Duel Again
Sirius let out a muffled groan, his body arching like a shrimp.
A sharp pain exploded from under my right rib, as if a red-hot iron rod was being stabbed and stirred inside.
His vision blurred, his legs buckled and he knelt down, his wand slipping from his hand and falling onto the stone slab.
He covered the painful area with both hands and opened his mouth wide to inhale, but he couldn't get in much air; the pain caused his respiratory muscles to spasm.
Regulus withdrew his hand and took a half step back.
Sirius knelt on the stone slab, his forehead pressed against the ground, his body curled up, still gasping for breath.
The pain gradually subsided, but the humiliation of being knocked down in one blow surged up, making him feel even worse than the pain itself.
Regulus ignored him and turned to Orion.
Orion stood by the wall, watching this scene, his eyes twitching slightly.
His intention was to have Regulus demonstrate his power, using Magic and skill, to show the little angel Wolf Star the gap and ignite his competitive spirit.
But no one expected Regulus to use this method—close-quarters combat, hand-to-hand—to end the fight with a single blow.
However, the results seem alright?
He looked at Sirius, who was still kneeling, but had already been able to lift his head, his eyes fixed on Regulus's back, his gaze filled with anger, defiance, but more so with something that seemed to have stunned him.
So that's how it can be done?
Orion didn't say anything, waiting for Sirius to slowly get up.
Sirius stood up, supporting himself on his knees. His right rib was still hurting, but he could bear it.
He bent down to pick up the wand, held it in his hand, and staggered toward the door of the Training Room.
Orion reached out to stop him.
"Next," Orion said flatly, without looking at him, "I'm going to fight Regulus. You watch."
Sirius stopped in his tracks, his angry expression vanishing, replaced by a cold, hard demeanor.
He nodded, stepped back to the wall, leaned against it, and crossed his arms.
He really wanted to see it.
He was angry, very angry. No one had ever hit him like that before, with their fists, in such a humiliating way.
But after the anger subsided, a sense of loss and confusion welled up inside.
How big is the gap between him and Regulus?
In that duel just now, Regulus didn't even go all out. He didn't even raise his wand; he just walked over, threw a punch, and that was it.
He couldn't understand the difference, but he could try to comprehend the Magical Level.
But the idea of ending a Magic duel with physical combat was somewhat beyond his comprehension.
He wanted to see how Regulus would fight his father, to see from an outsider's perspective just how far Regulus was now capable.
In the center of the court, Orion and Regulus were already in position.
The two were fifteen feet apart.
Orion loosened his wrists, twirled the wand between his fingertips, and gripped it firmly.
Regulus raised his wand this time.
The battle begins.
It's been almost half a year since I last sparred with Orion in this Training Room.
Regulus narrowly lost that time, Orion used a Stunning Spell to disrupt his vision, seized the momentary opening, and ended the battle.
On the surface, it seems like Regulus almost won, but the fact that he was able to control the game to the point where his opponent felt he had narrowly lost speaks volumes about the difference in skill.
Orion, with his extensive experience, controlled the rhythm, intensity, and outcome of the battle, giving Regulus the impression that he had a chance, but in reality, every step was within his calculations.
Regulus's progress over the past six months has indeed been minimal, or rather, further significant improvement would no longer be achievable simply by mastering certain spells.
Mastering specific spells can enhance combat power and enable one to handle more complex battle scenarios, but in terms of the path of Magic, that is not considered progress.
By the end of first grade, students have basically mastered the basic spells. Proficiency can be improved, but a qualitative leap is difficult to achieve.
Fortunately, he didn't stand still.
He made up for his lack of mobility by combining Sidestep Charm, Swift Charm, Sprint Charm, and Levitation Charm, giving him more options for movement within a small area.
Incorporating Starry Sky Imagery into spells enhances their power, but it also comes with many limitations: high energy consumption, long preparation time, and difficulty finding opportunities when the battle pace is fast.
The Spatial Warp Charm can be used as a trump card; use it unexpectedly to test your father's reaction.
The Unforgivable Curses, aside from the Killing Curse, can be used without harm.
Natural Magic cannot yet be used in regular combat.
As for the Fiendfyre Curse, it's definitely inappropriate to use it on one's father.
The two stood in the center of the Training Room, fifteen feet apart.
As Regulus bowed, his consciousness had already sunk into the depths.
The Starry Sky Imagery needs to be mobilized; he first constructs the imagery in his mind, and then resonates with Magic Power.
He chose the image of Supernova Explosion, which corresponds to the ultimate destruction and explosion, making it suitable for amplifying explosive spells.
