More than 3,600 outstanding young people from all over the world had undergone an intense elimination process. Only 1,080 remained.
What a staggering number. What a brutal competition.
And this was only the first round.
The victors had every right to be proud and to earn everyone's praise. With such a powerful Arrow Deflection Charm at their command, they could even be considered among the strongest in the Wizarding World, adults included.
Under this magical defense, knives and swords couldn't hurt them, and firearms were useless. They wouldn't even have to fear a dump truck hurtling toward them at high speed.
Paired with the Shield Charm, which specialized in magical defense, it could form an exceptionally powerful defensive system.
Of course, compared with wizards on the level of Magic School professors, they still had a long way to go.
After all, a single Transfiguration spell could produce a spike that would easily pierce this defense and skewer them from the ground up into the sky.
Magic was ever-changing; its use depended on the caster's ingenuity.
The docks on Azkaban Island were bustling. Reporters rushed forward in a frenzy to take pictures. Parents cheered, while the eliminated contestants talked enviously or bitterly among themselves. The host of the tournament, Lockhart, spoke with excitement. Their voices drifted away into the distance on the sea breeze.
The sounds passed through the seawater, becoming a low, murmuring buzz that faintly trembled in his ears.
Blub blub blub~~
Anton blew out a few bubbles and swam toward the deeper seabed. At once, all the clamor and agitation vanished into the cold seawater.
One Platypus Puffskein after another followed behind him, darting swiftly through the water as they swam along.
They didn't know where he was going. They simply followed Anton blindly, swimming freely around Azkaban