As the stone tablet descended, the space at the center of the arena suddenly warped, and the randomly selected duel scenario appeared: the "Ancient Magic Library."
Towering bookshelves rose from the ground, and ancient tomes floated in mid-air.
Arc's eyes lit up.
This scene clearly favored him.
As soon as the duel began, he quickly retreated. At the same time, he tapped his wand lightly—an ancient, heavy book flew open before him, its pages fluttering.
As he chanted quietly, the yellowed pages detached one by one, transforming under the effects of Transfiguration into dozens of gleaming flying blades, whistling as they shot toward Krum.
Across from him, Krum's wand had already drawn an arc through the air, and a flame burst into existence.
"Incendio!"
A scorching wave of fire surged forward, instantly incinerating the flying paper blades.
But Arc had already anticipated this, a triumphant smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
"Stupefy!"
A dazzling red beam shot out from within the flames, moving at an incredible speed. Gasps echoed from the audience.
But Krum's reaction was even faster—he shifted slightly and narrowly avoided the incoming spell.
And his counterattack came swiftly—almost without an incantation, he slashed his wand down like a sword, and a silver Cutting Curse shot from its tip.
Arc didn't possess such agility; he could only barely raise a Shield Charm. The translucent barrier trembled violently under the impact, forcing him several steps backward.
Krum's assault didn't relent. Before the shock of the Cutting Curse had even faded, a flash of red—Expelliarmus—followed immediately.
But Arc had already adjusted his stance. With a horizontal sweep of his wand, a tall bookshelf shifted sideways, instantly blocking the incoming spell.
At the same time, he didn't stop moving. He continued waving his wand, summoning a barrier of bookshelves between them, then pointed his wand to the side.
A mahogany desk instantly twisted and reshaped under the effects of Transfiguration, transforming in a blink into a silver-gray giant wolf. The wolf let out a deep howl, its stark white fangs glinting coldly in the sunlight.
A gasp rose from the stands; this was not a skill an ordinary student could master.
But Krum's onslaught had already resumed, his formidable physical prowess as a Seeker now on full display.
He fired several "Digging Three Feet" spells toward the bookshelves. The shelves exploded under the force, shattering into fragments, wood splinters flying in all directions.
In just a few seconds, his agile figure had broken through the barrier and was rapidly closing in on Arc.
Arc didn't just stand there—the giant wolf lunged toward Krum with a roar, while Arc cast spells continuously from various angles.
But Krum had already cast an Acceleration Charm on himself. His movements were fluid and swift—at times sidestepping with ease, at others rolling to dodge. Each motion was crisp and precise, allowing him to deflect all of Arc's attacks.
When the giant wolf lunged through the air, Krum raised his hand and cast a Diffindo.
The dazzling spell light struck the wolf squarely in the chest, blasting it back into its original form—the wooden desk—its fragments scattering across the floor.
"Incarcerous!"
Several ropes shot out swiftly, seizing the opportunity, but Krum didn't stop moving. He immediately fired a Bombarda straight ahead.
Boom!
With a deafening explosion, three bookshelves were instantly reduced to dust. Pages fluttered through the air, and the ropes vanished in the blast.
Krum's figure emerged from the swirling dust, casting several spells in rapid succession toward Arc.
Arc staggered back, forced to rely on a Shield Charm to defend himself. But Krum's spells came relentlessly, and the shield began to falter under the pressure.
With a final flurry of red light, Arc's Shield Charm shattered. Expelliarmus struck him directly, and his wand flew from his hand.
The victor was clear.
For a moment, the entire arena fell silent—then erupted into thunderous applause.
Krum lowered his wand and gave a slight nod of acknowledgment.
Arc rubbed his wrist with a wry smile. "It seems… I still lack real-world experience."
"Your magic is powerful, and your timing is impeccable…" Krum, unusually, offered a comment. "If it were a team duel, you would be a formidable opponent."
Arc smiled, reached out to take the wand Krum offered, and nodded in acknowledgment.
In the stands, Karkaroff wore an undisguised look of triumph. He turned to Dumbledore and Madame Maxime, his voice booming, "Look! My boys are in good form, aren't they?"
He gestured with his chin toward Krum, who was leaving the arena.
Madame Maxime maintained her elegant posture, nodding slightly. "Your students' strength is indeed impressive… However, Headmaster Karkaroff, the match is not yet over."
She then cast a gentle gaze toward the two remaining Beauxbatons students, her eyes filled with encouragement.
Dumbledore, meanwhile, calmly observed Arc in the center of the arena, a soft smile forming on his face. "Every student who steps onto the arena deserves praise."
"Of course you would say that!" Karkaroff sneered, a hint of bitterness in his smile. "Because Hogwarts only has one student left. If you lose again, it'll mean complete elimination."
Dumbledore did not immediately respond. He simply turned his gaze from the arena to Karkaroff, his gentle smile unwavering.
"Igor, the arena can change in an instant. It's unwise to jump to conclusions too soon. Besides…" He paused, his eyes sweeping meaningfully toward Professor Bagferos of Durmstrang. "Compared to Hogwarts, Durmstrang is the one most in need of victory."
Karkaroff's triumphant expression stiffened slightly, as if Dumbledore had struck a nerve.
He snorted, crossing his arms and leaning back heavily into his chair, but his gaze remained locked on the Hogwarts contestant, muttering under his breath, "Just you wait, Albus. We'll see soon enough… soon."
The pace of the subsequent duels noticeably quickened.
A seventh-year male student from Durmstrang strode onto the stage; he was burly and sharp-eyed. His opponent was a slightly nervous sixth-year male student from Beauxbatons.
The battle was nearly without suspense—the Durmstrang student's attacks were overwhelmingly aggressive, powerful, and came from difficult angles.
Although the Beauxbatons student tried to hold on, casting several Shield Charms, he was forced to retreat step by step under the relentless assault. In less than three minutes, he was struck by a precise "Sandstorm" spell and defeated.
"The difference is too great," Kestrel shook her head, leaning toward Sagres and muttering softly, her gaze still fixed on the Durmstrang student leaving the arena. "They all seem like seasoned veterans fresh out of a duel."
"Mhm." Sagres's voice was steady, his gaze fixed straight ahead. "Due to their school culture, Durmstrang students are always ruthless in their attacks."
"I heard that when you were there, you were the strongest?" Kestrel's curiosity was piqued. She tilted her head to look at Sagres. "And your grades were top-notch too?"
"That's different." Sagres finally withdrew his gaze, looking at Kestrel with a calm, unreadable expression. "Just like you—graduating with full marks in all subjects, dazzlingly brilliant."
"Uh… what do you mean?" Kestrel blinked in confusion, unable to follow the sudden shift in tone.
"It means no matter how good your report card is," Sagres said flatly, "it won't stop you from getting beaten in a duel."
Kestrel's face immediately fell, like a balloon punctured by a needle. "So… you mean, even with good grades, I might actually… um, be bad at dueling?"
"No." A slight curve appeared at the corner of Sagres's mouth, his tone matter-of-fact. "What I mean is, even if I got a 'Troll' in every subject, it wouldn't stop me from securing the top dueling spot."
"What? You said you got a Troll in every subject?"
"Not exactly," he said casually. "When I was studying, I always got full marks in all subjects."
Kestrel opened her mouth, seemingly confused by Sagres's words.
"So you mean…"
"Exam results and dueling ability," Sagres said concisely, "are two different things."
Kestrel wanted to retort, but the words caught in her throat. Thinking of her own situation, she swallowed them back and finally let out an indistinct sigh.
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