Spells flew from the front row in rapid succession: Petrificus Totalus, Somnus, Expelliarmus, Incarcerous, and Reducto. Each spell was aimed with deadly precision, the casters holding nothing back.
But before the spells could reach Alex, the swirling crows reacted. Each spell collided with two or three birds, dissipating harmlessly as the birds vanished in bursts of black feathers. In the center of the chaos, Alex was ready.
“Aguamenti Maxima!” he shouted, his voice cutting through the noise. A massive torrent of water surged forth, twisting and roaring as it barreled toward Avery and his group.
“Block it! Protego! Obstructo!” Avery yelled, his reflexes sharp as he raised defensive spells.
But Alex wasn’t done. As the water surged forward, he flicked his wand again, “Glacius!” The rushing water froze midair, transforming into a jagged wave of ice, sharp edges glinting dangerously under the sunlight.
As soon as Alex made his move, Avery cast "Flame-Freezing Charm" over his group without hesitation. Lucius, standing nearby, immediately stepped forward to shield them with Protego, while the others created barriers to counter the incoming attack. "You’ve done your homework, haven’t you?" Alex sneered, twirling his wand effortlessly. "Analyzed my old moves, crafted your strategies? Unfortunately for you, I’m not repeating myself today. No alchemy props, no reused tactics. I’m taking you down—right here, in front of everyone."
The rushing torrent Alex summoned smashed into the barrier wall with the force of a tidal wave. While the ice should have rebounded, under Alex’s meticulous control, it defied gravity. The flow twisted upward, surging over and around the magical shields like living tentacles. The roaring water scattered the formation as several wizards in the front line were swept away.
Though the Flame-Freezing Charm protected them from direct harm, the enchanted ice clung to their bodies unnaturally. It coiled around them like serpents, tightening its grip. Those in the rear scattered at Avery’s shouted warning, but one wizard wasn’t fast enough and became ensnared. "What's the point of this?" Avery muttered, puzzled by its seemingly harmless behavior. But experience told him Alex wasn’t wasting energy. Quickly, he reinforced his defenses, casting a Human-Shaped protego to shield himself entirely.
Then it struck. A sharp crackling noise echoed through the air as bright arcs of electricity coursed through the ice. Those trapped jerked violently, their muscles spasming uncontrollably. Lucius, unable to resist the current, collapsed onto the ground.
Alex grinned. He’d seamlessly transitioned from Ice manipulation to lightning magic, using the properties of water as a conductor. His command over lightning runes wasn’t perfect—he hadn’t yet mastered the ancient techniques—but his preparation had paid off. "Not bad, but the voltage still feels low. Just paralysis," Alex muttered, sounding almost disappointed. Still, he moved swiftly, taking advantage of the chaos. "Stupefy!"
One by one, the paralyzed wizards were rendered unconscious by Alex’s spells, including Lucius, who lay helplessly on the ground. Gasps of astonishment rippled through the crowd. Reporters scribbled furiously, cameras flashing as they captured the scene. "My God," one reporter exclaimed, unable to contain his shock. "How did he do that? Aren’t they protected by the charm? And why didn’t they fight back?"
A soft, knowledgeable voice from the crowd answered. "The ice was transfigured after casting. That’s why it clung to them despite the protections. Then he conducted electricity through it, exploiting their vulnerability. A clever strategy, really."
The reporter glanced down, startled to find Professor Flitwick standing beside him. The diminutive professor, having just arrived, was watching the duel with sparkling eyes, clearly impressed.
Meanwhile, Avery, still upright, finally pieced together what had happened. His expression darkened as he barked orders. "Damn it! Stop standing around! He’s burned through a lot of magic power with those range spells. Push him now, or we’ll all be humiliated—maybe worse!"
The remaining wizards in the rear snapped out of their daze. The spectators’ murmurs and the reporters’ flashing lights only heightened their urgency. Spells began flying from all directions, rapid and relentless.
"Scourgify!"
"Expelliarmus!"
"Stupefy!"
The ground was cleared of water in seconds as the wizards combined their cleaning spells, and they launched an unrelenting barrage at Alex. None of them held back, no longer underestimating him. Their plan was simple: overwhelm him with sheer numbers and drown him in spellfire. But Alex didn’t flinch. His grin widened as he taunted them. "Oh, now you’re serious? A bit late, don’t you think? Ten of you might’ve had a chance earlier, but now?"
With a mocking laugh, he moved. Alex’s body became a blur. Spells zoomed past Alex, some so close they nearly grazed him. One struck the ground only centimeters away, sending sparks flying. Most people in his position would be panicked, afraid of making a mistake under such pressure. But Alex remained unnervingly calm, his expression cold and detached, as if he wasn’t the one in danger. It was as though his body were a mere puppet, expertly controlled by someone observing from afar.
He shifted sideways, tilted his head, or bent at the waist with precision, evading almost every curse sent his way. The few spells he couldn’t avoid were deflected with a casual flick of his wand. Behind him, the missed attacks slammed into the stone wall, sending chunks of debris flying and creating a deafening series of bangs. The sheer power of these spells was enough to intimidate anyone watching, but Alex moved as though it didn’t faze him.
The spectators, a mix of wizards and reporters, stood frozen in disbelief. How could someone dodge so many attacks with just body movement? It was absurd. “This is insane! His speed is unreal!” one onlooker muttered, unable to take their eyes off the duel.
On the other side, Avery, the leader of the attacking group, clenched his wand tightly. Alex’s composure and skill caught him off guard, but he quickly recovered. “Stop aiming directly at him!” Avery barked. “He’s too fast. Predict where he’s going to move and attack there! I’ll track his movements—hit his flanks with strong spells!”
The others nodded grimly. They couldn’t treat Alex like an ordinary opponent anymore. They had to go all out. Alex, still weaving through the chaos, let out a soft sigh. “Finally taking it seriously? Took you long enough,” he muttered, a trace of boredom in his tone.
The five wizards sprang into action. “Tempestas Maxima!” “Frangere Pluvia!” “Fiendfyre!” they shouted, unleashing a barrage of high-powered spells. Unlike before, these weren’t simple curses but wide-area attacks designed to leave Alex with nowhere to run. The crowd gasped at the spectacle. “That’s overkill! Using area spells like that in a one-on-one duel?” someone whispered.
But Alex’s response left their jaws hanging. With a swift leap forward, Alex began stepping through the air itself, as if invisible stones had appeared beneath his feet. Every step he took created a brief shimmer, the result of an expertly cast Impediment Spell. He didn’t stop at ground level either—he vaulted higher and higher, each step propelling him upward until he was five or six meters off the ground.
The massive banquet hall’s high ceiling was the only thing keeping him from going further. “Merlin’s beard!” a reporter exclaimed. “He’s using the Impediment Spell like stepping stones! How is that even possible?”
Vivian, one of Alex’s classmates, folded her arms with a smug grin. “Hah! That’s nothing. You should see him during practice,” she boasted.
The reporter’s ears perked up. “Practice? What do you mean?”