Alexander had no intention of turning this duel into a contest of raw magical power.
He deliberately avoided letting their spells collide head-on.
In magical dueling theory, once two spells locked together, it often devolved into a crude struggle. Whoever had more magic, more willpower, or the stronger wand core would overwhelm the other.
It looked cool and dramatic in films and stories.
But it was inefficient and dangerous.
Alexander also knew something else.
The Strongman family specialized in overpowering tactics—forcing spell collisions, then reinforcing their output to crush opponents through sheer magical pressure.
He was not planning on falling into a trap.
Spell clashes also tended to happen more frequently when wands shared compatible or identical cores—like the famous clashes between Harry Potter and Voldemort.
Alexander's wand was a Thunderbird core.
Wild. Violent. Dominant.
If it locked with another wand, it wouldn't just resist—
It would try to overwhelm.
He kept that in mind carefully.
Kyle fired again.
"Bombarda!"
Alexander sidestepped instead of blocking, letting the explosion tear into the arena floor behind him.
He quickly glanced around at the destruction—cracked marble, scattered debris, broken stone.
An idea formed instantly.
Alexander raised his wand smoothly.
"Wingardium Leviosa."
All around the arena, rubble began to tremble and rise.
Chunks of marble and shattered stone floated into the air like a miniature asteroid field.
Kyle's eyes widened slightly.
Alexander's wand snapped forward.
"Flipendo Maxima!"
The rubble launched.
Not in one straight line, but in chaotic, unpredictable trajectories from multiple angles.
Kyle reacted fast.
"Protego Duo!"
His reinforced shield flared brilliantly as the first wave slammed into it.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Stone shattered on impact.
But Alexander had lifted far more debris than Kyle expected.
The barrage continued relentlessly until—
Crack.
Kyle's shield shattered.
Several rocks struck him directly, knocking him off balance.
Before he could recover—
"Immobulus."
The freezing charm hit cleanly.
Kyle froze mid-movement, locked in place like a statue.
Silence fell across the arena.
Alexander exhaled and smiled lightly.
"You lose."
He turned toward Mr. Strongman—
But the referee pointed back at Kyle.
Alexander frowned and looked again.
Then his eyes widened slightly.
Crack.
Kyle's body trembled, and then he forced himself free of the freezing spell through sheer magical output.
Alexander's guard dropped for half a second in surprise.
Kyle seized it instantly.
"Bombarda!"
Alexander reacted on instinct.
"Bombarda!"
The two blasting curses collided mid-air and detonated.
BOOM!
Both boys were thrown backward by the explosion, sliding across the damaged platform.
For a moment, there was only silence.
Once the dust had settled, the audience heard laughter.
Both Alexander and Kyle were laughing.
Kyle pushed himself up, grinning through exhaustion.
"So… you do know advanced spells."
Alexander dusted himself off casually.
"No. I learned it watching you cast."
Kyle's laughter froze.
Then his face darkened in irritation.
"…You're joking."
Alexander just smiled.
Kyle's pride flared again.
"Then stop playing around and fight me like a man!"
Alexander's eyes sharpened.
"Sure. Bring it on."
Kyle fired first—
A brilliant red spell tore forward.
Alexander answered instantly—
A yellow beam erupted from his wand.
The two spells collided.
Locked.
Now it was no longer technique vs technique.
It was wand vs wand.
Core vs core.
Alexander felt it immediately.
His Thunderbird core surged with excitement—wild, electric, predatory. It wanted to dominate, to crush Kyle's wand in a direct magical struggle.
Spell clashes weren't just about power.
They were about:
Willpower.
Magical reserves.
Understanding of magic itself.
Those who grasped deeper magical laws could amplify their output far beyond normal limits.
Energy rippled outward from the collision point, tearing cracks across the arena floor.
Chunks of marble lifted from the pressure alone.
In the stands, Mrs. Chen clutched her hands tightly, worry written across her face.
Mr. Strongman stood calmly, wand raised in a steady Protego barrier, utterly unmoved as he observed the duel.
He wasn't afraid.
He was evaluating.
Measuring Alexander and Kyle.
The clash held for nearly a full minute.
Neither side was yielding.
Neither side was retreating.
All of a sudden, the beams destabilized.
And exploded outward.
BOOM!
A shockwave blasted across the arena, forcing both boys back yet again.
When the smoke cleared, both were panting heavily.
Sweat.
Dust.
Exhaustion.
But Alexander was smiling.
"You know, Kyle… offense was never my strong point."
Kyle smirked while trying to control his breathing.
"What, you scared? Let's go again."
Alexander shook his head slowly.
"No. This has been fun."
His expression shifted.
"Time to get serious now."
As his magical pressure started to increase.
"Are you ready, Kyle?"
Kyle felt the pressure and lifted his wand again, pride blazing in his eyes.
"Who's afraid?"
Round 2 of the duel was about to begin.