A Beating, as Promised

At 8 PM, the Room of Requirement.

The Training Ground has been set up, with wooden floors stretching from the entrance to the distance, rows of Training Dummy standing along the walls, and thick soft padding on the side walls.

The lights above were all on, and the light fell from above, illuminating the scratches on the floor and the marks left from previous training.

Avery looked at Regulus as soon as he came in, followed by Alex, and then Samuel and Lina.

Finally, Hermes put his hands in his robe pockets and shuffled along, hesitant and indecisive.

Knowing there was no way to avoid it, I tried to dodge it, taking two steps forward and then half a step closer.

A holiday has passed, and he hasn't been completely without progress; he wants to hide, yet he also wants to give it a try.

The door closed behind him, Regulus took a few steps forward, stopping in the center of the Training Ground.

He turned to face the five people, his hands empty, not even holding a wand.

If you say you'll beat them up, then beat them up.

The mental pressure he had been under at school had eased, and he remained standing there with his hands at his sides, still in the same posture.

The consciousness of all five people simultaneously grew heavy, their thoughts were compressed, and their attention was forced to converge on Regulus. The more they tried to leave, the greater the pressure on their minds became.

Avery's smile vanished instantly, his right hand hanging at his side, the wand sliding down his sleeve into his palm.

Alex glanced back; Lina and Samuel stood on either side of him, at a distance where they could look out for each other.

Hermes reacted the fastest; the laziness in his eyes vanished instantly, and he immediately activated his Legilimency, shutting out emotions and distracting thoughts to the edge of his consciousness, and quickly focusing his mind.

Regulus was satisfied.

This guy has mastered the Legilimency; he didn't slack off during the holiday.

He looked at everyone. "Come on, everyone."

Five wands were raised simultaneously.

Avery took the first step, flicking his wrist upwards, and the Reducto shot towards Regulus. The white Light Cluster grazed the wooden planks, and the resulting air currents rolled forward.

Alex didn't move immediately, keeping his eyes fixed on Regulus's waist and feet.

Lina unleashed Slowing Charm from the left, while Samuel moved to the other side, his crimson beam striking Regulus's back first.

Regulus took a step to the left, the Reducto grazed the outside of his right shoulder, the Slowing Charm swept past in front of him, and the wooden plank behind him exploded with a bang, the broken wooden strips flipping upwards.

Alex then made his move, his wand rising swiftly, and a dazzling red light shot through from the front.

Hermes remained motionless, his gaze shifting between the falling of the three spells, the tip of his staff following Regulus's shifting center of gravity.

Regulus tilted his shoulder slightly, and a red light flashed past his school robe.

Hermes suddenly raised his wand, and Light Cluster accumulated at the tip burst forth from his side and rear, Confringo and heading straight for the half-step Regulus had just stepped aside.

Regulus raised his eyes slightly.

I've learned to observe and wait.

He still didn't touch his wand, but took half a step forward, and the spell swept past his shoulder, exploding into a ball of orange-red light on the distant wall.

The five players quickly established a rhythm: Alex positioned himself, Lina and Samuel pressured the space from both sides, Hermes guarded the gaps, and Avery fired shot after shot, making the game increasingly chaotic.

The Training Ground was filled with the light of intertwined spells. Red light shone from above the floor, close to white light, and a pale purple beam swept across Regulus's knees. Exploding Charm missed their mark repeatedly, flipping over wooden planks one after another, Reducto shattered half of the Training Dummy's shoulder.

Regulus remained within a few steps of the center, sidestepping the Disarming Charm, taking a step forward, and the Exploding Charm slammed into his back.

The five men fought faster and faster, leaving Regulus with less and less room to stand, yet his range of movement remained unchanged.

Lina unleashed another Slowing Charm from the left. Regulus had already seen the trajectory and stepped to the right, a pale purple beam of light flying past his chest.

Avery was to the right rear, and from the start of the fight he had put away his joking expression, moving in sync with Regulus, his wand pressed against his chest the whole time.

