Chapter 28: Dueling Tournament Part 2

"All right, let's begin the second half! Here comes the Ravenclaw team! This team has been most influenced by Leonard Taylor, Let's see what they have for us"

"It's a team composed of students who have also attended Leo's study sessions. From what Leo remembers, they should be quite adept at understanding and casting spells. They are concentrated, not missing even the smallest details of what's happening around them."

"Match begins!"

As soon as the match starts, two of them charge from both sides. 

One uses magic like smoke and light to obstruct the view. 

The other employs spells to create walls and restrict movement. 

Since they're not attacking, these two are likely playing a hindrance or containment role. The real challenge might come from the remaining students. 

I'd like to see what they're up to, but since this is part of the task, I should take them out before they can act. I decide this and blow away the obstacles around me.

"Finite Incantatem, Terminates all spell effects, Expulso"

I deflect all hindrances and, incidentally, cause the two to faint as I move towards the main group. Just as I take my first step, a huge explosion erupts from under my feet.

"What an explosion! Even Taylor must be in trouble with this, right? Or is this team from Ravenclaw really planning to kill him? They show no mercy!"

That's what the commentator is saying, but all of Ravenclaw is confident that this is just to keep him occupied. Leonard Taylor is not someone small enough to be defeated by this.

As expected, Leo proceeds unharmed. However, with each step, explosions, adhesive substances to stop his movement, a rain of swords, and various traps are activated. While he's focused on the two hindrance players, an invisible student set up all these traps. But even so, it only slows down Leo's movement, not causing any damage. But the goal here is to buy time, and in that sense, it's a great success.

"Okay... Is everyone ready?"

"Yeah. We made it in time."

"Understood! Everyone, stay focused! We'll decide on this one!"

The remaining members all point their wands in one direction, of course, aimed at Leonard Taylor.

"Expelliarmus, Emissio: Release! Tempus Convergence! 

They unleashed the disarming spells that had been cast before, except for the one that moved forward, and focused them into a single point. A total of ten disarming spells converged into a massive ball of light.

"Addition! Expelliarmus! Furthermore, Accelerate! Take this!"

Added to it, a massive flash of twenty disarm spells in total. This gigantic spectacle, with added acceleration, heads towards Leo. 

Leo, who has already passed through the traps and defeated the invisible students, watches this scene with a sense of beauty.

(Good... All the Disarmament spells are overlapping seamlessly. Everyone is casting magic with the same goal in mind, to pierce through my defenses. They must have undergone extensive training. If I take this head-on, it will reach the final defense layer... And I'll be in trouble if I get hit by a follow-up attack. In that case..)

"Reflection," "Barrier," concentrate on my right arm. Activate "Amplify." Add "Disjunction" release. I'm going to fend them off with the fists that Mom taught me directly!

Leo's arm was adorned with layers of defensive, auxiliary, and offensive spells, emitting a dazzling blue light. A clash occurred as the red flash and the blue arm collided. It was a momentary struggle, but everyone watching engraved the fantastical spectacle of two magics colliding into their memories.

Ultimately, what determined the outcome was Leo's "eye." He had imbued the formula for disengaging the part binding the Disarmament spells onto his fist. It was a hastily crafted spell, but it was enough to weaken the red flash. The shattered light ball recoiled and was redirected into the original Disarmament spells. The Ravenclaw representative, who had staked everything on this attack, was unable to defend and was thrown off like everyone else.

"The match is over! Who could have predicted that the result would come from rebounding magic?! However, this sight will surely be talked about in Hogwarts history! Professor Flitwick, how was Ravenclaw?"

"Today, I felt prouder of being a teacher than ever before. Seeing the students conceive, create, and fight with their own magic. I am proud of them. Of course, the same goes for Mr. Taylor."

"Certainly, it felt like we pushed Leonard Taylor further than ever before. Now, onto what everyone's been waiting for! There's no one better at pranks than these two, the Weasley Twins! Fred and George Weasley, to be precise! But they're up against Leonard Taylor, so casual tricks won't cut it? Still, I'm confident they'll entertain us!"

"Yeaahhh!"

The twins entered the arena on broomsticks. Leo believed their purpose wasn't to seriously harm their opponents but to advertise their prank products in front of a large audience. Leo had helped create various products, and there were still many prototypes. After this tournament, he planned to submit an evaluation report.

A carpet that will give you different sensations when it changes its color, fireworks that continued to multiply unless the caster turned them off, a spray that reversed one's sense of up, down, left, and right, and a smell bomb EX that mixed multiple smells at once. All the prank items were well-made. Leo was confident that they could open a new prank shop without any problems.

After advertising the products, the twins dismounted their brooms. In the end, they seemed to seriously challenge Leo.

