Chapter 117: From Brawl to Duel
Hermes had expected something closer to an even fight. Or at least a fight where he could measure the gap.
Wand against wand. Spell against spell. Dark Arts against Dark Arts.
He'd prepared several tactics, multiple contingency plans, even rehearsed how to concede gracefully if things went south.
But Regulus had used a single stone spike to tell him none of that applied. In a real fight, he wouldn't get to cast at all.
The emotions churning through him were tangled.
Part of it was bitterness. Years of practicing Dark Arts, mastering spell after harmful spell, and he couldn't even get one off before it was over.
Part of it was acceptance. A gap that wide left no room for argument.
And part of it was excitement. Seeing power at that level, magic applied in ways that exceeded anything he'd imagined, had lit the hunger that lived in his bones.
He wanted to know how strong Regulus truly was. Wanted to know how long it would take to close the distance, even if all he could manage was a glimpse of the silhouette ahead.