The Competition That Turns Into War… Again – Part 4
"All right, Mr. President. I hope you show the same self-control when handling the golem," said Harry with a confident smile, watching Luciel as he pointed his wand forward.
"We'll see," replied Luciel, with that calm composure that always made him seem untouchable.
"Praeceptum Golem."
The golem activated instantly. Without moving a single muscle, Luciel began to control it with flawless precision. The automaton made a light, almost carefree jump, as if it were skipping an invisible rope. The runes on its boots glowed with a white shimmer each time they touched the ground.
Draco encouraged Neville, whose golem took a defensive stance: shield raised, feet firm. A golden barrier unfolded before him, spreading in an arched shape that covered a wide section of the arena.
Fred, meanwhile, took control of his golem while George cheered from behind. The automaton lifted its arms, and its fists burst into flames, sending waves of heat that distorted the air. With each practice strike, the flames traced shining patterns around it.
Fleur, the least experienced of the group, moved her golem clumsily during the first few seconds, making it stumble and lose balance, until little by little she began to synchronize her movements with it.
"Begin!" shouted the commentator, and the crowd roared with excitement.
Luciel was the first to move.
The moment his golem landed from its jump, its boots flared brightly, propelling it forward at astonishing speed—straight toward Fred.
Fred's eyes widened. He reacted quickly, flicking his wand so his golem threw a flaming punch. A burst of fire roared forward, leaving a trail of heat in its wake.
Luciel smiled.
His golem raised one sword, slicing the flame cleanly in two with a smooth motion. The enchanted blade gleamed intensely as the second sword lifted, aiming straight at the enemy golem's neck.
"Idiot, duck!" shouted Daphne from the sidelines.
Fred jerked his wand back, and his golem crouched just in time. Luciel's sword grazed the helmet, leaving a glowing mark that burned for a few seconds before fading away.
Satisfied, Luciel made his golem leap backward in a perfect somersault. The crowd fell silent for a brief moment, amazed by the fluidity of the movement. Some hadn't even managed to follow the full sequence before it ended.
"Looks like it does," Luciel muttered with a smug grin.
The stadium erupted. Cheers thundered through the stands as the audience roared in excitement at that first exchange of attacks.
Many of the girls in the crowd seemed even more ecstatic than before. Most had come out of curiosity or to accompany someone, but just one display from Luciel was enough to win them all over. Action, destruction, and chaos—the very heart of the tournament.
Fred swallowed hard. He'd survived… but only because Luciel hadn't chosen to keep attacking.
Meanwhile, Daphne, Hermione, and Draco exchanged glances. Then they looked at Harry, who stood beside Luciel with his arms crossed and an all-too-satisfied expression.
For a moment, the three seemed to reach the same conclusion without saying a word. They nodded in unison, each leaning toward their respective partner to whisper something into their ears.
Harry noticed.
"Seems like you showed off a bit too much," he said with a teasing smile.
Luciel tilted his head slightly. The three opposing golems turned at once, all aiming straight at him. Instead of feeling uneasy, Luciel let out a quiet chuckle, and his golem stepped forward, ready for the challenge.
"That's exactly what I was hoping for," he replied with a smile full of excitement.
"Wow! Incredible! With just one display of skill, he's managed to make everyone team up against him! How will Luciel handle three enhanced golems at once?" the commentator shouted enthusiastically as the crowd went wild.
Fleur, meanwhile, already had a small group of fans cheering her name with makeshift signs. Neville, too, started receiving some cheers, which made his confidence rise noticeably.
"Neville, take the lead! Act as the tank!" Draco ordered firmly.
Neville nodded, focusing. His golem advanced, shield raised, positioning itself in front of Luciel's like a golden wall.
Fleur's golem stayed further back, aiming its crossbow awkwardly. Fred, on the other hand, moved decisively, making his golem sprint in a zigzag pattern, its flaming fists blazing.
"Harry, logistical support and observation," said Luciel calmly before sending his golem charging forward.
The impact was brutal.
Fred's flaming golem clashed with Luciel's, the echo of metal ringing throughout the arena. Luciel's golem pushed back, sliding gracefully before retreating toward Neville's position.
Neville raised his shield at the perfect moment, and a golden, translucent wall blocked Luciel's advance. The collision made the air vibrate… and then a sharp sound sliced through the noise.
A shot!
"Left," Harry called out quickly.
Luciel barely needed to think. His golem leapt to the side, and a bolt struck the ground exactly where it had stood a heartbeat earlier. A moment later, the projectile glowed—and exploded with a deafening boom.
Everyone turned toward Hermione.
They knew she'd upgraded her crossbow, but no one expected her to add magical explosives to it.
Hermione smiled innocently as the others shook their heads, resigned to their friend's wild creativity.
"Has anyone ever told you your friends are insane?" Luciel asked with a strained smile.
"Yes. Don't lose focus," Harry replied, just as Fred's golem lunged again, its flaming fists burning hotter than ever.
Luciel flicked his wand, and his golem flipped backward just as a burst of fire passed beneath it. The flames illuminated the air in a vivid orange glow that reflected off its metallic armor.
"Show-off," Fred muttered with a grin, making his golem throw an uppercut like a boxer. The fire followed the motion, swirling upward in a blazing arc.
Luciel controlled his golem with precision, crossing both swords in an X-shaped slash to cut through the flames. As soon as it landed, the runes on its boots lit up once more, propelling it forward with explosive speed.
The attack went straight for Fred, who, anticipating the strike, immediately retreated and took cover behind Neville's golem.