Seeing that Lina's spell had failed, he suddenly grinned, twisted his wrist, and pulled it sharply in front of him.

The air in front of the staff tip was pulled into a thin, long groove. The Slowing Charm that flew past Regulus was pulled sideways and veered sharply in mid-air, turning around and crashing into his back.

Regulus raised his eyelids, casually flipped his right hand in front of him, and a palm-sized diamond -Diamond Shield materialized behind his shoulder, its surface flowing with translucent Silver Light.

The Slowing Charm exploded with a crack, and pale purple light fragments scattered along Regulus's sides, bouncing a few times in mid-air before extinguishing.

Regulus glanced at Avery: "Not bad."

The Cuthbert family's methods meant that this guy did some decent work during his vacation.

Before Avery could even close his grin, Regulus raised his hand and unleashed a Slowing Charm.

Avery was prepared. He slashed his wand in front of him, and the Silver Shield Charm had just lit up when Regulus tapped his feet. The wooden floorboards suddenly arched up, lifting Avery and the barrier into the air.

As soon as Avery's feet left the ground, Regulus waved his outstretched hand to the side.

A horizontal force struck him, sending him tumbling through the air and flying far away, his silver armor encasing him as he crashed sideways into the soft cushions against the wall.

Avery lay sprawled against the wall, hanging there for a while before slowly sliding down.

Alex took control and unleashed two spells in quick succession, compressing the space around Regulus. Lina then cast Petrifying Spell at Regulus's next position, while Samuel shattered the Reducto from the other side.

The teamwork went smoothly.

Regulus raised his hand, and the small diamond-shaped shield moved to three different positions, firing only one shot each time.

The red light shattered, the white light exploded, and the final Reducto was deflected by the shield and slammed diagonally into the wooden leg of the Training Dummy.

Alex's wand suddenly changed direction, and the wooden plank beneath Regulus's feet quickly softened, causing his shoes to sink.

Regulus didn't even look, and stomped his foot down, causing the softened wooden planks to solidify again.

Just as Alex was about to receive another spell, Regulus pointed two fingers at his chest.

No magical light could be seen in the air, but the sawdust along the way was pushed aside, and a transparent indentation crossed the Training Ground at a slow speed.

Alex saw it clearly; he held his wand horizontally in front of him, activated the Shield Charm, and the Silver Light trembled violently.

Regulus clenched his fist in mid-air, and Alex, along with the barrier in front of him, rose up, his feet dangling in mid-air. His wand immediately turned towards Regulus.

Regulus gave him no chance to react, thrusting his palm forward, and another Slowing Charm slammed solidly into the silver barrier.

The armored suit carried Alex flying through the air. In mid-air, he retracted his arms to protect his head and face. The Silver Light dragged his body, causing it to tremble all the way before crashing into the soft cushions with a heavy thud.

Lina's eyes lit up as she watched Alex fly away. She quickly shifted her feet to the side, and the tip of her staff already flickered with the light of the next spell.

Regulus extended his index finger and gently tapped it at her feet. The gray-white stone wall broke through the wooden planks and lifted Lina up abruptly.

She immediately bent her knees to steady herself, first donning the armor, and then prepared to jump off the wall.

As Regulus was completely enveloped in the Silver Light, he flipped his hand to the side, and the low wall flipped upside down, leaving Lina suspended in mid-air. Just as she pointed her wand at Regulus, the two sides of the wall rolled up towards the middle.

The stones closed in from all sides, enveloping Lina and the barrier. The gray walls tightened, and a sharp, grinding sound came from within. Finally, the barrier shattered with a deafening crash.

Regulus flicked his finger, and the stone wall that had just loosened exploded outwards. Lina was thrown out of the middle by the force, landing on the cushion next to Alex. She was bounced up a little by the cushion and finally rolled sideways to the ground.

Samuel was turning to run toward Hermes when, after only a few steps, Gripping Charm descended from above, Restraints his shoulders and waist simultaneously.

He hurled the Reducto forward, the explosive force pulling his body forward, finally managing to free half of himself.

