Whether it was the earlier battle in the eastern snow-covered mountains or Moriarty's investigation into Tsukamura's lineage, he had never once found evidence of the existence of colorful crows in traditional Japanese (Dongying) magic.
That alone made the appearance of the rainbow-plumed crows deeply suspicious.
When something seemed off, Moriarty's instincts sharpened—caution became his shield, and logic his weapon. He carried that same prudence with him now, onto the field.
As the British and Dongying teams entered the Hyprosai Stadium, a deafening roar of applause and cheers greeted them. The entire arena trembled with excitement. Shouts of encouragement and blessings for both teams echoed into the enchanted sky, lingering like smoke.
The two teams took to the air, circling each other from a distance on their broomsticks.
From the commentator's box, Lockhart's gleeful voice rang out:
"We can see now that the Dongying team has upgraded their gear too—ah yes, the Nimbus 1990S!
No, no, I swear I'm not advertising—but it's clear now that in terms of broom tech, both sides are playing on a level pitch!"
The fans roared again, their energy surging like wildfire. Moriarty, hovering near the center line, couldn't make out any individual words, but he did catch one phrase—shouted by an English fan in outrage:
"Look at that traitor! Playing for Dongying, of all teams!"
It was clear whom they meant. The Magician.
That very same player turned with a smirk, hearing the insult. He offered a mocking bow to the British fans.
Moriarty's icy blue gaze met the Magician's.
Tsukamura Kogoro stared right back—and casually ran a finger across his neck in a beheading gesture.
Moriarty's lips curled in disdain.
He vowed, then and there, to leave Tsukamura a memory so painful he'd never forget this match.
"Dwooo~!"
Referee Pietris blew the silver whistle, signaling the start of the final.
The "Forever Shining" fan base recognized him immediately.
"Pietris! He's the one who reffed the Hogwarts Dream Team vs. the England National Team!"
"He's Mrs. Malfoy's pick! A trustworthy ref!"
The news spread quickly, and British fans cheered in approval.
Tonks and Gemma exchanged a glance—then sprang into action. The two witches organized their fan group and unfurled enchanted flags, banners, and cheering charms.
The air shimmered as magical slogans sparkled across the stands:
"Go Moriarty!"
"Forever Shining!"
"Crush the Dongying Devils!"
"England for the Win!"
The British team took in their supporters' passionate displays with fierce determination.
With a whoosh, Moriarty led his players skyward. Six brooms streaked through the air in a gleaming arrowhead—each Nimbus 1990S slicing the sky with precision.
At the apex, Pietris released the Quaffle into the air. Dongying's team surged forward first—five players scrambling for the ball.
Even their Seeker, Kogoro Tsukamura, joined the opening rush.
Lockhart gasped from the booth, "Oh my! The Dongying Seeker's also going for the Quaffle!
That's unorthodox! The British strategy must have forced their hand—brilliant!"
Roman, England's Seeker, shot forward with breakneck speed. He weaved tight circles around Dongying's Chasers, disorienting the Magician and providing cover.
In the confusion, Moriarty seized the Quaffle and veered sharply left.
Roman, his job done, disengaged and soared upward to resume scanning for the elusive Golden Snitch.
So far, the Snitch had not appeared.
Kogoro, eager to eliminate Roman early, tried to tail him—but Roman's evasive flying made pursuit impossible.
Lockhart's voice beamed with excitement:
"Moriarty's got the Quaffle and is on the move! Look at that speed, folks!"
Moriarty rocketed toward the Dongying goalposts. Behind him, two Bludgers came screaming through the air, targeting him like cursed missiles.
"Exploding Head! Red Nose! Intercept them!" he called back.
Moriarty pulled his broom into a sudden steep climb, shooting upward like a flare.
The Magician's eyes gleamed, and he pursued immediately.
But the Bludgers weren't normal.
Even as Exploding Head and Red Nose tried to intercept, the enchanted balls swerved—almost intelligently—dodging defenders and zeroing in on Moriarty with uncanny accuracy.
"What in Merlin's name?!" shouted Exploding Head.
Red Nose, fuming, flew directly to Pietris and yelled, "Ref! The Dongying Bludgers are enchanted! They're not behaving normally!"
Pietris frowned.
Even with his extensive experience, the Bludgers' unnatural behavior was undeniable.