Neville's golem raised its shield, and a golden barrier appeared in front of them both, blocking Luciel's strike. The tip of the sword hit the magical wall, leaving visible cracks across its surface. Without pausing, Luciel turned his second blade and struck the same spot; the golden crystal shattered like glass, and he smiled as he swung the next slash toward Neville's golem's neck.
"Bolt!" shouted Harry.
Luciel stopped instantly, understanding at once. His golem leapt backward just before Hermione's bolt struck the ground where he had been standing.
The explosion sent up a cloud of dust and heat, forcing even Neville's golem to raise its shield to block the flying debris.
Harry observed Neville's golden shield closely. The aura forming it flickered for a few seconds, then began recharging with magical energy until it shone brightly once again.
Luciel made his golem step back, assessing the battlefield. His eyes darted between his opponents, calculating.
"Fighting all three at once really is tricky," he said with a calm smile before glancing toward Fleur, who now moved her golem with renewed confidence, delighted to have finally mastered the controls.
Luciel smiled with a hint of pride as he watched her.
All around them, the atmosphere was electric: not only was the crowd shouting with excitement, but even the participants themselves were swept up in the thrill of battle. It was as if they were inside the golems themselves.
"Hey, I've got an idea," said Harry, carefully watching the others' movements. He leaned toward Luciel and whispered something into his ear.
Luciel listened silently and nodded with a small grin.
His golem shifted slightly backward, taking some distance. Instead of advancing, it retreated a few steps with deliberate caution.
Fred frowned and gestured for Neville to move forward. If he lost the coverage of his golden shield, Luciel could cut him down instantly.
Neville nodded and moved his golem forward, shield raised.
At that moment, Luciel's golem suddenly charged forward at incredible speed, straight toward him.
The others thought he had stepped back to prepare another attack against Fred, but when they saw him rushing Neville instead, their eyes widened in surprise and they reacted immediately. Neville lifted his shield to block while Hermione and Fred launched their support attacks.
But Fred, standing behind the shield, couldn't move forward without crashing into it.
Luciel gave a slight smile. His golem aimed its sword toward the center of the golden barrier, thrusting with precision.
"Here it comes," warned Harry.
Luciel's golem leapt backward in the same instant, and with a swift movement, deflected the next incoming bolt flying toward him.
The golem's sword struck the projectile midair, redirecting it straight into Neville's shield.
The impact was immediate.
The bolt exploded upon contact with the barrier, shattering it into a thousand golden fragments.
Through the resulting fire and smoke, Luciel's golem emerged, its sword aimed directly at Neville's golem's neck.
"I won't let you!" shouted Fred, making his golem attack at the same time, throwing a blazing punch toward Luciel.
Luciel only smiled.
He released one of his swords, letting the other drop just as the fire passed above him. He ducked swiftly, and with the remaining blade, slashed upward.
The strike was fast and precise.
The edge cut from Fred's golem's leg up to its chest, leaving a deep mark that immediately sparked.
Fred staggered backward, while another bolt streaked through the air toward Luciel, who jumped back to dodge it.
The explosive arrow detonated right in front of Neville's shield, which rose again, trembling—but too late to stop the impact.
"Wow, that was incredible!" shouted the commentator enthusiastically. "An amazing strategy from contestant Luciel! He took advantage of the others' lack of coordination to deceive them, dodged Fred's strike, and destroyed Neville's defense using his teammate's own projectile! A brilliant move!"
The crowd roared with excitement.
"One down," said Luciel with a confident smile.
"Oh! What do we have here?" exclaimed Wendel, the commentator. "Luciel's attack seems to have struck both, but it looks like one of them took the worst of it…"
Everyone turned their eyes to the battlefield.
Neville's golem was kneeling, its neck pierced by Luciel's sword.
Luciel had released the blade during the movement, and although it hadn't seemed like it would do much damage, the explosion had pushed Neville's shield with such force that the sword had driven straight into his neck.
The golem fell to the ground with a metallic crash.
Draco sighed and gave Neville a pat on the shoulder, as the boy lowered his head, frustrated for having fallen into the trap.
"Now I understand… you're crazy too," said Luciel, looking at Harry—the mastermind behind the plan.
"The magic shield needed to recharge before it could be used again," explained Harry with a calm smile. "And when it's active, it can't move. But his physical shield can. The explosion pushed it exactly where we needed it."
Luciel nodded, amused, as he looked toward Fred's golem, which was now moving with difficulty, sparks flying from the deep gash that began at its leg and extended across its chest.
"Pause!" shouted Daphne, raising her hand.
"Eh? Pause?" repeated Wendel, confused.
Lupin, who was now acting as referee instead of ticket-taker (thanks to Sirius), shrugged and looked toward Xenophilius, who merely mirrored the gesture.
"Uh… well then, we'll announce a twenty-second tactical pause. Sound good?" Wendel improvised.
Daphne nodded quickly, as did Hermione.
Although Harry could have objected, it was two against one, so he merely raised his hand in mock resignation.
"Okay, starting now," announced Wendel.
Daphne ran toward Hermione and Fleur's section, and the three began talking rapidly, gesturing and pointing toward the field.
Harry watched them from afar with a playful smirk.
The girls glanced at him for a moment, rolled their eyes in perfect unison, and went back to their strategy.
"We're ready," Daphne finally announced.
"Uh… well then… continue!" said Wendel, trying to maintain his formal tone as the audience burst out laughing.
The tension of the tournament had almost completely vanished, replaced by a mix of excitement, chaos, and fun.
No one in the arena could deny that this competition, no matter how improvised it had become, was simply unforgettable.