The third "Dark Soul Knight"! Ethan, do you really want to kill us?!
"What was that sound?"
Inside the maze, Cedric raised his head in alarm.
He listened closely.
Amid the rustling of the swaying thorns, a faint "clank, clank" sound mingled in.
It sounded like hard objects grinding against each other.
Or maybe it was just the wind.
"...Perhaps my nerves are just too on edge."
Cedric muttered to himself.
He pushed the thought from his mind.
Not far from the entrance, on the thorn-covered wall, Cedric spotted a metal plaque.
It read:
[Only by breaking through the wall of the heart can you touch the true ending]
[O Warriors, please follow the choice of your inner heart]
[Defeat the Queen of Hearts and liberate this cursed garden!]
"A hero saving the princess? Though this time, it seems the princess is the source of the curse."
Though still puzzled, Cedric roughly grasped the objective of this challenge:
Head to the center of the maze and defeat the boss, the "Queen of Hearts."
"But what's this 'wall of the heart' about?"
Cedric pondered as he strode forward.
Soon, he reached the first fork in the road.
The third task differed from the previous two.
All the champions had been scattered throughout the maze.
In this gloomy labyrinth of thorns, they had to proceed cautiously on their own.
Fortunately, the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor had taught them plenty of useful spells.
On a side note, Cedric wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but ever since the attack on that reporter Rita Skeeter, Professor Moody's lessons had become noticeably more restrained.
That said, he had honed many life-saving techniques for dangerous situations.
For instance, "Point Me."
Cedric whispered the incantation, holding his wand flat in his palm.
A faint light glowed.
The wand slowly rotated.
Finally, it pointed to the right.
Drawing on what he'd learned and his pre-task preparations, Cedric mused, "Pointing right means that's north..."
"And the finish line is at the center of the maze, roughly in the northwest direction."
"So, I need to go left and then turn right along the way."
Cedric nodded, smiling at this small triumph.
He lifted his foot and strode to the left.
He navigated the identical thorn passages, dodging the grasping vines every now and then.
Crimson roses bloomed on them, their vivid, intense color looking almost painted on.
"I wonder what kind of challenge Ethan has cooked up for us this time..."
In the silence, Cedric's mind wandered, a faint sense of anticipation building.
Having faced dragons and a kraken in the first two tasks, he figured nothing could shock him anymore.
As he delved deeper into the maze, Cedric's heart tightened with growing tension.
Yet, unexpectedly, he encountered no dangers.
There was only that "clank, clank" sound—once mistaken for the wind—now growing steadily louder.
Could it really be this straightforward? Was this Ethan's idea of mercy?
Just as Cedric pondered this, he rounded a corner.
And then, he came face-to-face with an axe blade flashing with cold light!
In an instant, Cedric's heart nearly stopped.
He instinctively raised his wand, ready to cast a spell.
But the axe blade, hovering right before his nose, clattered to the ground.
The figure blocking his path collapsed lightly.
Only then did Cedric see it clearly—
It was a playing card soldier clutching an axe!
Someone had already blasted a charred hole straight through its center.
Someone got here first? Who could be that quick?
Cedric slowly looked up, his gaze inching higher.
He took in the heart-suited card soldiers strewn across the ground.
Weapons like knives, axes, and spears lay scattered everywhere.
Their square bodies were twisted and mangled, blasted and severed to varying degrees.
Eerily, a red liquid resembling blood oozed from their wounds.
The sight was horrifying.
Then, "clank, clank."
Cedric heard the familiar grinding sound again.
This time, he heard it clearly—and saw its source.
It wasn't the wind, but the rasp of heavy armor shifting.
A sliver of sunlight pierced through the clouds, falling on the pitch-black armor and reflecting a cold glint.
Like a mobile human fortress, simply standing there exuded an immense sense of oppression!
[Name: "Dark Soul Guard"]
[Rank: Third Tier · golden legend]
[Description: A Knight born from an intense desire to protect. Rumor has it that his creator once paid a visit to The Hog's Head]
[Effect: Defeats enemies with superb skill. Ordinary spells and attacks cannot cause him damage. Although he is a tin can, he possesses extremely high mobility]
[Assessment: Done with the beginner tutorial? Come, you are already a qualified warrior. Go defeat the first enemy you see!]
At that moment, the Black Knight, astride his tall warhorse, held a giant halberd aloft with one hand.
Dangling from the tip of the halberd was a person.
The striking red hair allowed Cedric to identify him instantly—one of his companions, Fred Weasley!
At the same time, out of the corner of his eye, Cedric spotted the Durmstrang champion.
His rival.
Viktor Krum was slipping into a narrow passage not far behind the Black Knight.
He glanced indifferently at Cedric and Fred, then vanished inside without a backward glance.
Cedric: "..."
"Reducto!"
The sharp spell struck the Black Knight's helmet precisely, exploding with a loud bang!
Immediately after, the halberd swung.
Fred was hurled through the air!
He traced an arc and landed with a thud in front of Cedric!
"Clank, clank."
The Black Knight slowly turned toward them.
The smoke and dust cleared.
He hadn't suffered a scratch.
"Clank, clank."
Urging his warhorse, clad in thick, scaled armor, he approached step by step with steady strides!
"Fred!"
Cedric shouted anxiously, pulling Fred back while hastily casting a healing charm... "Viktor Krum!"
Fred weakly opened his eyes, a surge of hatred flashing in them.
He gritted his teeth and said, "We agreed to team up at first, but that bastard used me as bait and snuck in himself...!"
"Cedric, you absolutely can't let that guy win the championship!"
"Hmm, I won't."
Cedric nodded firmly.
Then, curiosity got the better of him. "Also, how did you guys get here so fast?"
He prided himself on his speed, but hadn't expected others to beat him.
Hearing this, Fred flashed a cunning smile. "The shortest distance between two points is a straight line~ George and I whipped up some little explosive gadgets... Anyway, the rules didn't say we couldn't bring props."
...So they were contraband, huh.
A few black lines appeared on Cedric's forehead.
Fred: "But at the last moment, Krum, with his thick eyebrows and big eyes, betrayed me... I hope he gets indigestion forever!!"
The malicious curse echoed among the thorns.
Cedric: "...I understand. I'll catch up quickly."
Before he could finish, a loud crash erupted ahead, and the ground trembled.
A powerful gust of wind rushed at them, and a shadow suddenly loomed!
"Watch out!"
With a shout, Cedric instinctively cast Protego!
The next instant—
"BANG!!!"
A massive force slammed into the barrier, like an iron hammer striking him head-on.
His mind buzzed blankly.
As if he were trapped inside a clanging bronze bell.
He was jabbed and sent flying by the giant halberd stabbing down from above!
He crashed heavily to the ground, opened his mouth, and retched up a mouthful of sour liquid.
Dizzy and nauseous, his entire chest throbbed with pain!
...If Protego hadn't blocked it for a split second, that single strike could have skewered him clean through!
Cedric raised his head in astonishment, staring at the Black Knight who turned slowly like a fortress.
Peering into the pitch-black void of the opponent's helmet, a strong sense of dread surged in his heart!
Dragons have their weak points, and krakens only lash out wildly.
However, facing this expert Knight—who, despite his full suit of heavy armor, maneuvered with the grace of a soaring kite; who could urge his warhorse to leap into the air for a diving chop—Cedric felt a helplessness he'd never known before!
Ethan, you've created an overpowered boss here!
Are you seriously upholding the "fine tradition" of the Goblet of Fire by offing a few champions to liven things up?!