The next morning at nine o'clock, the third round of the competition officially began.
In this round, only sixteen players remained, and the competition shifted to a best-of-three format.
This time, Alaric's opponent was a wizard from India named Viswanathan Babu.
With dark skin and glasses, he exuded confidence. According to his self-introduction, he was the champion of the last International Wizard Chess competition.
Upon discovering that his opponent was a child, he immediately assumed a calm posture and engaged Alaric in conversation.
"Oh, is this your first time participating in the International Wizard Chess competition?"
"I'm sure you must be delighted to see the last champion, me."
"Don't worry, I'll go easy on you. I hope you can learn something from our match."
"Do you want my autograph? Don't be shy; if you want it, just say so boldly."
"Don't worry, after the match, I'll give you a copy of my signed autobiography, just published."
"Interested in how I became such a good chess player? It's mentioned in my autobiography."
...
No, this wasn't a conversation; it was just a monologue in front of the opponent.
This guy was a chatterbox, truly annoying.
Alaric remained expressionless throughout. He had no interest in such a person and he definitely didn't want his signed autobiography.
He just wanted the match to start immediately, defeat this guy in the game, and leave this place early.
Finally, the agonizing preparation time passed, and the match officially began.
From the beginning, Alaric gave it his all.
Of course, this former champion had some skills. At least, the speed of issuing commands far exceeded Alaric's previous two opponents.
However, facing Alaric, who could command more than eight pieces simultaneously, he still had to yield.
Throughout the game, Alaric's opponent could only hold his ground in the first few seconds.
But as Alaric's operational speed advantage became apparent, he could only be gradually consumed. In less than ten minutes, he was defeated.
In the second round, Babu seemed to set aside his calm demeanor and tried to go all out.
However, this time, he was defeated even faster, lasting only five minutes before Alaric checkmated him.
Such an outcome left him greatly discouraged.
When he came to his senses from the defeat, Alaric had already left the competition room.
However, the news of a young newcomer defeating the former champion twice within fifteen minutes quickly spread through the competition venue.
Everyone began to wonder who this child was and how he achieved such a feat.
Some believed the child used the Imperius Curse on his opponent, while others thought that he was an old guy who drank an age-reducing potion and came to participate in the competition.
Eventually, someone found Alaric's name in the roster and he was the youngest among all the participants.
In the audience's discussions, Alaric's exaggerated tactics were also revealed.
No one believed it was true because even the most skilled wizard chess player could only control five pieces at the same time.
And even in such a situation, they could only plan one move at a time, with no energy and time left for an overall strategy.
People thought those spectators were either talking nonsense or were confused by some spell.
The discussions about how Alaric won intensified.
"Did you really use the Imperius Curse on your opponent during the match?"
After winning her own match, Fleur Delacour quickly found Alaric, who was hiding in a corner, and curiously asked him.
"Of course not," Alaric rolled his eyes, "dealing with such opponents isn't worth using the Imperius Curse."
"You're definitely bragging," Fleur snorted, "he was the champion from the last competition, you know."
"So what if he's the former champion? I don't need to use my full strength against him," Alaric's expression seemed somewhat disdainful.
"Is that so?" Fleur cast a skeptical look at him, "If you keep winning, we'll definitely meet in the competition. Can you show me your full capabilities then?"
By "full capabilities," she naturally meant Alaric's full strength.
However, Alaric gave her a wicked smile.
The girl in front of him was indeed quite cute; he wanted to tease her a bit.
He deliberately looked her up and down, admiring her exquisite curves. "Do you really want to see my 'full capabilities'? I'm afraid you can't handle it."
At his words, Fleur's charming face blushed uncontrollably.
'Oops... it seems like I said the wrong thing.'
If it were an ordinary girl, she would either blush and lower her head shyly or throw a small tantrum.
But Fleur Delacour was different; she had Veela blood, and from childhood to adulthood, boys around her were either completely attracted to her, acting like lap dogs, or they maintained a serious demeanor, not daring to touch her.
Only Alaric, despite being so young, not only remained unaffected by her charm but also took the initiative to tease her. This aroused great interest in her towards Alaric.
She gave a provocative smile, "You won't know if you don't try. How can you be sure I can't handle it?"
Saying that, she took a step forward, exhaled a fragrant breath, and said, "How about you let me give it a try?"
Facing this attractive face, Alaric had no choice but to admit defeat. He smiled bitterly and said to Fleur, "There's a game in the afternoon; I have to go."
Seeing Alaric conceding, Fleur, as if winning a match, happily hummed, then said, "You must let me see it later."
With that, she waved her small fist at Alaric as if to demonstrate something and left cheerfully.
Fleur was right; they did meet in the competition.
It was on the third morning of the competition, in the fifth round. Fleur happened to be against Alaric.
The winner between them would enter the finals, while the loser would have to compete for the third and fourth places.
"I thought we would meet in the finals." She sighed regretfully.
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