Chapter 260: Dark Lord and the Dark Lord

Chapter 260: Dark Lord and the Dark Lord

"Cassandra Vole..."

Fleur stood as though facing a formidable enemy.

The pile of Fire Crab corpses beneath her feet felt like soft, shifting sand, and Cassandra was like a terrifying golden shark ready to tear her apart at any moment!

Fleur's fighting spirit wavered, but she still didn't lower her wand. Not because she was particularly brave, but because judging by Cassandra's performance in the last challenge, surrendering might as well mean death.

Even so, Fleur had a question she desperately wanted answered:

"I don't understand. Why are you targeting Beauxbatons so specifically?"

In the first challenge, Cassandra had eliminated many participants, but no one except the Beauxbatons champions had died.

Fleur couldn't wrap her head around it. What had Beauxbatons done to provoke Cassandra? Could it be that this girl had once wanted to attend Beauxbatons but was rejected?

But Cassandra had no intention of answering Fleur's question.

Not only did she refuse to respond, but she also added in French:

"Sorry, I don't understand French."

Then Cassandra raised her hand and cast a spell!

"Protego!"

Clang!

The spell struck directly against Fleur's Shield Charm. As expected of someone chosen as a champion, Fleur's spellcasting skills were solid.

In fact, a competent graduate from a magical school should meet the minimum standards for Auror recruitment by the Ministry of Magic upon graduation. Fleur, in terms of knowledge and magical prowess, was already quite exceptional. It wouldn't have been surprising if she had been offered a teaching position at Beauxbatons right after graduation.

Her only shortcoming was her lack of combat experience!

Compared to someone like Cassandra—a top-tier prodigy—there was still a significant gap.

In truth, Cyrus had long assessed Cassandra's talent. While she could be a bit arrogant at times, her natural abilities were on par with prodigies like Barty Crouch Jr. or Severus Snape!

But regardless of Cassandra's brilliance, Fleur was now filled with a profound sense of insult.

At the beginning of her time in Britain, her English had indeed been poor, but after several months at Hogwarts, she wasn't completely incapable of speaking it. The question she had just asked was in English, but Cassandra had responded in French, claiming she didn't understand!

If this wasn't an insult, then what was?!

Fleur glared angrily at Cassandra with her blue eyes—this woman was simply despicable!

Even if it cost her life, she couldn't allow Cassandra to look down on Beauxbatons!

With that mindset, Fleur resolved to fight with all her might. She was well aware that the second task forbade killing; otherwise, it would violate the tournament's rules. But judging by Cassandra's demeanor, it was clear she hadn't cared about the competition's rules from the very beginning.

And why would she? With the headmaster himself participating, the other champions had been mere ornaments from the start.

As for the possibility of facing repercussions from the International Confederation of Wizards for killing someone, Fleur held no hope. After the first task, the Confederation's attitude had already been evident—they didn't dare act against the young Ilvermorny headmaster.

She could only wager her life—to fight for the honor of the champions and the glory of her school!

Fleur took a deep breath and raised her wand. When she opened her eyes again, her resolve was unshakable.

Cassandra, on the other hand, was momentarily perplexed by Fleur's sudden shift in demeanor. Truthfully, she hadn't planned on killing anyone this time. Since Fleur wasn't a Death Eater, there was no need to kill her; Cassandra wasn't some kind of murderous monster after all.

But seeing Fleur take on such a "do-or-die" attitude, Cassandra quickly adjusted her stance.

Determination plays a significant role in a wizard's spellcasting. A wizard's strength stems not just from their magic but also from their inner will. Fleur's resolute mindset at this moment wouldn't grant her sudden new powers, but it would at least allow her to fully realize her existing abilities.

"Diffindo!"

Fleur began with a highly destructive spell.

Cassandra wasted no time; she pointed her wand at the ground and cast, "Obstructio!"

The smooth, black marble floor suddenly rose up, arching like the back of a wildcat, forming a trench-like barrier in front of Cassandra.

Bang!

A violent explosion followed.

The raised obstacle was sliced into fragments as if several blades had passed effortlessly through tofu, shattered instantly by Fleur's spell.

