Harry Potter: Magic and Guns

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"Hey!"

"Ha!"

"Rising Dragon Punch!"

"Whirlwind Kick!"

"Take this—Bear Style Ki Blast!"

A blinding white sphere of energy formed in a pair of furry hands, gathering power as a loud shout echoed through the air. After just a brief second of charging, the head-sized energy blast shot forward like a comet, streaking across the martial arts arena at lightning speed—too fast for most to dodge. Yet the man facing this attack had no intention of avoiding it.

A massive, iron-gray magical shield, nearly tangible in solidity, was raised, shielding his towering frame. Each step he took sent a deep, resonant thud through the stone floor, harder than steel. Like an unstoppable tank, the shield-bearing man charged forward, fearless and unwavering.

The moment the ki blast exploded, a violent shockwave surged outward like a roaring tidal wave, engulfing the massive warrior in a white inferno. The sheer force of the explosion made onlookers outside the arena instinctively cover their ears. But before the smoke and chaos could settle, a shadowy figure burst out from the heart of the blast.

Though his figure was slightly disheveled, he remained agile. With panther-like speed, he sprinted several meters in an instant. The massive tower shield that had once been in his left hand had vanished.

"Take this—Mountain-Cleaving Strike!"

"I'll counter with... a barehanded block—Wait, no! A shoulder throw!"

Boom!

A furry figure was grabbed mid-air and swung in a half-arc before being slammed into the ground with a resounding crash.

"You damn fool! Weren't you supposed to block barehanded?!"

"You thick-headed bear! Maybe listen to the whole sentence next time!"

The man and the bear tangled together, rolling across the ground in a fierce struggle. The way they threw punches at each other was so chaotic that even a tortoise could admire the technique.

"Now then, kid—do you finally understand what ki is? This is kung fu! Pretty sick, huh?"

A moment passed before a large, furry black paw emerged from the cloud of dust. Unlike a regular bear's paw, this one had fingers resembling a human's, capable of firmly gripping tools and weapons.

But the body attached to that paw wasn't white and black like the others in the area. Scanning the martial arts grounds, one could see numerous black-and-white figures moving about. Yet this particular bear was pure black, without a single white patch of fur. A closer look revealed it was none other than the bear-man encountered at the border.

"I don't know if I'd call it 'sick,' but I'm pretty sure it's not authentic."

"Kid, don't go spouting nonsense. You don't know squat."

"Everyone else is using Panda Fist, but you're throwing down with straight-up Bear Fist. How is that supposed to be legit?"

"I—" The massive black bear scratched his head, muttering after a long pause, "Even if I called it Panda Fist, no one would believe me. Not my fault I was born pitch black—blame my old man for that."

"Hey, Blackie, you might wanna check if your old man's behind you."

A voice called out from outside the martial arts arena.

"I never said anything!"

The black bear-man instantly leaped to his feet, spinning in a full 360-degree turn while instinctively covering his backside. But behind him, there was neither a person nor a bear shadow in sight.

"People these days... just plain evil."

Realizing he'd been tricked, the black bear sighed helplessly but didn't bother figuring out who had played the prank.

"Anyway, you're good to stay here now. Win or lose, a proper fight earns you three days in the village. You're still a bit green, but I, Xiong Dezhen, acknowledge you. Go grab your pass and pick a house to stay in."

When Harry first arrived at Panda Village, he never imagined such a place could actually exist—a whole village of Panda!

Everywhere he looked, black-and-white cubs ran around the streets, their babyish voices filling the air. They scampered about like abandoned kittens, so easy to scoop up that anyone could walk away with an armful. The moment they got off the carriage at the village entrance, Furong was instantly surrounded by a horde of tiny pandas squeaking "big sis!" She looked absolutely thrilled, as if she was ready to drown in their overwhelming cuteness.

These black-and-white cubs came in three types—normal pandas, slightly unusual magical pandas, and the full-fledged Panda. When they were still little furballs, it was nearly impossible to tell which category they belonged to—unless they started talking.

Regardless of type, they were all ridiculously adorable and incredibly clingy. The moment they opened their mouths, they let out soft "yings" and "yongs" that no normal person could resist. Even Harry felt like his HP bar was draining rapidly from the sheer overload of cuteness.

But Panda Village wasn't a place you could just waltz into and stay overnight. Even though Harry had been granted permission to visit, staying the night was another story.

Perhaps due to the Panda's warrior pride—their unyielding belief that "the Bearfolk shall never be enslaved"—this village had an absurdly high combat level. Outside of the still-innocent cubs, every adult—male or female—was a formidable fighter. Each one wielded weapons like swords, spears, and staffs with masterful precision, and their Panda Fist style, though appearing open and powerful, followed the principle of balance, seamlessly integrating soft and hard techniques akin to yin and yang.

To stay in Panda Village, one had to prove themselves. Winning wasn't necessary, but earning the approval of an examiner was. A fight bought you three nights in the village. If you weren't recognized, no one would let you linger.

Sensing that he'd soon be overwhelmed by a swarm of squealing panda cubs, Harry made a hasty retreat toward the village office. But just as he was about to meet the village chief, he ran into a familiar figure—well, bear.

"Oh! It's you!"

The entirely black-furred Panda pointed at Harry with an excited shout.

"It's him! That kid with the big meat stick!"

