With Ashwinder giving them space, Chimaera quickly moved to stand near the entrance of the dueling hall. He turned sideways into a classic dueling stance and raised his chin at Thunderbird with a provocative smirk.
Ashwinder looked on with faint contempt. 'Tch, doesn't even know how outmatched he is,' he thought to himself.
'These are the kinds of rookies Golden Snidget keeps bringing in, full of ego just because they've been labeled Warding early on. They act like they're too good for the rest of us Silver Wands. Well, let's see how cocky he is after today.'
Meanwhile, Thunderbird didn't even flinch at Chimaera's provocation. Calmly, he stepped to the opposite side of the hall, facing his opponent. He shook his head slowly, clearly unimpressed.
"Kids these days really don't know anything about dueling etiquette. That ridiculous pose just makes you look like a clown."
With that, Thunderbird pulled out his aspen wand and slashed it downward in one smooth motion. "Show some respect, bow properly before a duel, idiot!"
The moment Thunderbird swung his wand, Chimaera's posture tensed. It felt like a massive weight had dropped onto his shoulders.
His instincts screamed danger, his hairs stood on end, and cold sweat broke out across his skin. He hadn't even made a move, yet it was clear: this wasn't going to be an easy fight.
Under the immense pressure bearing down on him, Chimaera was forced to bow in a stiff, awkward position. Only then did the overwhelming force begin to ease up.
With the opponent subdued, Thunderbird calmly placed his left hand behind his back in a refined, almost gentlemanly gesture, and raised his wand slightly with his right hand before bowing in a formal dueling salute.
The move caught Chimaera completely off guard. The sudden surge of power from this so-called old man had clearly shaken him, he stood frozen for a moment, stunned.
Behind his mask, he shot a bewildered glance at the Ashwinder standing nearby, as if to say, "This is what you call an old man?"
The Ashwinder simply shrugged, holding back a laugh. "He is an old man," he thought to himself, "I didn't lie about that."
Thunderbird, noticing Chimaera's brief lapse in focus, snapped with irritation, "Distracted during a duel? That's unacceptable!" His voice rang out sharply.
"Even if you're just dead weight, at least act like you know it! Don't waste my time, pull yourself together!"
"Damn it! You bastard!" Chimaera snarled, his earlier fear already forgotten. Rage flared in his mind.
'Who did this washed-up old relic think he was, daring to lecture someone of his rank, right in front of the director, no less?'
Enraged, he shouted, "Ossifragus! Corruptio Cordis! Glacialis Vultus! Formido Tremenda!"
With a fierce roar and no hesitation, Chimaera unleashed his full strength. His wand moved with precision, casting four spells in rapid succession using Multiple Casting Curse technique. He charged straight at Thunderbird, moving at a blistering speed.
Of the four spells, Ossifragus, the Bone-Shattering Curse, was a direct and brutal attack, while Corruptio Cordis, Glacialis Vultus, and Formido Tremenda were advanced and forbidden spells he'd learned from a secret dueling society. Corruptio Cordis, in particular, was a vicious corrosive curse with potent penetrating power and a clinging, acidic effect that could eat through standard magical defenses with ease.
Even if blocked by an Armor spell, the lingering effects could still stick and slowly corrode the shield away. The fact that Chimaera could cast all of them simultaneously without fumbling showed just how formidable he truly was. His strength wasn't just talk, he had the skills to back it up.
Azalea had always struggled with the Corrosion spell, it just didn't come naturally to her. On the other hand, she handled the Chimaera spell with ease. Then there was the Glacialis Vultus spell, a form of elemental magic that summoned a sharp blade of ice in midair. This blade could strike with both magical and physical force.
Once it hit its target, it would release a powerful burst of cold air, freezing the enemy on the spot. Its effect was similar to an upgraded freezing spell developed by Alex, but this one was sharper, faster, and more focused in its attack.
Another spell in the mix was Formido Tremenda, a creation by Phoenix and offered to the club in the same way Thunderbird contributed his Corruptio Cordis spell. Formido Tremenda worked much like Alex's Fear Curse, but while Alex's version affected multiple enemies at once, Formido Tremenda targeted a single opponent.
The trade-off? It was far more intense. Victims of the spell would often lose the will to resist, and those with weaker minds could even die instantly from sheer terror.
Despite the sudden barrage of powerful spells, Thunderbird remained completely calm. He wasn't just unfazed, he even had the presence of mind to critique the casting mid-fight.
"This is just a standard four-spell combo," he remarked casually. "The cast time at the start is slow, but the firing speed is passable. The technique's decent… but the power level?" He paused briefly, not out of hesitation, but because he was already countering.
While speaking, Thunderbird had been casting his own spells with effortless speed. His movements were so fast they left afterimages, tapping the air four times in perfect rhythm.
The Chimaera's eyes widened in shock as he realized Thunderbird was not only copying his spells but using the exact same ones: Ossifragus, Corruptio Cordis, Glacialis Vultus, and Formido Tremenda.
Then came the clash. Each of Thunderbird's spells collided directly with its twin in midair, spell against spell. The impact released a powerful burst of magical energy, stirring up a wild gust of wind that whipped through the closed duel hall. The sudden storm tugged at the clothes of the three Silver Wand members watching nearby.
Yet even after the fierce collision, the spells didn't cancel each other out. The battle was far from over.
The four spells unleashed by Thunderbird were clearly much more powerful, though they moved slower as they headed toward the Chimaera. Seeing this, Chimaera started to panic. He hadn't expected that the spell he cast with all his strength would be so easily overpowered, like a duck egg shattering against an ostrich egg. The difference in power was obvious.
"Figures. You can't expect much from trash," Thunderbird said flatly, his tone dripping with disdain. "With spellwork like that, I'd give it a 4, at best." His voice was calm, but his words cut deep, as if he wasn't even talking to another wizard, but to a mere child.
"Oh? So we're scoring on a scale of ten?" Ashwinder chimed in with a smirk, clearly enjoying the show.
"Of course it's out of 100," Thunderbird replied casually, throwing a brief glance at him.