"Doesn't seem too difficult, does it?"
When Fleur came before the group holding that ball of crimson light and said this with a smile, Hermione's face flushed even redder.
"Indeed—"
Cedric nodded honestly.
"Looks like this was the back door Professor Breen left for us. He never intended for us to fight the Stone Monsters head-on."
"We got played again."
Harry said somewhat irritably.
Up to this point, the competition had often tested their intelligence and flexible thinking rather than their combat ability.
"Let's go!"
Luna took the hand of the self-doubting Hermione and said cheerfully,
"Let's go get that key!"
"We finally cleared another stage."
Harry slipped his wand back into his sleeve and let out a sigh as well.
Fleur no longer criticized Hermione's "clumsy" method. She followed them out of the Secret Realm with light steps.
"Quick, let's see if it works!"
The group jogged over to the enormous ice-blue block. Cedric stared eagerly at the crimson ball of light in Fleur's hands.
"But what should I do?"
Fleur looked from the light ball to the ice block, uncertain.
"Maybe you just need to let the light touch the ice."
Viktor, having just shown off his brains, said.
Fleur did as he suggested. Under everyone's tense gaze, she slowly brought the crimson ball closer to the ice block.
Sizzle!
The instant the crimson ball touched the ice, it was absorbed into it!
Hiss.
Amid many delighted gazes, white smoke began rising from the seemingly indestructible block of ice. The thick ice visibly melted away at a rapid pace!
Except—
"What's going on?"
Harry clenched his fist and struck the now smaller block of ice hard, but could not budge it in the slightest.
Seeing that the ice had stopped melting and still firmly sealed the key at