While they couldn't inflict damage in the end, the twins' unique combination of attacks and their enthusiasm successfully captivated the audience.

"Now then, did everyone enjoy the prank products? The final Dueling Tournament match is next! The one who will end the show is Hermione Granger, a Muggle-born genius from Gryffindor. She's already rumored to surpass even seventh-year students in her magic abilities. She's challenging Leonard Taylor all by herself, without teaming up with anyone. She and Leonard Taylor have had a mentor-student relationship since before they entered Hogwarts. Can she surpass her mentor today?"

"She's extremely talented in both theory and practical magic. I've never seen her in magical combat, but I have high expectations. Whether it's because she's confident or wants to test her own skills, her challenge alone will be different from the group battles we've seen so far, so it should be exciting."

Hermione entered the arena with a dignified stride. Leo stared straight at her. Their gazes met, and they both smiled.

"Leo! I'm coming!"

"Bring it on, Hermione!"

They exchanged pleasantries. At the same time, the final duel began.

Hermione made the first move. She cast a flash of magic towards Leo. Naturally, it would be reflected back. However, just before entering the reflection range, the flash suddenly decelerated. Hermione had adjusted the speed of the flash to measure the effective range. The flash returned to her at a slow pace.

(Now that I've accurately assessed the range of reflection, next...)

As Hermione contemplated her next move, Leo launched an attack. Hermione using body-strengthening magic to evade while maintaining distance. Leo is also using the same spells as he closes in on them. Hermione continued to dodge Leo's attacks, launching spells and shooting out spears, but all their attempts were skillfully blocked.

(Attacks propelled by magic with forward momentum stop after being reflected. Even if they get past reflection, they stop on the next layer. So, it consists of spell reflection, magical force negation, and physical defense. Assuming that's the case...)

Hermione stopped and created a massive rock wall in front of her. Leo tried to circle around it, but another wall appeared. Leo was encased in walls from all sides. Hermione had been slightly faster than Leo in creating these barriers.

"Shatter, Walls!" 

At Hermione's command, all the walls shattered and rained down toward Leo under the influence of gravity. To seal the deal, massive iron pillars were driven down.

(The propulsion force of the iron pillars is generated by magic, but it's outside the range of Leo's defenses. He can't negate the magic, and he can't withstand the massive mass!)

As Hermione observed the collapsing rocks and the impaled iron pillars, she didn't let go of her tension.

(I think... that didn't work. He either dodged that attack with high-speed movement, withstood it with his defense, or used some other means...)

Suddenly, she felt something was amiss and looked down.

(What!? The ground is rippling!?)

She quickly jumped to the side. In the next moment, magic was released from the ground where she had been standing. Leo also appeared, seemingly unscathed.

"It was close. Did you get an approximate understanding of my defense from that attack?" Leo asked.

"I did my best. After this is over, can you evaluate me? But more importantly, what was that magic just now? I've never seen it before," Hermione inquired.

"That was a magic still in the prototype stage, so it doesn't have an official name yet. It allows you to dive into the ground like water. It's still incomplete and only works on soil, plus you can't breathe while submerged, you have no vision, and you can only use non-verbal spells. If the magic's effect cuts off midway, you'll be buried alive. It's got a long way to go before it's finished. Did you notice anything from that last attack?"

"Before the spell was cast, the ground rippled, so I could evade it," Hermione replied.

"Hmm... As expected, there are things you can only understand through practical use. Well, let's stop the discussion here. Do you have any more moves?" Leo questioned.

(What should I do ....? To break through Leo's defense, I'll need either a high-mass attack or a powerful spell to shatter it. The mass attack won't work again, and if it comes to this, there's only one thing I can use...)

In reality, Hermione's guess was almost correct. "Reflection" couldn't stop physical attacks, and it had no effect on magic beyond "Absorption" and "Blocking." A massive attack from outside the range of "Absorption" and "Blocking," like the iron pillar attack from earlier, would have surely dealt damage. However, Leo could move and counter. It was clear that the same method wouldn't work twice.

Powerful magic, or to put it bluntly, Avada Kedavra, could nullify each of his defenses one by one. If fired consecutively, it would hit Leo before his defense mechanisms could reactivate.

Hermione stared at Leo, her determination solidified.

"Leo, I believe in you. I know you can withstand it!" she declared.

Magic concentrated in Hermione's wand, and what emerged was the cursed fire, the "Fiendfyre."

The audience gasped, and even the teachers were surprised. They hadn't expected a second-year student to use Fiendfyre.

The flames took the shape of a lion and rushed toward Leo. Hermione focused all her nerves on controlling it, a tremendous strain.

"This is bad. At this rate, Hermione is also in danger. It's been fun, but let's end this," Leo thought.