But try as he might, he found no trace of enchantments, curses, or jinxes—nothing that could be used to prove cheating.
The crowd began to boo loudly, furious at the perceived foul play.
Meanwhile, the Bludgers closed in on Moriarty, one from the left, the other from the right.
He shifted tactics.
Using a combination of dodges, barrel rolls, and vertical spirals, Moriarty maneuvered like a ghost, drawing cheers for every daring move.
That's when the Magician struck.
Appearing beside Moriarty in a flash, he mouthed a silent word.
"Come…"
The word rang like a mental echo—a fragment of a brainwashing song.
But Moriarty had anticipated this.
At the first sign of the Magician's trick, he simultaneously activated Occlumency and the Alchemy Matrix.
Occlumency shielded his mind.
The Matrix reversed the flow—redirecting the Magician's mental spell back onto him.
"Ah—!" The Magician screamed, clutching his head. His broom wobbled violently.
He nearly fell—only barely managing to regain control.
Lockhart exclaimed, "The Dongying captain seems stunned! Has something gone wrong?"
But his attention quickly shifted.
"LOOK—MORIARTY AT THE GOAL!"
With dazzling agility, Moriarty danced through the air using an unpredictable hybrid of "Sloth Grip Roll" and "Wolong Spiral" flying techniques. He twisted and turned so rapidly, the Dongying Keeper lost sight of the Quaffle.
"You fool!" the Keeper barked at his own teammates.
With steely focus, Moriarty hurled the Quaffle toward the goal hoop.
"In the rear of failure, there's always room for one more!" he muttered, spinning his broom away.
The Keeper lunged—but missed—and tumbled from his broom.
"HA HA HA!" the stadium erupted.
Moriarty's fan base chanted his name.
And Lockhart, practically leaping from the commentator's box, roared:
"IT'S IN! THE BALL IS IN!!!
BRITAIN 10 — DONGYING 0!!!"
Pietris, returning from checking on the Magician (who waved him off), released a second Quaffle.
"Charge! Take the ball even if you die!" barked the Magician to his team.
All six Dongying players surged forward—including Kogoro, who left his post as Seeker.
Moriarty watched the five attackers come at them like banshees.
He raised his arm.
"We're not clashing this round. Defensive play!"
Lockhart narrated:
"The British team has shifted to defense. Dongying's got the Quaffle, and they're launching an aerial blitz! Formation resembles… hmm… a crow head, perhaps?"
One of the Dongying Chasers sneered, "Eagle? We are the apostles of Yatagarasu, the Three-Legged Crow!"
Tsukamura's eyes gleamed with malice.
"Don't explain. They won't understand. Just activate the Fallen Crow. We'll send them into unconsciousness."
"Hai!"
The Dongying players slowed.
The sudden change confused the British team—players instinctively moved to intercept, but were caught off guard.
Without warning, a heavy sleepiness began to fall over everyone.
Even Moriarty.
To his shock, neither Occlumency nor the Alchemy Matrix protected him.
"What…?"
He bit his tongue.
If this sleepiness was magical in origin, there should be magical signs—auras, flashes, cast words, or residue. But there's nothing. Nothing at all.
Yet the exhaustion was real. Crushing.
Then he saw the Magician accelerating toward him, his expression triumphant.
"Moriarty~" the Magician whispered, flying closer.
Moriarty didn't flinch.
He barreled forward. Their paths collided—
"MERLIN!" Lockhart screamed. "They're going to crash!"
The crowd gasped. The girls in the skybox all leapt to their feet in panic.
Just as the two brooms were about to smash together—
Moriarty twisted.
His broom tilted sharply downward, pulling him beneath the Magician at the last second.
Lockhart's face went pale.
"MORIARTY'S FALLING—HE'S NEVER DROPPED LIKE THIS BEFORE!"
His wand leapt to his hand, ready to intervene.
The girls looked stricken.
Diana's fingers clutched the enchanted gold coin from earlier.
She suddenly noticed a fine black line running across its surface.
It wasn't carved.
Not painted.
Not even a crack.
It shimmered like a shadow in the light—thin, sharp, and almost invisible.
Diana's expression darkened.
Her crystal staff appeared in her hand.
She now knew—the Dongying team had used dark arts.
She couldn't yet identify the method, but if Moriarty so much as broke a bone—
She swore she would devote her entire life, wielding every power and political tool at her disposal, to annihilate Dongying.