Sorcerer Supreme at Hogwarts (English Versión)-Chapter 158: The virtual gladiators p2

The virtual gladiators p2

While everyone was watching in anticipation, a countdown appeared above them.

Fred and George drew their dual swords and prepared for battle.

""3... 2... 1...!""Jordan shouted excitedly". "The battle begins!"

The spectators barely had time to react before Fred and George propelled themselves forward, almost disappearing from human sight. Their speed was beyond any ordinary wizard, leaving behind an explosion of magical energy.

In an instant, both clashed their swords with a force that resonated throughout the arena.

""What was that?!""Jordan exclaimed". "They used Bombarda on their own feet and backs to propel themselves at that speed!"

Meanwhile, the twins exchanged blows at an astonishing speed. Each slash was dodged with pinpoint precision, immediately countered by the other. It seemed like a perfect tie... until Fred suddenly swapped one of his swords for his wand and pointed it directly at George's face.

""Bombarda!"

George reacted at the last second, dropping one of his swords and deflecting Fred's wrist with the back of his hand. The spell shot toward the stands, but an invisible wall stopped the explosion just in time.

Without wasting a moment, George lifted his remaining sword and hurled it with deadly speed toward Fred's chest. In a swift maneuver, Fred reversed his grip on his sword, holding it upside down to deflect the attack. Then, using the momentum, he kicked George in the chest and gained some distance, flipping backward.

George, staggering from the kick, threw his sword in a final attempt to reach him. Fred, still mid-air, touched the ground with his wand.

""Protego!"

A barrier rose just in time, stopping the sword instantly.

Silence took over the arena.

Everything had happened within seconds, and even the spectators couldn't react fast enough to process the twins' movements.

""That was a fantastic first clash!""Jordan shouted, shaking the crowd out of their shock.

""Woooow!!"

""That was amazing!!"

The stands erupted into cheers, with people waving their banners in excitement.

In the arena, Fred and George looked at each other with the same sly smile.

""Looks like you've been training, little brother,""Fred commented, making another sword appear in his hand while storing his wand.

""Obviously. When I found out I'd be fighting you, I prepared myself,""George replied, holding both his sword and wand at the same time.

That detail caught Fred's attention. His brother had changed his fighting style just to face him. However, instead of worrying, he smiled confidently.

""Then I hope we have a fabulous fight,""he said before propelling himself forward with all the strength in his legs.

George raised his wand and cast a barrage of spells without hesitation.

""Glacius! Bombarda! Stupefy! Glacius! Bombarda!"

Fred didn't even try to dodge them. Instead, he cut through the spells with his sword while advancing... until he noticed his brother's grin.

It was the same smile they had whenever one of their pranks went perfectly.

When he reached striking range, George lifted his sword single-handedly and brought it down with a brutal slash. Fred reacted instantly, crossing both swords to block the attack while mentally preparing a counterattack with his wand.

Then, he saw it.

The blades of his swords were cracking.

George's sword was about to slice him in two.

His mind entered a state of hyper-focus. Everything seemed to slow down as he let go of one sword and pulled out his wand.

""Bombarda Maxima!"

The explosion blasted him into the air, throwing him out of danger at the cost of taking the impact himself. When he landed, his chest was covered in burning red marks, the representation of damage in the virtual world. He was breathing heavily, but he could still fight.

George wasn't unscathed either. He was visibly injured, and his expression was pure frustration.

""Hey, that's cheating!""he snapped.

""Of course not!""Fred retorted, rubbing his chest with a grimace of pain. Although the game reduced the damage, it still hurt enough to make the fight challenging.

""Judge!""they both shouted at the same time.

The stands were completely stunned by the spectacle. Jordan quickly looked over at Stephen, who simply shrugged.

""Metis?""Jordan called for help.

The little green-haired girl appeared immediately.

""The arena has no rules. As long as a fighter is still standing, they can continue fighting unless they surrender,""she replied quickly before disappearing.

Everyone listened carefully to her words and immediately turned back to the twins.

""You heard her,""Fred said, raising his wand now that his swords were destroyed.

""Tsk... whatever. I just have to beat you,""George grumbled.

""Wait,""Fred suddenly said.

""What?""George asked, frowning.

""How did you destroy my swords?"

George smirked.

""I'll tell you only because you don't have them anymore,""he said smugly". "It happened when you cut through my Glacius and Bombarda spells."

Fred understood instantly.

In the stands, most people didn't get what they were talking about.

Jordan, noticing the general confusion, glanced at Stephen again.

The former sorcerer sighed and moved closer to sit beside him.

Meanwhile, the twins had "kindly" paused their fight, though in reality, they seemed to be using the time to catch their breath.

Everything was coldly calculated.

