The mastermind behind Hogwarts

Chapter 356 is strange.

Penelope couldn't understand it, but she was certain it was related to Jericho.

Penelope turned her gaze to the field, where Jericho and Jiu Neng both entered the arena.

Nine stroked his bald head, her tone unusual: "I heard you have a Ravenclaw girlfriend? Why not stay with her instead of getting involved in this mess at the Institute of Magic?"

Jericho remained expressionless, seemingly having no intention of speaking to Nine.

"Just because of that bitch Tokugawa?" Jiu Neng found it somewhat amusing. "The Blanche family are American aristocrats; what kind of women haven't they seen? You want a woman like Tokugawa?"

Jericho looked at Scrimgeour: "Shall we begin?"

"Blanche!" Nine said in a voice only he and Jericho could hear before the duel began, "Now a golden opportunity is before you! If you want to hear it, come to the corridor on the eighth floor of the castle at midnight next Wednesday."

A glint of light flashed in Jericho's eyes; today, Nine seemed unusually intelligent.

"Both sides bow, the duel begins!" Scrimgeour announced.

Nine almost didn't bow before picking up his wand and pointing it at Jericho.

"Red Magic·Fire Shot!"

The wand seemed to suddenly transform into a laser gun, shooting out flames as thick as an arm.

Jericho remained unfazed, raising his wand in the face of the fire ray. "Clear Water!"

A large gush of clear spring water gushed out, deflecting the flame rays.

Looking at the spring, Jiu Neng said, "Compared to your peers, your magic is far too abundant. The spring you summon is more than three times stronger than the average one."

"But my fire rays will never go out!"

A ruthless look appeared on Jiu Neng's face as he stretched out his right arm toward Jericho, causing the flame ray to grow even thicker.

Like soldiers advancing into battle, they pushed past the spring and rushed to Jericho's side.

Jericho could even feel the heat of the flames.

The spring was about to evaporate completely, but Jericho saw no flame, even though it was right in front of him.

"This temperature is completely different from the Divine Fire Descent that Jiu Neng used before."

"You're not Jiu Neng, so who are you?"

Jericho's heart was in turmoil, but he dared not look at Jiu Neng directly, his gaze slightly downward.

He feared that Jiu could use the ability to manipulate thoughts and desires.

The current Nine Energy may be under a Soul-Stealing Curse, or it could be someone else impersonating it after drinking the Compound Elixir, or it could be possessed.

In either case, defeating the current Nine-Nor will be extremely difficult.

"It seems we'll have to go all out."

Jericho flicked his wrist, pointed his wand at the ground, and conjured a stone forest to replace the spring in front of him.

"Grow bigger quickly."

They then chanted a spell to enlarge the stone forest, making it longer and thicker. The flames struck the stones, but apart from leaving black burn marks, they could not shake the stone forest in the slightest.

"Ha, a little trick." Nine-Energy brandished his wand with great force: "Red Magic - Vitality!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Clumps of green flowers burst forth from the stone forest, instantly covering the stone surface and turning the stone forest into a flower forest!

Nine waved his wand again, and the flowers bloomed, spraying out purple pollen.

Recalling the purple poisonous fog from the first game, Jericho realized in his heart that the pollen was poisonous.

"Flames are raging!"

Jericho acted decisively, setting the flower grove ablaze.

But the poisonous pollen couldn't be burned away, and he didn't have Moriarty's massive magic to clear the field, so he decisively chose the most honest way to deal with it: run.

"Whoosh~"

Jericho used his uncanny Quidditch skills to slip out of Nine's sight in an instant.

"That speed, it's probably under 10 minutes in the 100 meters, right?"

Nine can hold Jericho up and predict where Jericho will land next.

"But you have nowhere to escape, Red Magic: Earth Collapse!"

The wand was aimed at the ground beneath Jericho's feet, and with a loud bang, a large crater appeared in the ground.

However, Jericho did not fall in; he ran across the crater, took a big detour, and approached Nine.

"Hmph," Jiu Neng snorted unhappily, "The Blanche family really are all athletes. Like madmen."

"But what if there's an earthquake? Can you still run?"

Nine raised her wands with both hands and shouted, "Red Magic: Earth Shattering!"