The next moment, a force came from the back of his neck, the collar tightened around his throat, and he was pulled backward.

Samuel twirled his wand in the backhand, his body suddenly accelerating, a feeling of weightlessness shooting from his waist and abdomen straight to his chest.

He flew backwards toward the wall, the spell in his hand not yet fully formed, before he slammed horizontally into the cushion, bounced, and slid to the ground.

The four of them quickly lay on the ground, all of them quite badly injured, their bodies aching all over, but their bones were still intact.

Avery climbed out of the mat first, grimacing and rubbing his shoulder.

He looked up at Alex, Alex was kneeling and grinning at him.

Lina lay on her back for a while, then propped herself up to sit up, rubbing her lower back and grimacing.

Finally, Samuel rolled over, lying face up, and took a couple of breaths.

The four people looked at each other and then focused their gazes on the center of the field.

Hermes was still standing.

He kept moving, and even as the other four were being beaten, he didn't stop, only his incantations became fewer and fewer.

These guys are useless; the only reason they were even on the field was because Regulus said he was going to beat them up during the day.

He glanced at the wall and curled his lip in a slight smirk.

Is this what you call getting beaten up?

Hermes withdrew his gaze and met Regulus's eyes.

He immediately adjusted his posture, staggering his feet, lowering his center of gravity, pulling his right shoulder back, and raising his wand from his chest to below his eyes, the tip pointing directly at Regulus.

The next moment, he slammed his right foot against the floor and thrust his arm forward. A crimson Light Cluster expanded from the tip of his staff, heading straight for Regulus's chest, stirring up wood chips along the way. The center of the Light Cluster shone brightly white.

Regulus stood still, waiting for the spell to reach him before raising his hand and waving it. The crimson Light Cluster flew horizontally for more than ten meters, crashing into the side wall. Flames erupted, cracks appeared in the wall, and rubble tumbled down one after another.

Hermes had already cast his second spell. The white Cutting Curse tore through the dust, and halfway through, it crashed into a Diamond Shield that appeared out of nowhere. With a crisp clang, the white light split in two.

A dark red beam of light followed closely behind, emerging from the gap between the two spells and skimming along the ground towards Regulus's side.

Regulus took a step to the side, the dark red beam of light grazing his school robe and leaving large blackened burn marks on the back wall. The stone surface quickly bubbled and emitted a pungent burnt smell.

Hermes moved about, casting basic spells one after another, his Dark Arts hidden within the interwoven light.

Regulus raised his index finger and traced the tip in the direction Hermes had moved, sending a thin white ray of light through the air with a short, sharp whistle.

Hermes exerted force with his feet, his body moving sideways away from its original position. The white light pierced into the back wall, and a long, thin crack extended inwards, with stone chips falling from the edges.

Regulus raised his hand upwards, and three Stone Spike the floor.

Hermes hurled Exploding Charm downwards, shattering the foremost Stone Spike. Before the rubble even hit the ground, he had already passed through the gap.

The wooden planks beneath his feet suddenly softened into fine sand, Hermes' foot sank to his knee. He channeled his Magic Power into his legs, pulled himself out abruptly, and landed only on a short slide, his wand still pointing at Regulus.

Regulus's eyes showed even more satisfaction, and the mental shock directly crashed into Hermes's mind the next moment.

The Training Ground flashed before my eyes, the sounds around me suddenly receded, Hermes's Legilimency almost simultaneously, causing the barrier of consciousness to tremble violently.

His hands didn't stop moving; he flicked his wand and cast a spell, aiming fairly well at Regulus's chest.

Regulus remained unmoved, and an even heavier mental pressure surged in.

Hermes' vision went black instantly, the Magic Power maintaining the Legilimency became chaotic, and the dark red light that had just appeared at the tip of his staff went out.

He gritted his teeth, the muscles on the side of his face bulging, and continued to step forward, his wand pointing forward again.

Regulus made a fist with his right hand and flicked it to his side. Flames shot out from his palm and extended into a whip several meters long. Orange-red flames spread in mid-air, and the tip of the whip cracked with a crisp sound.