He extended both hands and concentrated his magic. What manifested were a pair of giant golden arms, one of Leonard Taylor's trump cards, "Giant's Arms."

The arms, easily exceeding ten meters in size, caught the fiery lion. The lion bit into the arms, but they remained unyielding. In fact, Leo lifted it up and crushed it with both hands, causing it to disappear.

As the flames vanished, Hermione fell backward. Controlling Fiendfyre was challenging and incredibly draining. The match was over.

Leo approached Hermione and offered his hand. 

"I never thought you'd be able to use Fiendfyre. You've become stronger than I expected. There's a lot more room for growth ahead. I'll guarantee that."

"Thank you. I'll work even harder. But first, I have to overcome this challenge!" 

Hermione said as she stood up, taking Leo's hand while pressing her wand directly against her body. The defeat conditions for this duel were either incapacitation or surrender. Hermione hadn't lost yet! Using the Fiendfyre to fall and make Leo think the match was over, it was a bit underhanded, but it was the only way she could strike back at Leo.

(But now, I can bypass his magical defenses and cast magic at point-blank range! At this distance, there's no way to dodge!)

"Expelliarmus" 

A red flash burst from Leo's chest.

The blinding light of Hermione's all-out Disarming Charm made everyone in the stadium shut their eyes for an instant. They all imagined Leonard Taylor being defeated.

However, the reality was different. Hermione twisted her face in frustration. There was no one at the end of her wand, and the Disarming Charm had hit the edge of the arena.

For some reason, Leonard Taylor was standing right behind Hermione.

"Oh no, That last one was honestly close. But now it's really over. Come to the study room when you wake up," he said.

Hermione turned toward the voice but before she could react, a stunning spell pierced her chest.

With this, all the matches were over.

"It's settled! Hermione Granger fought valiantly, but she couldn't match Leonard Taylor. However, this duel between two second-year students was far beyond our expectations. To be honest, I was so amazed that I couldn't commentate properly and ended up just screaming. Sorry about that! But I'm sure everyone understands how incredible that match was! Professor Flitwick, what do you think about the recent match?"

"Of course, I was well aware of Taylor's immense skills, but this exceeded my expectations. What surprised me even more was Miss Granger! There are not many adult wizards who can engage in such combat. To think she could use Fiendfyre... She is still young, and I'm very excited to see how her talents will shape the wizarding world. If I ever get the chance, I'd like to duel Taylor myself. The blood of my youthful dueling champion days is still stirring!"

"Whoa! Could we see Leonard Taylor versus Professor Filius Flitwick? Will it become a reality? They're sure to keep us entertained! The first Dueling Tournament concludes today! The next one is undecided, but anyone who wants to participate after witnessing today's battles is welcome! Your goal is to defeat Leonard Taylor!"

The Dueling Tournament on that day was a grand success for all the houses. Not only their own house's matches but also the matches from other houses provided an endless stream of excitement. Inspired by this, the entire student body began to focus more on practicing magical combat.

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Leonard Taylor is undefeated in all battles! Well, he's using cheat equipment, so it's only natural.

Ravenclaw students are leveling up the most. We'll continue to strengthen in the future.

The twins are mostly for promotional purposes. With Leo backing them, they've practically become rich enough that they don't need the prize money from the fourth volume.

Hermione has already reached the level of teachers and high-ranking Death Eaters. Now, it's just a matter of gaining experience.

"The Giant's Arm"... one of Leo's trump cards. A massive arm composed of light. A magic that combines offense and defense. It can take down most enemies with this. There are various settings, but we'll get to those eventually.

Merciless even as a heroine. It's precisely out of respect for the opponent that she put them under the stunning spell.

Strength rankings go like this: Fully-equipped Leo > Headmaster ≧ Voldemort ≧ Leo's father ≧ Teachers ≧ High-ranking Death Eaters (like Bellatrix) ≧ Leo ≧ Hermione ≧ Death Eaters ≧ Aurors ≧ Cedric ≧ Adults ≧ Students.

Leo's Ring Introduction Part 6:

- Augmentation

Enhancement of physical abilities. It gets stronger in proportion to the amount of magical power used. It can also enhance things other than physical abilities and the five senses.

It's simple, so it has the advantage of being highly magical energy-efficient.

Leo's Ring Introduction Part 7:

- Protection

Mainly focuses on physical protection. Even at its lowest setting, it can defend against something like a gunshot. This function also gets stronger in proportion to the amount of magical power used.

He hasn't used it in the Dueling Tournament, but it can function as a Protego. In this case, using magical energy up to the maximum turns it into Protego Maxima.

Leo's defense consists of four layers: Reflection → Absorption → Blockage → Protection.

Breaking through layers requires using progressively more powerful magic to break each layer or physically breaking through the final Protection layer.

So, stay tuned for the next chapter.