nesting doll in Chinatown, he immediately released the two Morgana faction sorcerers sealed inside and set up an ambush in the room.
When George and the others landed on the rooftop, the female sorcerer, skilled in mental magic, had already sensed their presence. Everything was under his control.
"Horvath!"
At this moment, Balthazar stood up from the ground. As a sorcerer second only to Merlin and Morgana in power, he wasn't so easily defeated. He had just been caught off guard by the sneak attack.
Seeing George immobilized in mid-air, Balthazar immediately clasped his hands together, and plasma-like lightning began to gather in his palms.
This was the strongest attack magic of the Merlin faction—plasma magic, an upgraded version of lightning magic, with formidable power.
"Fire dragon, hold him off!"
Horvath ignored Balthazar and raised his wand, intending to finish off the annoying panda first before dealing with Balthazar with the combined strength of the three.
The male sorcerer pressed his hands to his chest, and the fire dragon painted there came to life. The cloth dragon used for street performances instantly transformed into a real, giant fire dragon, charging at Balthazar.
Seeing Balthazar held back by the fire dragon and George about to be killed by Horvath, David panicked on the rooftop.
He desperately tried to cast a spell, but having only heard a few brief instructions from Balthazar on the way, he couldn't calm down enough to cast anything.
However, at that moment, George's previously dazed eyes suddenly cleared, and his body rapidly expanded to nearly five meters tall. Before Horvath could cast his spell, George swung a massive bear paw.
The powerful slap sent both Horvath and the female sorcerer flying over ten meters away, and the nesting doll fell from Horvath's grasp.
(End of Chapter)