"Ughghgh… Some filthy bug is after my Elaina—!"
I let out a deep sigh and called out to Saya.
"Um, outsiders aren't allowed in here…"
"It's fine. Elaina and I are close."
I poked my head out of the tent and looked around for a staff member.
"Excuse me, is anyone here? There's a suspicious person inside—"
"W-wait!? I get it! I get it already!"
In a panic, Saya threw herself into a full prostration, the traditional Eastern posture of sincerity, flattening herself against the ground. Satisfied by the pitiful sight, I sat down on a nearby chair and slowly crossed my legs, restraining the urge to stomp on her.
"So, Saya, what do you want?"
"Hehe… Well, you see, before the match, I wanted to pray for Elaina's safety with a ki—"
As she closed her eyes and leaned in, I firmly pinched her cheeks with both hands.
"Th-that hurts! It hurts!"
"If you say anything unnecessary again, I'll sew that mouth shut."
When her cheeks had turned a proper shade of red, I released her. Rubbing her face with a disappointed look, Saya then pulled out a tightly rolled piece of parchment from her robe.
"Here, take this!"
"No, I don't want it…"
It looked like the sort of thing that might activate some suspicious spell the moment I touched it.
"Anyway… what is this?"
"It's a spell from my homeland that calms the mind!"
Half-forcing the parchment into my hand, Saya boldly declared, "I'll help you if anything happens!" while openly admitting she would break the rules. Reluctantly, I unrolled the parchment. Some incomprehensible spell was written on it, but it didn't seem to be harmful.
As I was wondering how to kick Saya out of the tent, Harry entered with a tense expression, led by Professor McGonagall.
"What matters most is doing your best. If you do that—"
Professor McGonagall spotted Saya, and her eyes widened.
"Why are you here?"
"W-well, you see… it's complicated."
Professor McGonagall turned to me, fixing me with a suspicious look that clearly asked if this was true. Being an honest person, I stated the facts.
"She trespassed."
"I see. Gryffindor loses three points."
"Elainaaaa!?"
Saya was promptly grabbed by the scruff of the neck and dragged away by Professor McGonagall. After seeing them off, Professor Flitwick entered, as if switching places with them.
"Now then, it seems everyone is here."
Looking over the champions, Professor Flitwick spoke in a relaxed tone.
"Let's begin the explanation. The first task is to retrieve the golden egg!"
Of course, it wouldn't be that simple. Professor Flitwick opened the mouth of a purple silk bag.
"Everyone, please take one of the models inside. The real version of what you draw will be the guardian of your golden egg. As for the order… yes, let's go with ladies first."
Fleur and I stepped forward. Fleur looked me up and down, then spoke with a smug expression.
"You are not yet a lady. You are still a girl."
"What?"
"Now, now."
From Professor Flitwick's bag, Fleur drew out a living model of a green dragon with a tag marked "2" around its neck. It was a Welsh Green, the common variety.
Next, I reached into the bag and pulled out the first model I touched: a black dragon with a tag marked "4," a Hungarian Horntail.
Then Krum drew a Chinese Fireball with a "3," Cedric drew a Swedish Short-Snout marked "1," and finally Harry drew an Australian–New Zealand Opaleye marked "5."
Once everyone was holding a living dragon model, Professor Flitwick said with a cheerful smile:
"The dragon you drew will be guarding your golden egg. Understood? The number indicates the order in which you will face them. Mr. Diggory, number one, please head straight to the enclosure once you hear the whistle."
After Cedric, the first to go, had entered, it wasn't long before various shouts could be heard from outside.
It was as if the entire crowd shared one mind, screaming, shouting, and holding their breath all at once. The loudest voices among them were the commentators, Mr. Bagman and Professor Flitwick.
"That was close… a near miss!"
"What a dangerous gamble! What will become of Cedric Diggory now!?"
"Oh! That's unfortunate!"
They were clearly enjoying the match immensely.
As for me, simply sitting and waiting would only make me more nervous, so I pulled a piece of chocolate from my pocket and popped it into my mouth.
"An empty stomach leads to nothing good, or so former captain Marcus Flint used to say… Ah, this is good."
Right then, a massive cheer erupted. It seemed Cedric had outwitted the dragon and secured the golden egg. After the scoring, the whistle blew, and we saw a tense Fleur head out to compete.
"That's a risky move! But excellent footwork!"
"Oh dear, this doesn't look good… Oh, my!"
Before long, Bagman and Professor Flitwick's excited, cheerful commentary could be heard again as a similar pattern repeated. Krum appeared calm, as expected of a famous Quidditch player, but Harry looked visibly pale.
