Knock You Flying

Bellatrix's spell power jumped a notch, and she began to fight with unrestrained force.

Three consecutive Reducto, from the same direction and at the same angle, struck Regulus's Shield Charm.

Upon impact, the silver barrier shook violently, ripples spreading outward from the point of impact, and the entire spherical shield trembled.

The second impact followed immediately, creating a crack on the surface of the barrier that extended outwards from the point of impact, accompanied by a crisp sound.

For the third strike, Regulus didn't replenish his Magic Power to repair the barrier. Instead, he altered the shape of the Shield Charm, making it concave inward, like a saucer. The third Reducto was deflected upon impact, flying diagonally and exploding into a distant corner of the wall with a deafening roar. Half the wall collapsed, raising a cloud of debris and thick smoke.

This is the limit of his regular Shield Charm. Without incorporating the Guardian Image of Bellatrix, Bellatrix's three full-force Reducto are the upper limit of his ability to withstand head-on attacks. That's enough.

Bellatrix's output has reached this level, which means her Magic Power consumption must also keep up.

His Shield Charm consumes far less energy than her attack; defense is always more cost-effective than offense.

Bellatrix was also moving, her steps faster, her spells more frequent.

She began to use the environment, tapping her wand on the ground, and stone spikes emerged from the cracked floor, one after another, stretching from her feet toward Regulus, churning the ground into a mess.

Regulus used Sidestep Charm to dodge the stone cones, and upon landing, Sprint Charm to accelerate, cutting straight to Bellatrix's side.

Bellatrix reacted extremely quickly, leaning back as Cleansweep her wand horizontally, unleashing a Shattering Blade.

The incantation, like a shimmering, tiny blade, spun rapidly and flew out with a hissing sound.

Regulus drew an arc in front of him with his wand, and the Shattering Blade struck the Shield Charm, clanging and clattering. The Magic blades scattered, and several pieces became embedded in the stone pillars beside them.

He weaved through the aftershocks of the debris and unleashed Cutting Curse with his backhand.

A thin, silvery-white line pierced through the gap in the Shattering Blade, swift and precise, slicing towards Bellatrix's right shoulder.

Bellatrix turned to the side, Cutting Curse flew past her ear, severing a strand of black curly hair that floated in the air and slowly fell.

She glanced down at the hair lying on the ground, then looked up at Regulus.

Regulus stood amidst the rubble and dust, wand in hand, unharmed, his robes spotless, his breathing steady.

Bellatrix's robes had several holes burned in them, her Left Arm was still bleeding from a wound, a section of her hair was broken, her face was covered in ash, and sweat was beading on her forehead. She smiled, said nothing, and raised her wand again.

Those around could see it clearly: the battle was escalating, but Regulus was not at a disadvantage, nor was he even injured.

Bellatrix had already suffered cuts to her shoulder and burns to her arm. The scorch marks and tears on her robes looked more like her true appearance than when she was standing and giving her speech. Rodolphus stood by the door frame, his right hand already gripping his wand, his face expressionless.

Regulus was able to fight Bellatrix to this extent.

A twelve-year-old wizard, a second-year student, and the Heir of the Black family, caused Bellatrix to bleed.

He glanced at Orion by the fireplace. Orion was in his prime; his eldest son had secured a place in Gryffindor, and his younger son had such abilities.

The Black family is about to rise.

He looked back at the center of the field, at Bellatrix.

He knew her better than anyone else. She was still using conventional spells, and while the power was already very high, it was still within the realm of non- Dark Arts.

Dark Arts is her true method.

The Black family was all there, Orion stood by watching, making it impossible for Bellatrix to use Dark Arts on Regulus, even though he had already tricked and hurt her.

But if this continues, Regulus continues to suppress her with regular spells, her injuries will worsen, she won't stop, she'll go mad. And a mad Bellatrix, no one can say for sure what she might do.

That's Black family matter; the Lestrange family matter has been resolved.

He continued to observe silently, but a question lingered in his mind: how exactly was the youngest son of the Black family raised?

Such ability is simply outrageous.

Bellatrix's spells were no longer cast one by one, but were poured out in large quantities.

Fireball Barrage —seven or eight Compressed Fireball the size of fists—was launched in one go, each one exploding into a wall of fire upon hitting an obstacle.

Following closely were the Reducto, the Explosion Charm, the Cutting Curse, and the Piercing Curse, one after another, with intervals so short they almost overlapped.

She Spellcasting while moving, her feet and hands never stopping, like a Magic turret that had been set ablaze.

She began to make sounds: hissing laughter, short shouts, and muttering to herself.

"You keep dodging, you always dodge, can't you just stand there and catch it?"

