Chapter 62: The Four Heirs' Battle Training

A week had passed since the successful creation of the four communication rings. 

Their newfound connection had reinforced their ease to reach out to each other, but Nero had pointed out a glaring weakness: raw battle experience. 

Knowledge alone wouldn't save them when faced with real danger.

That is what they decided to start addressing on that day.

"I need a place to practice magical duels in all safety. I need a place to practice magical duels in all safety. I need a place to practice magical duels in all safety."

Nero murmured the phrase three times as he strode past the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy attempting to teach trolls ballet. 

As expected, on his third pass, the stone wall shimmered and morphed, birthing an ornate wooden door with runic engravings swirling faintly along its surface.

He smirked, shooting a glance at the others. "Shall we?"

With a confident push, the door creaked open, unveiling the Room of Requirement's latest transformation: a grand dueling chamber. 

The floor, smooth polished stone, glowed faintly with protective enchantments. 

The ceiling mirrored a moonlit sky, its celestial beauty in stark contrast to the intense energy thrumming through the room. 

Training dummies stood in rigid rows at the far end, while shelves lined with potions and spell books.

Ember let out a low whistle. "Alright, I'm impressed. Now this is what I call a battlefield."

Lilith strode forward, trailing her fingers along the cold wall. Her eyes gleamed with admiration. "The room is reinforcing itself against spell damage. This is… perfect."

Alaric turned, his expression firm. "Before we start, let's go over the rules again. No dark magic. We stop immediately if anyone shows signs of serious injury or exhaustion. And the referee's decision is absolute. Agreed?"

Three nods followed. Agreement sealed.

"First duel: Nero versus Lilith."

Lilith grinned, cracking her knuckles before twirling her wand between her fingers. "Been waiting for this."

They stepped onto the dueling platform, wands raised, eyes locking in unspoken challenge.

Ember smirked. "Oh, this is going to be fun."

Alaric raised a hand. "Three… two… one… Duel!"

Lilith struck first. "Expulso!"

A shockwave surged toward Nero, but with an almost lazy flick of his wrist, a crystalline-blue barrier shimmered into existence. 

The spell detonated against it, harmless as a raindrop against glass.

She scowled. "Turtling behind shields again?"

"You expected anything less?" Nero quipped.

Lilith's eyes narrowed as she unleashed a rapid assault. "Stupefy! Flipendo! Aguamenti!"

Each spell was met with effortless defense, his barriers forming and reforming in seamless rhythm, almost as if he wasn't even trying. It was infuriating.

"You're going to have to be more creative," Nero teased, sidestepping a jet of water with frustrating ease.

Lilith's grip on her wand tightened. "You'll regret underestimating me, Nero."

She took a deep breath, her voice dropped into a whisper, words slithering unnaturally. "Rastis'Ka."

The moment the spell left her lips, the air itself trembled. Her magic slammed into Nero's shield, and shattered it like glass. Ethereal shards disintegrated before his widened eyes.

"What?" Nero's composed expression faltered for the first time.

Lilith smirked. "Parseltongue magic. I commanded your shield to break. And it obeyed."

A weakness. A flaw in his perfect defense. 

But rather than frustration, excitement flickered in his eyes. A weakness exposed meant an opportunity to improve.

"Fascinating."

With a smooth movement, he retaliated. The ground beneath Lilith twisted, jagged stone erupting at her feet. She leapt back, but Nero shifted the terrain again, transfiguring it beneath her, disrupting her stance.

She growled, nearly stumbling. "Cheap trick, Nero!"

"Tactical adaptation," he corrected smugly. "You should watch your footing."

As he sidestepped her spell, an idea struck him. He dropped his previous defensive approach. Instead, he focused, recalibrating. He would use the duel to try something different.

When Lilith fired a Reducto, he countered with a silent Finite.

When she unleashed a Blasting Curse, he redirected it with an elegant deflection charm.

Again and again, spell after spell, he countered her attacks with an increasingly perfect precision. As though he already knew what she would do before she did it.

Alaric frowned. "What is he doing?"

Ember watched intently. "It's almost like… Priori Incantatem?"

Lilith gritted her teeth. "You can't block everything Nero! Confringo!"

The air cracked as her explosive curse rocketed toward him. This time, Nero moved slower than usual, almost deliberately. His counterspell met hers too late. The explosion consumed him.

Yet, in an unexpected twist, Lilith was also thrown back.

The enchanted room reacted instantly, cushioning their fall. Both landed in unceremonious heaps, breathless but unharmed.

Lilith groaned. "What the hell was that?"

But instead of frustration, a wide, exhilarated grin spread across Nero's face. 

He pushed himself up, eyes alight with realization.

"Oh," he murmured, eyes alight with understanding. "I think I see it now."

Lilith jogged over, offering him a hand. "See what?"

Nero accepted her offered hand and stood. "A path forward. This is exactly what I needed."

Alaric folded his arms. "Care to explain?"

Nero's smirk widened. "I hate spoilers."

Lilith rolled his eyes. "...Don't hold back on me next time, Nero."

"Alright. Who's next?" said Alaric.

Excitement crackled in the air as they exchanged eager glances. This was more than just training.

They weren't battling to win.

They weren't just learning to duel.

They were forging something new.

Their own battle sense. Their own battle experience. 

Their own battle system. Their own paths to power.

And this was just the beginning.

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