Unable to stand it, I took out the parchment Saya had given me and pressed it into Harry's hand.
"Elaina, what's this?"
"A calming spell. Saya gave it to me earlier."
"I'm not exactly reassured by the source…"
"Don't say that."
According to Saya's hastily scribbled note, it was a spell passed down in her homeland for over a thousand years. Simply chanting it mindlessly was supposed to dispel distracting thoughts. She had even written the pronunciation in the alphabet above the logographic characters, so even Harry should be able to read it.
"Kanji zai bōsatsu, gyōjin hannya hāramīta ji… shōken gōun, kaiku… doi issai kuyaku… Does this really work?"
"Your concentration is wavering, Harry. Empty your mind and chant."
And so the two of us continued chanting the spell Saya had taught us.
"Kōsetsu hannya hāramīta shū. Sokusetsu shūwatsu. Gyātei, gyātei. Haragyātei."
After repeating it several times, Krum's turn ended, and at last, it was my turn.
"Elaina, do your best!"
"I'll send the dragon packing."
I left the tent, passed through the trees, and entered a tunnel like a cave set into a break in the enclosure fence. After proceeding for a while, my view opened up to reveal a stadium like a partially underground colosseum.
The arena was filled with rocks of various sizes, arranged to resemble a rocky mountain. High above, spectator stands surrounded the field, and hundreds, even thousands, of eyes looked down at me.
At the center of the bowl-shaped stadium stood a raised rock platform. On it lay several eggs and their guardian, a massive black dragon: the Hungarian Horntail.
"So that's it…"
The Horntail spread its wings halfway, slammed its tail violently against the ground, and glared at me with its malevolent yellow eyes.
I would have liked to smile and wave to the crowd like a queen or a prime minister, but securing my safety came first. I focused my magic at the tip of my wand and cast a blinding spell on myself.
"Crypto, Disillusionment!"
After the sensation of cold water slowly flowing over my entire body, I blended into the surroundings like a chameleon.
Still, it was only a concealment spell. Overconfidence was dangerous. In fact, the moment I retreated behind a nearby rock, a stream of dragonfire blasted the spot where I had been standing.
When the flames died down, I peeked out from behind the rock. The dragon was looking around for me, but it didn't seem willing to leave the eggs. Apparently, protecting the eggs was its top priority, and it wouldn't attack unless I got too close.
(Now then, what should I do?)
Since the dragon cannot see me, there is no danger of being attacked as long as I do not strike first. However, the moment I launch an attack, even if my form remains invisible, my approximate position will be revealed. The dragon would undoubtedly retaliate by sweeping the area with its fire breath.
(A diversion strategy really is the safest option.)
I moved to the shadow of a large rock located as far from the dragon as possible and cast a spell I had prepared toward a nearby pile of stones.
"Statuam Equiforce. Stone, become a knight!"
While concentrating, I pictured the giant chess knight Professor McGonagall had used when I fought her in my first year. Because I had carefully chosen a position hidden from the dragon's sight and moved beyond the range of its fire breath, there was no interference. Gradually, the stones gathered into a single point and eventually began to take on a human form.
At first, it was an awkward stone doll, but as I focused further and refined it, the shape of a fully armored knight slowly emerged. Gothic-style full plate armor covering its entire body, a massive double-edged longsword, and a large kite shield shaped like, well, a kite. For additional refinement, I incorporated Maximilian-style armor with multiple grooves carved into the surface to reduce weight. Even I had to admit it looked impressively cool.
Of course, looks were not everything.
"Protego Maxima! Maximum defense!"
"Fianto Duri! Endure!"
"Duro! Harden!"
In addition to defensive spells like Shield Charms and Durability Charms I had learned while developing the "Anti-Curse Vest" last year, I added a Petrification spell to push the knight's defensive power to the limit.
"Engorgio Titania! Enlarge!"
By layering the Gigantification Spell, an advanced version of the Engorgement Charm, the statue that had initially stood about a meter tall began to grow rapidly. Bigger really was better.
Soon, emerging fully from behind the rocks, stood a massive knight statue nearly ten meters tall.
"Oh! That is… No way!"
Mr. Bagman and the audience alike seemed to realize what I was about to do. Whistles rang out, fists were pumped into the air, and excited shouts erupted everywhere. They were getting ahead of themselves.
Well then, I had no choice but to meet those expectations.
"Now then."
With a final flick of my wand, I breathed life into the stone knight.
"Piertotum Locomotor! Stone, move!"
