Inside the mansion hall, Ethan looked at the blue notification floating before his eyes, his breathing involuntarily quickening with excitement!
39% to 44%!
Not only had he broken through the crucial 40% milestone in one decisive leap, but he'd also shot straight up to nearly halfway! It seemed tonight's challenge had indeed left an incredibly deep impression on everyone!
RUMBLE...
Ethan heard a thunderous sound from within his own body. It wasn't like before, where he immediately felt refreshed as if bathed in sweet morning dew, his magical power smoothly replenishing.
Instead, it was like a volcano about to erupt. Mountains shaking, magma churning violently beneath the surface.
Creak, creak.
Every magical channel in his body was preparing for the explosive power about to burst forth!
"Huff, huff..." Ethan breathed heavily, veins becoming visible across his pale face. In the humid air of the pouring rain, his entire body began steaming with wisps of white vapor, like a steam engine roaring to life!
"Ethan?" Senior Penelope called out uneasily, watching as Ethan hung his head in apparent silence. The magical energy continuously surging through the air made her break out in goosebumps.
Now, only she and Miss Farley from Slytherin remained in the mansion. Compared to her complete bewilderment throughout this ordeal, Miss Farley seemed to have expected all along that she could stay safely out of harm's way.
But at this moment, seeing Ethan's strange transformation, Miss Farley couldn't help but furrow her elegant brows in concern.
The three-headed dog and giant eyeball had both been withdrawn. Right now, Ethan appeared to be at his most vulnerable state.
Gemma pressed her lips together thoughtfully. If it were her, she would choose to strike at this exact moment...
Just as the thought formed, she heard a loud cracking sound!
"CRACK!"
A blood-soaked figure like a raging bear suddenly materialized! His eyes blazed with wild killing intent, his wand tip pointing directly at Ethan's seemingly defenseless form!
While Penelope was still processing what was happening, Gemma had already raised her wand swiftly, shouting: "Impedimenta... mmph!"
She was hit by a binding spell and immediately froze in place, unable to move a muscle.
"This is a duel between Ethan and me," Krum said hoarsely, staring intently at his target. "Weaklings shouldn't interfere."
Half his ear was missing, his face covered with pale red bloodstains washed by rain. Despite his injuries, his determination burned as fierce as ever.
"What gave you the illusion that my main body is weak?" Ethan said with his head still lowered, murmuring the words like a quiet prayer.
Krum maintained his cautious stance, wand raised: "Whether you're weak or not, after half an hour of high-intensity magical output, you're definitely exhausted now. Originally I didn't want to take advantage like this, but sorry... I can't just hand over the ranking!"
"Chain Prison!"
Under Gemma's furious gaze, a steel-gray beam shot sharply from Krum's wand tip toward Ethan! In the blink of an eye, it reached its target!
Then, it was effortlessly blocked!
Krum's eyes widened in shock, staring at the spell that simply dissipated before Ethan like mist, his confident expression gradually crumbling.
"You don't seem to understand what I mean. Let me rephrase this more clearly..." Ethan slowly raised his head, his cobalt-blue pupils staring directly at the bear-like youth.
"What gave you the illusion that you could ever defeat me?!"
As his words fell...
"BOOM!"
A torrential wave of magical power swept out in all directions with Ethan as the epicenter!
"CRASH!"
Like a hurricane tearing through the mansion, all the furnishings in the hall flew outward, smashing to pieces against the walls with tremendous force!
"Ugh! Such incredible magical pressure!" In the gale... no, it should be called a torrent of raw magical energy... Penelope couldn't help but raise her arm to shield her face, barely managing to keep her footing.
Gemma Farley was freed from the Body-Bind Curse by the magical shockwave, looking at Ethan with genuine amazement, a hint of admiration flickering in her eyes.
Ethan Vincent, you always manage to surprise me.