"First, I use magical heat to rapidly and intensely raise the temperature of the sword. This causes the metal to expand, weakening its internal structure by generating stress. Then, I apply magical ice to cool it abruptly. This thermal shock can cause fractures in the metal, as the extreme temperature change generates additional internal stress. It's like forcing the metal to 'stress' itself so much that it loses cohesion... Finally, once it's weakened by internal stress and the cracks formed, I deliver a well-calculated strike to the most vulnerable point, ensuring the sword breaks."

Stephen explained with an impassive look, as if he were giving a masterclass.

Jordan had to hold back his laughter at his companion's expression.

"You all heard him!" Jordan exclaimed, though he hadn't understood much himself. The only clear thing was that heating and cooling the metal had broken both swords. "It'd be great if you stuck around to explain some things because we clearly don't get anything."

Stephen smiled calmly.

"Alright."

But his expression shifted slightly as he observed the twins.

"By the way, they both used that time to rest while I was explaining. That was probably their plan from the start."

Everyone turned their heads toward Fred and George, who, wasting no time, got into their fighting stances, ready to continue the battle.

"Here I go!" Fred shouted, raising his wand. "Fiendfyre!"

From the tip of his wand, a whirlwind of living flames emerged, taking the shape of a massive fire dragon within seconds.

"Oh yeah?" George wasn't about to be left behind. "Fiendfyre!"

Another fire dragon formed before him, roaring intensely before charging at his brother's.

The heat from their clash could be felt even through the invisible shields protecting the arena.

"Hey, hey, hey... are they allowed to use dark magic here?" Jordan asked, alarmed.

Stephen nodded calmly.

"Yes. Except for dark magic that affects a person's mind, the rest is only considered dark because of its destructive and uncontrollable nature. In the case of Fiendfyre, it's an extremely powerful spell but easy to lose control of. However, in this case, that problem might not exist..."

"Why? Because it's a game?"

Stephen shook his head.

"No. Even though this is a game, the realism is the same as in real life. Fiendfyre has a will of its own and responds to the fear of its caster. If someone has even a shred of fear, they will lose control of the spell, even if they don't consciously realize it. But here, where there's no real risk of dying, that fear disappears instinctively."

As the two fire dragons clashed fiercely in the center of the arena, Stephen noticed something curious. Every now and then, Fred would loosen his control over his dragon to throw mud on himself. Moments that George took advantage of to gain the upper hand.

Stephen smirked.

"Sometimes, losing the fear of death becomes a lethal weapon."

"What?" Jordan asked.

Before he could get an answer, George's dragon overpowered Fred's and launched it toward its summoner. George smirked, believing the fight was decided.

Then, to everyone's surprise, Fred emerged from the fire, his body covered in charred mud and virtual burn marks. Although his wand was warped from the heat, he cast a spell on his wrist, transforming an iron bracelet into a dagger, which he hurled straight at George's chest.

George tried to block it, but Fred, with the last scorched splinter of his wand, cast a spell that struck the dagger midair. frёewebnoѵēl.com

The dagger split into several.

And as they advanced, they multiplied.

A rain of daggers fell upon George, who barely managed to deflect a dozen before the rest hit him.

"Looks like we'll have to go back to those games where, if you get distracted, I hit you," Stephen said as Jordan trembled slightly.

Then, George fell to the ground...

...and so did Fred.

Both collapsed almost at the same time.

The crowd went silent.

All eyes turned expectantly to Jordan and Stephen. Jordan searched for help with his gaze.

Stephen sighed.

"Metis."

The small green-haired girl appeared immediately. Several screens unfolded, displaying slow-motion comparisons.

The answer was revealed.

George touched the ground...

...a microsecond before Fred.

"The winner is Fred!" Jordan shouted.

The stands erupted in cheers and applause.

George and Fred reappeared in the arena, fully restored.

"That's not fair!" George complained.

Fred smiled smugly.

"Well, little brother... as Metis said, there are no rules. And Stephen always told you never to let your guard down."

"Then, let's allow our two amazing competitors to rest while we welcome the next fighters!" Jordan announced. "Step into the coliseum, our next competitors! And, to everyone's surprise... they're also twins! Give it up for the Mini Flamel Twins!"

Immediately, Tony and Loki entered with annoyed expressions.

"Hey, you didn't have to add the 'mini'!" Tony complained.

"Sorry, but we already have older Flamel twins," Jordan replied with a grin.

"Tsk. Whatever," Loki scoffed, locking eyes with Tony.

"It's time to prove who's truly superior... with our original abilities, not the ones from this world."

They had always argued about what was superior: magic or technology.

So Wanda, as always, had manipulated them into finally settling it.

Asgardian magic versus Stark technology.

The coliseum roared with anticipation.