She called out as she moved, her tone carrying a hint of coquettish grievance, and with a flick of her wand, she cast a Stone Spike Curse. The ground cracked open, and three stone spikes emerged, piercing straight at Regulus's feet.

Regulus used Sidestep Charm to move sideways, and the stone spike emerged from where he had just been standing, its tip hitting the ceiling, sending rubble falling down.

Her voice rose, her tone filled with provocation and madness, as if teasing or pressuring.

She had given up hope of Regulus responding, but she just couldn't stop talking.

The incantation was delivered simultaneously with a series of rapid attacks, several times more powerful than at the start.

The explosions cratered the Banquet Hall, sending floor tiles and rubble flying. Some of the debris was struck by the next spell before it even hit the ground, shattering into smaller fragments in mid-air.

"Only girls hide, Regulus, are you a girl?"

Bellatrix shouted again, her voice rising and filled with laughter. With a flick of her wrist, she unleashed a combination of Shattering Blade and Piercing Curse. The Shattering Blade obscured her vision, while the Piercing Curse, hidden within the blade, flew towards her.

Regulus pushed his wand forward, causing the surface of the Shield Charm to tremble. The Shattering Blade was deflected, revealing the Piercing Curse, whose pale beam flashed through the gaps between the scattered fragments.

He used his wand to deflect the Piercing Curse by two inches, causing the beam to graze past his shoulder and strike the wall behind him, burning a charred hole.

Regulus began to fight back.

His spells remained as powerful as ever, just like at the beginning, but they became faster and more accurate with each use.

His feet alternated between Sidestep Charm and Sprint Charm, drawing a smooth arc in the Banquet Hall.

Each time he changed positions, he would unleash a spell, with no repetition in angle or direction. Bellatrix would just block one spell only to find the next one already flying in from another direction.

Then he began to incorporate the imagery of Betelgeuse.

But he didn't melt every single one; instead, he stuffed in one every few.

A regular Explosion Charm flew out, sending Bellatrix flying and scattering debris. The next one was also Explosion Charm, and Bellatrix had to choose another one.

But this one is different.

As the spell left the staff, the air ripped apart, the temperature in the area it passed through soared, leaving a scorched mark on the stone slab, and tiny, deep red Light Point flickered at the core of the beam.

Bellatrix's wand touched it, and the impact propelled her back three steps, leaving two white marks on the gravel beneath her feet.

She blocked it, but her arm was numb, and the bones in her wrist felt like they were about to shatter.

She didn't have time to think about why this spell was different from the previous ones; the next one had already arrived—a regular Cutting Curse with the same power as before, which she blocked.

Next one, the Reducto.

It's different again.

The yellow light was at least three times brighter than a normal Reducto. It struck the Shield Charm she had hastily erected, shattering the barrier. The Reducto passed through and struck her right shoulder.

The fabric on her shoulder crumbled into powder, revealing the skin underneath, its surface covered with shallow, spiderweb-like cracks. There was no bleeding, but it looked terrifying.

Bellatrix swayed slightly, staggered half a step, but regained her balance.

She glanced down at her shoulder, then looked up at Regulus.

She discovered that he had hidden the truly threatening spells within other spells, and she couldn't tell when it was a powerful strike and when it was a regular one.

This means she must treat every spell as if it were at its maximum power to block or dodge; she cannot gamble.

This consumes a lot of resources.

Magic Power consumption, stamina consumption, and mental consumption are all doubled.

Bellatrix licked the blood off her arm, her tongue touching the wound. She hissed, then gave a ferocious grin, her lips twitching to their widest extent, revealing her teeth.

Her attacks intensified, unleashing a barrage of explosions: Cutting Curse, Piercing Curse, Stone Spike Curse, and Fire-Making Spell, one after another, slamming into Regulus as if she wanted to bury him alive with firepower.

Regulus countered each move with a counter-strategy.

He dodged the Explosion Charm with Sidestep Charm, then countered with Reducto at the spot where she landed.

The Cutting Curse was deflected by the wand, and the thin thread, deflected off course, cut into the pillar.

Stone spikes emerged from beneath her feet. Sprint Charm sliced through them, and she passed right through the gaps in the spikes, landing as she unleashed Fire-Making Spell. This spell, infused with the imagery of Betelgeuse, hissed incandescent flames in the air. Bellatrix dodged, the flames striking the stone pillar behind her. The pillar's surface instantly melted, flowing like dripping lava to the ground with a crackling sound and rising white smoke.

Bellatrix felt it; she was being pushed along.

Her spells grew more and more powerful, but Regulus could block them, dodge them, and even counterattack, and his counterattacks made her increasingly uncomfortable.

