#592 - Shinra Tensei? (Seeking monthly ticket recommendation ticket)
"Heavy Hammer!"
Peter roared, waving his wand fiercely at Claremont. A giant siege hammer, formed entirely of magic, shot out. If it landed, Claremont and the Aurors beside him would be in serious trouble. Google search reading
Just then, a stream of silver-blue light with a fiery tail shot out from the side, blocking the siege hammer at the last moment. The collision caused a violent shockwave, kicking up dust and momentarily halting the surrounding battles, drawing everyone's attention.
As the smoke cleared, Claremont was unharmed. A metallic longsword, crackling with electricity, was embedded in the ground before him.
A figure appeared beside the sword, smoothly pulling the silver blade free and resting it on his right arm. He chuckled, "Minister Peter, I didn't expect our next meeting to be like this. I'm afraid I can't stand by while you do as you please."
"Anduin, are you sure you want to oppose me?" Peter asked, his eyes narrowed, staring intensely at the young man blocking his path.
"Don't blame me for this," Anduin shrugged helplessly. "You were the one who said you'd silence everyone in the hall. I'm just protecting myself."
Anduin turned to look at Andre. "Director Andre, I'll hold Peter back. Organize everyone to evacuate the innocents!"
"Understood!" Andre knew Anduin's strength and didn't hesitate. He nodded to the Aurors and Edmund before retreating.
The Aurors protecting Claremont reacted swiftly. Two of them grabbed Claremont and hurried towards the side door.
"You think you can stop me?" Peter sneered at Anduin's bold claim. "If you're going to stand in my way, don't expect me to be polite!"
"Whether I can or not, I have to try, right?" Anduin grinned, then whispered, "Overload!"
Boom!
A magical surge, no weaker than Peter's, exploded from Anduin.
The previously refined young gentleman was now covered in thick plasma strands, his eyes glowing with silver light. His aura alone caused pain to those who looked at him.
Anduin knew Peter was likely Gold Flash, possessing power at the Phoenix or Thunderbird level, so he went all out from the start!
Even Peter was unnerved by Anduin's appearance. 'Could this really be someone under twenty? Is he strange, or am I just too old and out of touch?'
Anduin didn't waste time with idle chatter, knowing his 'Overload' form wouldn't last long.
He plunged Annihilation into the ground and slashed heavily towards Peter. "Thunderous Sword - Earth Walk."
The rising blade carried a terrifying power, unleashing a crescent-shaped arc of sword energy along the ground towards Peter.
The killing move is underground!
Instantly, Peter recognized the danger of Anduin's sword energy. Blocking the frontal attack directly would be a trap. The more powerful magic surging underground was the real attack.
'So, after seeing my previous defensive mode, he decided to attack from underground? It seems he's not just intimidating, but also highly skilled in combat!'
Peter smiled coldly, pushing off the ground with his legs. He floated upwards, defying gravity, and soared over the incoming sword energy.
As Anduin's Wild Lightning Sword energy reached Peter's previous location, it detonated, unleashing a lightning bolt as thick as a bucket from the ground, striking the ceiling dozens of meters above!
A deafening roar followed, shattering a large section of the roof and causing a shower of stones to rain down.
Peter, having evaded the attack, ignored the chaos behind him and flew above Anduin, pointing his wand downwards. "Repel!"
As he chanted, an invisible impact formed, like when he deflected Andre's attacks, but this time, it was focused in one direction and significantly stronger.
"Boom!"
About a second after he cast the spell, the ground caved in as if a giant beast had stomped on it. The stone floor was crushed into powder, creating a cloud of dust and debris.
The crowd, pressed against the walls, couldn't help but gulp.
They had stopped fighting long ago.
The two in the center were too terrifying. Every move seemed capable of destroying the world. The 'Splinter Faction' wizards, though persuaded by Peter, didn't want to die. Staying here would mean being caught in the crossfire.
Andre, organizing the clearance of the rubble at the side door, shouted to the hesitant 'Splinter Faction' wizards, "If you don't want to die, help clear the way! Do you really think the Silver Spears will accept you? Have you forgotten how Peter treated Michel and Bayer?"
The wizards hesitated.
They knew Andre was right. The hundreds of imprisoned wizards showed the club didn't care about their lives. Even Claremont, who had served Peter for over a decade, was forced to betray him. The Silver Spears' credibility was terrible.
But surrendering meant a terrible fate, too, right?
Seeing their hesitation, Andre continued, "I guarantee you, in my capacity as Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, that if you surrender, I will ensure leniency in your trials."
"Most of you were either tricked or coerced by Peter. Those with minor involvement can even serve your sentences through community service! The Ministry needs your contributions to continue operating! Even serious offenders will only face prison time, which is better than dying here!"
Encouraged, the wizards' eyes lit up. Andre's credibility was much higher than Peter's, and many had only followed orders, making them accomplices at worst.
"I surrender! I'm willing to serve my sentence!"
A voice rang out from the crowd. It was Mite, who had opposed Andre at the hearing.
He had seemed loyal to Peter, but now he was the first to defect.
Mite rushed out of the crowd towards Andre. "Director Andre, I'll help now. Please don't attack me, and I beg you to reduce my sentence!"
Spurred by Mite, the already disunited 'Splinter Faction' wizards followed suit.
Even the die-hard loyalists despaired and lowered their wands. They knew the situation was hopeless. Peter was held back by Anduin, and they couldn't stop the approaching hundred.
As Andre finished working on the wizards, Peter completed his spell. Its power was earth-shattering, and everyone thought the ground would be pierced.
As the dust settled, the true scene was revealed.
A circular pit, ten meters in diameter and over a meter deep, had been carved into the floor, centered on Anduin's previous location. The pit walls were smooth, as if polished.
But Anduin was nowhere to be seen in the massive pit!
"Tsk, you dodged it? I didn't realize you were as good at escaping as you are at attacking," Peter said, not surprised that he had missed. If Anduin were defeated so easily, it would be too naive.
"That's true, but your spell was quite terrifying. I almost didn't react in time."
Anduin's voice came from beside Peter, high in the air. Everyone looked up.
He was floating twenty meters in the air, wearing a jet-black high-collared cloak.
The cloak billowed behind Anduin, spreading like wings, as he smiled at Peter. "Your spell looked like high-intensity 'Control' magic, but if I'm not mistaken, you were using pure [Gravity], right?"
Anduin had suspected something when Peter deflected everyone's spells earlier. It was like 'Shinra Tensei,' too domineering.
After experiencing Peter's attack up close, Anduin was almost certain.
Peter, or rather, Gold Flash, specialized in manipulating [Gravity]!
This was unexpected. Anduin hadn't thought there would be magic to control gravity. Truly worthy of being one of the club's four elders. His methods are no weaker than the other three!