This is an upgraded version of Earthquake, a large-scale spell that requires at least three seconds of casting preparation, and its magical effect is like an earthquake.

Jericho realized this and wouldn't let Nine cast his spell smoothly, otherwise he would truly have nowhere to retreat.

"Torn apart!"

As Jericho ran, he aimed a Split Spell at Nine, who was holding a wand.

"A minor splitting spell..." Nine smiled dismissively, silently chanting in his mind, "Fire Shield."

A triangular shield made of flames blocked Jiu Neng's path. The Split Spell struck the shield and vanished limply.

But immediately, a flash of fire appeared on the shield, and the shield turned into several clusters of sparks and disappeared!

Jiu Neng's eyes narrowed as he realized something. "Oh no!"

He quickly lunged to the side, abandoning even the motion of casting a spell, but it was too late.

"Sizzle—"

The red wizard's robe that Jiu Neng was wearing had a large tear, as if it had been slashed by a sharp blade, near the lower left chest.

"What a brilliant silent incantation, a triple spellcasting."

Jiu Neng stood up, his tone turning cold.

Jericho stopped running and sneered, "You got what you deserved, didn't you?"

"Hmph, I won't hold back either." A black glint flashed in Jiu Neng's eyes, and the wand in his hand trembled slightly.

"You've lost your chance!" Jericho said with certainty. For some reason, he felt that if the match wasn't ended soon, Nine would be in great danger.

"Imprisonment of the Void!"

Jericho used his signature move to imprison the air on the left side of Kyuu, while the air pressure on the right side acted like a cannonball, blasting Kyuu away!

Nine-Talented Ninja in the air showed no discomfort whatsoever. "Your ultimate technique has been exposed. Did you think I wouldn't be on guard?"

A sphere appeared around Jiu Neng's body, shimmering with a pale blue light, protecting him like a bubble.

"Red magic Shiopao."

Seeing this, Genya excitedly said to Yuusuke Kafu from the audience, "Fire, wood, earth, water—Kunou has already demonstrated four elemental magics! My eldest disciple has certainly not disappointed me!"

Yuzuru Kaze nodded calmly.

Yuan Gu didn't pay any attention and continued watching the game in a cheerful mood.

Jericho looked at Nine in the air and suddenly laughed: "You said you were prepared? So what now?"

Jericho suddenly extended his left hand, palm facing Nine.

A miraculous thing happened!

Nine flew toward Jericho!

"What happened?"

Nine could move his limbs, but he couldn't control his body and could only watch helplessly as he flew away.

Jericho conjured twenty flying swords above him, their sharp tips aimed at Nine.

If Jiu Neng flies another ten meters, he will be turned into a hedgehog!

"Since I can imprison the air to your left, I can naturally imprison the air in front of you as well. The air behind you is like a pusher, pushing you in front of me. Prepare to die."

Jericho calmly explained, "You lost!"

Nine tried to wave his wand, but found that his limbs were immobile, and the air behind him was pressing down on him.

He watched helplessly as the flying sword drew closer and closer to him.

Ten meters!

Five meters!

one meter!

Just as black flashed in Kunon's eyes again, Scrimgeour ended the match: "Since Kunon is unable to continue, Blanche is the winner of this duel!"

"Losing...so be it." Kyu blinked, and the blackness in her eyes vanished without a trace.

Jericho also breathed a sigh of relief. He had a feeling that if the game continued, he might lose!

"Who exactly is this guy?" Jericho gave Jiu Neng a deep look, said nothing, and left, since he was unpopular anyway.

However, I will prove with facts that my actions are worthwhile!

Jericho vowed to uncover Hanyu Kafu's conspiracy, even though he didn't know whether Hanyu Kafu was a good person or a bad person.

Otherwise, he'll never be able to clear his name.

"Before Yuusuke could figure things out, another strange guy named Kuno appeared."

"Next Wednesday at midnight?"

"Perfect timing, let me investigate you!"

Jericho walked out of the secret room without looking back.

Lockhart watched his retreating figure, shook his head, but still had to say what needed to be said: "Jellicoe wins, 1 point!"

"The next duel: Violet Ventura vs. Yua Tokugawa!"

(End of this chapter)