Each strike landed right after she changed positions and before she had regained her footing, or during the gaps in her spellcasting.

Regulus didn't give her time to think; the next Exploding Charm arrived, then another, and another.

They applied relentless pressure, giving her no respite, each strike aimed at a position she had to fully commit to.

Bellatrix braced herself against the two attacks with her Shield Charm, causing the barrier to tremble violently, and her heels began to recoil backward.

Before the third attack hit, she managed to cast a Piercing Curse to push it back. Taking advantage of the gap in Regulus's deflection of the Piercing Curse, she tapped her wand on the ground in front of her, casting Stone Spike Curse.

A row of stone spikes protruded from beneath the floor tiles, forcing him to retreat. Taking advantage of this opening, she took a deep breath, and the barrier flashed and popped open again. Regulus dodged to the side, and after landing, he didn't immediately Spellcasting, deliberately delaying for half a second.

That half-second window was just enough for Bellatrix to point her wand at him again.

The next fireballs appeared in quick succession, followed by two consecutive Reducto, and the Piercing Curse emerged from the light and shadow of the fireballs.

He calmly dismantled the fireball, the Cutting Curse slicing through its center, the exploding flames sliding past his sides, the Reducto deflecting one and being deflected by him, and the Piercing Curse being sidestepped.

He continued his counter-pressure, Exploding Charm from the front and a flank -Cutting Curse to impede her movement. Another Exploding Charm struck the spot where she had retreated. Bellatrix dodged to the side, but before she could regain her footing, another Exploding Charm hit near her feet, forcing her to activate her Shield Charm once more.

Two Exploding Charm struck the barrier in succession. She gritted her teeth, flicked her arm, and repaired the barrier.

She saw it.

Regulus was leaving her an opening, every single time.

He pressed down twice, then released for a moment, letting her replenish herself and maneuver, before pressing down again.

He was controlling the frequency of her Magic Power consumption; he was using her as a moving target to Training Ground rhythm.

Her expression shattered in that instant. The smile still lingered on her lips, but her eyes flashed with a furious resentment at being mocked, a humiliation deeper than mere anger. Her fingers trembled on her wand, and the tip began to emit an unstable glow—an uncontrollable Magic Fluctuation.

Regulus gave her another opening.

Bellatrix caught it, raised her wand sharply, charged up for a moment, and fired a Piercing Curse, faster and more concentrated than any of the previous ones.

With this single strike, abandoning all possibilities of follow-up combos, all Magic Power was concentrated into this one spell, focused on a tiny point. Before the trajectory of the torn air could even spread, the spell had already traversed most of the distance between the two.

Regulus raised his left hand, palm facing forward, and a circular Magic Power barrier, less than a foot in diameter and smaller than his head, materialized in front of his palm. The Piercing Curse struck it.

The Shield Charm didn't shatter, but it was pierced through. A pale beam of light burst from the back of the barrier, stretching into a weakened but still deadly translucent ray that shot straight into his right eye.

He turned his head, and the ray grazed above his right temple, snapping off a few strands of hair. The broken hairs were carried upwards by the Magic Power of the spell and then dispersed into the air.

The next moment, his entire arm, from the shoulder down, along with his wand, vanished into thin air.

Disillusionment Charm, partial view.

Bellatrix's pupils contracted slightly.

She saw Regulus standing there, his left hand still there, but his right hand empty. She didn't know where the wand was, or which way the tip was pointing. The next instant, a spell flew out from the air to her left.

Without a trajectory, without a starting point, without the light at the tip of the staff as a precursor, it simply appeared out of thin air, two feet to her left, and then slammed down. The Explosion Charm, incorporating the imagery of Betelgeuse, tore through the air, and a deep red Light Point flickered at the core of the beam.

Bellatrix didn't have time to fully activate the Shield Charm; she only managed to hold her wand horizontally in front of her, creating a thin barrier that barely protected her. The Explosion Charm struck it, shattering the barrier and sending her flying.

She flew four or five meters away, crashing her back into a stone pillar, which cracked and scattered debris.

She sprang off the pillar, staggered forward two steps, and knelt on one knee, supporting herself with one hand, her wand still clutched in her hand.

She looked up, her curly hair falling across her face, revealing an incredulous gaze, burning with extreme anger.

She was blasted away.

She didn't care about her previous injuries, ignored the cut on her shoulder, and licked the blood off the burns on her arm, but this time she was sent flying.

She was sent flying by a twelve-year-old wizard.

Regulus lifted his right foot and stepped over the edge of a broken tile, his arm reappearing, holding his wand.

He stood there, watching Bellatrix push herself up from the ground.

The smoke of battle had not yet cleared when he walked towards Bellatrix through the Grey Mist.