Seizing the momentum, Fleur pressed the attack. She couldn't afford to let Cassandra control the rhythm of the duel. The ground had barely exploded before Fleur impatiently unleashed another spell.

"Oppugno!"

This time, the fragments of the shattered stone were pulled into the air, transformed into deadly projectiles under Fleur's spell.

The two of them were about to leave when Cedric suddenly stopped in his tracks. He turned around, looked at Cassandra, and, after a moment of hesitation, extended an invitation.

"Miss Vole, why don't we work together?" Cedric suggested.

"Work together?"

Not only was Cassandra surprised, but Fleur also frowned, glaring at Cassandra with clear displeasure. The resistance in her expression left no doubt about how she felt.

After all, just minutes ago, this woman had nearly killed her.

"Our strength doesn't compare to that of the two headmasters or the Dark Wizard Grindelwald," Cedric explained. "That's why we should combine our forces."

It was evident that Cedric, unlike Cassandra, hadn't given up on the idea of winning, even in the face of their current situation.

"You're very skilled," Cedric continued, "but I know more about the Ministry of Magic than you do. We're on the second level of the Ministry. I suspect the treasure we're looking for might be on the final level."

"How interesting. You're from Hufflepuff, right?" Cassandra asked with a faint smirk.

"My whole family is Hufflepuff," Cedric said proudly.

Talking about his house, Cedric straightened his back with pride.

"I heard that Hufflepuff accepts students the other three houses don't want. They're not particularly clever, brave, or cunning, nor do they strive for glory. But you don't seem like that at all," Cassandra remarked, eyeing Cedric with a curious expression.

"You're mistaken," Cedric replied earnestly. "Hufflepuff welcomes wizards who are just and loyal."

While it was true that many average students ended up in Hufflepuff, leading to certain biases against the house, Hufflepuff didn't neglect other qualities.

After all, how could a person who was just and loyal not also be brave?

How could they not care about honor?

"Facing off against Headmaster Cyrus..." Cassandra tapped her delicate chin, her face showing a hint of temptation.

To be honest, the proposal was too enticing for her to ignore.

As someone who had a clear understanding of Cyrus's abilities, Cassandra knew she couldn't defeat him. She was also aware of his plan: the so-called Triwizard Tournament was nothing more than a stage for a duel with Dumbledore.

Still, Cyrus had his own agenda, and if she performed exceptionally, she would earn even greater recognition.

"Alright, let's give it a try," she finally agreed.

...

Meanwhile, on the other side of the labyrinth, Cyrus had already cleared four levels, moving from the third to the sixth.

After the Ministry of Magic's structure had been disrupted, no one could predict which floor they'd reach after opening a door. Cyrus made steady progress, encountering and overcoming challenges, including a Sphinx at the beginning, a variety of magical creatures, and numerous enchanted constructs.

Nothing could stop his advance—except one thing: Another legendary wizard!

Cyrus halted his steps in a room filled with fireplaces.

The space was silent, with numerous small baskets arranged neatly on the tables, each filled with different powders.

These were Floo Powders.

By examining them, Cyrus confirmed his current location: the Floo Network Authority on the sixth underground level of the Ministry of Magic.

However, these details were inconsequential compared to the presence of someone who had been following him for some time. Without turning around, Cyrus faced the row of fireplaces behind him and spoke:

"You've been tailing me for so long—finally lost your patience?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than one of the fireplaces behind him roared to life.

Green flames erupted, and within them, a shadowy figure began to take shape.

An old man with white hair and a trench coat emerged swiftly from the fire.

His steps were quick, and the flames lingered on the hem of his coat, trailing behind him like ghostly butterflies from the depths of hell.

It was Grindelwald.

Cyrus had expected this.

While he couldn't pinpoint why Grindelwald's hostility toward him had escalated so suddenly, he didn't particularly care.

He tightened his grip on the serpent-wood wand in his hand, as though seizing the greatest power in the world.

Now, two figures—both worthy of the title "Dark Lord"—stood facing each other across a broad table.

Both held their wands at the ready, and the air between them seemed to swirl with an invisible vortex, pulling the room into a tense stillness.

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12 Advance Chapters—