Hermes survived this, and as soon as the fire started, he turned and ran.

The long whip Cleansweep across, the air distorting around the flames, the whip scraping against the wooden planks, leaving a charred arc, and burning wood chips swirling backward.

Hermes cast Exploding Charm at the ground in front of him. With a deafening roar, the floor exploded upwards, and the shockwave propelled him to the other side.

Regulus strode forward, not quickly, and each time he raised his right hand, a spell flew from his fingertips.

The magical light in the Training Ground grew denser and denser. Hermes was running in a sorry state, a piece of his robe was burned off, and his left shoulder was hit by an explosion, leaving him unable to lift his entire arm.

He was decisive; when faced with a weak spell, he would simply take the hit with his shoulder and back, using the momentum to continue running forward.

But running alone is useless; the Pressure Charm slams down on you, making each time your body leaves the ground more difficult than the last.

The sudden intrusion of the Legilimency into consciousness disrupted the Legilimency that had just stabilized.

Hermes ' retaliation grew increasingly fierce; the Training Dummy was pierced through the chest by Dark Arts, the wood rapidly turning black and cracking, half of its torso spinning as it flew toward the wall.

His breathing was heavy, his forehead was covered in sweat that trickled down his face, but his wrist holding the wand remained steady.

Regulus suddenly raised his hand, and the pressure on his head increased sharply, causing Hermes ' knees to sink.

He gritted his teeth and straightened his legs again, stopping his body from moving; at least he was still standing.

The mental shock simultaneously crashed into his consciousness, and the barrier of the Legilimency tightened rapidly, causing the Training Ground in Hermes' eyes to darken instantly.

Flames spread out on his right, and Flame Whip, carrying a scorching current, lashed towards his head and shoulders.

He couldn't handle the simultaneous attacks from all three sides.

Hermes stared at the Cleansweep flames, his facial muscles contorting.

The Pressure Charm pressed his shoulders down, and he forced his way up his right arm against the pressure. Magic Power surged into the staff, and the tip of the staff glowed with a faint Silver Light, which then rapidly expanded, forming a thick barrier on the right side of his body.

If the Flame Whip were to come down, it would be fatal; Regulus showed no sign of stopping.

Regulus had no intention of stopping. His downward-pressing hand suddenly sank, and an even heavier pressure slammed into Hermes' entire body.

The Shield Charm on the right side emitted a piercing crack as the silver barrier shattered from top to bottom.

Hermes' legs could no longer support him, and he slammed face-first into the floor, his face and chest crashing down. The wooden planks beneath him cracked, and his body sank into the broken ground.

The Flame Whip lashed across his head, its tip twisting in mid-air under Regulus's control, exploding just above his scalp with a deafening bang that sent the air surging outwards.

Hermes had just been pressed into the floor when he was thrown out of the crack by the impact.

He tumbled through the air, his arms and legs tucked in front of him, his hair plastered all over his face.

The four people by the wall watched him Accio, their smiles turning into grimaces that looked painful.

Alex was the first to raise his wand, Slowdown and Shock Dampening the incoming Hermes.

For some reason, Avery probably felt he should lend a hand, so he pointed the tip of his staff forward and shouted, "Relashio!"

Hermes was halfway through his flip when all his strength suddenly vanished. His arms, which had been protecting his head, fell limp, his legs loosened, and his neck could no longer support his head. He slumped limply and continued to spin in the air.

The two spells pulled at each other, and his limbs swung back and forth with his body, like an octopus that had been thrown ashore.

He swung it around, then swung it again, until it landed right in front of his friends. He then collapsed to the ground with a thud, his arms and legs spread out, unable to even lift his neck. He could only turn his face to one side, staring at Avery with a gloomy expression.

Regulus stood at the other end of the Training Ground, quietly watching Alex and Avery work together to turn Hermes into this state.

A moment later, his gaze shifted to Avery's face.

Avery gripped his wand and shrank back.