For a moment, everything went silent. The surrounding Panda stared at Harry with expressions that could only be described as… complicated.

It was common knowledge that pandas weren't the best at reproduction. Whether the same applied to Panda was unclear, but what was an undeniable fact was that, for centuries, Panda Village's population had never exceeded fifteen thousand.

Harry stared at the burly, black-furred Panda's face, his expression twisting.

"Big guy… I think there's been a misunderstanding."

"What misunderstanding? You were the one yesterday! You gave me that big meat stick! It was delicious! Even the village chief said it was amazing—so tasty that he wants more!"

"Cough! Cough! Cough!"

A deep voice rumbled behind the black bear.

Standing there was an elderly Panda, towering at least 2.6 meters, his long white beard swaying as he cleared his throat.

"Hey, Black Kid, you've been away for years. Today, come see how your old man entertains guests. Don't worry about it," the village chief said, trying to brush off the awkwardness from the earlier comment made by the black bear. He quickly tried to steer the conversation away before things got more awkward.

"I just got here today and this guy kicks me, saying, 'Let me see if your kung fu has improved.' He's only not been able to beat me for the past few years. Now his hands and feet are itching to fight. But I'm not going back to him," the black bear grumbled, turning his back to the village chief.

The black bear leaned toward Harry, "What are you here for?"

"I heard you have to fight to stay the night."

"Oh, that!" the big black bear slapped his chest in realization. He turned to the village chief, a panda with a white beard. "Grandpa, can I fight him? No holding back, you can see for yourself if my skills have improved."

"This area is for guests to stay," Bear Dezheng said, pointing to a cluster of bamboo huts on the mountainside. "I haven't been back for two or three years, but nothing has really changed. Pick a house that suits you, hang your token on the door, and you can stay for three nights."

"Thanks a lot, brother."

Harry glanced at the small hillside in front of him. This was still within Panda Village. The area was chosen to offer guests a great view of the village. The location was ideal. A small path led down to the village's bustling Gongzi Square. Although it was called a village, it was more like a small town, with everything you could find in the outside world. The pandas, known for their late-night energy, made the village's nightlife incredibly vibrant.

These playful pandas were always up for new things, and their martial spirit made them incredibly energetic. Even at 3 or 4 AM, when most people would be exhausted, Gongzi Square remained lit up, filled with laughter and joy.

"No need to be polite. After I show you to your room, I'll find one for myself. This morning, my old man kicked me at the village entrance, same old familiar feeling. I can't go back home now. Otherwise, all the work I've done these past few years will be for nothing."

"I'll buy some land, build a house, maybe even a two-story building. Once it's ready, I'll bring my wife here, have a bunch of little cubs, and make sure my old man never gets to hold them. That'll really drive him crazy," Bear Dezheng said, smiling as he imagined the future.

"The white bear girls up north, though—wow, they're something. I've had my eye on them for a while. If it weren't for needing to settle down, I wouldn't have come back. But when the time comes, I'll show off at the competition. I bet those girls won't be able to keep their legs together when they see me. They'll call me 'big brother' and pounce on me."

"A competition?" Harry raised an eyebrow, looking at Bear Dezheng. "A matchmaking competition?"

"Of course not. Do you know about the foot fighting competition? If I win that, I'll be the brightest guy in the world," Bear Dezheng said, giving a thumbs up. "Girls will be chasing after me."

Harry scratched his head, "Foot fighting? Isn't that a duel competition?"

"Ohhhh~" Harry realized he'd misunderstood. "You mean the World Youth Wizard Duelling Championship?"

"Yeah, that's what it is. But we don't call them wizards here. It's a local term. It's the World Youth Spellcaster Duelling Championship now," Bear Dezheng said seriously. "People call them wizards, magicians, practitioners, all sorts of names, but when it's international, everyone's a spellcaster. Got it?"

"Got it, got it."

Looking at Harry nodding, Bear Dezheng scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Are you competing too? Which region are you from? I'm from the Central Asia Mixed Region."

"Europe."

"Oh, newbie region."

"Hmm?" Harry looked up, confused.

"I was just saying you guys are a bit weak. No offense." Bear Dezheng explained honestly, "The Europe region is the newbie cradle. It's lazy, exclusive, and old-fashioned. In over four hundred years, only five world champions came from there. They're all incredibly strong, but the rest of the time, no one even makes it to the finals."

"Occasionally, you get a big shot, but most of the time, it's filled with noobs. It's the weakest region on average, no problem, right?"

"True," Harry said, a little speechless, but quickly dismissed it. It didn't matter to him if other people were weak.

"Now, the real powerhouse is about to make his appearance."

"Whoa, this little guy's got guts," Bear Dezheng clapped Harry on the shoulder. He had noticed Harry's age when registering at the village chief's place. Harry was just two months away from turning thirteen, and Bear Dezheng was almost a full year older than him. This would be his last chance to compete in the World Youth Spellcaster Duelling Championship.

"Go ahead and drop off your stuff. You can stay here for a few days. When you're free, come find me, and we can train a bit. Panda kung fu is no joke."

Bear Dezheng hummed a tune as he left. Harry, along with Furong, walked along the path towards the bamboo huts on the hillside. The sound of a gently flowing stream could be heard among the trees, and in the distance, a waterfall cascaded down, breaking the quiet with its soft echoes.

(End of Chapter)