The imagery is complete, synchronized with the Magic Power.
Both men swung their sticks simultaneously.
No one shouted "start," and the battle erupted the moment the wand was raised.
Regulus's staff unleashed an orange-red beam of light, Confringo spell, but at the core of the beam flickered extremely fine, deep red Light Point —traces of Magic Power infused with the Starry Sky Imagery.
The air crackled as the spell left the staff, and the temperature in the area it passed through rose sharply, leaving scorched marks on the stone slab.
At the same time, Orion's spell arrived, a silent Cutting Curse, a silver arc of light slashing from the side, aimed at Regulus's right arm holding the staff.
Regulus didn't try to withstand the attack head-on. He activated Sidestep Charm, shifting his body three feet to the left. An arc of light grazed the hem of his clothes and struck the wall behind him, where protective Rune lit up to absorb the spell.
As he landed, his feet didn't stop; he used Swift Charm to quickly move to the right, creating distance.
Orion did not choose to dodge the Accio Confringo spell.
He raised his left hand, palm facing outward, and an Shield Charm barrier instantly unfolded. It was silvery-white, semi-transparent, with subtle Magic Power radiance flowing across its surface.
The next moment, the spell struck the barrier.
"Boom--"
The explosion was much louder than expected.
A typical Confringo produces a deep, resonant "bang" sound, with the booming effect spreading outwards from the core.
Regulus's was different; one could tell the difference just by listening to the sounds.
Orange-red flames exploded on the surface of the barrier, the impact causing the barrier to fluctuate violently, its surface patterns resembling turbulent water, rippling outwards in disarray.
Orion frowned slightly behind the barrier, and immediately added a burst of Magic Power with his right hand to stabilize it.
The power of this attack exceeded his expectations.
A regular Confringo spell barely caused a ripple when it hit his Shield Charm, but Regulus nearly caused the barrier to collapse.
Its power has increased at least fivefold.
The protective Rune on the walls of the Training Room lit up, absorbing the dissipated Magic Power, and the air was filled with the smell of burning and Ozone from burning Magic Power.
Sirius stood in the doorway, mouth agape, eyes wide open.
He had just used the Confringo spell on Regulus, but its power was so great that it couldn't even lift the corner of Regulus's clothes.
But was Regulus's attack still Confringo Curse?
A thought flashed through his mind: if that hit me, I might be dead already.
Regulus's attack failed, which was not surprising.
If a spell imbued with Starry Sky Imagery could defeat Orion, then he would seriously suspect that his father had been switched at birth.
But he seized upon Orion's momentary hesitation, replenishing his Magic Power to stabilize the barrier, causing his attention to be briefly distracted.
He moved swiftly, his figure shifting rapidly across the Training Room, and as he landed, he tapped his wand. "Expelliarmus!"
A beam of red light shot out, and this time Orion didn't try to take it head-on. He dodged to the side, and the red light grazed past his shoulder.
He retaliated with a Incendio, the intense white flames spreading in a fan shape, blocking Regulus's left-hand path.
Regulus used Levitation Charm to briefly lift himself off the ground, soaring over the flames and unleashing Confringo in mid-air, aimed directly at Orion's head.
Orion stepped back, the explosion sending up shards of stone. He waved his hand, scattering the fragments into ashes that fell to the ground.
As Regulus landed, he immediately used the Sprint Charm to accelerate and create distance, while simultaneously tapping his wand repeatedly. "Diffindo! Repelling Charm! Impedimenta!"
The three spells were cast almost simultaneously, at tricky angles, sealing off Orion's upper, middle, and lower body.
Orion activated his full Shield Charm, a silver-white barrier enveloping his entire body as he withstood the attacks.
The spell struck the barrier, causing it to explode with colorful Spark Spell. The barrier fluctuated violently, yet remained incredibly stable.
The distance between the two kept changing.
Basic spells are difficult to use effectively, but Regulus's Shield Charm is enhanced by the Starry Sky Imagery, making it extremely stable.
Orion's Shield Charm, honed through decades of experience, boasts stable Magic Power output and a wide defensive range.
Both sides knew that things were about to get serious.
Orion changed tactics first, drawing complex trajectories with his wand, from which dark red mist emanated.
Regulus instantly recognized that it wasn't Dark Arts, but some kind of weakening curse that would erode Magic Power and reduce the spell's effectiveness upon contact.
The fog spread quickly, Regulus immediately retreated, simultaneously flicking out Aguamenti with his left hand. The water dispersed some of the fog, but some residue still clung to the corner of his clothes.
The fabric immediately turned grayish, as if it had been corroded by time.