In response to the spell, the knight raised its longsword in its right hand and held the large shield forward with its left. Fixing its gaze on the dragon, the enormous knight began to advance calmly. Each step it took sent tremors through the ground.
"That's huge!"
"It's a giant!"
"A huge giant!"
As the towering stone knight advanced toward the dragon, the stands were engulfed in a wave of excitement.
"Is it really going straight in from the front?!"
"A head-on clash! I want to see this!"
Answering the roaring crowd and commentary, I issued my final command.
"Oppugno! Attack!"
Receiving the order via remote control, the knight raised its longsword beside its helmet, pointing the blade toward the dragon, while thrusting its shield forward.
Then it charged.
The dragon roared in response, spreading its enormous wings that spanned nearly fifteen meters. As it slowly ascended into the air, it looked almost divine. Then it let out another roar and dove sharply downward, slipping behind the knight.
Using its inertia, the knight calmly swung its shield, barely blocking the dragon's fire breath in time. The dragon did not relent and charged straight into the statue. The two collided head-on.
"Wooooooah! That's awesome!"
"Elaina really gets it! This is exactly what we wanted to see!"
"Is there even a boy who wouldn't love this!?"
The scene now looked exactly like a monster movie. Students watched in wild excitement with snacks and drinks in hand, and not only Hogwarts but even the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons spectators were swept up in the festival-like atmosphere.
Before their eyes was the ultimate clash of giant monsters. The Hungarian Horntail, a colossal aerial beast that ruled the skies, darted freely through the air and tormented its enemy with fire breath. Opposing it was the stone giant, clad in heavy armor, enduring each attack while aiming for a single devastating blow: the Titan Giant, provisional name.
Of course, I was not letting them fight blindly. I was gradually luring the dragon away from the eggs, inching closer to them myself while staying hidden behind rocks.
(Now that I've come this far, all that's left is…)
I sprinted straight toward the unguarded eggs and finally grabbed the golden one.
"…Huh?"
Despite finally securing the egg, there was no applause or cheering. Tilting my head, I looked toward the commentary booth.
"Incredible! The shield has finally shattered!"
"This is bad! How will she get out of this?!"
Everyone was far more absorbed in the giant monster battle than in the quiet egg thief at work.
"Um…"
Even though I had successfully retrieved the golden egg, no one was paying me any attention. Not only the dragon meant to guard the egg, but even Mr. Bagman and the other commentators were completely engrossed in the fight.
Meanwhile, the knight statue, battered by the dragon's relentless assault, had already discarded its shield, dropped its sword, and was crouching low, desperately enduring the fire breath by shielding itself with the armor on its left side.
(It can't be helped… I'll end this here.)
Cradling the golden egg in my left arm, I sat down on a conveniently chair-like rock and waved my wand with my right hand to issue another command to the knight.
"Oh! The statue's movement has changed. Is it trying to retrieve the fallen sword?"
At Professor Flitwick's commentary, the dragon dove toward the sword as if to say, "Not on my watch."
"Which one will be faster?!"
The dragon reached it first, gripping the sword with its foot. That, however, was exactly what I had planned.
"Oppugno Pugmachia! Punch!"
In the next instant, the knight leapt toward the dragon as it tried to rise into the air and struck with full force.
"He punched it!"
With a powerful right hook from its gauntleted fist, the knight smashed into the dragon's face. The crowd screamed themselves hoarse, erupting into thunderous applause.
"It's super effective!"
The dragon was sent flying straight toward the VIP box where the professors and dignitaries were seated.
"Whaaaaa?!"
"This is bad! Run!"
Amid the screams of the VIPs, the airborne dragon smashed through part of the roof and the stands before being flung completely out of the stadium.
"…Oh."
Only then did Mr. Bagman finally notice the beautiful girl sitting atop the nest, holding the golden egg.
"She's done it! Miss Celestaria! With overwhelming power, she defeated the dragon head-on and claimed the egg! Absolutely magnificent!"
An explosion of cheers and applause rivaling Mr. Bagman's booming voice followed. I raised the golden egg high into the air with both hands and struck a triumphant victory pose.
And thus, the match came to an end.
Despite having been in danger themselves, the teachers all wore delighted expressions. Even Professor Snape, and Professor McGonagall as well, looked positively thrilled.
"That was a truly exhilarating match, Miss Celestaria."
With a mischievous smile, Professor McGonagall pointed to the knight statue, which had frozen in place mid-punch after striking the dragon.
"Perhaps we should display it somewhere on the school grounds as a memento. That was an excellent spell."
Once again, the venue was filled with laughter and applause. Amid cheers worthy of a World Cup final, I completed the First Task.
(End of chapter)
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