The massive and violent magical energy tore radiating cracks across the stone floor. Ethan stood calmly in the center of the magical storm, his black hair whipping wildly, robes flapping like wings, feeling more fulfilled and energized in body and mind than ever before.
Like being reborn, absolutely brimming with fighting spirit!
"So this is what advancing feels like..." Ethan's eyes brightened with magical energy, an electric blue glow pulsing within them.
Looking down at his wand now radiating unusual brilliance, he murmured with wonder: "I feel like I could take on a dragon right now."
Ethan looked up, meeting Krum's shocked and increasingly fearful gaze. He showed a perfectly kind smile.
Raising his hand casually: "Reducto."
"BOOM!"
A concentrated torrent of magical power shot out like a cannonball!
"Protego... ugh!"
Krum was launched backward into the wall with a sickening thud, his hastily erected protective shield shattered like glass by the overwhelming spell!
The fabric on his chest was blown to shreds, his torso split with deep gashes, flesh turned outward, and blood trickling down steadily. It looked absolutely horrific, but they were actually just surface wounds.
The Reducto spell inherently had limited lethality against living beings. The truly deadly variant was "Diffindo." If Ethan had used that instead, Krum would probably be racing Death himself right now.
Krum gritted his teeth, gripping his wand with white knuckles. He looked up sharply, roaring with desperate fury: "Are you pitying me?! Don't insult me! This is supposed to be a duel, show me your real skills..."
His defiant words suddenly died in his throat.
Because what met his eyes was an overwhelming array of golden arrows pointing directly at him from every angle.
Ethan tilted his head with casual interest: "Behold Avis, one of my personal favorite spells."
He looked at the magnificent golden birds circling around him in perfect formation, raising the corners of his mouth in genuine appreciation. They wove together into a sacred and brilliant constellation, making Ethan appear like a descending angel of war.
Their razor-sharp beaks gleamed like arrowheads. With just one command from Ethan, they would turn Krum into a human pincushion.
"..." Krum fell into stunned silence.
He had seen and used this spell countless times before. But wasn't it only supposed to summon a few palm-sized birds for basic utility purposes?
What was with each of these being as long as an adult's arm?! And summoning dozens at once in perfect coordination. Was this still the same "Avis" spell?!
Krum's rough features wrinkled as he pondered the impossible situation. Looking up with newfound respect, he said with complete sincerity to Ethan:
"Hey, can we make peace?"
A moment later, back at the starting point...
"Ethan really is a tolerant and kind person, definitely worth spending a lifetime getting to know," Krum stood among the other eliminated contestants, murmuring to himself while nodding in complete agreement.
The other eliminated contestants stared at him in concern. They looked at Krum's missing ear, his bloodied face, and his chest blown raw and still bleeding, feeling genuine pity:
Great, another one's completely lost his mind.
Amid the shouting and bustling healers rushing to treat injuries, Krum turned his head, gazing toward the mansion's direction with a mixture of shame and determination.
Never thought I couldn't even secure a ranking. What an absolute disgrace.
But what made Krum feel even more ashamed was his previous arrogant attitude. Like a frog at the bottom of a well trying to show off its pathetic hops before a soaring eagle.
"What a complete fool I was, underestimating someone just because of their age." Only to be taught a proper lesson about reality.
Krum clenched his fists, a flash of renewed fighting spirit and iron resolution burning in his eyes.
Let me train seriously for a few more years, and in the future, we'll fight again! I'll definitely make you see me in a completely new light, Ethan Vincent!
"He's bleeding heavily! Someone help! Hey? Contestant? Wake up, contestant!"
"Medic! Who can Apparate? We have a critical contestant down over here!"
Back in the mansion, Gemma Farley and Penelope stared at Ethan in pure shock, mesmerized by the flowing radiance that filled the entire room. Unable to recover their composure for a long while, they could only feel their hearts pounding with a mixture of fear and awe.
Without any selfish motives, this was pure reverence for overwhelming power!