Deep in the Forbidden Forest, in a long, narrow clearing, the most tense and intense confrontation since the start of the competition began.
Luna and Astoria—one a third-year Ravenclaw girl, the other a second-year Slytherin girl—were putting on a spectacular offensive duel for the spectators.
Meanwhile, Cedric's one-against-two sniper battle drew cries of admiration from the crowd!
As for Neville—
The instant the trap took effect, Neville had already anticipated what would happen next.
Three against five!
With no vast disparity in the individual dueling abilities of either side, it was simply impossible for them to crush their opponents quickly. Even dragging the battle into a prolonged stalemate would be difficult.
Based on the positions of the five Slytherins when the duel began, Neville had originally hoped that Luna and Cedric could overwhelm Astoria in the first wave of attacks. Then, a disadvantage of only one person might still have been manageable.
But he had not expected this little Slytherin girl to withstand the most dangerous first wave of attacks. That immediately put them at a severe disadvantage.
If Cedric had not performed just as brilliantly, they would have been forced to surrender their wands by now.
In this unfamiliar forest with its complicated terrain, escape was impossible. They could only fight to the end!
The current deadlock could not last long. Cedric had briefly held off Draco and Pansy, but he would not last two minutes.
Their only chance of winning lay in whether Luna could defeat Astoria outright, or whether he could take down either Blaise or Nott.
Thoughts raced through Neville's mind. The flickering light in his eyes hardened into resolve as he gripped the sword that looked so out of place in a wizard's hands, tensing his reflexes and charging toward Blaise and Nott with all